How. HOW?!

Someone please tell me how last week, when I worked out twice and ate well, I gained 2lbs, while this week, when I didn't work out at all and basically  INHALED chocolate, candy, and fatty Christmas leftovers not stop all week, I only gained .6lbs??? I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of this weight at next week's weigh in too...

Current weight: 206.2lbs

So, I'm obviously not at 200lbs, which is where I hoped to be by 2012, but I'm close. I'll just have to work that much harder next year!

Happy 2012 all!

Lost cause

Ugh. Christmas was a lost cause. I thought for sure Thanksgiving would be my downfall, but Christmas was so much worse! But I will not stress. 2012 is only two days away, and it will be a new start for me. I'm going to gather up all the candy, cookies and junk, send it off to work with my mom, and get back on the wagon, for good this time.

Wishing you all the best in 2012! See you then :)

A little closer

I can't believe I forgot to update last week! Surprising, since I did really well!

Previous weight: 206.8 lbs
Current weight: 203.6 lbs
Total loss: -3.2 lbs for a total of -22.8 lbs

And guess what! This weeks loss marked my meeting my first big Weight Weighers-set goal: losing 10% of my body weight!

I was so happy to see that my hard work last week paid off. I worked out twice and tracked very, very carefully and it definitely showed.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, so we'll see how I did this week. My tracking wasn't quite as meticulous, though I've still been pretty good, and I only got in one work out so far, though I've got my gym clothes all ready for another one tonight. If you weigh in on Fridays like I do, good luck!

Determined.

So last week did not go as well as I hoped. I was disappointed but not really surprised to see I gained 1.6 lbs this week. It also sucks that I'm now back to less than 20lbs lost.

last week's weight: 205.2lbs

this week's weight: 206.8lbs

total loss: -19.6lbs

My goal was to hit 200lbs (-26.4lbs) by the end of the year. I've got 3 more weeks and 6.8lbs to go, and I am determined to get as close as I possibly can to that goal! I'll need to lose a little less than 2.5lbs at each of my next three weigh-ins to get there. I'm going to the gym at least three times this week, and my food is going to be even lighter than usual - I am making vegetables my bitch!! Also, I'm going to be chugging water for the next three weeks, so the bathroom is going to see a lot of me :)

Have you reached your end of the year goal yet? If not, what are you doing to try to get there?

Trader Joe's snacks

I'm a muncher. Always have been, always will be. I'll be the first to admit, it's a big part boredom eating. Yes, it's a bad habit, but I've learned that sitting in the office all day long, I need to have some healthy snacks to munch on or else I'll be hitting up the vending machine or the deli downstairs.

Enter Trader Joe's - the place I can always count on to find new delicious, low calorie snacks (and the prices ain't bad either!). Two of my favorites at the moment are Wasabi Seaweed and Lite Kettle Corn.

Calories, 30, Total Fat: 2g, Total Carbs:1g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 1g = 1 Point Plus. Serving size is half the container, but according to the Points Plus calculator, the whole container is still just 1 Point Plus! If you like sushi, you'll love these snacks. They're salty with a tiny hint of sweetness and a great kick of wasabi!

Calories 110, Total Fat: 4g, Total Carbs: 19g, Fiber: 3g, Protein 2g = 3 Points Plus Serving size is one snack bag. I haven't seen a full sized back of the lite kettle corn, nor have I seen snack size versions of the full fat kettle corn, but that could just be my TJ's, it's a relatively small one. This is the perfect snack if you're craving chips or other junk food. The serving is generous as well!

Sunshiney day

Hi friends!

I am in an unusually good mood today. I believe is a combinations of reasons:

1. It's absolutely gorgeous outside. Sunny, blue skies, crisp and chilly!
2. I'm wearing my new Ray-Ban geek-chic glasses I got yesterday at LensCrafters (only took an hour!?!) and I absolutely LOVE them.
3. Also wearing my new City Chic skinny jeans that I picked up for a DOLLAR, and they make my ass look fantastic!
4. My boyfriend is coming over tonight for a romantic homecooked meal and a movie - we both crush on Leo DiCaprio so we're going to see J. Edgar!
5. I lost this week, so after a little Thanksgiving gain I'm only 1 pound away from where I was.  Also, only 1.4lbs away from reaching my first big goal - 10% body weight lost!

Last week's weight: 206.6

This week's weight: 205.2

-1.4lbs for 21.2 total

I made some really tasty recipes this week, supplemented with some good frozen stuff from Trader Joe's those days I didn't have a premade lunch.

First up: this is a tweaked version of Skinnytaste's Cilantro Chicken Salad. First of all, I had an entire rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge so I used that instead of cooking fresh breasts. I'm not a huge fan of cilantro so I subbed in dill, and I also didn't have light mayo so I used less regular and left out the chicken broth. I like my deli salads on the drier side so it worked out perfectly for me. I LOVE this chicken salad, and I'm usually very picky with mine! To take it up even a notch further, I'm planning to add some celery next time to give it some fantastic crunch! My tweaked recipe is below - click here for the original.

14oz rotisserie chicken, shredded/chopped

3 Tbsp mayo

3 scallions, chopped

Juice of half a lemon

4 Tbsp chopped dill, more or less to taste

salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chile powder to taste

Makes 4 servings, 6 Points Plus each.

Next is another spin on a Skinnytaste recipe. Her beet salad also called for cilantro, and more mayo than I'd like. I halved the mayo, replaced the cilantro with dill again, and added a sprinkle of sugar to sweeten the beets and vinegar for some tanginess.

2 cans of sliced beets
1 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp fat free sour cream

3 Tbsp dill
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 servings, 1 Point Plus each

Both recipes can be lightened further - just use low fat or fat free mayo, and poach chicken breasts instead of using rotisserie chicken for the chicken salad :)

One lunch I had two servings (so 4 pieces) of Spicy Shrimp Bao from Trader Joes, they're only 3 points for 2 and quite delicious!

Another night's dinner was Trader Joe's Pork Gyoza Pot Stickers - 1 Point each, with a crap load of steamed broccoli with a little soy and ponzu sauces :)

The Thanksgiving bloat

Well. It has definitely been a tough week or so. I know I'm not the only Weight Watcher who stepped on the scale this week a bit heftier.

Friday morning after Thanksgiving I stepped on the scale and saw a gain of 2.4lbs. Not at all surprised of course. I wish I could say that after that I behaved myself foodwise for the rest of the weekend, but of course that wasn't the case. Crap food and alcohol prevailed, and I'm sure I must have put on another 2 pounds at least. Monday morning rolled around and I went back on track - until night time that is.

I've been realizing in the last few days that I've started to revert back to old habits of nighttime munching, a habit I thought I broke once I really got into the WW groove. But the last few nights I've found myself heading downstairs for a snack late at night. I know it's bad, but I can't stop myself! I feel like I'm lacking the motivation and self control that I had for a few months there, and its something I desperately need and want back. I feel like I've been subconsciously giving up a bit over the holiday season so far, I'm sort of in the mentality that gaining is inevitable and it's hard to be strict with food in that mindset. I'm trying really hard to get back to my better eating habits! Any tips for curbing those urges?

I am happy that I managed to get back to the gym for the first time in a few weeks on Monday. I did three miles on the elliptical and felt really good. I'm going to try to do another 3 miles after work today, and then bashfully show my face in back in Body Pump on Thursday. Hopefully I won't have gained anymore than I already did by weigh in on Friday.

How have you been doing with food over the holidays?

Woops

Woops, behind schedule once again!

Long story short, I gained .2lbs last week. Not a big deal, I'll just have to be more careful this week.

Unfortunately, this week also means THANKSGIVING.

Is it possibly to stay the same/lose weight over the week of Thanksgiving do you think? I am bringing a few dishes I'll be cooking from Skinnytaste to try to keep it low fat, but I'm not very optimistic.

Wish me luck this week! And good luck to you all as well!

Relief!

Another good week for me! I have to say I let out a sigh of relief this morning when I stepped on the scale. It's that time of the month and I was feeling super crampy and bloated, and I thought for sure it was going to be a repeat of last month. Not so!

Last week's weight: 206.6 lbs

This week's weight: 204 lbs

-2.6 lbs for a total loss of 22.4 lbs

I feel a bit guilty because I haven't been working out at all lately. I go through phases of working out 4-5 times a week to not working out at all. I know I'll pick up again eventually but for now I'm savoring this break from the gym, and really thankful that the scale is still moving downwards. 

I was explaining to my boyfriend the other day just how much my eating habits have changed over the last few months of being on Weight Watchers. The difference between what I used to eat, and how much, and what I eat now is like night and day. For example:

Before:
Breakfast: Coffee and a toasted everything bagel with low-fat cream cheese from Dunkin' Donuts
Lunch: A sandwhich of some sort, usually turkey, cheese, bacon, tomato, lettuce, cranberry mayo on foccacia, with either a bag of chips or pickles, or a cookie; or chinese take out, or some other fatty food.
Dinner: A hefty helping of whatever my parents made.
Plus after work snacks/dessert - whatever was in the house/vending machine really.

Now:

Breakfast: A breakfast sandwhich of some sort; either an egg with WW cheese, or egg whites, or some sort of small veggie omelette on low carb TJ's bread. Coffee from Dunkin' with Splenda and milk.

Snacks for the day: Some fruit, today I have a banana, two clementines and some blackberries. Also some savory snacks, today I have wasabi roasted seaweed from TJ (freakin delish, btw), a container of cherry tomatoes and two light Babybel cheeses.

Lunch: Usually, leftovers from last night's Skinnytaste dinner. Today it's Skinnytaste Turkey Chili with a tbsp of light sour cream and 1/4 cup light shredded cheese from TJ's.

Afterwork: more fruit or veggies or a babybel cheese - basically, something light and low in points

Dinner: Whatever I decide to make off Skinnytaste that night. My parents rarely cook anymore!

Dessert: more fruit, maybe an apple with a tbsp of peanut butter, or maybe a Weight watchers fudgebar

What I've found is that I acutally eat more now that I'm Weight Watchers, but the quality of what I'm eating is eight million times better than before. I used to have my bagel in the morning and by the time lunch rolled around I was starving, and wouldn't think twice about that very large (and delicious) sandwich. Now my snacks hold me over so a small lunch is just fine by me.

Have you drastically changed your diet trying to lose weight? Or do you eat the same but just in a lesser amount?

Back on track

I've not been doing to well updating on Fridays on weigh in day, have I? Gotta work on that...

Despite the temptation of Halloween candy lying around (I won't say I didn't snag a few snack sized Snickers!), I did pretty well this week!

Last week's weight: 208 lbs
This week's weight: 206.6 lbs

So I'm pretty much back on track. Last week was a mess with no power and no way to cook my dinners or prepare my lunches. This week is a fresh start, and I'm going to take the opportunity to try out my new crock pot! I'm thinking this recipe, or maybe this one...

My boyfriend has been super supportive of my weightloss journey thus far and is so obliging and understanding about my fanaticism of cooking from Skinnytaste (the recipes are so good that he hardly has reason to complain!), and making sure he measures all the ingredients according to the recipe when we cook together or when he cooks for me (which he usually will do every Friday while I drive out to see him after work - what a peach!). I spent the whole weekend with him in Brooklyn and we tried out two new recipes from Skinnytaste with delicious results -  Friday night we had Carne Bistec over multigrain rice, and Saturday we whipped up some Bruschetta Chicken with a side of my favorite Sauteed Brussel Sprouts.

Delicious! It was his first time trying brussel sprouts since childhood and they were a hit!

Quickie

Just wanted to pop in super quick and post my weigh in from Friday - I'm a little behind!

I'm having trouble getting back into the groove - I gained 2 lbs this week, going from 206 to 208. I know why of course, a night of heaving drinking followed by hangover munchies - and unfortunately the same happened again this past weekend. I can't even get to the gym as the power is out in my whole town because of this freak snow storm we had. I'm just going to have to do the best I can foodwise this week, and drinking is definitely a no no for me this weekend. If I gain again, it will suck, but at least I know why and I can work to get back into my better habits.

New recipe coming soon, stay tuned, and wish me luck this week :)

Mmm, curry...

I damn near died when I saw this super simple and quick recipe for a thai shrimp curry on Skinnytaste last week and I knew it needed to be made STAT. At a measly 3 points for a fourth of the recipe (a quarter pound of shrimp! Plus tons of curry sauce) there's no guilt for having a nice sized serving of rice to sop up that curry goodness :) The smell coming off your pan while you cook this will have you salivating til the first bite!

Thai Green Curry Coconut Shrimp with Basil
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of shrimp + sauce • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 134.1 • Fat: 4.4 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 4.4 g • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 1.8
Sodium: 501.2 (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp oil
• 4 small scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
• 1 tbsp Thai green curry paste (or more to taste) (Thai Kitchen makes a great one)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (from 1 1/4 lbs unpeeled)
• 6 oz light coconut milk
• 2 tsp Thai fish sauce 
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt to taste

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat oil on medium-high flame. Add scallion whites and green curry paste; sauté one minute. Add shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well; simmer about 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and basil.

I served my curry over basmati rice (4 pp for a half cup), and made an extra batch of just the curry sauce (simply followed the directions but omitting the shrimp) to toss my green beans in (1 extra pp). A little bit of tomato, onion and basil salad rounded out a delicious meal :)

Bizarre.

My body is official bizarre.

Last week I was on the emotional edge because of gaining six pounds in seven days. Ridiculous, I know! Granted I about to start my monthly gift and definitely indulged during a weekend away.

It was a blessing and a curse - though I was upset about it all week (just ask my boyfriend), the big gain also prompted me to be super careful about my eating, though I didn't work out at all (because of said period).

Needless to say my jaw hit the FLOOR when I saw the scale this morning. Let's take a look at the numbers shall we?

Before the big gain: 

207.8 lbs

Last week: 

213.8 lbs (+6 lbs)

This week: 

206 lbs (-7.8 lbs!!)

Down 7.8 lbs in a week?! I don't know what was going on in this body last week. In past few months I've never noticed that much of a fluctuation in my weight because of my period  before, but maybe I just never happened to catch it before and always weighed in right before or right after.

Or maybe my scale was just messed up last week. Who knows!

I'm just SO relieved and happy. I'm back on track, and guess what? I've finally hit another goal! Officially down 20.4 lbs!!

Chicken Pot Pie

It's been a pretty productive week as far as cooking goes! First, my delicious fish tacos, and now chicken pot pie!

Doesn't sound very Weight Watchers friendly, I know, but I of course turned to Skinnytaste for a light recipe, and this turned into a hot, satisfying, comforting meal, perfect for a chilly day!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pt • Points+: 4 pts (without crust)
Calories: 169.2 • Fat: 1.2 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 21.2 g • Fiber: 2.3 g
OR
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 bowl (1-1/2 cups) • Old Points: 5 pt • Points+: 6 pts (without crust)
Calories: 253.8 • Fat: 1.8 g • Protein: 27.7 g • Carb: 31.9 g • Fiber: 3.4 g 

• 1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
• 2 cups water 
• 4 cups fat free milk
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms 
• 2 chicken bouillons
• fresh ground pepper
  
• pinch of thyme
• 10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
• 16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• salt
• 9-12 PillsburyReduced Fat Crescents (3pp each), depending on your bowl size/preference*

Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

*My optional addition:
As I had some extra points today, I decided to treat myself and add a delicious crust to make this as true to a real pot pie as possible. As I was serving the bowl size, I used two crescents (3pp each) per bowl. Preheat oven to 375. Unroll the crescents, stretch as much as possible without tearing, and drape them over your oven safe bowl of soup. Trim extra dough and cover and open spots. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Fish Taco!

The first time I heard of fish tacos, I have to say I didn't find the general idea that appealing. The first time I tried fish tacos was a different story all together - Sweet, salt, crunch, all wrapped up in a soft tortilla; just what the doctor ordered to tantalize my tastebuds!

If you've been reading a while you know that Gina's Skinnytaste recipes are basically my bible - I've been waiting and waiting for and even requested a fish taco recipe from her because I know she'd come up with a real stunner, but to no avail. But when I was faced with some delicious leftover grilled fish for dinner, I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands. Here's my humble recipe for what I  have to say came out to be a pretty fantastic fish taco!

Ariana's Fish Tacos
5 pp each, 10 pp for 2 tacos

2 Trader Joe's Reduced Carb Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
4 oz grilled tilapia, divided (or plug in the point value for whatever fish you choose)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder - Basically, seasoning for your fish, to taste
2 Tbsp low fat sour cream, divided
2 Tbsp tomato, chopped, divided
2 Tbsp onion, minced, divided
2 Tbsp scallions, finely sliced, divided
2 Tbsp Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa, divided
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw, divided
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Lite Mexican Blend Cheese, divided
Salt, pepper, garlic powder 

Season and prepare your fish - I prefer to grill, but baking or cooking in a pan with a light spray of olive oil (just enough to prevent it sticking) will work to. If you're using leftovers like I did, simply reheat in the microwave.

Warm up your tortillas in the microwave (20 seconds) or oven (just a few minutes on a low heat, maybe 250 degrees).

Spread a tablespoon of sour cream on each tortilla, then add half of fish, tomato, onion, scallions, slaw, and cheese. Top each with a tablespoon of salsa, wrap up, and enjoy!

I ate my tacos with a double serving of my new favorite veggie: Brussel sprouts! Weird, I know!! But I never had them before last week and this recipe got me hooked.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: about 1/2 cup • Calories: 82 • Old Points: 1 pt • Points Plus: 2 pts
Calories: 86.2 • Fat: 3.7 g • Carbs: 11.9 • Fiber: 4.3 • Protein: 4.1 g

• 1 lb brussels sprouts (outer leaves removed and washed)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I'm a garlic lover, so I double this)
• 1 shallot, minced (this too)
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

 

Finely shred the brussels sprouts after thoroughly washing. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add shallots and sauté about 2 minutes, add garlic and saute until golden. Add brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and sauté on medium-low for about 4-5 minutes. (I added a little garlic powder too, and sauteed for longer, so my brussels are a little more golden brown than Gina's).

Dinner: 15 pp

Yum!

It's funny. There I was last week, all sorts of triumphant and proud and determined, sharing one of my worst weight loss moments and reflecting on it with a better outlook.

I feel like I'm back in that moment again.

I should have seen it coming. I spent last weekend in DC with my boyfriend visiting his sister and her husband, eating out, going to wineries and other such vacation-like activities. Through the week, I only got in one workout, and failed to track my dinners or even measure them out as carefully as I usually do.

I sure as hell paid for it this week, in the form of six pounds.

I am disgusted right now. Disgusted and disappointed. I am angry at myself for eating weeks of hard work without a thought about the consequences. Six. Pounds.

I was so close to being down twenty pounds and now I'm hardly above ten. I think that's what really gets me - the numbers. I can't even post last week and this week's weights, just looking at the numbers makes me feel sick.

What can I do but start again?

Here we go.

On a roll!

Last week's weight:  

209.8lbs

This week's weight:  

207.8lbs

 Loss: 

-2lbs

Total loss: 

-18.6lbs

I am so relieved, and ecstatic, and...motivated!

I've been stressing so much about today's weigh in, but here's the proof in front of me: Make the effort to be active and it will pay off, even if it's just 3 days of a half hour on the elliptical (yep, I didn't run last night as I planned to).

18.6lbs. That is the most amount of weight I have ever lost. Ever. 

When I first did the Weight Watchers program my senior year of high school, I lost 10 pounds. I wasn't working out, just following the plan and going to meetings. I remember it was the holiday season, and after that 10lb loss, I had a weigh in where I gained 7 pounds. 7 pounds!

Now, I don't know if that was over the course of one week or maybe it was two, but I remember feeling absolutely devastated. Completely losing all hope and motivation. And giving up.

Now, having lost just shy of 20 pounds, I'm still about 9-10lbs away from my weight at that point. But I feel different this time around. Maybe I'm riding the high of having about a month of straight losses, but this time, I know I can do this. I'm not trying, or hoping, or wishing - I am doing it. And it feels good!

How was your week??

Bring it on, scale!

I've had a burst of energy and motivation this week unlike any I've had before, and I have to say I'm quite proud of myself.

On Friday I forgot to weigh in, and that was followed by quite the naughty weekend in Brooklyn. After two nights of drinks, which inevitably led to late night snacks, a Thai dinner, and general disregard for any tracking or point values whatsoever, I knew I really needed to get my ass in gear this week in order to, at the very least, stay at the same weight I was at my last weigh in.

So this week I made it my goal to go the the gym to use the elliptical every day, and so far I've kept it up! Monday through Wednesday I did my half hour of cardio on the 'weight loss' setting and I feel really great! It's interesting though to see how my energy levels and time of day I go to the gym effect my run. On Monday I went home, had a quick snack and then went to work out immediately. I managed about 2.5 miles in my run. The next day, I went in the early evening, and had a much rougher time, only about 2.2 miles and I found it much more difficult. Last night was the biggest surprise for me. I didn't get to go at my normal time because I stopped by my grandparents for dinner (but brought my own meal, I'll share the recipe below - food win!). Lucky my gym is open until 11pm so I decided to go anyway even though I was sure that it would be a rough one doing my work out on a full stomach.

Surprise, surprise, I had my best run of the week, 3 miles flat, and I felt really great! I think the fact that I brought my Kindle with me really helped, I was absorbed in reading and kept a really nice pace, and less focused on watching the timer count down and watching how long until the resistance went up or down.

I'm running again tonight, and then tomorrow the truth is revealed. I'm hoping that I'll at the very least stay the same because of all the cardio I did.

So, dinner last night! One of my favorite recipes off the always wonderful SkinnyTaste: Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe!

Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 289.4 • Fat: 5.3 g • Protein: 21 g • Carb: 38.7 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Sugar: 1 g

• 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, washed and 2" trimmed off stems
• 1 lb lean chicken sausage, removed from casing
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 10 oz orecchiette
• 1 cup low sodium fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Cut broccoli rabe in quarters. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add broccoli rabe. Blanch for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, drain and set aside in a colander. Re-fill pot with water and salt for the pasta and bring back to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.

In a large deep sauté pan, brown sausage on medium heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. When completely cooked through set aside in a dish or a bowl. Increase heat to medium high, add olive oil to the pan; when hot add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn). Return broccoli rabe to the pan, mix well with the garlic and oil, season with salt and pepper and cook about a minute. Return cooked sausage to the pan and mix well.


Drain pasta and add to the broccoli rabe. Reduce heat and stir for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and toss another 30 seconds so that everything is mixed well and the pasta is coated with the sauce. Remove from heat and add to a large pasta dish or divide equally between 6 pasta bowls. Serve with additional grated cheese if you desire.
  

Woops!

I COMPLETELY forgot to weigh in on Friday! I'm so mad!

This weekend was most definitely not Weight Watchers friendly, so I'm going to do my best to work out as much as possible and hope that the scale is at least at my last weigh in weight, 209.8lbs, by Friday.

bad feelings

Mmm, I'm a little nervous about tomorrow's weigh in. I wasn't TOO naughty, but most definitely not quite as nice as I should have been this week. Lots of drinks on Saturday night lead to some brownie consumption and I may or may not have also enjoyed one of my biggest weaknesses - Nutella!! And no, not spread on anything, straight off the spoon (the very best way, in my opinion).

And I'm still in a terrible rut with my work outs. I've been working earlier hours and I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that I can't even fathom hitting the gym.

Maybe I'll get lucky again and stay about the same? I guess we'll see tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Another week, another weigh in.

Hey all! Back again for my weekly weigh in.

I've been failing pretty miserably at getting back into my 3 day a week work out pattern that I had before leaving for vacation. At that point I was doing a weight lifting class once a week and at least 2 days of cardio, usually one class and then on my own on the elliptical. I've slowed since then. This week I managed to do my weight class for the first time in two weeks, and have been taking walks after work. I know that's not much compared to the activity I was doing before, but it's better than just sitting around isn't it?

Anyway, I must be doing something right because I still managed to have another small loss this week.

Starting weight: 

226.4

Last week's weight

210.8

This week's weight:

209.8

Total loss:

-16.6lbs

It is so exciting to look at these numbers and see myself in the single digits of 200lbs! I am about the weight I was freshman year of college, and in another -9lbs, I'll be about where I was when I graduated high school! My (hopefully) very easy goal is to be at 200 by the end of the year. I HOPE that I will be down much more than that in 3+ months, but I hope to be at that point at the very, very least.

How did you all do this week?

Friday recap

Late again to post about this Friday's weigh in.

Last week's weight: 

211.6 lbs

This week's weight: 

210.8 lbs

Loss:

-.8 lbs

Another .8 lbs down. I'm not at all complaining about these small losses the last few weeks because I've been a bit out of the groove. I've not been tracking as precisely as I was before I went away for vacation, and my workouts have slacked off in a major way - as in I haven't worked out once in the past two weeks. I mentioned to my boyfriend that hopefully the fact that I'm still losing is because I've learned better eating habits and correct portion sizes, which is definitely true, but he suggested that some of the loss might be coming from losing muscle mass since I haven't been doing my usual weight lifting. I wonder if he's right? 

I need to get back on the work out train. Time to get off my lazy ass! I'm going to ease myself in today with a long, brisk walk on my local bike trail.

How did you all do this week?

No sense was made.

For realsies, my body is SO WEIRD.

Last week, when I did a lot of walking and one night of Body Pump, I gained .8lbs.

This week, I did NO physical activity. None. I also binged on food and drink at a wedding, and snacked my way through the days. I was completely resigned to seeing the scale go up at least 2 lbs this morning.

But I lost .4lbs.

I DON'T GET IT!!

I mean, I'm not complaining, I juuuuuust don't get it!

Last week's weight:

212 lbs

This week's weight:

211.6

Total loss: 

-14.8 lbs

Dinner last night was practically a three course meal, but healthy and delicious! Of course, I turned to Skinnytaste and here's what I chose:

Broiled or Grilled Pollo Sabroso
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 thigh • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 154.1 • Fat: 9.5 g • Protein: 15.5 g • Carb: 0.4 g • Fiber: 0.1 g 

Ingredients:

• 6 medium chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 packet Sazon *(I left out the sazon, didn't have any!)
• Adobo (in Spanish aisle)
• garlic powder
• oregano
• a drop of agave

Directions:

Season chicken with vinegar, agave and soy sauce. Add sazon, a generous amount of adobo, garlic powder, oregano and mix well. (Don't use your hands or they will turn orange) Let chicken marinade at least 20 minutes. Broil or grill on low until chicken is cooked through, careful not to burn. (I broiled them about 7 minutes, flipped, then broiled another 5-6).

Scallion Cilantro Rice with Habaneros and Lime
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 3/4 cup • Calories: 192 • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice (I used regular Uncle Ben's)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 habanero pepper, diced  (No thanks, too hot for me!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 scallions, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (I used the juice of an entire lime, not sure how much it is)

In a small heavy pot add oil and saute pepper on medium heat (I sauteed some of the scallion whites instead). Add rice, water and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce flame to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off stove and keep covered an additional 5 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped scallions, cilantro, lime juice, rice and toss until completely mixed. Makes approx 3 cups.

Cuban Style Black Beans
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/2 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 113.9 • Fat: 2.9 g • Protein: 6.8 g • Carb: 19.9 g • Fiber: 6.0 g 

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 scallions
• 2 tbsp red bell pepper
• 3 tbsp cilantro
• 15 oz can black bean, do not drain
• 1/2 cup water (or more if needed)
• 1 bay leaf
• few pinches cumin (to taste)
• pinch oregano
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Chili powder to taste

Chop onion, garlic, scallions, red pepper, and cilantro in a mini chopper of food processor.

Add oil to a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Add vegetables to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally (Mine had a lot of liquid, so I simmered it. Taste for salt and serve.
*My edits.

Dinner Point total:
Chicken, 2 pieces: 8pp
Rice, 3/4 cups: 5 pp
Beans, 1 cup: 6pp
                     19 pp

Souper low fat mushroom soup

Get it?? Souper...super...

....well, I giggled!

Here's a recipe I made last night from Skinnytaste - creamy mushroom soup! This soup is so so so delicious, I'm still in disbelief that it's only ONE POINT for a 1 1/4 cups of soup!! And it's super easy to make! This soup has become a staple in my house.

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 49 • Fat: 1.8 g • Carb: 6.6 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 3.2 g

• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• 5 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, whole with leaves removed
• 1 tbsp light butter

Place cold water and flour in a blender and blend until smooth, pour into a medium pot and set heat to medium. Add celery, mushrooms, chicken bullion and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove celery and a cup of soup, blend, then return back to the pot.

 Ta da!! Quick and easy and so tasty!! I didn't bother to blend the celery, my soup was creamy enough so I simply discarded the stalk and served. I had 2 cups for dinner, and plan on a cup for lunch to go with my salad :)

Here's whats up with me

Hello there everyone.

So I'm a little behind the times here. To summarize the last few days quickly: I weighed in a day late last week, and ended up gaining .8lbs. I wasn't too surprised as I found myself snacking a lot that week.

This week is looking to go the same way - I'm finding it difficult to get motivated to get to the gym and have been tracking only half heartedly, not as precisely as I was before vacation. I'm in a rut! The rainy weather we've been having all week has done nothing to help either - All I want to do is get under the covers and sleep when it's dreary like this out!

Hopefully it clears up soon because I started taking long walks down a local bike path near my house before the weather turned, and I was really enjoying it! It's about a four mile path down a river and through a pretty wooded area, and though I'm not running it (SO not there yet), walking it is way better than sitting on my ass!

I'm going to continue trying to eat as well as I can this week but I don't expect to drop any lbs by Friday. I went to a wedding on Sunday and ate and drank tons. But, there was a LOT of Greek dancing going on, and if you've ever Greek danced before you know it's a real workout! So hopefully I'll only do a tiny bit damage.

Paycheck comes tomorrow and I'm going to hit Trader Joe's and stock up on food so I can make myself healthy lunches and dinners for whole week to come.

See ya on Friday!

Last night's dinner: Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken

Browsing Skinnytaste at work always puts me in the mood to cook, so here's what I whipped up last night for dinner. Gina's recipe called for chicken tenderloins, but I used chicken thighs and adjusted my points accordingly. I also made it 4 even servings instead of 4.5, so my points were a little higher per serving.

Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken Tenders
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 1/2 • Serving Size: 2 chicken tenders • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 196.9 • Fat: 9.1 g • Protein: 22.9 g • Carb: 5.7 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Sugar: 0.3 g  Sodium: 400 mg

Ingredients:

• 18 oz chicken tenderloins
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp panko
• olive oil spray (I used Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray.

Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt, pepper and panko in another.

Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well. Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes longer or until cooked through. 

I served mine with a side of fried rice, which I adapted from Gina's Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice recipe. My version is as follows:

Fried Rice
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4 of recipe • Points+: 5 pts

• 3 cups brown rice cooked (I use Trader Joe's frozen rice pouches)
• 2 egg whites, scrambled
• 1 whole egg, scrambled
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
• oil spray
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp soy sauce (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp Asian fish sauce
• salt and fresh pepper

Scramble eggs with a drop of water and season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

Let the wok get really hot. Add sesame oil and saute onions, scallion whites, garlic and ginger for about 1-2 minutes. Add rice and cooked egg along with soy sauce and fish sauce, mixing well for about 2 minutes. Add greens of the scallions and serve.

 With my edits to the chicken recipe plus the rice, my dinner came out to a delicious 12pts (if you follow Gina's recipe exactly and serve with my rice, it'll be a 10pt total). And there's plenty of leftovers for lunch!

A little late

A little behind, but let me tell you about my weigh in on Friday morning.

It was a little déjà vu of my "What the Weigh In?" experience before vacation. Aka...I LOST! Lost weight on vacation!! Is that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard???

Starting weight: 226.4 lbs

Prevacation weight: 214.6 lbs

Friday's weight: 211.2 lbs

Total loss: 15.2 lbs

I can't tell you how ridiculous it is to me to have lost 3.2 lbs while eating carelessly on vacation. I did no tracking whatsoever, and definitely had days of feeling guilty after eating gyros, fries, sandwiches and ice cream. 

But no one can say we sat on our asses and did nothing. Everyday was an adventure. In Amsterdam, we were on our feet walking or biking for hours on end, and Greece was days of swimming, hiking to isolated beaches, and walking up and down the cobblestone roads of Skyros town. Imagine if I had be tracking??

Sigh. Losing weight on vacation - Just another reason I want to go back.

I'm back!

Hi all! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you, or about my weightloss journey.

The last two weeks were spent gloriously on vacation in Amsterdam and Greece, where there was lots of naughty food, but also lots and lots of walking, swimming, hiking, and exploring to cancel it out.

I'm back on the plan and ready to lose any lb's I may have put on while abroad. I'll be weighing in on Friday as usual to see the final damage. Even if I did put on of a few pounds, can you tell I'm not that upset about it? Everyone deserves a vacation and a break from stress, and that includes diet induced stress as well as work and every other type of stress. I did not track in anyway during my two weeks away, but somehow found a balance between indulging and not overeating. According to the way my pants are fitting, I did pretty OK!

We'll see on Friday! See you then :)

What the weigh in?

Let's recap, shall we?

Starting weight:

226.4

Last week's weight:

216.8

So I really wasn't expecting the scale to move much this week, if anything, it'd be going up. It wasn't anywhere near my best week food wise: I drank a ton on Saturday, had chinese twice (though I will give myself credit that my order both times was steamed shrimp and steamed veggies with brown rice and diet brown sauce on the side, and both times I saved half for the next day's lunch), plus I know that I've been snacking without tracking, which has the potential to be disastrous.

That's why when I stepped on the scale this morning, it went something like this:

"What the what??"

After hopping on and off again about three times to make sure, it changed to this:

"Yaaaay!"

This week's weight:

214.6

This week's loss:

-2.2

Total loss:

-11.8

I can't tell you how happy I am to not only have finally hit the -10lb mark, but to have surpassed it by almost 2lbs! I was dancing around it for probably three weeks, gaining and losing the same pesky 1.5lbs. It feels so good to be under the 215lb mark for the first time in probably 2 years!

Now I just need to keep the momentum up. I'm leaving for a two week vacation tomorrow and I am sort of nervous about it. I do feel that I've become more willing and able to make healthy decisions even when I'm out of my element, so I'm hoping eating responsibly paired with all the swimming, walking, and hiking I'll be doing will at the very least keep me at the same weight. Wish me luck! 

Checking in

It's been a few days, and a crazy few days at that! I'm heading off to Greece on Saturday so I've been running around doing lots of last minute things. I've still made time to go to the gym three times since Friday - and I definitely need to get one more work out in before this Friday considering the amounts of sangria I drank at the banger of a barbecue I threw on Saturday. In all honestly, it was such a great time and I got to see so many faces I haven't seen in ages that I wouldn't take it back even for the price of a small gain!

That being said, I've been really good with food and exercise this week, so maybe I'll get lucky and I'll at least stay the same weight wise.

I'll be back with results on Friday!

TGIF and weekly weigh in

Thank GOD it's Friday!

This morning was weigh in time and I was weirdly a little bit excited about it. I did well all week and I definitely expected the scale to move down, it was just a question of how much.

Short recap since Tuesday:

I went to my usual Body Pump class on Wednesday night. I always say it but I really can't say enough how much I enjoy that classes. It's definitely a challenge but it's a great atmosphere and I always feel great coming out of it.

Yesterday (Thursday) I was planning to give Body Attack a second try. Cardio classes are obviously more of a challenge, and though I remember wanting to give up halfway through the first time, I made it to the end and I want to try again. Circumstances were not on my side unfortunately. I'm having 20somthing people over for a barbecue on Saturday, so Thursday was spent running around non stop to the grocery story for all the food, then doing my best to clean the house as much as possible.

I had to do all that last night because tonight I'm heading to the Bronx for a Yankee game! Yay! I made sure to pack a light lunch so I have enough points to enjoy the hot dog and beer that I believe is required at a baseball game!

So that's two days past that I won't have worked out. Now that I'm in the groove I really don't like going longer than that without exercising. Who would have ever thought that I, Ariana, would ever say that? I have tons of  last minute things to do Saturday morning for this barbecue, but I'm going to go to the gym early to at least do a bit of elliptical.

Back to the point; I got in three workouts this week and did very well with points, only used 2 of my weekly allowance. Results:

Starting weight:

226.4

Last week's weight:

218

This week's weight:

216.8

This week's loss:

-1.2

Total loss:

-9.6

-1.2 is not bad. Not what I was hoping for but still not bad. It's so frustrating to be dancing around this -10 mark and not to have hit it yet. I'm only -.4 away and I am determined to hit it next Friday! It'll be a great victory to send me off on vacation the next day!

How did you do this week?

Well, hi!

I maybe have been a lazy blogger these last few days, but I was not all around lazy!

It's only Tuesday and I've already got in two workouts and am planning a third, my usual Tuesday Body Pump, tonight. Jen of Prior Fat Girl had a Eureka! moment recently, and it really got me thinking about my own habits and body signals. Jen realized that working out on Sunday gave her the momentum to continue working out through the week. I notice myself that it's always hard to get back in the groove after the weekend, when plans with friends and Sunday family obligations usually stop me from hitting the gym (ok, maybe I just don't want to go because it's the weekend!). So Saturday morning I got up earlier than I normally would and headed to the gym to spend some time with my old friend, the elliptical.

The elliptical and I go way back. We've had an on and off relationship for years, but I always get bored with it, and that's when my gym-going end up at a screeching halt. This time around, I hope things will be different. I'm not using the elliptical as my primacy source of exercise as I have in the past. I'm enjoying the fitness classes I've been taking much more, and I'm planning to use the elliptical as a sort of supplement to those classes, on days when my schedule is out of sync with the gym's.

Both Saturday morning and Monday evening I ran about 2.5 miles in 28 minutes on the "weightloss" setting of my gym's ellipticals, which is just 4 minute intervals of lower and higher resistance. I feel good afterward, and burned over 300 calories (and earned 7 activity points) each run!

 As Jen says, "Sweat is beautiful!"

I've been doing good with food too. Sunday dinner with my grandparents usually sets me a little bit over my points, but this week I've managed to only use 2 of my 49 weekly point allowance since Friday. Yay for small victories!

Speaking of food, here's a quick easy salad recipe I came up with (Trader Joe's helped!) that I've been chowing down on nonstop.

                   

1 1/2 cups green of your choice; I've been using Trader Joe's Champs Elysees Green Leap Lettuce
1/2 cup Broccoli Slaw (not with mayo and all, just the dry broccoli blend - TJ's sells it bagged)
5 oz (one can) Tuna, drained; I used Trader Joe's Solid White Tuna in Water (half salt)
4tbsp Trader Joe's Corn & Chile Salsa
6pp

The salsa is sweet and tangy enough that you don't need any dressing, and the broccoli slaw gives this salad an awesome crunch. I know the tuna sounds kind of weird, believe me, I was skeptical, but I've been loving this salad for the past few days. Low in points but delicious, very filling, and a great source of protein :)

Weigh In 7/22

I wrote a whole blog post yesterday about my experience at Body Attack, a new cardio class I tried out. Blogger ate it so suffice it to say it was a killer, but I made it out alive.

So, Friday weigh in day. I really wasn't sure what the scale would say this morning. I went out with friends last Saturday and did some drinking, but I also had two intense workouts during the week. Thursday night was dinner with the girls, where I surely ate more than I would have had I stayed home (as well as a beer and a glass of wine that I wouldn't have drank), but I did order off the diet menu to try to stay on the good side.

Starting weight: 

226.4

Last week's weight:

217.8

This week's weight: 

218.0

So I gained .8lbs.

Of course I'm not happy, but this is part of the process. I have to be realistic and realize that I can't go out and have 5-6 drinks without doing some extra workouts and expect to lose.

Tomorrow could have potentially been another drinking night - I have a surprise birthday party for a friend about an hour away. The plan was for the girls to split a hotel so we wouldn't have to drive. Instead, I'm volunteering as DD - great way to keep the alcohol points to a minimum. And I plan to get a lot of dancing in to!

Here's to a better weigh in next week.

How did you do this week?

Pizza Bites

I almost forgot! As promised, here's my recipe for Pizza bites!

Pizza Bites
1 pp each

8 wonton wrappers - 4pp
1/4 cup low fat Mexican blend cheese (I use WW brand) - 2pp
2 Tbsp tomato sauce (plain canned or seasoned jar sauce)
Cooking spray

If using unseasoned canned sauce, season to taste with
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
any other spices you desire
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray (I use Pam Olive Oil spray).

Mix cheese, sauce and seasonings in a bowl. Drop a spoonful of the mixture onto a wonton wrapper. Use your finger to wet two edges of the wrapper with water and fold into a triangle. Press down on the edges to seal - the water acts as glue to seal the wrapper.

Arrange on your baking pan and spray the tops of the bites with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!



These also freeze really well (pre-baking)! I made an extra batch, froze them on a pan to keep their shape, and then put them in a plastic baggie to store once they were good and hard. Pop them on a sprayed pan, spray them and sprinkle with parm and they'll be ready to bake!

Today, happiness is...

Sore muscles and a bargain.

I had a few hours between work and 7pm Body Pump yesterday, so I decided to swing by my local Talbots. I haven't shopped there before, but had been eyeing up a few pairs of pants online on clearance and I wanted to go in to get an idea of the sizing. I'm usually between a 16/18 the pants I wanted to order were on final sale so I didn't want to risk them not fitting. To my delight, I pulled on every pair of 16s, including non-stretch denim (which never fits), without a problem! Can we say positive reinforcement! I browsed around and left with some amazing deals - a $115 dress for $39, a $60 top for $15, and an $88 top for $44!

I'd bought the rewards, so I was determined to do the work. I ran home to change, popped three Advil to conquer the cramps and backaches that were creeping up because of my lovely visitor, and made my way over to the gym.

I really love this Body Pump weight training class I've been taking. Eileen, the instructor, is just phenomenal - so much energy, so enthusiastic, and so motivational! I finally introduced myself and got signed up to my Gym's Facebook group - I'll be glad to see Eileen's motivational messages come through my newsfeed everyday!

Last night's dinner was the last remaining turkey burger, and I decided to add the side of Skinny Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries since I had lots of points to spare. Yum!

So, today -  that's happiness. Wearing one of my awesome bargain deals, and feeling those sore muscles!

Yesterday's food tracking:

Breakfast:
Ricotta Cheese Muffin - 5pp
Coffee - 1pp

Lunch:
Turkey Burger - 4pp
Ciabatta bread - 3pp
BBQ sauce - 1pp

Dinner:
Turkey Burger - 4pp

Ciabatta bread - 3pp

BBQ sauce - 1pp
Ketchup - 1pp
Sweet potato fries (2 servings)  - 6pp

Snacks:
Nectarine - 0pp
String Cheese - 2pp
1oz Fudge (thanks to my brother for bringing it back from the shore to torture me with) - 3pp

Total: 34pp
1pp left over!
+5 activity Points

A bust

Yesterday's workout was a bust. As in, I didn't do it. Why? I really couldn't tell you. The majority of my day was spent in a positive mood, but walking out of work I felt myself sink slowly and surely into a surly and negative mood, where all I wanted to do was go home, laze around, and eat a bunch of snacks.

Instead, I made my way to Trader Joe's to pick up ingredients for my turkey burger dinner. I had planned to pick up a bag of their pre-cut sweet potato fries to save some time, but a quick check on my WW nutrition calculator showed me they were more points and less quantity than the real thing. I was really jonesing for a snack so I decided to nix both the fries and side salad from dinner and use the points (and a few of my last 5 points for the day) to make one of my favorite snacks - pizza bites!

Recipe to come tomorrow!

So not a total bust. I still ate healthy and stayed within my points, but I didn't earn the activity points I was hoping to. Oh, and the answer to my moodiness and lack on energy revealed itself this morning - Aunt Flo, if you will.

Body Pump is tonight at 7, and I really hope I'm feeling up to it and cramps don't keep me from it. Wish me luck!

Chewy, chocolately breakfast

Skinnytaste to the rescue again! I was looking for a sweet and satisfying breakfast to go with my morning coffee and I found it in these Ricotta Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins. Low in points, high in delicious.

Ricotta Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 muffin • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 195.4 • Fat: 4.7 g • Carb: 34.2 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 4.9 g • Sugar: 19.2
Sodium: 324.2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self rising cake flour (Presto)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 8 oz fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla
• 9 tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix flour and baking soda. Mix and cream butter and sugar. Beat egg whites and add to butter/sugar mixture. Mix in ricotta cheese, then flour mixture and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips and spoon into lined muffin tins about 3/4 filled.

Bake at 375° for 15-16 minutes and let cool.

Makes 12 muffins.

Monday, Monday

A bright sunshiney Monday morning seems like the perfect time to really get this project going, doesn't it!

So let me talk about my routine a bit. For almost three months I've been doing the online Weight Watchers program. This means no meetings or weigh-ins for me, I just log into Weight Watchers (or more often, open up their app on my iPhone) to track my food. I like the fact that you can do everything on your phone because it make it easy to look up point values and track on the go. After a few weeks of experimenting I've settled on Friday mornings as my weigh in day. It works for me because I usually have weekend plans that involve dinner or drinks (or both if I'm really naughty). When I used to weigh in Monday mornings I would stress out all weekend about my points, to the point where I would rather stay home rather than risk going over points. Weighing in Friday allows me to enjoy myself (in moderation of course) because I know that I have all week to eat right and work off those extra points.

The first month after I started the program I have to say that I was not as dedicated as I am now. I was not working out regularly or making an effort to change the quality of the food I was eating, just the portion to fit into my points limit. Now, I work out 2-3 a week, and I pre-plan wholesome homemade meals for dinner (which gives me leftovers for lunch!). Skinnytaste.com has been a lifesaver for me. If you haven't before, you need to check out Gina's site. Her meals are amazing and so low in points! You'll be seeing a lot of her recipes make appearances on here.

Here's what's on the menu for today:

Breakfast:
Yoplait Light fat free Boston Creme Pie: 3pp

Coffee with regular milk and Splenda: 1pp

Snack:
3 Clementines: 0pp
Snack size bag of Pirate's Booty: 4pp

Lunch: 
Leftover Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe: 9pp (I added a ton more broccoli rabe to the recipe so my points and serving size are a bit different than Gina's original recipe)

Yum!

Dinner:
Turkey Burgers With Zucchini (4pp), plus bun: (2pp), plus avocado: (2pp): 8pp
Side salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing: 2pp
Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries: 3pp

That brings me to 30pp with 5pp left over for a pre-gym snack and a light dessert :)

Today's activity:
1 hour of Zumba earns 5pp

What's on your menu today?