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.