I'm back

How long has it been since I updated this blog? Way too long. I've been on a roller coaster with food again, and need a place to get it all down.

I saw a nutritionist a few months ago, and she really gave me some good advice. When I followed her advice, I felt GREAT. Truly. Better than I've ever felt. And then Andrew broke his arm and I spent three weeks sleeping next to him on the floor and eating M & Ms.

I'm afraid to get on the scale. I know it's not good news.

But as of right now, I'm getting back on track with healthy eating and daily exercise. It's not a quick fix, but over the long haul, it will serve me best.

florentine scramble

If anyone is left out there, this is a great, nutritious breakfast!

Sautee a handful of fresh spinach in cooking spray (or olive oil, depending on how many points you want to use.) Add 1/2 C of egg beaters. Cook. Add diced tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, cut in half), and 2 T of reduced fat feta cheese. (Don't bother with fat free -- it's nasty. But reduced fat is okay!)

This is simple, quick, and really good! And only 2 points! Add nutrition by doing this with one egg and two egg whites. It's an extra point for the real egg, but the chemistry of the egg yolk helps your body absorb the nutrients in the spinach.

I know. I should have been a nutritionist instead of an english major. At least then I would be employable!

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...)