thursday is tip day

ok today i am turning tip day around on all of you, my readers. (do i have readers?!) i have been pretty down on myself this week, finding loads of excuses to blow off exercise. i have been on plan as far as food goes, so thats good. but while i am blowing off exercise, i find myself beating myself up for not exercising. its a vicious cycle. i am still walking the 5K on sunday, but i have been using that as an excuse to take it easy on the exercise this week as well. i need to get out of this rut NOW. so sign in, dear readers, and share some tips on how you get back on track after you have a slip like i did last week.

recipe review: shrimp fra diavolo

tonight we had shrimp fra diavolo from cooking light. i always get sucked into the facebook posts from cooking light and today was no different. this afternoon, there was a post about budget meals that linked to about 25 or so recipes that were all budget conscious. according to the cl website, this meal cashes in at $2.47 per serving. now i have to admit, i wouldnt normally think of shrimp as a budget meal, but cooking light got away with it by calling for the inexpensive medium sized shrimp. i had extra large (31-40 count) frozen shrimp on hand, so that is what i used. i also subbed a can of stewed tomato and a can of fire roasted diced tomato for the two types called for in the recipe. i find the canned varieties of stewed tomato and fire roasted tomato add a lot of full-bodied, cooked-all-day flavor, especially to quick cooking recipes. i also subbed lime juice for the lemon, because it was what i had in the fridge.

i have to say, this recipe was super easy to put together. it is one of those quick cooking meals where you absolutely want to already have all of your ingredients out, cans opened, onions diced, etc. before you get started. all of this can easily be accomplished while you wait for the pasta water to come to a boil. oh how i yearn for one of those induction stoves that kelly ripa is always dancing around that boils water in 90 seconds. but i digress. tonight was one of those nights, sadly increasing in numbers, where hubby was late leaving work. i decided i wasnt waiting any longer, and threw this whole dish together in less than 30 minutes. i dont know how it will taste for hubby as shrimp really should be eaten right away, but his loss. i found the meal to be delicious. it satisfied that spicy craving i was having without a ton of effort or forethought. it was a total pantry meal. i have to say though, that i am not sure how 1/2 box of pasta is supposed to serve 4 people. i did eat a bit more than the portion size, and hubby is certainly sitting down as i type to a bowl full that is much larger than portion size. i give this one a 4 out of 5.

witching hour

as a SAHM of young children, the hours between 4-6pm are generally some of the most emotionally fraught ones in my house. two hungry three year olds is a sight to be seen. they are a force. some days i just plain separate them during this time for everyone's sanity. their older brother is generally in the midst of homework, and alternately taunting his younger brothers. all three boys are screaming demands for food. all four of us are anxiously awaiting the call from hubby letting us know that he is leaving DC to travel home from work. it can be a tense, noisy, chaotic time in this house. the problem is that this is when planning and cooking of dinner occurs. it makes it hard for me, a self-professed emotional eater, to keep it together and get something healthy on the table for dinner. its an easy time to dole out snacks, and partake in snacks, and just plain end up off of the ww plan. does anyone else dread this time of day? how do you handle it?

monday morning weigh in

well, i knew it was coming. after last week and a girls weekend i was pretty sure it would show on the scale. and boy did it. i was up 2.4 this week. better to be up and know why, then to be up and have no idea. back on track today and heading in the right direction. i will not beat myself up for this.

thank you

thank you for the comments and emails about my last post. i realized this morning, in the cold light of day, that last night was actually about progress for me. in the past i wouldn't have thought twice about what i ate or drank. i wouldnt have put thought into the meal i ordered, which i did, and actually made a reasonably healthy choice given it was mexican food. even though i ate more chips than i planned on, and a lot more guacamole than i planned on, it is ok. i chose the guacamole, instead of the con queso, which i would have had in the past. so it was a better choice, and that is progress. it is progress. (we wont discuss the drinks, because that was not progress.)

i think part of why i was soo angry at myself is because i am going away this weekend for a girls getaway. last night i sort of blew my flex ww points, which i had planned on banking for the weekend. so be it. i will just have to add more exercise in over the next few days. monday, if the scale doesnt land in my favor, that will be ok. at least i will know why.

this journey is about changing my overall behaviors. i am making progress. i am moving in the right direction. it does; however, rock to know that i have support out there. now i just need to work on not blogging under the influence. one step at a time...

food coma

i am angry with myself tonight. i went out with the girls, and ate to excess. if we are really going to be honest, i drank to excess too. i feel disgusting right now. at what point did i start having a problem with self control? its sad and pathetic really; the relationship that i have with food. its not meant to fill voids, yet i use it that way. i dont know why i just ate and ate and ate tonight. well past the point of comfort. to the point where i stood over the toilet and shoved my fingers down my throat praying i could undo what i had just done. that is something i have never done in all my life and will never do again. it didnt work. i didnt vomit and i just ended up feeling more disgusting. its sad and pathetic and i feel disgusting.

monday morning weigh in

another great week on the scale for me. this week i lost 3.2 lbs, bringing my total to 28.4! i have to say, i am feeling really great. i have more energy, i am starting to look at food in a healthier way and i am enjoying the results i see in my body. i was able to shop for some new clothes last week in a regular store - which felt great! i know i have a long way to go on my journey, but i am at least enjoying it along the way.

thursday is tip day

my ww leader is a fantastic leader. she is very lively, down to earth and totally acknowledges her love of a food. for me its helpful to have a person like that, who has successfully lost weight, to give me tips each week. so today i am going to share one of her philosophies that has helped me recently.

its ok to indulge, as long as you do it in a thoughtful way. so for heather, she says when you want to have some treat that you know is not point friendly, to go ahead and have it. have the first bite and have the last bite and skip all the bites in the middle, because they dont matter anyway. now, i will admit - this takes a bit of self control. but i sometimes hear heather in my head when i am indulging, and it helps. the first bite and the last bite were really all i needed anyway! thanks heather!

5K

a 5K is something i never thought i would find myself signing up for, but i did it! my plan is to walk and i have recruited some friends to come along. i am really looking forward to it. maybe it will become a new thing for me, who knows.

check it out if you want to join us...

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=313293517561&ref=mf

monday morning weigh in

i hit a big milestone at my ww meeting this morning. i am down 25 lbs, since i started on jan 14th. it feels great!! when i came home and entered my weight on ww e tools i honestly sat there and watched the little star milestone image jump up and down in celebration. probably for a bit too long. but you know what? i earned it! i got a little 25 lb medalion in our meeting and everyone clapped for me. i really do love the monday morning meetings. later this week i think i will share some of the tips i have learned from those monday morning meetings. its a different breed in there. yay me!!

eggs for breakfast

sometimes i think we say things because they sound like the right things to say. ww is all about "everything in moderation." and while i have myself been saying that very thing, i am not sure i really got it until this morning. before i started ww, i didnt put much thought into what i ate. well, that is not necessarily true, because i thought about food. alot. but there was no real planning going on, in a healthy way. i would plan to meet friends for dinner, or coffee or plan dinner. but it was more just about eating. not soo much the food. is this making any sense? the big distinction is the healthy thoughts about food.

we went out of breakfast this morning and i let the waiter talk me into the eggs benedict. it had totally been my plan to have an egg white something, but the benedict sounded fabulous. and you know what, it was fabulous. i enjoyed it while i ate it. i savored each bite. i left some on my plate because i was satisfied. all things that i am not sure i really did successfully, until recently.

later as i was walking off the breakfast and adding on another loop to my normal walk i was thinking about how good that breakast tasted. it got me thinking, would i have appreciated it as much 6 months ago? i really dont think so. i think part of why it tasted soo good is because it was a special treat. everything in moderation. get it?

thursday is tip day

pizza. when i was little i used to request it for my birthday dinner, that is, if i wasnt requesting lasagna. but i digress. pizza. the thing about WW is you can eat pizza. you can eat whatever you want, its not about denying yourself, rather eating in moderation. but if you make a lighter version of pizza, you can eat more pizza! whats not to like about that??

here is a recipe i created for a lighter lunch that fits right in with my WW plan. it features pizza. did i mention pizza? thin crust pizza is where it's at when you are working with a plan where you count points. and honestly for me, pizza has always been all about the toppings and the melty, gooey cheese, not soo much the crust. so let the pizza joints worry about the deep dish crust and instead lighten up for lunch. get yourself some la tortilla soft wraps or flat out flat bread, both available in the deli secton at my local grocery store, to make this yummy version. depending on your ingredients this works out to about 5 points.

pepperoni pizza, serving size the whole thing!

1 flat out flat bread
2 plum or roma tomato
tsp of minced garlic
1/2 tsp of olive oil
1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded cheese, i like sargento 4 cheese italian blend
6 slices of turkey pepperoni, i like hormel
dash italian seasoning
dash of pizza seasoning
Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Tbsp chicken broth

preheat oven to 375. lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray and cook flat bread for 5 minutes. (skip this step if you like a softer/foldable crust) heat oil in small skillet, add garlic stir for 1 min. add tomato and seasonings. stir until tomato starts to break down. add vinegar and broth, stir until most of liquid is absorbed. spread tomato sauce on flat bread, top with cheese and pepperoni. bake at 375 for 7 minutes. enjoy pizza

renewed interest.

once upon a time, i was an avid reader of cooking light magazine. long before the days of facebook and twitter and blogs, i hung out on the message boards of the cl website. i made online friends, adopted some good eating habits and even joined two supper clubs. one of the clubs i helped found was even featured in the washington post, way back when. and then came kids, and somehow a shift of priorities. this new weight loss journey is partially about setting those priorities straight. while i would do anything for my children that somehow spurred the shift those priorities, i am learning now that i need to make myself a priority again. i want to be a healthy mom, not one who cringes when i hear my son say the word "fat." i want to keep up with these three active boys and run with them until we are all run ragged. i want us all to sit down and enjoy food as nourishment in a healthy way.

admittedly i have allowed my children to become horrible, picky eaters. i know the blame rests solely on my shoulders. part of this new lifestyle i am undertaking will be to get my children to become healthy eaters too. ultimately i will begin to make one meal for dinner, not three or sometimes four to appeal to the pathetically limited tastes of the shorter people in my life. i figured easter dinner was as good a time as any to give it a shot. admittedly, i did whip up the blue box for the boys, but they were served some of what we ate as well. baby steps, people.

when planning the menu i was not overly excited about the recipes i found on the ww site for easter. so i turned back to an old friend, cooking light. nearly all of the recipes came from cooking light for our meal and i thought it all turned out great. here are some of my favorites.

prosciutto and melon salad with cantaloupe vinaigrette
this salad was outstanding. easily a 5 out of 5. i had never served a salad with all arugula before, and while i enjoyed it, i might try more of a spring mix next time to please more of the crowd (read hubby). this salad was soo refreshing and it will be a repeat in this house. it is very impressive for entertaining and i can not wait until the local melons are in season to see how much more i am going to love this recipe.

shrimp and bacon deviled eggs
i would give these a 3.5 out of 5. however, i should mention that everyone who tasted them went back for more. its hard to turn down shrimp and bacon. i think my hang up with these was the potato filler. if i hadnt known it was there i might have rated this one higher. but somehow i tasted the potato a bit more than i would have liked, which might have totally been in my head. it was easy to make, and seemed to be a crowd pleaser.

lemon-chive roasted vegetables
a solid 4 out of 5 for these. they were super easy to make and great for entertaining because they look a lot more impressive than the amount of effort that went into them. i couldnt find fingerlings in my local grocery, so i subbed baby golden yukon potato. the lemon made this dish feel light, even though it was made with starchier veggies. it was perfect for a spring dish.

lemon blueberry bundt cake
i would also give this recipe a 4 out of 5. my only complaint is that each piece weighs in a 6 WW points. a lot more than i normally expend on dessert. so while i wont be making this one all the time, its a nice treat for a holiday where i am not left with too many tempting leftovers. my icing was pretty much all absorbed into the cake, or left inside the center ring of the cake. but it still tasted great.

monday morning weigh in

as i pulled into the parking lot this morning to attend my ww meeting i had a feeling i was not going to like what the scale had to say. i had a great weekend with friends, booze and food - pretty much in that order. then yesterday i prepared a delicious easter meal and indulged again with family, food and wine. (later this week i will review some of the recipes - stay tuned.) all weekend i kept saying i dont think the scale is going to be my friend on monday. but the thing was, i was making sensible choices all weekend. i had saved my 35 bonus points up for the weekend. i made HG margaritas instead of the full fat version, i made healthy lunches, ate breakfast at home. i was on plan and it really paid off. i stepped on the scale fully expecting to hear that i had gained a pound. instead the receptionist said great job, you are down 4 lbs(bringing my total loss to 23.6)!! when i said thank you to her she replied "dont thank me, you did it all by yourself!" and you know what, she was right - i did!! yay monday!!

two fabulous discoveries

today i discovered two things that are making for a very happy friday. the first being that the new pants that i bought myself in a size smaller are already getting too big - score!! the second is that with the promise of a playground at some point along the way my children will very happily ride in the stroller and not bug each other at all!! this is big because with this week being spring break from school for all 3 kids i have been having a hard time fitting in exercise. once they get back to school i will get back to my EA Active workouts on the Wii, but with 3 little ones underfoot that is too much of a hassle. i am glad though that i can incorporate them into my walks. pushing two 25 lb kids, plus a jogging stroller up some of the hills on the golf course i walk on is a pretty good workout. horray for friday and the discoveries it brought along with it. have a great weekend everyone!

thursday is tip day

i have been asked to share some of my tips. (hi leanne!) in light of that, i thought it would be fun to share a tip or two every week. so here goes:

i have two tips this week. the first one is one my mother has been harping on for years; breakfast is the most important meal of the day. it really does help to get you going and as a bonus helps to keep you full until lunch. read: no mid-morning snacking. i try to keep my breakfasts to 5 WW points or less. some of the things i love for breakfast are egg white sandwiches, omelets and vitalicious brand muffins and muffin tops and greek yogurt.

1/4 cup of egg whites is only 1 point, i know that doesnt sound like a lot, but do yourself a favor and measure it out, put it in the pan and see what you think. i find its enough to make a sandwich out of without feeling like i ordered off the kids menu. however, 1/4 cup is not enough to make a good omelet, in my opinion. i am more apt to make an omelet on the weekend and by then i can dip into my extra points for the week if need be, so i dont worry about using 2 or even 3 points on just the egg whites. sometimes i throw a soy based "sausage" patty, like morningstar in there too. i like the morningstar and boca meatless products, as long as you are planning to jazz them up. in otherwords, you are not likely to catch me eating a soy "sausage" patty on its own, but on a sandwich or in an omelet with lots of other stuff it satisfies the craving for sausage. the wholesale stores now sell the egg whites in packages of 6 cartons and with eating eggs 4 or 5 times a week for breakfast i can get through them all before they expire. i also love the vitalicious brand muffins. i save those for a day when i want something sweeter, but pair it with a chiobani champions greek yogurt to ensure that i feel satisfied.

tip number 2, is buy yourself some arnold's sandwich thins. pepperidge farm makes a version as well, not sure what they are called. i use these thins as substitutes for rolls and bread - they are sort of a hybrid. the thins have played a starring role in my weightloss efforts this time around. they are only 1 point! i was already eating whole grain bread, as a lifestyle change made years ago, but depending on the brand, one piece alone can be 1 point. that means before you put anything on your sandwich you are already looking at at least 2 points. no thank you! i have discovered that if you turn the sandwich thins inside out, they made a delicious grilled cheese. the inside, or cut side, is easier to coat with cooking spray or whatever you use for your grilled cheese. plus the whole surface touches the pan, making for an even grill. here is a recipe i developed to satisfy a craving for a swiss patty melt, featuring, you guessed it - arnold's sandwich thins.

swiss patty melt, 3 WW points

ingredients

1 arnold sandwich thin
cooking spray
i cant believe its not butter
1 laughing cow light swiss cheese wedge
1 boca burger (1 point variety)
1/4 onion, sliced thin

directions

warm small non-stick pan over medium heat, spritz with cooking spray. add onions and cook until soft and a golden brown color begins to develop, about 5-6 minutes. once cooked, set onion aside and wipe pan clean. open sandwich thin and spritz the cut side or inside with i cant believe its not butter. spread cheese on outside of thin. press closed, making an inside out sandwich and grill on both sides like a grilled cheese. meanwhile, heat boca burger according to package directions. once the grilled cheese is done, open the sandwich and place burger and onions on one side and replace the top. cut in half and enjoy!