I'm Really Trying

I'm really trying hard this week. Trying hard to be On Program. Trying hard to eat as many "whole" foods as possible. It's going pretty well which always makes me feel better and more positive that I can get to goal :)

I woke up to a yucko day outside, so no 5K outdoor run. I decided to do some cleaning instead and save my workout for later. I finally got around to breakfast which was another open-faced omelette. This combo was 3 egg whites, 4 thin slices canadian bacon, 1/2 c. leftover chopped broccoli and 1 oz. Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese. A yummy 3 POINTS...



This didn't hold me as long as I thought and I was ready for lunch earlier than I expected. I went with another Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bun topped with 2 tbsp. homemade hummus, roasted peppers and baby spinach. Yum! With it, I had a fuji apple, some carrots and another 1/2 homemade Larabar. A very filling 7 POINT lunch...


After lunch, I did 40 weighted minutes on the elliptical and 20 tricep dips. I've been slacking on the strength training, but I like doing the tricep dips and Lord knows my "Miss America" wave could use the help!

I was getting a little hungry in the late afternoon, so I grabbed some grapes (1 POINT)...

Who IS this person that snacks on grapes in the afternoon???? I don't know, but I'm feeling like it's the right thing to do ;)

The in-laws came for dinner tonight. I decided to make a nice, healthy meal of roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, salad with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a touch of honey. Of course, we had to have some amazing rustic Italian bread. I did well with my portions; about 3 oz. chicken, 3 oz. sweet potatoes, 2 oz. bread and big spoon of salad, all for 9 POINTS...

Everyone started digging into some cookies for dessert. I was planning on just having coffee, but the cookies were tempting, so I brought out the big gun...

Then, everyone wanted MY dessert! But, I'm not sharing. Nope. It's mine. All mine. muwahh haaa haaa!!!! =)

Hope you had a great weekend!

Enjoying The Day

It's been a nice low key Saturday. Despite the million things I need to get done before next week, I took the time to enjoy the day.

I started off on the treadmill this morning for a 45 min. run. I haven't run outside in a while, but it was too yucky out today, so the treadmill and mindless TV were a great substitute.

Breakfast was a simple bowl of 3/4 c. Trader Joe's High Fiber O's, 1/2 c. skim milk and 8 strawberries for 3 POINTS...



After tooling around on the computer for the rest of the morning, I got presentable and headed to the kitchen for lunch prep. I had to have another Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bun today. Looks like this will be my newest addiction! I love how hearty they are; they really do satisfy me for a while. I had one with turkey, mixed lettuce and dijon mustard and a side of carrots with 1 tbsp. homemade hummus. And that small square in the front is a "homemade Larabar"! I found this recipe here and I thought I would try the Very Cherry version. I really liked it! I have only tried a Larabar once and it was a long time ago, so I don't know how it measures up to the original, but it's great anyway! I'd love to try some of the other versions, too. When I put this recipe through the Recipe Builder, it came out to 4 POINTS. A little pointy for a bar, but I only ate half (shown below) so it was 2 POINTS and good for you! Altogether, a delicious and healthy 7 POINTS...

I spent the afternoon shopping and sharing some one-on-one time with big daughter. It was so nice to spend this UNINTERRUPTED (little daughter) time together. We had a great time! We stopped at Starbucks for a quick drink- she got a spring water and I got a nonfat latte for 2 POINTS.

We got home close to dinner, so I got busy cooking. Pasta was on the menu - raviolis and meatballs for the family; pasta with chickpeas and mozzarella for me. I made a quick sauce using 1/2 c. diced tomatoes cooked with 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 clove of garlic. While this was cooking, I boiled 2 oz. whole wheat pasta until al dente. I added pasta, along with 1/2 c. chickpeas, to the tomatoes and heated through. I topped it with 1 oz. mini mozzarella balls and fresh basil. Delish...

and a side of steamed broccoli...

A great 8 POINT dinner:) It did leave me feeling a little hungry though, so dessert was a definite. I went with an old standby with a twist - Double Chocolate Vitatop with 1 tbsp. Almond Butter!!! I loved this combo, too! It was very rich tasting and the almond butter was a sweet alternative to icing. I still love my PB2, but this was a nice change. And still 2 POINTS of goodness...

I'm off to cuddle with the daughters and watch some TV. Hope you're having a cozy Saturday!

Recoginizing What Works And What Doesn't

My focus today is on getting in more filling foods. Weight Watchers classifies these foods as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. They are foods that keep you feeling satisfied for longer and keep hunger in control. I think it will also help with my cravings and munching in the afternoon. We'll see! I will keep tweaking and rearranging to get me to goal. I'm looking forward to get to my Lifetime status!



Breakfast was an open-faced omelette. I used 3 egg whites and topped them with canadian bacon, chopped green pepper and a Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge. Leaving it open-faced made it look like more food than it was; a great trick! It was suprisingly filling for 3 POINTS and left me full for hours...







After breakfast, I did a 45 minute weighted walk on the treadmill. I have a weighted vest that can hold up to 20 lbs. and I used to use it all the time when I was walking. Since, I have progressed to running, I haven't been wearing it. My Mom reminded me of it yesterday, so I decided to suit up today! I put in 12 lbs. (so heavy!) and did brisk walking while watching TV. I really enjoyed it. It was nice to do something different. Not sure if I burned as many calories as running, but it was still a good workout. I also realized I have been chintzing out on the workout time lately. I have only been doing 30 ish minutes running and I think I need to keep it at least 45 min. for weight loss.



More filling foods were on the menu for lunch. I went with some Stuffed Pepper Soup that I had in the freezer topped with 1 oz. Cabot's 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar, carrot sticks with 2 tbsp. homemade hummus and a Golden Corn Vitatop. A big lunch for 6 POINTS...



I started feeling a little hungry around 3:30, so I made a Strawberry Smoothie with 1/2 c. skim milk, 4 oz. container of Activia Strawberry yogurt and 1 c. fresh strawberries. Very yummy and very filling for 3 POINTS...

The daughters had dentist appointments (no cavities!) and we got home right around dinner time. They were starving! I fixed them a quick chicken, mac n cheese and peas. I had planned on salmon for myself and also, wanted to try this Shibolim Whole Spelt Couscous for my side dish...

These are the size of Israeli couscous which is more like a pasta. I was interested to try this because it was made with spelt which I have never tried. The nutritionals were impressive with 195 cal., 0.5 gr. fat, 7 gr. protein and 9 gr. fiber for a 2 oz. serving. That's a huge serving for 3 POINTS!

It was the perfect side for my Salmon Roulette and green beans. A wonderful 8 POINT dinner...

The husband and daughters were having leftover birthday cake for dessert, but I had enough yesterday! Well, not really, but I'm telling myself that!!! I did have a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich as a sweet 2 POINT treat...

Another realization that I came to today was that I am getting lax with my bites, licks and tastes. I recognized this when I was making the daughters' lunches, cutting off crusts and about to pop them in my mouth. And then again, when I was scraping the peanut butter off the knife and about to lick it off my finger. Yet again, when I was throwing away their plates and about to nibble on what they left on it. I used to not do any of that, but somewhere along the line, I got myself into this pattern of mindless nibbling. I became very conscious of that today and made it a point to stop myself before I ate those things.

Overall, I felt happy and satisfied with the changes made today. I'll try again tomorrow to incorporate the filling foods. I'm taking it one day at a time and I know the changes that I'm hoping for with the scale will come!!!

Oh, by the way, I am way overdue in updating my blogroll! I have so many blogs that I love to read and haven't listed yet. I hope to get to it this weekend; if you would like me to add you, let me know and I'd appreciate if you would add me to yours, too!

Have a great night!!