Monday Weigh In

Well, I have decided that next week, I will change things up. I will weigh in and have my Super High Points Day on Saturday. That way I get to enjoy my weekend with a few extra points with Prince Charming home.

I weighed in today and I have to say I am a little disappointed. I thought I would be in One-derland but I am not quite there. Oh well, maybe next week.

Food for Monday:

0 points--coffee
5 points--raisin biscuit
0 points--coffee
3 points--cookies
4 points--cod fillet
1 points--ww bread
1 points low fat margarine
2 points--timbits
9 points--spaghetti
8 points--pea soup
3 points--cookies
36 Points--Total for Monday

What do you think?

I am thinking of changing one thing. As of the way my schedule is now, I Weigh In and have my Super High Points Day on Monday. I am thinking that maybe it makes more sense to have it on Saturday or Sunday when Prince Charming is home and I am more likely want the extra points. I am going to go ahead and have on Monday this week and pending some thought and your thoughts on it as well, I will make the change next week.

Food for today:

5 points--raisin biscuit
0 points--coffee
1 point--yogurt
3 points--cookies
0 points--coffee
4 points--cod and veggies
1 point--timbit
7 1/2 points--cheesecake
1 point--yogurt
1 1/2 point--cookie
24 points--total for Sunday

Saturday Pitfalls

Well it's saturday which is always a red button day for me, weekends feel like the time for treats and stuff, you know what I mean? But having my Weigh-in on monday should be good motivation to try to stay on-plan. We have company coming tonight which again is a dangerous situation for me diet wise but it is at my house so I will see what I can do.


I am getting so close to One-derland. I am so happy and excited. I am looking at getting to a place I haven't been in more than ten years! On one hand I am excited, I am sooo close. On the other hand, I am nervous. It is like there is a part of my brain that says that my body will stop and refuse to go any further, like I have no control. Which is ridiculous, right? I am not the only person in the world who will eat less and move more and not lose weight, right. I'm just nuts. I figured that.
I just had some cod given to me and I am not sure what WW recipes I have for it. I will have to see what I can find.

Food for Saturday:

2 points--bread
2 points--peanut butter
1 point--jelly
1 point--fat free/sugar free yogurt
0 points--coffee
1 1/2 points--cookie
2 points--granola bar
1 point--bread
1 point--cream cheese
1 point--tuna
0 points--coffee
1 point--yogurt
1 point--timbit
1 1/2 point--cookie
4 points--soup
5 points--biscuit
25 points--total for Saturday

Friday Fun

Today is Friday and Prince Charming has the day off. I hope that I can do well even with his distracting presence. today is a good day, with family time and relaxing. have a great Weekend everyone!

Food for Friday:

1 point--ww bread
2 point--peanut butter
1 point--jelly
0 points--water
0 points--coffee
2 points--granola bar
2 points--ww bread
1 1/2 points--tuna
1 point--low fat margarine
1/2 point--hummus
3 points--cookies
2 points--granola bars
3 points--chicken and tomatoes
3 points--cookies
6 points--snacks
28 points--total for Friday

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday: Thirteen Things I vow

I will not allow stress to affect my eating habits
I will not eat my little princess's leftovers (I am not a puppy to be eating tablescraps)
I will not allow money troubles to be my excuse to overeat.
I will eat all of my points
I will not eat more than my points
I will not obsess over the scales
I will not weigh myself fifteen times a day, this way lies obsession
I will not obsess over my food thinking about it all the time
I will get outside and get active
I will teach my little princess that food is fun and nothing to be scared of
I will teach my little princess to like vegetables
I will try to my food for Prince Charming and my little princess that is healthier, they deserve to be healthy too
I will be a healthier and happier me
Food for today:

2 points--egg white omelet
1 point--ww bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
0 points-coffee
2 points--granola bar
2 points--tortilla
2 points--peanut butter
1 point--jelly
1 point--yogurt
1 1/2 points--cookie
6 points--eggwhite omelet
1 point--yogurt
1 point--ww bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
1/2 point--hummus
1 point--yogurt
24 points--total for Thursday

Food Guilt

I read this great article, "1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward" about food guilt when you are dieting. I tend to do that a lot. I beat myself up about eating over my points and stuff even if I didn't mean to. This article really helped me deal with that.

I particular, I really enjoyed this part:

In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you simply consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame. In weight loss, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.Guilt can be debilitating to weight loss. When you mess up (or even when things are messed up for you), it’s natural to feel guilty. At that point, you have a choice: to let that guilt plummet you into a cycle that could spit you out worse off than before, or to accept the step back and say "where do I go from here?"
Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean I lost the game. I can still get right back up, jump back on the bandwagon and beat this thing! Anyway, it was very motivating for me.

Food List for Wednesday:
2 point--Egg White Omelet
1 point--WW bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
0 point--coffee
1 1/2 points--tuna
2 points--bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
1 1/2 points--cookie
2 points--yogurt
7 1/2 points--lean beef and veggies
1 1/2 points--cookie
1 point--yogurt
2 points--krispy square
4 points--granola bar
28 points--Total for Wednesday

Tuesdays Thoughts

I feel really positive today. It is a brand new day, i got to sleep in and I feel really energized, ready to kick this diet plan into full swing!

Food for Tuesday:

2 points--egg white omelet
1 point--ww bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
1 1/2 points--cookie
2 points--tortilla
1 point--hummus
1 point--low fat cream cheese
1 point--fat free/sugar free yogurt
3 points--chicken breast and tomatoes.
2 point--low fat cheese
2 points--granola bar
2 points--rice crispy square
1 point--yogurt
4 1/2 points--cookies
25 points--total for Tuesday

Weight Watchers Freindly Recipes

I thought I would list recipes and tips that I wanted to try. If anyone has any WW tips or recipes they would like to share, I would love to hear them.

2pt Choc Muffins

3c. all bran
2c. water
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pkg. low fat brownie mix

Preheat oven to 350*
Spray w/non stick spray 12 muffin cups.
Mix all bran, water and baking powder, let sit 5 minutes.
Stir in brownie mix.
Bake 20-25 minutes.

The muffins are quite large and definitely satisfy my chocolate craving.
Each muffin is 2 pts

Delicious 4 point french toast

1 slice ww bread (28g)
2 tblsp egg beaters
2 tblsp 2% milk
cinnamon
splenda - 2 packets
1/2 pear - diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tblsp LF cream cheese

Mix the milk, egg beaters, 1 packet splenda and cinnamon in a small square container (ziploc type thing works great). Plop in the piece of bread and allow it to soak up all the egg mixture.

In a small saute pan put in pears, some water (??2 tblsp??), other packet of splenda and cinnamon. When it is simmering add the LF CC. Cook over med heat until the pears just start to soften and the sauce b/c's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

On a griddle or large flat bottom pan (hit with just a second of cooking spray if it's not nonstick) over med heat cook the bread for 1-2 minutes on each side until the egg is almost completely set and the toast is golden brown.

Put toast on plate and cover with pear sauce. (I added some strawberries to this as well and it was fantastic!! I'm sure blueberries, raspberries could also be added and it would be terrific.)

202 cal, 4 fiber, 3.5 fat

modification - instead of cinnamon, use ground cardamom and add a couple of drops of either vanilla or orange extract to the egg mix.

Delicous 1 point biscuit

This recipe is fabulous, they may not look pretty but they sure are good and hit the spot in the morning with some egg whites. Enjoy!


Makes 2 biscuits

Ingredients:

6 tbsp self-rising flour
3 tbsp skim milk
1 1/2 tsp non-fat plain yogurt

Set oven at 425 degrees. Mix ingredients together, spray pan with nonstick spray and drop biscuits onto it. This recipe makes 2 biscuits. My leader suggested spraying the tops with non-stick butter flavored spray but with or without they are excellent. I like to put a cup of strawberries over them. Bake for 10-13 minutes.

SERVING SIZE: 1 biscuit

Mushroon Soup

Take 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. The regular fat kind is ok. check points but it is usually 4 or 5 points for the whole can WITHOUT milk. Use water. Add 16oz of fresh sliced mushrooms (FREE). Add a little garlic salt and pepper to taste as well as some chopped onions. The less water you add the thicker the soup is. More like a stew. It becomes a large volume with the mushrooms and onions. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Then the whole pot is only 4 or 5 points depending on the points of the cream of mushroom soup. Very filling supper!!

Guilt Free Guacamole - 0 points (really!)

24 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved (I buy frozen that's already trimmed)
1/2 cup salsa
1 tablespoon cilantro
2 garlic cloves
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Cook the asparagus until it's tender-crisp (I use the microwave, or you could use the stove, boiling for about five minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water.

Puree the asparagus in blender or food processor, adding salsa, cilantro and garlic. Add scallions. Pulse several times 'til chunky-smooth.

Transfer to serving bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for at least an hour or 'til chilled.

Spinach Rollups

1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach ... thawed and well drained (0 pts)
1 cup lite mayo (est. 11 pts)
1 8 oz container lite sour cream (est. 8 pts)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (0 pts)
1 envelope ranch dressing mix (0 pts)
1 3 oz jar bacon bits (3 pts)
9 (10 inch) fat free tortillas (18 pts)

stir together first 6 ingredients, spread evenly on tortillas. Roll (like a jelly roll), press edges to seal. wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4-6 hours then cut into 1/2 slices.

yield's 6 dozen (72 servings)
total points: 40
points per slice: .6 pts per serving

Cola Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup catsup
12 oz can diet cola

Put chicken in non-stick skillet. Pour catsup and diet cola over the top. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick and adheres to the chicken. It turns into the most incredible BBQ sauce and it's only 4 points per serving. Yummm!

Chicken Lo Mein - 3 Points

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup green onions -- thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
8 ounces boneless & skinless chicken breast -- cut in thin strips
1 1/2 cups mushrooms -- thinly sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 can bamboo shoots, Geisha -- drained
1 can waterchestnuts, China Boy -- drained and sliced
1 can baby sweet corn, Sun Luck -- drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
5 ounces uncooked vermicelli, Creamette

1. In large non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray; add green onions and ginger root. Saute 1 minute.

2. Add chicken and saute for 2 minutes; add mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and waterchestnuts and cook until vegetables are tender, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in oyster sauce and soy sauce.

4. Cook vermicelli. Add vermicelli and stir to combine. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Calories: 216.2
Fat grams: 1.3
Fiber grams: 5.8

W/W Points: 3

Saucy Chicken

My friend sent this receipe along to me and said that she and her hubby really enjoy this. I'm making it later in the week.

Saucy Chicken

4 servings, each 4 points

4 (4 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Cups chicken broth, divided 3
4 scallions chopped
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour mixed with dash and a little salt &
pepper

Put 1/2 cup of broth in wide bowl; put flour mixture on plate. Dip each chicken breast in broth and then flour both sides. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook chicken over med. heat until done (use broth or water to keep from burning/sticking). Remove from skillet. Add remaining flour to skillet and stir constantly until browned. Stir in 1/4 cup of broth. Cook until thickened. Slowly add the rest of the broth and cook until slightly thickened. Add tomatoes and scallions and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Herbed Dijon Chicken Strips

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Kraft Fat-Free Cheese Topping
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
16 ounces boneless & skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
cooking spray

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag; set aside.

2. Brush chicken breast halves evenly with mustard; cut each breast into 3 strips.

3. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture. S eal bag; shake until chicken is coated.

4. Place chicken strips on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until done.

Calories: 163.4
Fat grams: 2.0
Fiber grams: 0.3

W/W Points: 3

Southern Style Chicken and Gravy
1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 can (14.5 ounce) fat-free chicken broth

Dash of pepper

3 (8 ounce) cans no-salt-added mixed vegetables, drained

1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken (cooked and cut into bite sized pieces)

Put the milk, cornstarch, salt and chicken broth into Dutch oven. Mix well before turning on heat, dissolving cornstarch completely. Turn heat on medium.

Add drained mixed vegetables and cooked bite sized pieces of chicken. Stir occasionally and cook approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture is creamy. Serve over two biscuits.

Add more points for the biscuits.

One 1/2 cup serving (calculated w/o biscuits) equals: Calories 126...Fat 1g... Fiber 2g...Carbohydrates 9g... Protein 18g...Cholesterol 40mg...Sodium 256mg

WW Points: 3 pt



Applesauce Pancakes
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 T. baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup non-fat buttermilk

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Combine the flour and the baking powder in a medium sized bowl, and stir to mix well. Stir in the applesauce, buttermilk, and egg whites.

Coat a griddle or large skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and preheat over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when it hits the heated surface.

For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle, and spread into a 4-inch circle. Cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the tops are bubbly and the edges are dry. Turn and cook for an additional minute, or until the second side is golden brown. As the pancakes are done, transfer them to a serving plate and keep warm in a preheated oven.

Makes 12.

Nutritional Facts (per pancake) calories: 69, chol: 1 mg, Fat: 0.4, Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 3.3 g, sodium: 122 mg,

WW Points: 1 pt.



1pt Quiche

2C Egg Subsitute
10oz pkg Spinach
1C FF cheese
Onion
Green pepper
salt and pepper

Mix and pour into foil cups in a muffin tin. Heat over to 325. Cook for 20-30 min.

***I subsituted the onion and green pepper for morningstar sausage crumbles. This actually made 10 small quiches. They are really easy to grab on the go.***

Honey Date Scones
2 cups self rising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp margarine (20g)

3 tbsp honey

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp flour, extra

Preheat oven to 450¼F (240¼C). Coat a baking tray with cooking spray.

Sift the flour and the cinnamon into a bowl. Using the fingertips, rub the margarine into the flour.

Combine the honey, milk and water and stir into the flour mixture along with the dates. Mix until it forms a firm dough.

Sprinkle the extra flour over a cutting board and gently knead the dough.

Pat dough out to a 3/4-inch (2 cm) thickness. Using a 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter, cut dough into 12 rounds and place on the baking tray.

Coat lightly with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 12 servings, 2 pts. per serving.

Per serving: Calories 119.5, Protein 3.2g, Fat 0.7g, Saturated Fat 0.1g, Carbohydrate 26.4g, Fiber 1.3g, Cholesterol 0.2mg, Iron 1.1mg, Sodium 297.3mg, Calcium 248.2mg

Well I did it

I had my first Super High Day in the wendi plan. It was nice to have the treat but I have to confess it was a little nerve racking to convince myself that I am not going off my plan by doing this. That being said, I did try to use most of the points in healthy ways. I am trying to be a healthier me after all. Now if I could only leave my little princess's french fries alone when she doesn't want them at McD's I would have it made.

Reflections

Do you remember as a kid being afraid to do anything to stand out, being afraid to try something and fail where others might see you. As a kid, I moved so much I was perpetually the new kid. I did everything to blend into the background, not to stand out. To me the end result was that I was largely forgettable. But that is beside the point for the moment. Another result which I have never noticed before is that I was afraid to try new things and fail.


In sports, I never really gave it my all. I never tried. Because I figured I was probably no good at them and it was better to not try and not fail than to try and fail and have other people see me fail and laugh at me. In school, I had no doubt they would.


In computers, my brother was great at them, and I figured I would never be as good as he was. I would probably be laughed at for trying when he was so good, so I never tried. I spent my whole childhood convincing myself that I shouldn't try things I didn't think I could do. Convincing myself that never trying was better than trying and failing.

What a crock of crap! As an adult, I went back to college. I tried typing (something I had failed at in high school) and in college I excelled in it. I gave computers a try and found not only was I completely capable of using them but I had knack for them and I loved them. I ended up helping others with their computers.

My latest triumph is weightloss. I was always convinced that I was destined to be the fat kid. I had weight troubles my whole life and I had convinced myself that the only way a person with my body could lsoe weight was starving myself or other unhealthy means. And, I tried them all, eating disorders, diet pills, you name it, I tried it.

The only thing I didn't try was a good old fashioned lifestyle change. I never tried just eating less and moving more. I honestly didn't think it would work. So here I 47 1/2 pounds later and it is working. I am losing. I am not done, but I have come so much further than I ever dared dream I would before. I can be something other than the chubby girl with the "great personality". I can be the attractive person Prince Charming has always told me I was. I can one day look in the mirror and see someone I am proud to be.

Actually, these days . . . . I do that now.

Gonna Give it a go

I am gonna give it a go. I figure if I find it doesn't work for me I can go back to the way I was doing it before. I think I like the idea of changing it up a little. I am gonna do it like I had already lost the next five pounds because I don't see starting something new and then in a week or two having to adjust my points down a little. I switched day one and day two so that before I weigh in I have two low point days in a row. So here is what i will be doing:

POINTS TARGET - 24 (Weigh 175 - 199 lbs)

Day 1 - 29 points
Day 2 - 24 points
Day 3 - 25 points
Day 4 - 39 points Super High Day (SHD)
Day 5 - 24 points
Day 6 - 28 points
Day 7 - 26 points

Something new

I am considering looking at the Wendi Plan. Has anyone ever heard of it? Tried it? It is just a variant of WW where you spread out your flex points in a certain way really. I used flex points last night. I was so hungy! Finding out after supper that my supper was 9 points instead of 6 screwed up my whole evening and I ended up eating worse than if I hadn't known. Ugh. Oh well, live and learn.

Food for today:

2 points--whole grain bread
1 point--low fat cream cheese
3 points--cookies
0 points--coffee
1 point--yogurt
4 1/2 points--tuna wrap
3 points--skinless chicken breast and 0 point veggies
1 point--fat free/sugar free yogurt
1 point--apple
2 points--tortilla
1 point--hummus
1 point--low fat cream cheese
1 point--fat free/sugar free yogurt
3 points--cookies
24 1/2 points--Total Points for Saturday

Decision

I have decided I am only going to update my weight on Mondays. That is my official weigh in and I don't think I should record daily fluctuations.

I was able to get a few groceries today it was with my child tax credit so I spent almost the whole thing on things that my little princess would eat, but I did get me some egg whites, some low fat granola bars, and some more yogurt. That will help me come up with stuff to eat.

Food for Friday:

rice crispy square--2 points
whole wheat tortilla--2 points
hummus and cream cheese-2 points
tuna--1 points
granola bar--2 points
yogurt--1 points
3 slices whole grain bread--6 points
low fat cream cheese--1points
egg and 1 egg white--2 points
cookies--4 1/2 points
low fat yogurt--1 point
orange--1 point
low fat beef wrap--5 points
Total for Friday--30 1/2 points (4 1/2 flex points)

AAAAAGGGGHHHH

the ww book I have says that as long as your bread has more than 3 grams of fibre per slice, each slice of bread is 1 point. I just used a points calculator I have and I found out that my whole grain bread has TWO POINTS per slice! That turned my supper and snack of 6 points into a meal of 9 points!!!! I hate when that happens after I eat something!

I impressed me today

Today my neighbour brought over warm muffins to my daughter and I. I really really wanted it but I thought about it. I didn't know how many points these were and whatever it was it probably was more than I could spare anyway. So I put it aside and gave it to Prince Charming when he got home.

then later, I was babysitting and they had all kinds of snacks for the kids and a half a pizza sitting there. I was hungry and I wanted the pizza, but I know pizza has like a million points or something. So after checking to see if any of the snacks were low points, (they weren't) I then decided to wait until I got home and more control over my snacks. Yay me for having that self-control.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I vow in regards to my weightloss:

I will not give up and decide halfway is good enough
I will remain proud of myself and my accomplishments
I will NOT snack on my little princess's leftovers
I will NOT be influenced by Prince Charming and the Little Princess's food
I will NOT obsess about this to the degree that I get unhealthy
I will NOT start to do crazy things in pursuit of short term success
I will remember that I am worth buying the food I need to be a healthier me
I will remember that I am doing this for the feeling I get when I look in the mirror and not for anyone else
I will not teach my daughter to hate her body
I will be proud of me and all my accomplishments
I will NOT decide that my diet is over and now I can go back to my other way of eating
I will realize that weight control is a lifelong problem that I have had and I will always have to be thinking about it
I will NOT let my weight, whatever it may be, define my selfworth.
Prince Charming told me today that he thought I looked amazing. He said he was proud of me and if he were to guess what I weighed he would have thought about 20 lbs lighter. woohoo. That is so nice to hear.

Food for today

coffee--0 points
whole grain bread--1 point
low fat cream cheese--1 point
sugar free/fat free yogurt--1 point
coffee--0 points
low fat candy--2 point
whole wheat tortilla--2 point
tuna and hummus--2 point
chicken breast and veggies--5 point
crispy square--2 point
yogurt and orange--2 point
whole grain bread and low fat cream cheese--2 point
low fat candy--2 point

Better and Back at it

Today is a better day. I am feeling much better after having had the flu yesteday. The upside is that I lost a little weight as of this morning. You have to look for silver linings around these clouds of sickness, you know.

I am heading down to 200 lbs. I am going to cut back my WW points now as I will have to in a few pounds and I may as well get used to it now. I look on these point cuts as milestones. Although you have no idea how much I will party when I finally break 200 lbs!

Food for today:

whole grain bread--1 point
low fat cream cheese--1 point
coffee--0 point
fat free/sugar free yogurt--1 point
whole wheat tortilla--2 points
hummus--1 point
tuna 1/8 cup--1 point
coffee--0 point
low fat candy--2 point
rice crispy square--2 point
chicken breast and 0 point veggies--5 points
low fat candy --2 points
fat free/sugar free yogurt --1 point
orange -- 1 point
Total for today--20 points

Giving this a shot

I like the idea of a place to discuss my weightloss. Today I am sick and I know that I haven't been eating enough. I am struggling to eat enough to get me through the day. In my weightloss journey I have to struggle to walk a line between eating enough and not eating too much. In the past, my weight loss efforts were aimed at losing the most i can as quickly as I can and I wasn't able to maintain it. Now, I am looking to do this long term. Lets see how this goes.