Year in Review

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2011

It's been quite a year.

  

I've lost about 30 pounds!  

I have to say, I did that in the first 6 months.  I really let myself down the last half of the year.  I wasn't focused enough, ate things I shouldn't have, and didn't exercise enough.  Still, this year was a good one!  I'm down to a size 12 jeans and large shirts.  I wore a bikini in public for the first time in my life.  It was in a foreign country, but it's a big step for me to take.  


On non-weight related notes, Chris and I worked our butts off this year.  He paid off all of his debt, and I'm almost done with mine.  It's nice being able to keep the house at a comfortable temperature during these cold months instead of walking around bundled up.  We finally went on a honeymoon, and it was amazing!  Work is going very well for the both of us, things are going to be good!


So, this is the time of year many of us set goals.  I have 3.  1- lose another 30 pounds.  Ideally, I want to get down into the 140's, which is 50 lbs away.  I would LOVE to do that this year, but I'm taking the more realistic goal and can always do better.  2- fit into a size 8 by next year.  12 was my first "normal" size, but I want to get out of the double digits.  3- wear a bikini in public and not worry about how I look or if I'll run into someone I know.  No, I don't expect a 6-pack any time soon, but I do want to be able to tan my tummy at the beach, not just in my backyard.


The plan- track my food like CRAZY!  I fall off the wagon when I make a bad choice and don't write it down, so I'm not allowing myself to do that anymore.  The good, the bad, the ugly- they will all be written down.  I'm also getting back into my exercise routine.  I've been getting back into it this past month, and I actually enjoy it, so I'm looking forward to it again. I drink a lot of wasted calories, but I don't do well with cutting things out of my life completely, so if I want to drink, I'll have ONE drink, and that's it.  One glass of wine, one beer, whatever it may be.  I'm also letting myself have one meal a month where I don't track- like a party or another celebration.  If I give myself one a month, I can plan for it and know I'll have a meal that I don't have to measure and count everything.


I wish you and your families a very happy and healthy new year!  What goals are you setting for yourselves in 2012?

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA.  Since the end of the summer, my mind just wasn't in it.  I'd been dealing with a plateau since May, I just came back from vacation, and school was starting.  I didn't totally sabotage myself, but I neglected the gym and wasn't measuring anything or tracking anything.  Whenever I tried to get back on track, it felt like torture because I wasn't ready.  So, knowing that I was going to gain, I made the conscious decision to take a little break before going gung-ho again.  


Last Thursday was my day.  I went back to my Weight Watchers meeting, I was up to 196 again, but that was okay.  I was finally mentally ready to do it all again.  So, the measuring cups and scales came back out.  I made all of my meals for the week.  I had a plan.  I scheduled workouts at the gym so I didn't have any excuse not to go.  I've also decided to do more than my usual workout routine- I'm taking new classes multiple times a week to switch it up for my brain and my body.


After one week back on track, I dropped 3 pounds and I'm at 193 now.  I am very optimistic and excited, knowing that I can and WILL do this again.  I still aim to eventually reach the 140 area, but I'm giving myself more time to get there.  I originally wanted to hit it by next year, but I'm adding a year to it now.  Hell, I'll even say let's get to goal before I hit the big 3-0 (turned 27 this October).  


I lost track of my progress.  I was so focused on my plateau that I forgot how far I'd come.  I am down 60 lbs from my all-time high, and down 30 from last year.  That's AWESOME!!!  As I should remember from the play I did with my students last year "slow and steady wins the race."


I will be posting again, at least once a week to let you all know how I'm doing at my weigh-ins.  I will continue to post recipes and everything else as the inspiration hits me.  Thank you all for supporting me through this!!!


Before I go, check out the new jeans I bought about a month ago.  These are my first pair of "expensive" jeans ($70 on sale for $30, that's how I roll!).  I am in love with them!!!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Creamy Sage Sauce

This is such a delicious meal!  Be warned, the recipe below makes WAY too much filling (like, enough for 100 ravioli), but I have a tip for you at the end (or you could just cut the recipe in half!).  One serving of 8 ravioli with sauce has 7 Points+.  Pair with a salad or a side of veggies and you've got yourself a full meal!


Ingredients:
For Ravioli:
1 Butternut Squash, cut in half and baked until soft, insides scooped out and mashed
2 shallots, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried sage
4 ounces goat cheese
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Wonton Wrappers (8 per serving)


For Sauce:
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
12 sage leaves, chopped 
3 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp Wondra flour


Instructions:
Melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add shallots and dried sage until the shallots are nice and caramelized.  Add to mashed butternut squash and mix.  Crumble in goat cheese and mix, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.


Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  While it's heating up, lay out wonton wrappers.  Place about 1/2 tbsp in the center of each wrap.  Dip your finger in water, and moisten 2 adjacent sides of the wrapper, then fold over to make a triangle.  Try to get out any air and make sure to seal it well.  Prepare as many ravioli as you need for your meal.


Once the water boils, reduce the heat so that it's just barely boiling, not going too crazy.  If it's boiling too much, your ravioli will come apart!  Drop in ravioli a few at a time, making sure that they don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot.  Boil for about 5 minutes to cook the wrappers.


While cooking the ravioli, it's time to prepare the sauce.  Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the butter and sage leaves.  Simmer until leaves are softened.  Slowly stir in the light cream.  If you want to thicken your sauce, add the Wondra flour 1/2 tbsp at a time, sprinkling it little by little while mixing to avoid lumps.  Cook a few minutes longer, and voila!


Serve 1/8 of the sauce over 8 ravioli (about 1/4 cup sauce per serving).
______________________________________________________________
Now, you will have SO MUCH leftover ravioli filling.  What I did was drop 1/2 tbsp servings on wax paper, freeze on a cookie sheet, and them drop them all into a freezer bag once they were frozen.  Now, the next time I want ravioli, I will just wrap the frozen filling and cook them that way.  Hopefully they won't explode!

Week 44 Weigh In- Halloween Edition!

Current Weight: 188.2 lbs

Weekly Loss: 1.6 lbs    Total Loss: 33.8 lbs

 I was very happy to be down this week!  I was at the gym almost every day, ate very well, and luckily saw the results on the scale.  This week, I'm aiming for the same, but as we all know, anything could happen!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!  

Go for the Snickers or 3 Musketeers Minis (1 Point+ each!)

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I haven't been home much, and I have been really sad at my lack of eating food that I've cooked.  So, the other day, I ran to the grocery store in between my million things, grabbed what looked good, and threw together the following meal.  Luckily, it came out really good!  You can buy the chicken with skin and bones and prep it yourself, but I didn't have the time to do that, so I spent more money for the convenience.  Also, feel free to substitute any "cream of" soups for the ones below.  1/4 of the chicken mixture has 6 points, and one biscuit has 5.  This is the ultimate throw together meal.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 can "healthy" condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used Campbell's Heathy Request)
1 can "healthy" condensed cream of celery soup (same as above)
1 box frozen peas and carrots
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can Pillsbury reduced fat biscuits (or any other brand)


Directions:
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and mix well(I used my old, trusty Crockpot since it would be on all day while I wasn't home).  Cook on "low" for 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked.  Stir and season with S&P if needed.


For the dumpling part, open can of biscuits and arrange on top of mixture.  Cook for another 2 hours until biscuits are done.  

Even with all of this cooking, the chicken still stays moist and tender.  If you use chicken breast, it WILL dry out, so make sure to use the thighs if you make this recipe.  

The Slow Cooker Debate

I love my slow cookers.  Crockpots are a brand of slow cooker, so don't be thrown off by the difference in names, they are one in the same.  I will be posting a few recipes for them, but before I do, we need to go over some important information first.


Size matters.  Slow cookers work the best when they are at least 2/3 full, so I tend to have 2 sizes.  A "normal" one (5 qt) and then a mega-one ( 8 qt) incase I need to feed a family of 12 for some reason.


The other difference comes from the year they were manufactured.  After doing some homework (and ruining a few meals) I found out that newer slow cookers cook at higher temperatures due to different regulations.  While this sounds like a good thing, it means that some recipes are meant for lower temperature cookers.  


My rule of thumb- if it involves meat, I use my old CrockPot that looks like it's from the 70's that I purchased at a garage sale for $1 (the smaller one).  Any vegetarian meal, or any meal that involved already cooked meat, can go in the new slow cooker.  I've tried cooking meat in the new cooker on low, and it is still too high of a temperature and the meat ends up being tough.  Some other meals end up burning a little on the sides as well.  I don't worry if I leave something in my old cooker past the "end" time, but the new one will burn it, sometimes before time is up!


If you ever come across an old slow cooker at a thrift store or yard sale, buy it!  The difference it makes when cooking meat is well worth it.  

Week 43 Weigh In

Current Weight: 189.8 lbs

Two Week Gain: 2.6 lbs       Total Loss: 32.3 lbs

Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover how I'm feeling.  I've been back on track, going to the gym when I really don't want to, eating what I should be eating, and there's still a gain.

I'm hoping that it's a combination of my body catching up after multiple birthday celebrations and also possibly gaining muscle from my more intense workouts, but I feel like that's just an excuse!  I'm trying to focus less on my weight and more on how I feel, how my clothing fits, etc, but it still sucks to gain weight when I am trying so hard.

In other news, I bought the outfit in the picture last December (sorry about the picture quality, a self-portrait was all I could do at the time!).  At the time, it barely fit me and showed every lump on my body.  Now, it fits me like it should!  I even had to tighten the belt because it was falling down.  The boots were purchased sometime late last winter, and they barely zipped up over my calves.  Now, they are LOOSE on my legs!  I couldn't believe it!  I wore this the other day while walking around the city, and let's just say the feedback from strangers made me feel pretty good about myself : )

I'm starting to realize that I'm too busy for my own good.  I never say "no" to anything, and it's caused me to have an insane schedule.  These past few weeks I haven't been home at all to prepare my food, and it's been rough.  So, I'm changing my choices.  I'm starting to say no to things that are just going to cause more stress and take up too much of my time.  

The plan:  gym EVERY DAY, get back into my yoga classes, take a whole day on the weekend to cook my food for the entire week since I'm not home in time to actually cook anything on a weeknight.  So far, so good.

I'm Back in the Saddle Again!

Weekend over, everything tracked, still on target.  I've made it a point to work out every day, whether it be at the gym or simply some extra walking, or both!  I've been tracking it all- the good and the bad, and it's working out.  I feel good!  We'll see how I do at the end of the week.


I have a few new recipes I'm working on, and I'll post them when they're all worked out.  In the meantime, if you subscribe to the WW E-tools, you need to make their apple crisp and their chicken breast with honey-balsamic glaze.  I can't post them here since they are licensed material, sorry!  The chicken is so easy and so good!  The apple crisp is pretty much a crust-less pie, so sweet and perfect for the fall.

It's a New Holiday!

Today is officially "Get Back On Track" Day!  Between my birthday and many other things, I haven't been the best WW member in the world.  Last week I lost the weight I gained the week before, so that was good, but I know that this week was bad.  I'm opting out of weighing in tonight for the first time EVER since last December.  I know that I should weigh in just to know where I'm at, but I know I've gained something and think it would just depress me at this point instead of inspire me to lose again, so I'm going to work really hard this week to not have a gain next week.  I don't know if it will work, but it makes sense to me, and that's what counts!


Planning ahead has been my weakness lately.  It's been extremely busy.  I don't have everything I need in the house, I've been getting home late and not wanting to cook, the list of excuses could go on and on.  It changes NOW!  I've already tracked my entire day, planned everything out with ingredients I know I have at home.  


I'm starting off my 27th year with optimism!!!

Endomondo Walking Workout

Endomondo Walking Workout: was out walking 1.45 miles in 22m:52s using Endomondo.

Wendy's Dinner

Tuesdays are very long days for me.  I am at school for 11 hours, then I go to the gym.  I get home for dinner somewhere in the 8 o'clock hour.  The last thing I want to do is start cooking.


Yesterday, I decided I would treat myself to something from Wendy's.  I took my time to research the best nutritional options for me and decided on their Apple Pecan Chicken Salad and a small chili.

Let me tell you, this salad is DELICIOUS!!!  The full-sized salad by itself it 9 Points+.  Their pomegranate vinaigrette isn't too bad, 2 packets have 3 Points+, and are more than enough for the salad size.  12 Points+ for a large salad with chicken from a fast food restaurant seems very reasonable to me.  Since I was famished by this point in the day, the chili was mandatory, and a small has 4 Points+.


So, 16 Points+, dinner was enjoyed, I didn't have to cook, and I worked it into my plan for the day.  Success all around!

Butternut Squash Bisque

I love thick, creamy soups.  Unfortunately, my favorite one is loaded with potatoes, cream and cheese.  Not so Weight Watchers friendly.


Since butternut squashes are abundant this time of year, I decided to create a soup to utilize their texture and really taste like the fall season.  The recipe below makes 6 big servings (depending on the size of your squash) and each only has a Points+ value of 2!  It's so delicious, too!  Most of the ingredients have a zero points, so this is perfect for when you are craving a nice, hearty soup in the colder months, but don't want to abandon your eating goals.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Brummel and Brown Spread
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 apples (Galas are delicious), peeled and diced
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup light cream
Salt
Pepper 
Nutmeg


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Carefully cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Place each half in a pyrex, cut side up, and fill pyrex with about an inch of water.  Bake squash until tender, at least an hour, more for larger squashes.


In a medium-large pot, heat up oil and B&B spread over medium heat.  Add onion, saute until translucent.  Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes until it just begins to brown.


Add carrots, apples and stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, simmer until the carrots are tender.  Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin with a spoon, and chop it roughly.  Once the carrots are soft, add the butternut squash and simmer for 5 more minutes.


Remove pot from heat.  Use an immersion blender to puree the ingredients.  Leave it as chunky as you'd like.  Once everything is smooth, slowly add in the cream and stir.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.


Note:  Nutmeg is stronger than you think.  I'd start with a half-teaspoon and add more from there.  

Week 41 Weigh In

Current Weight: 188.6 lbs

Weekly Gain: 1.8 lbs   Total Loss: 33.4 lbs

I'm struggling way more than I thought I would.  I just realized that I've been stuck around this area since May.  That's almost 6 months!

I'm getting myself back in gear.  I'm going back to the beginning, measuring every single thing I consume and getting to the gym as much as possible.  I'm going to switch it up, too.  I'm going to take different classes at my gym and get back into yoga, which I LOVE, but I haven't gone to in way too long.

Stress Binge Eating

Chicken chow mein with brown rice and wonton soup.

That's my stress binge eating meal of choice.  I guess it could be worse, but I still feel crappy after I consume it.  Last night I was stressed out and overly tired, never a good combination.  There was no way I was going to cook dinner (I got home at 8) so Chinese take-out it is.  I ate it all, even though I know I shouldn't have.  My brain needed to eat it, not my stomach. 

My problem is that I'm completely aware that I eat when I'm not hungry, but it still doesn't make me stop.  I should have had half of the food, and saved the rest.  But, no, I ate it all.

I'm really looking forward to this 4 day weekend to get myself back to normal!

I Survived My First 5K

I did it!  I survived the 5K!  And I even ran a little bit of it!


It wasn't a timed race, but I estimated it took me about 45 minutes to complete.  My knee was fine, but my breathing was more of a problem.  It was crazy humid out.  I have to say it didn't feel as far of a distance as I thought it would.  And, about 10 minutes after finishing, I got a second wind and wanted to get going again!


I've decided that I'm going to start walking/running outside more often, in addition to everything I'm doing at the gym.  I really liked it, I just have to work up my stamina.  My knee feels fine today, my hip is a little off because it isn't used to impact like that since the elliptical has no impact.


I have many more 5K's in my future.  I'm hoping to be able to run most, if not all, of a 5K by next summer.

Week 40 Weigh In

Current Weight: 186.8 lbs

Weekly Loss: 1.2 lbs     Total Loss: 35.2 lbs

After 2 weeks in a row of losing weight again, I'm convinced my body is done going back and forth and is finally ready to lose again.  I've been back at the gym at least 5 times a week plus a weekly session with a personal trainer.  My eating is back on track, all is well.  I'm doing my first 5K tomorrow with some friends from Weight Watchers.  It's a charity walk, but I'm going to try and jog some of it.  We'll see how that goes!

New Snacks

There are some really great new snacks out there perfect to keep in the car or at work for emergency hunger!

Kellog's Fruit Crisps- Strawberry

These taste Pop-Tart like, but with much better stats.  

2 crisps have a Points+ Value of 3.  They are great for a breakfast on 

the go or as a snack when you're in the mood for something sweet.

Nature Valley Granola Thins- Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter

These are small, but completely take care of any sweet chocolate craving you may have.  1 pouch has one square in it coming in at 2 Points+.  Delicious!

Newtons Fruit Thins- Blueberry Brown Sugar

Mmmmm, cookies!  3 cookies have 4 Points+.  

They have chewy bits of fruit in them, such a perfect texture.

Body Fat

I have never measured my body fat.  Ever.  I care about how much I weigh, but I'm more concerned with being healthy and building muscle while losing fat.

This Saturday, my gym had a table set up to do calculations, so I figured why not.  They have a hand-held device that you put your height, weight, age and sex into.  Then you hold on to metal sensors, and viola, body fat percentage comes on up.  Now, it's not 100% accurate by any means, and the man helping me out says you should really do it before you eat, drink or exercise (all of those things I had already done by that point in time).  I figure some idea is better than no idea at all. 

I came up at 35%, which is a little bit high, but I'm sure it's much less than what it was a year ago.  Most of the sources I have been able to find tell me that the healthy range for someone my age and height is between 21% and 33%, so I'm not too far away from that!  They keep the measuring tool at the gym, so I'm going to measure my percentage once a month to keep track of things.  I would like to get down to the lower end of the range, maybe around 25%.  We shall see!

BLT

I love bacon, as most people do.  It's perfect at any time of the day.  I once thought that I would have to go without bacon if I wanted to lose weight.  WRONG!  Bacon and weight loss can happen at the same time!  It's all about the kind of bacon and the portion.  Mega-greasy heaps of bacon at the diner- not so much.  Crisp center-cut bacon?  Heck yes!  One of my favorite ways to enjoy bacon is in a BLT.  So here's a simple, non-diet killing recipe.  The sandwich only has a Points+ value of 6!  I know BLT's are pretty self-explanatory, but you're getting a recipe anyway!

Ingredients:
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked crispy
1 Arnold Select 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thin
1 tbsp light mayo (I really like Hellman's Light- the one with the blue cover)
1/2 tomato, sliced
Iceberg lettuce


Lightly toast the sandwich thin, and spread both halves with mayo.  Layer remaining ingredients in the order you like, I prefer tomato on the bottom, then bacon, then lettuce.  Put together, and eat.  


I had this for breakfast over the weekend, and it was great!  It's very filling and satisfies the need for bacon.  Since I usually have about 6 points for breakfast, this was an even swap for anything else I would have.  If you're having this for lunch or dinner, or if you're just really hungry, pair it with a salad or some cut up fruit.  I may just have to have another one for lunch!

I'm still alive, I promise!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I haven't been back on track since I left for vacation.  Between that, the hurricane, and school starting, I've been feeling overwhelmed.  I'm back now!


Yesterday was my first day 100% back on plan.  I tracked everything, went back to the gym, and went to my personal training session with some friends from work.  I feel good, and all it took was being in the right frame of mind again.  


Last week I gained .2 lbs, this week I lost 3 lbs.  I'm back down to 188 lbs, a total of 34 down from where I started.  Next week you can look forward to regular posting resuming, I promise!!!

Greek Yogurt

I love Greek Yogurt.  That's what I enjoy for breakfast 90% of the time.  My go to is to grab a plain Fage Total 0%, top it with some strawberry preserves, and viola!  4 Points+ and delicious.


My problem is that Greek Yogurt is expensive!  I try to stock up on the 6 ounce containers when they are on sale, but I recently ran out.  I stand by Fage through thick and thin, but I had to branch out.  So, Chobani 0% was on sale this week for 88 cents each, so I bought a few containers of different flavors.  I have to say, it's no Fage, but it's still good.  The texture isn't as thick as Fage, it's closer to regular yogurt.  The flavors are great, and the ones I've picked are 3 Points+ each (the honey and raspberry flavors are 4 Points+ each).  


What brand of Greek Yogurt do you love?

Black Beans with Rice

This blog really helps me with my recipes.  I'm infamous for not measuring anything, and then I can never re-create anything!  

I've been eating way too much meat the past few days.  We had to cook up all of the meat from our freezer in the garage since it tripped during the flooding from the hurricane.  I need at least a few days without consuming any meat, so I always turn to beans as a filling protein source.  This recipe came out so good, it's going to be perfect to bring to school for lunch.  You could also use it to fill a burrito.  It's also great since it takes about 15 minutes to make, and most of the ingredients are already in your pantry (well, at least in my pantry!).

The recipe below makes 4 servings with 8 Points+ each.

Ingredients:

1 Batch Cilantro Lime Rice (www.skinnytaste.com)- I left out the cilantro because I can't stand the taste

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 can diced tomatoes and chiles, slightly drained

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tbsp Wondra Flour

Instructions:

Get the rice cooking.

In another pot, combine all remaining ingredients except the Wondra.  Cook over high heat until it is bubbling, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer.  Sprinkle Wondra over mixture and stir in, simmering for another 5 minutes or until it thickens to desired consistency.

Serve 1/4 of the bean mixture over 1/4 of the rice (about a 1/2 cup of each).

I can't wait to make more of this to keep on hand for meals during the week!

Goodbye Summer!

Well, the time has come.  It's Labor Day, and summer is over.  Work starts again tomorrow, leaving the weekends to grab the last warm rays of sun before autumn fully sets in.  


I have a very good feeling about this school year, in more ways than one.  I believe my weight loss is going to start back up.  I haven't been back on track since my vacation, not tracking my foods, not measuring anything out.  It's nice, but I know it's hurting me.  


I've got a batch of white bean turkey chili going for lunches and dinners during the week.  I'm planning out my meals so that when I go shopping, I know exactly what I need and what I'll be eating when.  The year is busy and crazy, but that means I have to plan ahead, and I work well that way.  


I'm going to get back on track with the gym as well.  It's so much easier for me to go there on my way home from work instead of leaving the house to go there.  I got my new knee brace, so hopefully that will allow me to continue to push myself.


My birthday is October 8.  This year I'm turning 27.  My goal as of now is to reach 140lbs by the time I turn 28.  That's over a year to lose 50lbs.  I can, and WILL, do it!!!!!


To all of my fellow teachers:  Have a great school year!  Here we go...

Week 37 Weigh In

Current Weight: 190.8 lbs

Weekly Loss: 2.4 lbs      Total Loss: 31.2 lbs

Alright, the vacation weight is coming off!  I haven't gotten my eating or exercising back on track yet with the hurricane and everything, but I know that once school starts on Tuesday, everything will fall into place.  I've already started to get my food back on track.  The gym will come easier when I go on my way home from work.

This is going to be a great school year, both professionally and personally!  I can't wait!

Soy Ginger Marinated Fish

As promised, here's my version of the amazing tuna burger I had a few weeks ago.

I kept my marinade simple- 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp ginger paste and some chopped scallions.  I marinated some tuna as well as cod.  


I cooked them on my George Forman Grill.  Note:  despite the grill being non-stick, the cod STICKS as you can see in the above photograph!  And then falls apart.  So, if using cod or something similar, spray the fish or the grill with a little cooking spray first.  


It tasted really good.  I cooked up some extra marinade to use as a sauce.  The tuna was clearly the winner, but the cod still tasted fine.  I enjoyed this for dinner with a salad and some veggies.  

Frozen Whoopie Pie

This is a combination of my guilty pleasures from childhood- icebox cakes and mixing Cool Whip and hot cocoa powder.  Recipe below makes 4 pies, multiply as needed.  Each whoopie pie has 2 Points+.  Note:  I've never had a real whoopie pie, but I'd imagine it would taste like this if frozen!

Ingredients:

8 chocolate wafers (I used Nabisco Famous)

1/2 cup Fat Free Cool Whip, thawed

1 packet Fat-Free hot cocoa mix (I used Nestle Fat Free Rich Milk Chocolate- it's really good!)

Mix Cool Whip and hot cocoa mix.  Divide the mixture on four of the wafers and cover with the remaining four.  Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

You can omit the hot cocoa mix if you don't want the flavor.  This does not change the Points+ value.

My house is still standing after a hurricane?  This calls for a celebratory treat!

Week 36 Weigh-In

Current Weight: 193.2 lbs

2 Week Gain: 6.4 lbs     Total Loss: 28.8 lbs

I spent 2 weeks off of the plan, including an all-inclusive week away at Punta Cana.  I honestly expected to gain MORE than 6 pounds, so I was pleasantly surprised.  I mentally prepared myself before I went away.  I didn't want to spend my vacation watching what I ate and drank because we never go away, and I wanted to fully enjoy myself.

So I did!

I ate and drank whatever I wanted to, and it was a blast!  I even wore a bikini a few days while we were there!  I was hesitant, but considering how far I've come, I decided why the heck not!  Plus, as my loving hubby reminded me, even though I've lost 30 lbs here (no small accomplishment in itself), I've lost 60 lbs since I've been at my heaviest in college (see below), so I'm gonna wear a bikini if I want to!  It felt great!

At my heaviest, about 250 lbs, circa 2003 perhaps?

Now, I'm home, and back in the swing of things.  I'm excited for the school year to start again, I seem to do better when I'm busier and in more of a routine!

Week 34 Weigh In

Current Weight: 186.8 lbs

Weekly Gain: 1 lbs    Total Loss: 35.2 lbs

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!!!!

That is all.

Burger Joint

The other day, I was on a field trip with my grad class (hooray field trips as an adult!) and we were going to a burger joint for lunch.  Upon hearing this, I became upset, thinking that I was either going to be stuck ordering a burger and hating myself for the amount of points I would use up, or that I would have to stay away from any type of burger and be the girl who orders a salad and stares longingly at everyone else's food.

Off to the restaurant website I went, and, much to my surprise, they had a few "healthy" options.  My choice was for a tuna burger marinated in ginger, soy and scallions.  I was picturing minced tuna formed into a patty, but was pleasantly surprised when out came my plate with a tuna steak on the bun.  It was delicious, I only ate the bottom half of the bun, and got a side of sweet potato fries.  Let me tell you, this was the best thing I had in a long time, and I wasn't upset at the lack of beef in my burger.

I'm determined to recreate this marinade at home, it's my mission of the week.  Stay tuned for the recipe!

Life Without Cable

I wasn't sure how I'd do getting rid of the cable boxes.  I knew I'd be very happy about my newly lowered bill from Cablevision, but what about when I actually want to watch televsion?

Let me tell you, this decision is one of the best I've ever made!  I bought an HDMI adapter for my laptops so I can project the screen onto my televisions.  You can find most shows online for free (via the network websites and www.hulu.com).  We also have the streaming service through Netflix for when we want to browse for something to watch.  Finally, we make very good use of our library and the DVD offerings which are essentially free since we pay for the library through our taxes whether we use the service or not.  It's really nice to sit down and watch something you actually have interest in.  I never realized how much garbage I watched simply because "there was nothing else on."  The only issue we are predicting is once football season starts, we can't watch the games we want to at home.  Since the Miami Dolphin games aren't usually broadcast up here, we realized we end up going out to a sports bar to watch them, anyway.  So, Sundays, you will find me representing the Dolphins somewhere other than my house.

Have you thought about going without cable?  If so, try it for a week.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

General Update

Overall, I'm feeling pretty great!  I'm down to wearing a size medium or large shirt (used to be XL or XXL).  When it comes to pants, I now wear a 12 or a 14 (down from 16 or 18).  I'm putting off buying new clothing, but I know I will have to before school starts.  None of my work clothing fits me anymore!  I'm going to buy a few staple pieces, so plan on me wearing the same outfit pretty often!


I still track everything I consume, even when I'd rather not admit to it!  I don't feel guilty about using my extra weekly points, but I try to avoid doing that.  I refuse to track anything on a vacation I have coming up.  I'm going to make wise decisions, but a vacation is a vacation, and I take them so rarely that I am going to enjoy it fully!


Physically, my knee is holding up.  PT ends this week, and that's fine!  I'm doing the exercising on my own, and really just use them for the massage aspect as well as the electric stimulation machines.  My knee has learned to work without being 100%, and even though I know that's not what's best for me, it's going to have to work until I'm ready to have surgery, which won't be for at least a year or two.  A brace is on it's way, and that should enable me to push myself without ending up with a swollen knee.


So, the journey continues.  I'm hoping to reaching my goal weight, or what I think my goal weight is (140 lbs) by the time I turn 28 (October 8, 2012).  45 lbs to go...

Week 33 Weigh In

Current Weight: 185.8 lbs

Weekly Gain: .2 lbs     Total Loss: 36.2 lbs

Another week of pretty much staying the same, and that's okay.  I'm hoping that this means that my body has stopped playing around 190 lbs and is ready to keep heading down!  This week should be a good week since I'm going to be taking a class that will keep me out of the house all day, which means I'll only have the food that I pack with me in the morning.

Mini Meat Lasagna

These are so delicious as well!  These do have a higher Points+ value than the veggie ones I posted yesterday, but they are worth it!  You can have 6 of these for 10 Points+.  The recipe below is for 8 mini meat lasagnas, multiply as needed.  I served these with a salad for dinner.


Ingredients:
1 cup Crock Pot Pasta Sauce with Sausage (from Gina's Skinny Recipes)- I used turkey sausage and added some salt and 1 tsp crushed rosemary to her recipe- it's delicious!
8 Nasoya wonton wrappers
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup WW Italian four cheese blend
Cooking Spray


Instructions:
Prepare sauce ahead of time.  I put mine together in the morning and let it cook all day.  If you don't want to make it so early in the day, you could cook it on low heat on the stove for an hour or two to let the flavors develop.  


Preheat oven to 375.  Take a muffin tin, spray 8 of the wells with cooking spray.  Press one wonton wrapper into each well so that it's spaced evenly.  Spread 1/2 tbsp of ricotta cheese in the bottom of each wrapper, followed by 1/8 cup of the sauce.  Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted and the exposed part of the wrappers are golden brown.

Mini Veggie Lasagna

YOU CAN HAVE 8 OF THESE FOR 9 POINTS+!!!

OMG.  I never thought these would be as good as they turned out.  You need to make these ASAP.  As a shortcut to all of the dicing, I suggest looking into a Vidalia Chop Wizard.  They are awesome, quick, easy, and produce equal sized dices.  You will end up using it all of the time!!!


Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 eggplant, diced into small cubes
1 white onion, diced
2 portobello mushroom caps, diced into small cubes
5 garlic cloves, smashed
Salt, Pepper, Oregano to taste
8 Nasoya wonton wrappers
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup reduced fat italian blend shredded cheese (I used WW brand)


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Add eggplant, onion and mushroom, season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste.  Stir every few minutes while it's cooking.  When the onions have softened, add the garlic.  Continue cooking until all vegetables are soft and starting to brown.  Remove from heat.


Mix 1 cup of your vegetable mixture with the marinara sauce.


Take a muffin tin, spray 8 of the wells with cooking spray.  Press one wonton wrapper into each well so that it's spaced evenly.  Put 1/8 cup (2 tbsp) of veggie sauce mixture into each wrapper.  Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted and the exposed part of the wrappers are golden brown.

You can eat these by hand (both hands needed).  These were really fun, yummy, and filling!  I highly suggest these for hors d'oeuvres or a meal paired with a salad.  


I have so many more ideas for these wonton wrappers, watch out!

Wonton Wrappers

I'm a fan of wonton wrappers.  I've used them for years, mainly for, well, wonton soup.  You will find them in the produce section near the tofu.  This week, I've decided to make use of these in new ways!  2 wonton wraps have 1 Point+ (8 wrappers have 160 cals, .5g fat, 31g carbs, 6g protein, 1g dietary fiber, 310mg sodium).


First, I took a muffin tin, sprayed with cooking spray, then pressed a wrap into each cup.  I sprayed again, then baked at 400 until they were crispy and browned.

I had a grand idea of filling these with turkey taco salad, making mini-salad shells, but they were too small, so I ended up crumbling them on top!  These do make really neat cups, though, I just have to come up with a more size appropriate filling.  Tune in the rest of the week for creations using these wrappers!

Jicama

I'm still on the fence about this one.  Jicama is a root vegetable.  It looks like a cross between a potato and a turnip.  You peel them, slice them, and enjoy them raw in most cases.

I kept coming across recipes using jicama cut into thin slices and sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder.  Apparently this is a popular snack in Mexico.  Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, and it would be 0 Points+, I gave it a try.  I have to say that the jicama itself really tasted like nothing, so I ended up putting on a lot of lime juice and completely covering it in chili powder (the picture above was how I made it at first).  The jicama was really just a point-free way of delivering the other tastes into my tummy.  I can imagine using jicama to eat dips, but I haven't tried it yet.  I'm not ready to give up, though.  I still have half in my fridge, and am going to experiment with creating a low-point dip to enjoy with this.  Stay tuned!!!