Traveling is tough!!

So I am away this weekend (over the border in Canada) for the first time since I started this lifestyle change.  And I've learned one thing...traveling is tough!!  There are so many temptations around you when you are eating all of your meals in restaurants!  I have managed to do pretty well but I am looking forward to being home tomorrow where it is easier to keep things under control!

Last night we went out to my favorite Canadian restaurant--The Keg Steakhouse.  My mouth waters just thinking about it!  It's hard to calculate points but according to my tracking I came in exactly at my points limit for the day.  Phew!

My absolutely delicious dinner!
Filet Mignon, mushrooms and LOTS
of fresh veggies instead of a potato!  Notice I snuck
a glass of Merlot (4 points) in there too!

Breakfast on the road is a lot easier.  I usually go with a veggie omelet made with egg substitute or egg whites and no cheese.  Almost point free! (Though I add in some because I figure it was still cooked with a bit of vegetable oil).  And fresh fruit is always great for breakfast.  Two pieces of wheat toast are 4 points without butter or margarine.

I packed some snacks--apples, grapefruits and pre-packaged Weight Watchers snacks (2 points each). However, being in close proximity to my two teenage boys who are eating candy and potato chips is hard!  But I didn't give in to temptation.  :)

Dinner tonight was the toughest.  My meal was from the "lighter fare" part of the menu--Chimichurri Chicken--Skinless breast and thigh basted in chimichurri sauce, served with lime cilantro rice and sauteed vegetables.  I ate most of the chicken and rice but only part of the vegetables as they had quite a bit of oil on them from the sautéing process. Why do they have to make vegetables unhealthy with so much grease??  The tough part?  The complimentary chips & salsa they placed on the table right in front of me!  I have to admit that I indulged.  And they were fabulous!  The salsa is zero points but the chips are terrible!  I ended up estimating that I ate about 15 points worth of those yummy chips.  I did go over my points for the day but I still had all of my weekly points left so it was ok.  (They are there so you can have a little splurge each week)  I hadn't used any of my weekly points since I started the program so I felt a little guilty....but it passed quickly!  I don't think it would have bothered me at all if I hadn't had such a small loss last week.  But we were out with friends, having fun, and I am determined not to let this new lifestyle rule my life--so I ate the freakin' chips!  And I asked myself the question "was it worth it?" and the answer was "YES!"  

In a couple of weeks we are going to Las Vegas for 8 days.  It's gonna be tough.  I am hoping that this little weekend adventure helped me to understand what I am going to be facing when we are traveling for that long.  On the plus side, we are staying in a suite with a full kitchen so we can eat some meals there and that will really help.  And I will be doing a LOT of walking!  If anyone has any tips for traveling and eating healthy I would love to hear them!

Weigh-In: Week 8

Let's get right to it...

This week's loss:  -0.8 
Total Loss to Date: -28

Sigh.  I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in that.  I wish I could explain it but I did everything right this week and it just wasn't the loss I'd hoped.  I know I am going to have weeks like this but...it still sucks! :(  I do think it may be related to my monthly cycle so I am hoping I will bounce back next week.  Sorry if that is TMI...

No worries...I am NOT giving up.  :)  It was just a little reality check.  Things had been going too well and I should expect bumps along the way.  Hey, I'm still down 28 pounds in less than 2 months, right?

Recipe: Lemon & Dill Chicken (4 SP)

When I make a new recipe I like to see what it is *supposed* to look like.  So I am going to try and add pictures here when I add a new recipe.  But I must say, I am NOT a food photographer and you may find my presentation somewhat lacking.  Yes, that is a paper plate....don't judge me!  What can I say?  I had a meeting last night at 6:30 and had to rush out the door right after dinner and had no time to do dishes...and believe me, *I* am the only one in my house who seems to be able to load the dishwasher!

Anyway, last night I made Lemon & Dill chicken. (Insert the sound of my children's voices here--"Why are we having chicken again?")  It was easy and good...but most importantly, it was healthy!  I served it over No Yokes egg noodles.  The chicken and sauce was 4 smart points, the egg noodles 6 points, and zero points for the beans, bringing the total for my meal to 10 points.  :)

DISCLAIMER:  This is NOT an original recipe.  I found this on SkinnyPoints.com.  :)


Lemon & Dill Chicken (4 SP)

Ingredients:
     4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 to 1 1/4 pounds)
     Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
     3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
     1/4 cup finely chopped onion
     3 cloves garlic, minced (I used pre-minced garlic)
     1 cup chicken broth
     2 teaspoons flour
     2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
     1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skilled over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (I cooked a bit longer--I have issues with making sure that chicken is DONE!).  Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Reduce heat to medium.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.  Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan.  Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over chicken to serve.  Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill.

Nutritional Information:

     Makes 4 servings

     Per Serving:  173 calories, 2.7 g fat, 64 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbs, 24 g protein, 0 g fiber.

Why Weight Watchers?

I've been asked why I chose Weight Watchers when there are so many available weight loss options.  I know people who have tried every fad diet known.  A doctor suggested that I have weight loss surgery (the lap band).  My husband briefly tried juicing.  There are plans that you buy prepackaged meals so that you know exactly what to eat.  There are diets where you drink weight loss shakes and take supplements.  So many options...

I have nothing against weight loss surgery but I didn't feel it was for me, at least not at this point.  I have told myself that if I can't make this change happen (and last!) that I will have to consider this option.  I have two problems with the surgical option.  First, I have seen MANY people who have had great results and they lose lots of weight, only to put it all back on.  The surgery doesn't prevent you from gaining the weight back.  The second, and the most important reason for me to stay away from this option, is that you still need to learn how to eat properly even with the surgical option.  So why not just do it?  I recognize that some people need that jump start to their weight loss but I think too many go into it thinking of it as a magical fix and when they actually have to work at it they can't make it happen, even with the surgery.

I could never do the juicing thing.  It's a pain in the ass in my opinion and I would rather eat my calories than drink them.  I don't think it would satisfy me at all.  The prepackaged meals can help you lose weight but they are expensive and don't teach you how to eat properly and make healthy choices.  And I am not interested in any of the weight loss plans that have any kind of stimulant or things to increase your metabolism.  I'm all for increasing metabolism but I would prefer to do it in a natural way.

So Weight Watchers seemed the perfect choice.  I love that you can still eat whatever you want and don't have to make certain foods off limits.  Through their points system you learn how to eat and what foods are healthy choices.  You can still have those potato chips or chocolate cake but you just have to plan for it and track the points for it.  Since you have limited points it makes you ask yourself the question "is it worth it?" before you eat it.  Usually I find it isn't worth it!

I like that I can still make meals for my family that they will enjoy and that are Weight Watchers friendly.  I didn't like the idea of having to make one meal for my family and something different for me.  Plus, my family gets the benefit of eating healthy!

I like the support that Weight Watchers provides.  I actually look forward to the weekly meetings and weigh-ins.   It makes me want to succeed since I am being held accountable.   And there is a WW app that has a "Connect" feature that is like Facebook for WW members.  You can ask questions or share your successes.  You can find recipes and food suggestions and see before and after pictures of others.  And although I haven't used it yet, you can get personal coaching 24/7 through the internet or on the phone from Weight Watchers coaches.  And everyone who works for Weight Watchers has to have been through the plan and reached "Lifetime" status by reaching their goal weight so they know what you are going through and how to best help you.

And lastly I really like the new focus of Weight Watchers--Beyond the Scale.  Yes, I want to lose weight but more importantly I want to be healthy and feel good.  I wish I could say that the number on the scale didn't matter to me but it does--a LOT!  But it's not the only important thing and I am able to appreciate the other "wins"--fitting into clothes that didn't fit before, being less tired, knowing that I am improving my health, being able to do something physical that I couldn't do before.

I just felt that Weight Watchers made the most sense for me.  I feel like it is something that I can do long term and that I can be successful with.  My hope is that it is the plan that changes my life!

Weigh-in: Week 7 & First Goal

Got my charm for losing 25 pounds!

Look what I got this week!!  My charm for losing 25 lbs!!  I can't wait until this charm ring is FULL!!  Up next....the charm for 10%.  I am hoping to get that one next week.

This week's loss:  -3.2 
Total Loss to Date: -27.2

So, I thought it was time to set my first goal.  I think it's better to have a few smaller goals along the way so it doesn't get overwhelming.  My first goal is going to be to lose 50 pounds by my birthday (April 30th).  It might seem a little ambitious but I'm gonna give it a shot!  I'm over half-way there already so hopefully I can do it!

Weigh-in: Week 6

I forgot to update this after last Thursday's weigh-in.  Better late than never!!

This week's loss:  -3.6 
Total Loss to Date: -24.0

Two weeks in a row with a 3.6 pound loss.  Wish I could keep it up at that rate!!  I am pretty happy with my progress so far and I'm hoping to pass the 25 pound mark at my next weigh-in.

I had a couple of challenges this past week--the biggest one was going out for Valentine's Day dinner with a group of friends.  I wanted to balance enjoying myself with making good choices.  I'm finding that it's not that difficult as long as I plan ahead.  I ate light most of the day and saved most of my Smart Points for dinner.  I enjoyed a yummy dinner of salad with balsamic dressing, filet mignon and rice.  I even splurged on half a roll without butter.  It really wasn't even difficult to resist when most of the others had dessert.

Speaking of butter....I have noticed something surprising.  Since I have started this change, I have barely had to buy butter, something which was constantly being purchased before.  It almost disgusts me to realize that since I am the one making the change that it must have been ME who was eating most of it.  I admit, I do love butter (and it has been almost 100% removed from my diet) but I was shocked to realized how much of it I was consuming.  And at 100 calories per tablespoon--wow!  Wonder how many pounds I would lose in a year just from removing the butter??

Weigh-In: Week 5 & All About the Bling!

Still going strong!! :)  Feeling really good this week and I feel like I can do this!!

This week's loss:  -3.6 
Total Loss to Date: -20.4

I'm happy with that!  I would really love to lose 3 pounds a week though I know that won't be possible on a consistent basis.  I want to lose 2 a week and anything above that is a bonus.  Feeling pretty psyched to have passed the 20 pound mark and I have averaged 4.1 pounds a week to this point.  Go me!

I also passed a Weight Watchers milestone in a previous weigh-in but the woman who weighed me in that week didn't catch it.  So at tonight's meeting I got my first WW charm for losing 5% of my body weight!!  They give you this little charm holder and then with certain milestones you get a charm to add to it.  Not sure what you're supposed to do with it but I'm just setting mine on my desk so I can have it as a reminder of my progress.  I look forward to the day when that charm holder is FULL!

I am learning that it is still possible to lose weight even when going out to restaurants quite a bit.  This week I was out a few times and even had my favorite--Chicken French!  I am just planning for these things--I knew we were going out last Saturday night with all of the parents from my son's ski team so I saved up my points so that I could indulge at dinner and still stay within my points.  I am finding that if I know what restaurant we are going to that I can go to the restaurant's webpage and look at the menu to preplan my meal.  That way I know how many points I will need and I can plan accordingly.  That unlimited bread basket is sometimes hard to resist but so far so good!  The next challenge will be this Sunday night when we are going out to dinner for Valentine's day with a bunch of our friends.  Hopefully my husband will be smart enough not to buy me chocolate!!

NSV: They fit!!

At Weight Watchers they talk about "non-scale victories" or NSVs.  I have my first one to share!  This morning after I got out of the shower I thought "maybe I should just try on a pair of jeans that are down a size to see how things are going."  I didn't really think they would fit...in fact I gave myself a whole pep talk before I did it..."It'll be okay if they don't fit"..."It's only been a month"..."At least you're getting closer"...  BUT THEY FIT!!!  And they're not even tight!!  I was pretty psyched!! I know it's just the first step in a long journey but I really needed that today.  I can't look in the mirror and see a difference, and probably won't for quite a while, but this gave me the confirmation that I needed that I am making progress.

Weigh-In: Week 4 & All About Smart Points!

I'm 4 weeks in and still feeling good about it!  Not having trouble resisting temptation but I do find myself feeling hungry a lot.  Not a sensation I felt often with my previous eating habits.  :(  I have had no trouble staying within my points limits and haven't yet touched the "weekly points" that WW gives you.

For those not familiar with Weight Watchers, they just began a new program "Beyond the Scale" and switched to a new system based on Smart Points.  The Smart Points you get to eat daily are calculated on your age, weight, height and activity level.  Then every time you eat something you keep track of it's points value and just have to stay within your points.  You also get additional weekly points to use if you happen to go over occasionally or to have a special treat or meal each week.  The points value of a food is based on calories, saturated fat, protein and sugar.  The point value of a food starts with the calories but then if it is high in protein the value goes down and if it is high in saturated fats or sugars the value goes up.  You can eat anything you like but the points values of foods encourages you to eat the healthy foods.  Most fruits and vegetables are zero points to encourage you to choose them.  It sounds complicated but it really is simple.  If you are eating a prepackaged item or anything with a barcode you just use your smart phone to track it by opening your WW app and scanning the barcode.  The food will pop up and you just adjust the serving size to however much you ate and it will add the points for you.  If you are making a recipe you can put the ingredients into the WW recipe calculator and it will tell you how many points it is per serving.  Easy peasy!  I track everything on my phone or my mac book (it's all linked) and it's really simple!

Ok, so back to the weigh-in...

This week's loss:  -2.4  
Total Loss to Date: -16.8

Of course I wanted more but I am going to consider any week with a 2+ pound loss a success.  At 2 pounds a week I would be down 104 pounds at the end of the year.  I'm headed in the right direction...

Oh and I got my THIRD 5 pound sticker!!  Only 17 more and I will have lost 100 pounds! :)

Recipe: Beef, Tomato & Acini di Pepe Soup (5 SP)

Disclaimer:  This is not an original recipe, I found it on skinnytaste.com

We had this for dinner tonight and everyone really liked it.  I will definitely make it again!

Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe Soup 

Serving Size: 1 generous cup (about 6 servings)
Weight Watchers Smart Points: 5
Calories: 249 
Fat: 8 g
Carb: 23 g 
Fiber: 3 g 
Protein: 21 g 
Sugar: 4 g 
Sodium: 593 mg 
Cholesterol: 49 mg

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb 90% lean ground beef (I actually used 96% ground beef)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 32 oz beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 oz small pasta such as Acini di pepe
• grated parmesan cheese, optional

**After this had been cooking for a while I taste tested and felt it was lacking flavor.  I added beef boullion cubes to add additional flavor.** (This increases the sodium)

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the beef and salt on high heat until browned, breaking the meat up into small bits. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Place beef mixture in the crock pot with the tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, cover and cook on low 8 hours. (I put it on high for about an hour to get it going!) Just before you want to eat, cook the pasta on the stove according to package directions. Add the pasta, stir and serve!