what was that?

After a few weeks of vacation eating, I'm finally getting back to normal. I'm getting my head back around the fact that I cannot eat chips with my lunch and two s'mores right before bed and expect to lose any weight.

And today I felt it. The first one in weeks: a hunger pang.

Not a bad thing.

swiss oats recipe

I made this for breakfast this morning. Delicious!! I used vanilla soy milk to soak the oats, along with a healthy shake of cinnammon. This morning I added fresh strawberries, blueberries, and a few chopped pecans. I love this. It's simple, nutritious, and delicious. I plan to make it at least once a week, if not more!

Check out Zonya's site for more great nutrition information and tasty recipes!

light ruffles

Okay, my friend just called me to tell me about her latest food find:light cheddar and sour cream potato chips. Only 1 pt. for ten!

How screwed up am I that my first thought was: I could eat 100 chips for 10 points.

Um. Yeah. That's why I needed this program in the first place!

the lie

Last night, I listened to the lie in my head as I scooped a big bowl of ice cream. We've all heard it. The "I don't care if I never lose weight," lie. "It doesn't matter if I'm fifteen pounds over weight. I don't care."

Ah, but I do care! This morning I care. When I have a special event and nothing to wear, I care. When I go to the pool with my kids, I care. Oh, do I care!

Now, I just need to remember that before I eat the ice cream.

multi-grain waffles

This was a hit with my entire family! Next weekend, I'll make a double batch so I can freeze some.

Multi-Grain Waffles

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 C buttermilk
½ C old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 C whole-wheat flour
2/3 C all-purpose flour
¼ C toasted wheat germ or cornmeal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ C packed brown sugar
1 T canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 188 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 8 g protein; 3 g fiber; 328 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: 144 mg calcium (14% dv).

more from my blender...

Today's lunch-time creation was even better than yesterdays, and my entire family loves it. Twin B. thinks I should be "famous" now.

I blended together plain nonfat yogurt, frozen mixed berries, milk, and the same SF vanilla creme powder I used yesterday. We call it a berry creme smoothie and it is a huge hit!

I worry about all of the chemicals in the SF stuff, but, hey. It tastes great. I may be glowing in my grave, but I'll be thin! :-)

YUM!

I love those overpriced, too-many calories frozen drinks from Caribou and Starbucks. Today is so stinkin' hot, I decided to try making my own.

I used 1 Cup of skim milk, 1 Cup plus a few more cubes of ice, 4 teaspoons of sugar free general foods international coffee 'vanilla creme' flavor, and a slug of leftover coffee from my coffee pot. DELICIOUS! I am serious. This is so good and only 2 points...plus a full milk serving!

Mmmmm.

lunch

I have a hard time staying on-track at lunchtime. First of all, I'm usually starving. Second of all, my children are also starving. It's usually easier to just scarf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich than to make myself a healthy lunch.

Today, however, I had a quick, healthy, and easy lunch. It took 2 minutes to prepare, was 3 points, and only cost 50 cents. It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? It is. Sort of.

Yesterday while I was in the kitchen making other stuff, I roasted a bunch of veggies that were "on the edge," and made up a roasted veggie sauce by pureeing them in the blender with vegetable broth and a small amount of cream cheese. Delicious. Then I cooked a big pot of whole wheat pasta al dente, tossed the stuff together, and portioned out 1-Cup servings into individual freezer bags. Into the freezer went eight little bags. Eight lunches that I don't have to think about.

Time well spent.

planning

Eating well takes work. It's a lot easier to just eat crap, really, but we all know where that leads. For me staying on-track means planning and prepping ahead. If I leave the whole thing to luck and will power, I will fail because I am forever running low on both luck and will power! I have to plan for success.

Today I spent about an hour planning my weekly menus, an hour grocery shopping, and another hour prepping food for the week. I already know I'll have a good week because I'm prepared.

Green seedless grapes were on sale at Jewel, so I bought a bunch and froze them in 1 cup portions for a quick 1-point snack. As a bonus, the kids love these!

great find...

Turkey Pepperoni. 70% less fat, only 80 calories in 17 slices, and it's really yummy! Tonight is homemade pizza night...we'll see how it goes over!

8 point lunch

Okay, this is really good and very satisfying! (Plus you get in a serving of dairy!)

2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven
1 glass of cold milk.
Large green salad w/ FF salad dressing (eaten an hour later, when you're starving and have no more lunch points left!!)

Some splurges are not worth it. This one is!

Ry Kkrisp

It's a funny thing, these crackers. Whether they're super fresh or 6 months old, they taste exactly the same. I'm not sure if that's good or bad!

Note to self

Self,

When you are tired and stressed out, eating will not wake you up or make you less stressed. Seriously. Put the crackers down and get to work!

Love,
Your Skinny alter-ego

current favorite

Trader Joe's Soy & Flax Clusters cereal. Yummy, filling, nutritious -- an all around great way to start the day!

dieting tip

If you eat a dessert directly from the pan, the calories absolutely do not count.

yum

Have you tried the Ore Ida stir fry blend vegetables? I just tried the Japanese Steakhouse blend variety and they were great! I sauteed them in some healthy oil and ate them over brown rice (from Trader Joes -- love the convenience). For 4 pts this was a satisfying lunch, and very tasty! (Plus I got in my healthy oil and lots of veggies for the day!)

one good day

I was talking with a fellow weight watcher the other day, about the struggle to get back on track when you've veered off. She passed on the advice of her weight watcher leader: you just need one good day to get back on track.

So. Today's the day. I've got a plan and I'm sticking with it. I'm ready for one good day.

3 sticky buns later...

I've been perfecting an apple-walnut sticky bun recipe for the Pillsbury bake-off, so, of course, I needed to eat three of them. (And the recipe still needs some work! One more batch on Saturday and I should have it...)

Now, here's the temptation: I've eated three sticky buns, so the day is shot. I may as well go to McDonald's for lunch, eat chips all afternoon, and order pizza for dinner. As my weight watcher leader says, "we drop an egg on the floor and think 'What a mess!' and proceed to dump the entire onto the floor."

So, my goal for the day is to stay on track with my meal plan today and NOT dump the entire carton of eggs onto the floor! (Or eat the rest of the sticky buns...)

back in the saddle...

Does everybody struggle with food, or is it just me? I do okay for awhile and then, wham, a whole box of oreos is gone. It hasn't been THAT bad, but it's been hard to stay on track.

This week, I'm determined. Back on track!

You can hold me to it. ;-)

daily menu

Breakfast:
coffee w/ creamer - 1
egg - 2
light english muffin w/ tomatoes - 1

Snack:
apple - 1

Lunch:
cheerios w/ milk - 3
strawberries - 1

Snacks:
roast beef sandwich - 2
cheesy crackers - 3 (why do I do this?? I don't even LIKE cheesy crackers!!)

Dinner:
fettucine w/ roasted vegetable sauce - 6

peanut butter, straight from the jar - 4

Target: 20
Total:24
WPA: 18

still on track

I had a great time at Hearts at Home. Stayed within my flex points, so I'm still on track. Here's today's menu:

coffee creamer - 1
cinnamon shredded wheat w/ milk - 4

yogurt - 1

hot roast beef & onion sandwich on light bun - 3
bean dip & chips - 3

hostess 100 cal-pack - 2

tea biscuits - 1

beef w/ broccoli - 4
rice - 2

target - 20
total - 21
WPA - 22

daily menu

breakfast:

whole wheat english muffin w/ tomatoes - 1
cinnamon shredded wheat w/ milk - 1 (I didn't realize until lunchtime that I had only eaten a few bites of my cereal...no wonder I was starving after my workout!!)
coffee w/ vanilla creamer - 1

snack:
kashi flaxseed and almond granola bar - 2

lunch:
bean burrito - 4
--sautee mexican blend veggies in olive oil; add 1/2 C refried beans and 1/2 oz. light cheese. Serve in a corn torilla. (You'll have more beans than will fit...)

pistachios - 4

dinner:
fettuccini w/ tomato sauce - 6
dinner rolls - 9 (Yeah, got a little carried away shoving warm, buttery bread into my mouth...)

WW ice cream cone - 2

Target - 20
AP - 2
Total - 28
WPA - 24

daily menu

breakfast:
coffee w/ vanilla creamer - 1
breakfast burrito - 3
--sauteed "fiesta blend" veggies, egg beaters, light cheese, corn tortilla

snack:
yogurt - 1

lunch: yummy grilled sandwich - 3
--sautee sweet onions until tender, add 2 oz. roast beef lunchmeat (torn into bites), cook until warm. Serve on a light bun w/ light mozzerella.

snack: tea + tea biscuits - 1

dinner:
french toast w/ syrup - 7
strawberries - 1
center cut bacon (2) - 1

Starbucks frappuccino bar - 2

Target: 20
Total: 20
WPA: 30

(I used some of my WPA yesterday...didn't get to post my menu since our internet connection was down...and I can't for the life of me remember what I ate!)

daily menu

Breakfast:
coffee w/ vanilla creamer - 1
egg beater omelet - 2.5
--1/2 C egg beaters, sauteed mushrooms, 1 oz ham, 1/2 oz light cheese
light whole wheat english muffin w/ sugar free strawberry jam - 1.5

Lunch:
Subway turkey sandwich - 5

snack:
pistachios - 4

Dinner:
Slow cooker chili w/ cheese - 4
cornbread w/ butter and honey - 5

Target: 20
Total: 23
WPA: 32

Monday morning

A new week. A fresh start. I'm always optimistic on Monday mornings. And in regard to weight loss, I'm especially optimistic. I'm losing consistently each week and feel great. I've got momentum. But I know, come Wednesday afternoon at 4 o'clock, motivation won't be as easy to come by. I'll be tired, grouchy, and looking for a snack. Going into the week, planning is key for me. Having a meal plan in place, veggies prepped in the fridge, and plenty of fresh fruit in the house is 75% of the battle. Time for exercise and sheer willpower makes up the other 25%. This week, I'm saving most of my WPA (weekly point allowance) for the weekend. I'll be at Hearts-at-Home and eating out for all of my meals, so that's why I'm keeping the M-Th menu on the low side and not dipping too far into my stash of "extra" points.

Have a great, on-program week! And, if you haven't already, sit down with your planner and get that menu in place. It makes all the difference in the world!

daily menu

Breakfast:
coffee w/ vanilla creamer - 1
fried egg - 2
light english muffin - 1

Lunch:
veggie quesadilla - 4
--saute frozen "fiesta blend" veggies in nonstick skillet coated w/ cooking spray; remove veggies from pan. Coat corn tortilla w/ cooking spray, put on hot skillet, cover w/ cooked veggies and 1/2 oz light mexican cheese blend, put other corn tortilla on top. When it's time to flip, coat tortilla w/ cooking spray. Cook until crisp. Serve w/ salsa and light sour cream.

Snacks:
apple w/ 1 T natural peanut butter - 3
Tea + 4 Kedem chocolate tea biscuits - 1
--I found these "tea biscuits" in the foreign aisle at Jewel. 2 of them are 0 points, so I eat 4 for 1 pt. The biscuits aren't really sweet, but they're really nice with a cup of tea!)

Dinner:
Cheddar chicken w/ warm black bean / roasted corn salsa - 6 (The roasted corn is my addition.)
--Weight Watchers "Cook it Quick!" cookbook (my hands-down favorite)
chocolate covered strawberry - 1

Total - 20
Target - 20
WPA - 35

daily menu

Breakfast:
Coffee w/vanilla creamer – 1
Veggie scramble – 2 (sautéed zucchini and mushrooms, eggbeaters, light cheese)
light english muffin - 1

Snack:
apple – 1
Kashi almond-flax granola bar – 2

Lunch:
sweet & sour stir fry – 4
-- Sauté veggies in olive oil (I used zucchini, mushrooms, and broccoli), add cooked pork (leftover from last night); when veggies are done and pork is warm, stir in 1 T prepared sweet and sour sauce.
Brown rice – 2

Snack: tea + fig Newton minis 100 cal pack – 2

Dinner: potato soup w/ sprinkle of bacon & cheese - 5
Dinner roll (Healthy Life 100% whole wheat) – 1

Fruits & Veggies √
Healthy oil √
Dairy √
Water √
Exercise √

Target: 20
AP: +2 = 22
Total: 21
WPA: 35

Welcome!

I've been keeping my food diary on my computer for a few weeks now, and decided to start a blog to share recipes and tips with friends. Please join me on this journey of eating well!

Saturday is my usual weekly menu planning / grocery shopping day. I'll stop in later tonight and post my menu for today...so far I'm right on track!