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!
About Me
- Elizabeth
- Alabama
- I am...a Christian, a wife, a "mother" to one Boston Terrier/Chihuahua mix dog, a wine lover, a high heel enthusiast and a raging BAMA fan!!!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Down 2.6...up .6 Ready? Down, Up, Down, Up, Down, Up...
Ever since I changed the name of the blog, I don't think people can find me so I didn't realize I still had any readers left until my friend Teri asked me where my posts were. Oops! I get followers on Twitter, but not so many on the blog.
So when I weighed in after the weekend at the beach for the wedding, as you all know, I was up .8 mainly due to the enormous amount of Bushwhackers I drank while down there. But then the week after, I was down 2.6 and was ecstatic!!! I was slammed at work that week following and by the time I was done each evening, I was too tired to stay late to write a blog entry. You would think I would be thrilled and want to write about that. But alas, you would be wrong.
So this past weekend when I weighed I was up .6 and was so upset over that. I mean, what did I do wrong? I didn't go over my points...what was the problem? Ah, yes, my monthly friend who causes so much bloating was about to visit. Should have known...
So on the eve of the eve of my next weigh in I will resort to an old favorite...chicken and vegetables for dinner. More specifically? Lemon pepper chicken and grilled asparagus. 4 points total.
I go into the pre-weigh-in stretch remembering the motto...
Eat to live...don't live to eat!
So when I weighed in after the weekend at the beach for the wedding, as you all know, I was up .8 mainly due to the enormous amount of Bushwhackers I drank while down there. But then the week after, I was down 2.6 and was ecstatic!!! I was slammed at work that week following and by the time I was done each evening, I was too tired to stay late to write a blog entry. You would think I would be thrilled and want to write about that. But alas, you would be wrong.
So this past weekend when I weighed I was up .6 and was so upset over that. I mean, what did I do wrong? I didn't go over my points...what was the problem? Ah, yes, my monthly friend who causes so much bloating was about to visit. Should have known...
So on the eve of the eve of my next weigh in I will resort to an old favorite...chicken and vegetables for dinner. More specifically? Lemon pepper chicken and grilled asparagus. 4 points total.
I go into the pre-weigh-in stretch remembering the motto...
Eat to live...don't live to eat!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fan Friday
So I've never actually done a Fan Friday post, but I plan on doing one today because I can't let any of you go one more second without knowing about this gum. It has literally saved my big butt on more than one occasion this week when I wanted to stuff my face. My BFF Lindsay Ann introduced me to it while we were in Orange Beach two weekends ago and - WOW! Any of you who eat simply because it tastes good or you're bored...go out and buy several packs of this gum right this second. It is called Fruit Sensations by Extra and I found mine in the candy/gum aisle of my neighborhood Kroger and bought two 3-packs. One was the oh-so-yummy Sweet Watermelon flavor. The other pack is what I can only call a party in the mouth - Strawberry Banana and yes, it's that good. The best part about this gum is that not only is it sugar free and less than 5 calories a stick, the flavor lasts twice as long as other sugar free gum, which is crucial if you're watching what you eat. I was serious when I said you can't go another minute without this gum. Here's a picture of the Strawberry Banana package...just in case!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Looong Overdue
I've neglected you all and I'm so sorry! Since we got back from the beach late the night of May 3 (I know, I know, 8 days ago...) I have been running like a crazy lady it seems!
We got back late the night of the 3rd and then I had a full schedule of work the rest of the week. Add to that trying to get the house back in shape from the "great laundry explosion of 2010" following the trip and there you have it...
So the news...I weighed in Saturday (May 8th) and was up .8 pounds. I still have not managed to convince myself that that is not that bad considering at the beach, I think I consumed my weight in Bushwhackers. For those of you who don't vacation in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area, it is a drink made from...wait for it...Vodka, rum, creme de cacao (basically, a really thick chocolate syrup), coconut milk, half and half, and vanilla ice cream. Yeah, those last two ingredients did me in I think! But they are oh-so-yummy and every sip tasted like dessert in a glass! I'm back on track this week with hopes of pulling myself out of the slump. 16.8 pounds shed from my body is still great!
Here is a picture right before the Rad 80's Birthday party we went to this past weekend for our friend Thomas Brandon's 30th Birthday. I think we look pretty great!
How about that blue eye shadow and ice pink lipstick? Yeah!
And a sweet picture of Jay and I from Mother's Day at my Aunt Sheila & Uncle Johnny's house.
My great grandmother was there and bless her heart, she may not have a clue who any of us are, but she's a trooper. She'll be 100 in October so look for her on the Today Show - I'm sending in her picture!
Lastly, this is also from Mother's Day of my (biological) sister on the right (Sarah) and my (not-so-biological) sister on the left (Dani) who lives/lived with my parents for a while this year.
Finally, I want to leave with you and AWESOME low points dinner! After the bad I did the weekend of the beach trip and the week following, I need some low points meals!
2 oz grilled chicken breast - 2 Points
Romain lettuce leaves - 0 Points
Shredded carrots - 0 Points
2 Tbsp (total) of Thai Kitchen Sweet Chili Sauce (you can buy this in the Asian food aisle of any grocery store) - 1 Point
TOTAL = 3 Points (for all 3 of those wraps!) It's actually very filling and I love the spicy kick!
Until next time...
Eat to live...don't live to eat!
We got back late the night of the 3rd and then I had a full schedule of work the rest of the week. Add to that trying to get the house back in shape from the "great laundry explosion of 2010" following the trip and there you have it...
So the news...I weighed in Saturday (May 8th) and was up .8 pounds. I still have not managed to convince myself that that is not that bad considering at the beach, I think I consumed my weight in Bushwhackers. For those of you who don't vacation in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area, it is a drink made from...wait for it...Vodka, rum, creme de cacao (basically, a really thick chocolate syrup), coconut milk, half and half, and vanilla ice cream. Yeah, those last two ingredients did me in I think! But they are oh-so-yummy and every sip tasted like dessert in a glass! I'm back on track this week with hopes of pulling myself out of the slump. 16.8 pounds shed from my body is still great!
Here is a picture right before the Rad 80's Birthday party we went to this past weekend for our friend Thomas Brandon's 30th Birthday. I think we look pretty great!
How about that blue eye shadow and ice pink lipstick? Yeah!
And a sweet picture of Jay and I from Mother's Day at my Aunt Sheila & Uncle Johnny's house.
My great grandmother was there and bless her heart, she may not have a clue who any of us are, but she's a trooper. She'll be 100 in October so look for her on the Today Show - I'm sending in her picture!
Lastly, this is also from Mother's Day of my (biological) sister on the right (Sarah) and my (not-so-biological) sister on the left (Dani) who lives/lived with my parents for a while this year.
Finally, I want to leave with you and AWESOME low points dinner! After the bad I did the weekend of the beach trip and the week following, I need some low points meals!
2 oz grilled chicken breast - 2 Points
Romain lettuce leaves - 0 Points
Shredded carrots - 0 Points
2 Tbsp (total) of Thai Kitchen Sweet Chili Sauce (you can buy this in the Asian food aisle of any grocery store) - 1 Point
TOTAL = 3 Points (for all 3 of those wraps!) It's actually very filling and I love the spicy kick!
Until next time...
Eat to live...don't live to eat!
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