Summer Loving

Two blog posts in two days...watch out!!  : )

I decided to do a quick and fun post on the things I can't get enough of this summer.  Some are food-related (due to the nature of this blog - duh!), but some aren't.  And in fact, my husband may never speak to me again regarding one...read on!

GRILLING OUT

This is a no-brainer, right?  I mean, who doesn't love the smell of grilling out...  My favorites are chicken and mahi mahi.  Hopefully I'll do the fish again in the next week or two and do a post on how I did it with a picture this time.  The above picture are chicken breasts in Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze, sliced zucchini marinaded in a little light olive oil and some garlic salt, and regular ole Dole pineapple slices.  Very good dinner, though...
1 chicken breast - 3 Points
2 Tbsp of the glaze - 1 Point
Zucchini in olive oil - 1/2 Point
1 pineapple slice - 1/2 Point 
TOTAL = 5 Points 
 

HARRY & DAVID DIP

So you have to either get the Harry & David Pepper and Onion Relish at a Harry & David store (there's one in Foley), or order it online.  It is so easy - you just add 1 jar with 1 block of fat free cream cheese and blend it with a hand mixer.  It has this perfect sweet and spicy kick to it that I just can't get enough of!  Pair it with Baked Tostitos Scoops, and you have a great appetizer...or in my case, just any old snack!
1/4 cup of dip - 1 Point
15 Baked Scoops - 2 Points
TOTAL = 3 Points

SKINNY COWS

I mean, seriously.  Who doesn't just LOVE Skinny Cow dessert items?  If you haven't ever tried these, you're missing out.  It is the perfect way to stay on plan and still eat dessert...every single day.  You can find these in any grocery freezer section with the ice cream.  There are a lot of different types/flavors, but the picture above is a compilation of my four favorites... 
White Mint Truffle Ice Cream Bar - 2 Points
Mint Ice Cream Sandwich - 3 Points
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwich - 3 Points
Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich - 2 Points

COSTA DEL MAR

So the dog actually ate mine so I'm not really able to enjoy them this summer...but I'm hoping to be getting a new pair quite soon (due to a deal with the hubby after he made a rather unflattering comment about my still large backside)!  I had these sunglasses (Cota del Mar Vela tortoise frame with Amber lenses) for a few years before they had their tragic demise in the mouth of Tank.  But, alas, he is my fur baby and suffered no such punishment for his actions.  This next pair will be kept in a really high place...most likely the top of my head.  They are expensive, but seriously are the best sunglasses I've ever owned...other than my current $1 Wayfarer look-a-likes I'm currently sporting from the Dollar Tree!

SUN-IN

Yes, I realize the fact that this product is on my list shows that I did, in fact, live a good portion of my life in the 90s.  But seriously, they have a new look, new formula and it really doesn't turn your hair red anymore.  I like my hair to look lightened and "sun kissed" in the summer and I was pleasantly surprised when I took a chance on the "new look, new formula" line.  I plan on doing round two this weekend...can't go too light too fast!  Then it might look like I was using Sun-In or something...

SUNSCREEN

So this is the picture I told you Jay would hate me forever for putting on my blog.  But seeing as how he didn't tell me not to, I'm doing it!  I am LOVING sunscreen this summer.  Every fashion magazine I've read lately has said too tan is NOT in anymore.  Not only is it really damaging and bad for you (hello, melanoma?), it really does promote premature aging.  And who wants to look 20 years older?  Not me!  Being slightly sun kissed is what's in for summer and I love that.  It promotes a healthy color while still being mindful of how harmful the sun really is.  So yeah...you're really really wanting to know the back story on that picture, aren't you?  Well, Jay and I laid out at the pool the weekend before last and he asked me to spray him with sunscreen.  So I basically aimed it at his belly button, sprayed for a good 3-4 seconds, and didn't do much else.  It isn't my fault he didn't notice I only sprayed one little spot.  I mean, c'mon, it's HIS body...he was FEELING it.  He should have had enough sense to say, "Hold the phone, Elizabeth. I felt you spray that only in one location and not all around."  So needless to say, he has a good sunburn on his belly with that nice white spot on the belly button...plus, please notice where it dripped!  Ha ha!  Lesson learned...I hope!

Can't wait to read all the comments I get on this one!  : ) 

Weekly Update...x 2!

Well my loyal readers, I have neglected you yet again.  I shouldn't have done that.  Last Saturday at weigh-in I had dropped another 1.4 pounds to bring my total to 22.2!!!  I was oh-so-proud of myself and on my way to my goal of 26 pounds gone by 4th of July weekend.  However, this past Saturday, I was up 1 whole pound.  YIKES!  I am not quite sure the reason for such an increase this week...but it is stressing me out!  What did I do differently?  Why did this happen?  All I can do is track even harder this week and hope it was a fluke!  : )

My friend Teri requested healthy breakfast options and honestly, I'm not very good at these since I drink a Kellogg's Protein Shake literally every single morning.  But...I didn't used to do that, so I shall dig deep in the archives of my brain...


Lots of morning I used to eat a 100 calorie wheat english muffin, toasted, with 1/4 cup of cooked egg whites on it...sort of like an egg sandwich.  It was 1.5 points.  But my mom does it differently and honestly, hers sounds better!  Here it is -
Wheat English Muffin - 1 Point
1/4 cups scrambled egg whites - .5 Point
1 slice Canadian Bacon (she browns hers on the skillet first) - 1 Point
TOTAL = 2.5 Points

I LOVE LOVE LOVE cereal and now that a lot of them are adding extra fiber, they are less points.  One of my absolute favorites is Apple Jacks...
1 cup of Apple Jacks - 1 Point
1/2 cup of skim milk - 2 Points
TOTAL = 3 Points

Also, Oatmeal is a great breakfast option because it really sticks with you. 
1 cup oatmeal - 2 Points
1 tbsp brown sugar - 1 Point
1/2 large banana - 1 Point
TOTAL = 4 Points

If you are on the go a lot and need some fast food options, here you go -
Chick-Fil-A chicken minis (3 pack) - 6 Points (I know this sounds high, but for fast food, it is pretty good)
McDonalds Egg McMuffin - 7 Points

I'll be cooking more this week and hopefully will have pictures to share with more great meal ideas...including a great 6 Point chicken enchilada recipe!

Weigh-in Results

Well my fellow readers - I lost .8 at Saturday's weigh-in for a grand total of 21 pounds!  What an amazing accomplishment!  Even more exciting, I easily slid into a pair of jeans from Express that I haven't been able to wear in a year and a half.  WOW!  They are a size 10 and to me, that sounds just glorious!  When I started out this journey, most of my clothes were a 14.  Not that there is a thing in the world wrong with that, it just didn't look right on my body type and it was not healthy for my age/height/asthma condition, etc...  I was so excited I forgot to take pictures of me in my new old jeans to post!  I'll try to do that maybe even tonight...

I also managed to get my hair cut (finally!) on Friday so hopefully I'll show you the new 'do soon enough.

On to a great dinner idea!  I have to say, this was quite possibly the best dinner I've ever cooked according to both me and the hubby.
Grilled Mahi Mahi rubbed with a little olive oil and some cajun seasoning - 5 WW Points
Grilled zucchini with a dash of olive oil and garlic powder and salt - .5 WW Points
Boiled red new potato (just 1 for me - 2 for the hubby) with Cajun spices - 1 WW Point
Dinner total was only 6.5 Points and we were stuffed by the end.
Here's how I cooked the fish after I coated it in seasoning:
I put the grill on almost the lowest setting it would go to.  Then I lined the grill with aluminum foil and let it all heat up for about 10 minutes.  I put the fish on the grill and kept several lemon slices handy.  Every few minutes, I squirted each piece of fish with lemon juice.  I let them cook about 11 minutes on each side and made sure they easily flaked with a fork before enjoying!  I'm so sorry I didn't a picture, but we'll surely be having this again so I'll post a picture then!

Happy Monday to all!

By Request...Eating Out

This is a long blog post, but totally worth the read!

I don't know why I have not done this sooner...  My friend from college/the Sorority, Katie (check out her blog - it's AMAZING - Fashion's Maven), asked me to do a post on eating out while trying to lose weight.  Jarren and I eat out quite a bit and I've managed to navigate well through it so here are my tips along with several restaurant "cheat tips"!

First things first...when I do food with points values, I guess it doesn't mean much to you if you don't know the WW Points system that well.  I have to say, don't rely solely on my blog to do it...if you really want to lose efficiently and the right way, I recommend joining Weight Watchers.  I think you can do the online only version for about $20 a month.  However, I need the accountability of weighing in each week in front of someone else (it's all VERY private, though) and going to meetings.  It really does make a difference.  The plan I do is meetings once a week (where you weigh in) and it also comes with the online tools, which are AMAZING!  I think you can sign up right now with no joining fee. 

So based on my starting weight, height, age, gender, and what I spend most of my day doing (sitting at work on a computer), I started out getting 24 points per day plus 35 bonus points per week to use any way I want.  You can split them up among your days or use them all at once for splurge meal (this is usually what happens to me). You are supposed to eat ALL of your daily points, but you do not have to eat all of your bonus points...however, I always do!  : )  The whole premise is you have to eat in order to keep your metabolism up, which is the key to weight loss.  The way WW works is, every time you go into a new set of 10's (example - if you're in the 180's and move down into the 170's), you lose 1 point per day, but keep your 35 bonus per week.  Pretty simple!  So now I get 22 points per day...and I'm .8 pounds away from moving down to 21 per day.

Here are some tips to use at any restaurant:
1. Always veer towards grilled...grilled chicken breast, grilled fish, etc.  Ask them to prepare it without any butter. 
2. Pick sides that are healthy such as steamed vegetables (again, request no butter in cooking), brown rice, fruit, etc.
3. Portions will generally be huge, so if you don't split it with someone (Jarren and I usually split an entree), request a to-go container up front and split it in half.  I promise, you will walk out of the restaurant NOT hungry, but also NOT bloated.
4. If it is a sandwich place, choose wheat bread, lean meat such as turkey (no ham, salami, roast beef, etc.).  Also, if they don't have light mayo, skip it and opt for mustard instead.  Most sauces are very high in fat. 

On to my restaurant picks...
For most restaurants you can use this great website called Dottie's Weight Loss Zone and I highly recommend it.

SUBWAY
I've put this one first because we eat there a lot...  Here is what I get:
Turkey breast on wheat - 5 Points
Cheese - 1 Point
Lettuce - 0 Points
Black Olives - 0 Points
TOTAL = 6 Points
I stay away from chips, even the Baked ones here simply because the sandwich fills me up plenty

ROSIE'S CANTINA (sorry, this is exclusive to Huntsville)
We actually probably eat here more than Subway because it is walking distance to our house.
24 tortilla chips & salsa - 6.5 Points (3 if you only eat 12...but who can only eat 12?) - break them in pieces so you don't eat them as fast
Chicken soft taco on wheat tortilla - 5 Points...here's the break-down:
• wheat tortilla - 1 Point
• 2 oz fajita grilled chicken - 2 Points
• 1/4 cup cheese - 2 Points
• lettuce - 0 Points
MEAL TOTAL = 11.5 Points (BTW - this does not include the beers I typically drink...Miller Lite is 2 Points per bottle).

MEXICAN RESTAURANTS
24 tortilla chips & salsa - 6.5 Points (3 if you only eat 12)
Your safest bet are fajitas...ask them to use as little butter as possible and ask if they can substitute wheat tortillas. 
Choose chicken instead of steak.
DO NOT EAT THE GUACAMOLE OR SOUR CREAM- ASK THEM TO NOT EVEN BRING IT
1 fajita chicken wrap will be about 6-7 points if you add cheese to it (4 if you don't)
You can also get by with a taco salad as long as you DO NOT EAT THE SHELL.  1 taco salad is probably about 7 points if you ask them to cut the cheese in half with no guac and no sour cream (these two items are Points killers...you can manage without them).

CHINESE RESTAURANTS
Choose vegetables or lo mein instead of friend rice
Choose chicken items that are not friend or breaded...basically stay away from General Tso's chicken, Sesame chicken, Sweet & Sour chicken, Honey chicken, etc.  Most of those are actually friend twice.  Yikes!
Good choices include:  Bourbon chicken (most I've been to have this), Chicken & Broccoli, anything with non-friend shrimp.
There is nothing at PF Chang's you can eat and stay on plan.  I know you were going to ask... : )

PANERA BREAD COMPANY
Low-fat Chicken Noodle Soup - 2 Points
Half Asian Sesame Chicken Salad - 5 Points
DO NOT EAT THE BREAD
TOTAL = 7 Points

CHICK-FIL-A
8 pack chicken nuggets - 6 Points
Buffalo Sauce - 0 Points
Fruit Cup - 1 Point
TOTAL = 7 Points

MCDONALD'S
We don't ever eat food here...but we get this little treat almost daily!
Ice cream cone - 3 Points (!!!)

Typically one splurge meal per week helps me do better...notice I said splurge MEAL, not DAY!

Refer to the website about, Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, for thousands more restaurants.  Just click the Restaurants link at the top of her page and you're off! 

Please let me know if any of you decide to join Weight Watchers...I would love to have a buddy to share success/tips with!

Eat to live...don't live to eat!

A new goal reached!

I reached an exciting goal this weekend with my weigh-in...I hit the 20 pounds "shed" mark!  20.2 to be exact and I couldn't be happier.  I've worked hard for every single little pound and am so proud of this important milestone.  Of course, I'm afraid I ruined it with all our Memorial Day eating...and drinking.  It was a laid-back, relaxing weekend.  But unfortunately, that meant it involved not a lot of exercising and lots of food/beer.  I will just have to work hard to cut back a little this week to try to make up for it a little.  As long as I have not GAINED next week, I'll be OK.  Staying the same is OK...gaining is NOT!  So for now, enjoy these two pictures...

This is Jarren and I sitting in the bed of his truck, waiting on his parents to pick us up to head to Guntersville for a night of yummy food at Crawmama's Seafood there and later, listening to some live music at Boondock's.  A fun evening had by all to say the least!

And here we have me pretending to eat an oyster.  No way would I really eat one - it's like eating a tongue!  GROSS!

Until next time...
Eat to live, don't live to eat!