Miracle indeed?

Phew, it's certainly been a while! Sorry for my long absence. This have been up and down around these parts. I gained 2.something pounds back from my last weigh-in, then lost it again, so I'm right back where I was (ok, .2 lbs more) at 193.8. I'm a little scared about Friday's weigh-in because it wasn't a great weekend for me. Lots of leftover easter candy tempted, and it was just one of those weeks where I found myself snacking and stealing mouthfuls here and there. Anyway, Monday I started fresh, and the first step was to unceremoniously throw all that candy in the trash. Bye bye temptations!

I've been meaning to come back to this space for the last few weeks, but I discovered something I needed to share with you all!

Have you heard of the new craze, the "miracle" shirataki noodles?

If you  haven't, shirataki noodles are (according to Wikipedia) a very low carbohydrate, low calorie, thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam. One serving (4oz) is ZERO POINTS PLUS! And the whole package, half a pound of noodles, is only 1 point! These stats alone are super exciting to a pasta-loving Weight Watcher like myself.

If you have heard of them, I bet you (like me) have heard some bad things: fishy smell, weird texture - but before you close this window, hear me out!

I saw these in the grocery store last week and they weren't expensive, so I figured why not? I did some research online to figure out the best way to prepare them, and it turns out there's some prep work involved that completely removes the fishy smell and improves the texture.

First, you need to drain and rinse the noodles a few times with hot water. Then, boil them for a few minutes, and drain. At this point the fishy smell is all but gone. Next, heat a dry pan on the stove and add the noodles. Mix around for 5 minutes or so, or until the majority of the moisture has evaporated. Then they're ready to go!

 Last night's huge bowl of lo mein - 7 PP!!

So yea, that was my dinner! 7 PP for what is basically 4 times the amount of pasta you could usually have, brimming with veggies and asian flavors.

The texture of the noodles is definitely different than regular pasta; it did have a bit of a gummy texture to it, but the prepping definitely made a difference compared to how they were straight out of the package. In asian dishes I think it works rather well and I enjoyed this dinner immensely. The texture might not work so well with italian style dishes, but I've heard there are also tofu-shirataki noodle varieties that have a chewier texture that might work better.

If you'd like to give the shirataki noodle a try, here's my recipe for lo mein. You can change up the veggies for any you prefer, these are just what I had in the fridge. Next time I might half the hoisin and add some oyster sauce too. Maybe even a little sriracha!


Shirataki Lo Mein with Veggies
Recipe by Labor of Loss

7 PP for entire recipe

1 package (8oz) Shiratake noodles (I used Nasoya brand)
1 tbsp hoisin
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup green beans or haricots, cut in half or into bit-sized pieces.
3-4 scallions, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together hoisin, soy sauce,  half a tbsp of water, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Drain and rinse shiratake noodles with hot water, repeat. Par boil the noodles for 5 minutes.  Remove noodles from water, reserving cooking water. Blanch green beans in cooking water until tender crisp.

In a dry pan,  stir noodles until most of the moisture is gone. Set aside.

Sautee onions and scallion whites in sesame oil until soft.  Add garlic and ginger, sautee for 1-2 minutes until just golden.  Add mushrooms, sautee until soft, season with salt and pepper

Add green beans and noodles, mix to combine. Add sauce and simmer until sauce thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve immediately.

Weigh-in day

Phew, sorry for the long absence! It's been real crazy around these parts lately. Between working full time, getting to yoga (almost) everyday, studying for my Praxis exam, and visiting my grandma in the hospital (feel better!), I've hardly had time to breathe! BUT, I try not to use busy days as an excuse to slack off as far as my fitness and healthiness go. I must say that yesterday was the first day since starting yoga and I made the conscious decision to not go to class when I could have. And honestly, I didn't feel good about it - I'm rather disappointed with myself to be honest, and really looking forward to get back in the studio today to make up for it.

I missed posting about my last few weigh-ins, so here's to making it up to you:

Starting weight: 226.4 lbs
Last blogged weigh in (3/2): 198.8 lbs
3/9: 201 lbs
3/16: 198.2 lbs
3/23: 196 lbs

So, a little fluctuation, but I always expect that and I'm really happy with the progress I've made! Today's weigh in marks a total of 30 lbs lost, and 10 lbs lost since the new year! Considering my goal was to lose an additional 20 pounds (from 206.2lb that I was on New Year's Eve) I feel like I'm right on track. I feel that after months of 'figuring it out' as far as food and exercise go, I've really found what works for me and I'm going to see the progress I've been hoping for since starting WW April of 2011. I know 30lbs in a year is not nearly as much as other Weight Watchers have lost, but I'm happy with the slow and steady rate I'm going because I know that it's something I can maintain!

On that note, here's a glimpse at some things I've been eating lately:

12PP Burger and fries
Skinnytaste turkey zucchini burger: 4PP
TJ's artisan bread: 3PP
BBQ sauce and Ketchup: 1PP
Pickles and lettuce: 0PP
Alexia sweet potato fries (seasoned by me): 4PP

10PP Day-off Brunch (I definitely don't do this everyday! But days off = sleeping in = brunch!)
2 eggs, over easy: 4PP
2 slices thin cut Butterball Turkey Bacon: 1PP
1/4 cup black beans: 0PP
1/4 cup bell pepper: 0PP
1/4 cup tomato: 0PP
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup WW shredded cheese :2PP
1/4 Avocado: 2PP
salt, pepper, cumin
Coffee: 1PP

SERIOUSLY - one of the best breakfasts I've had in a LONG time, and I've had some good diner breakfasts lately. I think this will be my Saturday morning brunch from now on! So good!!!!

 
7 PP sushi for me and mamacita
3/4 cup sushi rice, dry: 12PP
3 sheets of nori: 0PP
1/4 cup cucumber: 0PP
1/4 cup carrot: 0PP
1/4 avocado: 2PP
2 tbsp soy sauce: 0PP

8 PP Steak and onions with roasted brussel sprouts
4oz lean beef tenderloin: 5PP
Half an onion: 0PP
salt, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cajun seasoning, adobo, cumin (little bit'a everything!)
Roasted brussels: 3PP (though I don't think it was that much, I used the points from Skinnytaste's sauteed brussels, whichs uses a tbsp of oil, and I roasted mine and just sprayed with my misto - but better more than less.)
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar: 0PP

It's been a delicious week! How'd you do?

Milestone

I stepped on the scale this morning and had to stop myself from squealing with delight (it was 6am after all) and jumping up and down like a little kid!!

Starting weight: 226.4
Last week's weight (I didn't post): 201.4
This week's weight:

198.8 lbs

I broke 200!

I can't tell you how amazing I feel and how incredibly proud I am of myself! This is the biggest milestone I've hit so far; it's so encouraging to see the number that is under 200! It somehow makes the rest of my weight loss seem much easier, much more attainable, something that can really be done rather than just dreamed about. 


I have to give credit where credit is due, so once more I'm going to tout the amazingess that is hot yoga. Besides loving the work out itself, it's really done wonders with keeping me on track as far as eating goes, forcing me to drink enough water, and keeping my snacking in check. The best thing of all is just the fact that I want to go to yoga every day, and I've been happily going 5-6 times a week for the past three weeks or so. I want to go that often, not that I feel like I should or I have to. I canceled my gym membership and am doing yoga full time, so I'm going to stick with it for sure and we'll see how works out for me in the long run! All I know is that after weeks of going up and down the same pound or two, I had two weeks of over 2 pound losses! I am now just a half pound shy of being on track with my weight loss goal of 4 pounds a month - though if I keep going this rate I'm going to lose even more than that. Here's to hoping!

Finally!

I am feeling SO fantastic today!!!

So, today I found out the results of my self imposed hot yoga challenge:

Last week's weight: 203lbs
This week's weight: 200.4
Loss: -2.6
Total loss: 26lbs

Yes!! I am just ecstatic looking at these numbers. Not only have I finally, finally, after weeks of lollygagging around the -20-23lb zone, hit the -25lb milestone. But moreover...I can't tell you how amazing it feels to see 200 (ok, 200.4 but still) on the scale. My heart is racing just thinking that next week; I WILL see a number under 200!

Yes, I WILL. Not I hope, I WILL.

So the hot yoga; I think it's a keeper. I'm planning to cancel my gym membership this weekend and join my yoga studio for good. There's so many things I love about this practice. I love that I actually find myself looking forward to my next class - I can't say that was ever something I experiences with cardio classes at the gym. It also forces me to take better care of myself. For example, I always struggle with drinking enough water. It shouldn't be hard, but I just never do; there would be days when I'd get out of work and realize the only thing I drank all day was my morning coffee. But now, knowing that I'll be spending an hour and a half contorting my body in a 105 degree room, I make SURE I drink enough water. Hot yoga is not something you want to do dehydrated - trust me, I did it once...not good times.

It also makes me think more about what I'm eating and how often - As you're supposed to go to hot yoga on an empty stomach to avoid nausea, I'm snacking less, and reaching for more wholesome foods when I do.

I love the way I feel during yoga. I feel graceful, long, lean....sexy. Yes, sexy, even though I'm literally soaking wet with sweat and red in the face. I'm not able to do every pose perfectly, but watching myself in the mirror, back straight, chest out, shoulders back, moving with the group into each pose, I feel amazing.

I love the way I feel after yoga. I feel strong, flexible...zen. It truly does have an amazing calming and rejuvenating affect.

I can already see and feel the effects that the practice is having on my body, I feel leaner, and my measurements prove it: after 4 classes I've lost a half inch on my bust and waist, and a half inch on my thighs, hips, and arms.

Anyway. I hope you all had a great week as well!

2/1 weigh in

Friday's update, a little late as usual!

I'm happy and proud to report that I am finally back to my pre-holiday weight - on the dot! 203.6lbs!

I really busted my ass in the gym last week and it paid off, and the results were even better than I hoped for. I worked out three times last week, two Body Combat (cardio kickboxing) classes and one Body Flow (yoga/pilates/tai chi) class. Plus, my eating was really good, I stayed with in my points for the majority of the week, and finally got back in the groove of making myself some delicious meals.

Pioneer Woman's balsamic brussels, minus the cranberries and using my misto instead of olive oil from the bottle.

Homemade veggie rolls!

Skinnytaste sauteed brussels and chicken with spinach and melted mozz.

Skinnytaste broccoli mac and cheese.

Yum! How was your week?

A new beginning

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm determined to make 2012 my best year yet. It's a fresh start, a new beginning, and will hopefully include lots of changes for the better for me.

My resolution, like many, many others, is to lose weight this year - or to continue to lose weight. I have two goals:

#1. Lose twenty pounds by the summer.

This is a very feasible goal. I'm not trying to overreach myself by setting unattainable goals, like losing 50lbs by July - that's just a recipe for failure in my mind. 20lbs is doable. Very doable. Math is not my strong point, but let's break it down: 6 months until July 1st - that's 24 weeks. If I lost just one pound a week, I'll be at my goal and beyond. And of course there's wiggle room; some week's I might gain, but there are other weeks I may lose two or three pounds. So, -20lbs by July 1st for a total of -40lb and weighing 185lbs it is.

#2. Lose twenty more pounds by the end of 2012.

Same stats, same math. If I hit both of these goals I'll have lost a total of around 60lbs and will weight about 165lbs - a place I haven't been since probably since grade 8 or 9 :D

Anyway, let's take a look at this week's stats! The first weigh in of 2012 and I'm off to a good start:

Last week's weight: 206.2
This week's weight: 205.4

So, a .8lbs loss. Good not great, but better than a gain for sure. Aunt Flo is in town as well so I'm sure there's some bloat going on. I made it to the gym once, but I'm going to try for at least twice next week.

What are your new year's resolutions?

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!

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?

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 :)

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 :)

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!!

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??

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