WLW ~ Struggling

I did not have the best week and that is no surprise for me.  I tend to rebel at my own weight-loss efforts, thinking that I shouldn't have to always be so careful about what I eat or have to make time for exercising.  But those things are good for me!

I didn't track my food at all during the week and ate out a couple of times.  I only made it to the gym once for a Zumba class.  I knew I would have a gain for the week.  And did I ever!  I gained 2 lbs.  Ugh!!  So I gained back what I lost the week before plus extra.  So this week is like starting all over!

On a side note, I ate some really salty foods the couple of days before I did my weigh-in.  I knew I was retaining some water, especially since one ankle seemed a bit swollen.  That is a good tip - watch out for too much salt!  We all need salt, but sometimes when we focus on weight loss, we end up eating things with hidden sodium.  If you're eating a lot of soups, frozen dinners, or reduced-fat foods - check the sodium amounts.  A long time ago, I was surprised to discover that a Caramel Frappuccino Light at Starbucks (it used to be my go-to diet treat, but now I try to avoid fat-free foods and artificial sweeteners) was really high in sodium.  Read your labels and look at nutrition guides!

I know that having a bad week is the sort of thing that makes some people quit, but not me.  I'm not happy about it, but I will try again this week!  I went to another Zumba class Tuesday night; I'll do a workout at home today and I've got my tracker out right now with my breakfast written down.  Already an improvement over last week!  :)

I know it's very hard, but we can do this!  Don't give up!  Be encouraged!  My friend Alicia is so encouraging - stop by her place for Weight Loss Wednesdays!  You can link up your own posts too!

Have a healthy day,
Lisa  :)

WLW ~ A Good Start

Welcome to Weight Loss Wednesdays - hosted by my friend Alicia - except that it's already Friday!  I was too busy to post this week.  So a little late, but here we go!

I said this would be a week of transition and I was right.  I tracked my food and ate healthy part of the time and I ate the wrong stuff and too much of it part of the time. I'm still trying to get completely on track.

I did start going to the gym though I need to go more.  I went twice to do the elliptical machine and then Monday night I went to a Zumba class!  That was so much fun, but SO hard!  My calf muscles have just now recovered!  I hope to go to another class tonight in fact.

So what about weight loss?  I actually had some!  I lost 1.5 lbs for the week!  I'll take it!  Any loss at all makes me happy, but I need to keep it up.

I'm just focusing on a smaller short-term goal right now.  My birthday is in about 6 weeks and I'd like to lose between 10 and 15 lbs by then.  That should be very doable if I just stay.on.track.  I have trouble doing it on my own, but I know the Lord can help me!  All I have to do is ask.

I'm so encouraged by Alicia's weight loss posts at Confessions of a Snowflake - be sure to stop by her place!  She said that it's about perseverance - so true!

What are your short-term goals?  How did your week go?

Have a healthy day,
Lisa  :)

Weight Loss Wednesdays ~ I'm Baa-aack

Well hello friends!  I never really meant to stop blogging here, but I was stalled in my weight-loss journey and then I gave up blogging for a while.  I'm refocusing and restarting the weight-loss journey.  I plan to post here at least once a week, joining up for Weight Loss Wednesdays with Alicia and maybe other days to share healthy recipes as they come up.

I'm so proud of my friend Alicia at Confessions of a Snowflake for starting her journey and sharing about it so openly on her blog.  I really appreciate that she asked people to join in because it was just the push that I needed!

I'm just now getting back on track so this will be a week of transition for me.  I started Weight Watchers online yesterday (I've done WW many times and had good success in the past, but like anything else it will only work if you are ready for it) and am learning the new Points Plus program.  I will eventually list the Points Plus values for my recipes in addition to the old WW points that are currently listed.  So I have no weigh-in results for you since I just started (re-started).

Hubs added me to his gym membership this past weekend - yikes!!  That means I really have to go now - LOL!  I went for the first time today.  I really didn't want to - the old self-conscious thing was kicking in.  But I was DEtermined to at least get there today and walk in and get on the elliptical machine!  And I DID!  Woo  Hoo!  That is progress for me.  I did about 30 minutes on the machine and nothing else 'cause I want to ease into it.  Oh and I should mention that I WALKED to the gym - yes I did!  Such a looonnngg walk - took 7 minutes from my front door to the gym door - LOL!

I'm happy with my start, but the food thing isn't going to be easy.  I'm having a hard time being disciplined lately.  I should have some goals set, but I don't yet.  I'll share some goals next week, Lord willing.

Anyway, that's where I'm at right now!  Thank you Alicia for doing this!  Stop by her place to see how her journey is going and to get some encouragement.  And you can link up your own weight loss posts too.

Thanks for stopping by!  Are you on a weight loss journey?  What successes did you have this week?

Have a healthy day,
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipes For You And Your Family

I anticipated coming back to this blog sooner than my main blog after my Summer blogging break, but for some reason that didn't happen.  But I have been working on getting all of my healthy recipes organized and finally finished!

Each recipe category has its own page with all of the recipe links for that category to make them easier for you to find.  The pictures for each category are on my sidebar and you can click to get the category you want.  Much easier!!  My healthy recipes are all Weight Watchers friendly, family approved and most can be easily adapted to a real food approach too (such as using whole fat dairy instead of fat free or using organic products, etc.).  Most of the recipes come from newer Weight Watchers books or magazines (the newer ones are better about using real butter, olive oil, real eggs, etc rather than fat free or artificial ingredients) and Cooking Light magazines with a few others thrown in.  At the end of most recipes you'll find the servings, number of calories, grams of fat, grams of fiber, and estimate of Weight Watchers points as calculated by me.

Here are the categories - take a look around!  You might find something new to try!

Breakfasts (including Chocolate Chip-Orange Scones)

Main Dishes (including Four-Cheese Pepperoni-Veggie Pizza)

Side Dishes (including Rosemary Roasted Potato Salad)

Desserts (including Frozen Peanut-Butter-And-Chocolate Pie)

Beverages (including Iced Cappuccino Smoothie)

I have also added the Print Friendly button to the bottom of my posts, so now you can print the recipes out more easily!

Do you have a favorite healthy recipe?  I'd love to hear about it!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is nice for breakfast or with a cup of coffee or tea later in the day.  I'm glad I found a lighter version and I always like an excuse to bake something in a Bundt pan!  This recipe came from my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 1/4 cups fat-free sour cream (I used Light)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray.

2.  Evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the pecans in the bottom of the pan.  Combine the remaining pecans, the brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

3.  With an electric mixer on med. speed, beat the butter and 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar, then beat 1 more minute.  Beat in the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.  Reduce the speed to low.  Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.

4.  Spoon one-third of the batter into the pan; spread evenly.  Sprinkle evenly with half of the reserved brown sugar mixture.  Spoon half of the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture.  Spoon the remaining batter on top; spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.

Per serving (1/16 of cake):  233 cal, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 5 WW pts

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You can tell that this cake is a lighter cake, but it is still very yummy!  At 5 pts per slice though, I can't eat this every day.  Since only hubs and I were eating it, I cut the cake into quarters, wrapped each quarter and froze it.  On weekends I pulled out a quarter which was enough to give us each a slice on Saturday and Sunday.  It made our treat last so much longer.  If you try it, let me know what you think!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

I love being able to whip up some healthy cookies and these are only 1 WW point per cookie!  The texture is a little different than a regular cookie, but they are yummy and smell wonderful!  My hubs loved them too and couldn't believe they were only 1 point each.  These were in my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Classic Cookies

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or substitute other dried fruit)

1.  Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2.  Whisk together the pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.  With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil, egg white, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute.  Beat in the applesauce.  Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.  Stir in the oats and cranberries.

3.  Drop the dough by level tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart, making a total of 30 cookies.  With the back of a spoon, spread the mounds to make 2-inch cookies.  Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets on racks about 2 minutes.  With a spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Per cookie:  73 cal, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber, 1 WW pt

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I need to make another batch soon.  Not only do I love the flavor, but it's like aromatherapy every time I open the container of these cookies!  Enjoy!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

A Little Update

I'm still around, just busy with Summer!  I have been focusing on diet and exercise though.  I'm still doing Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred with the support of The Shred Sisters!  I haven't been keeping it up 5 times a week like I wanted to.  This week I did it 3 times and only twice the 2 weeks before that, but I'm losing weight so that's alright with me!

I started a very restrictive anti-fungal diet this week, but only plan to do it 1 more week.  I was doing it with a friend and seeing if I could actually survive without caffeine and sugar (apparently I can)!  I was hoping it would also jump start my weight loss though I didn't lose more weight than I lost the week before *with* the caffeine and sugar - LOL!

Last week at WW I was down about 2.4 lbs for the week - yay!!  I weighed today and lost exactly 2 lbs for the week!  Woo Hoo!!  So glad to have some loss!  Now if I can keep it up, I'll be heading into some new territory with my weight which will be a nice feeling!

This week will be more of the restrictive diet and more Shred - Level 2, but hopefully with the 5-lb weights this week.  We'll see how things end up next Saturday!

How are you doing? Is Summer an easier time for you to eat right and exercise or is it more difficult?

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Rosemary Roasted Potato Salad

Sorry I haven't posted in a while!  I do have some recipes to share, but haven't had time to type them up.  I found this one in my WW Comfort Classics (this is now one of my fave cookbooks).  It's delicious!  I love having a healthier and lighter potato salad recipe.  Perfect for picnics or a Memorial Day or 4th of July barbecue!

Rosemary Roasted Potato Salad

1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-in. pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (can add in a green or yellow pepper too)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise (use what you have - I have Light)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2.  Place potatoes on baking sheet; add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and the rosemary and toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes in single layer and roast until bottoms are deep golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, toss bell pepper, onion, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil together in medium bowl.  Add to baking sheet and bake, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are crisp and the pepper and onion are tender, 15-20 minutes longer.  Let cool 20 minutes.

4.  Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.  Add the potato mixture and toss to coat.

Per serving (2/3 cup): 122 cal., 2 g fat, 4 g fiber, 2 WW pts

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If you get a chance to try this, let me know what you think!  I think I'll take it to a church potluck soon myself!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Rosemary Chicken Thighs With Roast Potatoes

Here's an easy yummy healthy dinner recipe!  My family enjoyed this one - good any time of year!  I found it in my WW momentum Cookbook.

Rosemary Chicken Thighs With Roast Potatoes

4 (1/4 lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 small new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (can also add in 2 chopped carrots if desired)

1.  Combine the chicken, 1 teaspoon of the oil, the garlic, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in large ziploc bag.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the chicken.  Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

2.  Toss together the potatoes and the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.  Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and spread the potatoes on the baking sheet.  Place the potatoes in the oven and turn the oven on to 425 degrees F.  When the temperature reaches 425, remove the potatoes from the oven.  Toss the potatoes, then push them to one side of the pan.

3.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the baking sheet.  Discard the marinade.  Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and browned, about 20 minutes.

Per serving (1 piece chicken and 1/2 cup potatoes): 273 cal, 11 g fat, 2 g fiber, 6 WW pts

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Isn't that simple?  Have you forgotten about chicken thighs because so many recipes call for chicken breasts?  Give this a try!  I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday with Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

4 to 40 ~ Week 4 ~ Final Update

I had hoped to have a fabulous week for the end of this short challenge, but we came back from a trip, hubs was off work, son on Spring Break, etc. so it was hard to stay on track.  I am officially 40 today - woo hoo (if you're interested in a birthday giveaway, stop by my other blog but don't look at the chocolate surrounding you there - LOL)!

I did get to WW to weigh in.  Since I didn't weigh in there last time (just weighed myself), it was a gain though it was actually a loss for the week.  If I were to dwell on the negative, I would be upset about such a small loss over 4 weeks and be discouraged about getting anywhere close to my goal even by the end of the year!  But the good thing is that I DON'T like to dwell on the negative!  The positive side is that I did lose some weight over the 4 weeks, no matter how small the amount - I'm still going in the right direction!  And last year at this time, I gained 5 lbs after Spring Break and a trip to see my Dad - so this year is MUCH better!  In fact, I weigh less at age 40 than at age 39 so that is something!  :)

Here's how I did for the final week:

1.  Lose 5 lbs. - Lost 1.4 lbs this week; making a total of 1.2 lbs lost for the 4 weeks.
2.  Exercise 4x/week for 30+ min.  - Only 1x (hangs head in shame): 50 min. walking
3.  Drink 4 (12 oz) glasses water/day. - Did once.
4.  Go to bed @ 11:30pm on weekdays. - Made it 3 times!!
5.  Make 2 breakfast & 2 lunch recipes/week. - 1 breakfast recipe - WW Chocolate Chip-Orange Scones.

I'm not going to follow any sort of challenge this week - I'll just try to survive my birthday week without a big weight gain!  But I do want a new challenge to follow until Summer (after this week, it will be 6 weeks until the unofficial start of Summer - Memorial Day weekend and 9 weeks until it's officially Summer).  I'm willing to join up with somebody else's challenge or start my own.  What do you think?  Ideas?  Suggestions?

How was your week?  Are you back on track?  Did you make the goals you set for yourself during this 4 weeks?  We can do this!!  Take some time this week to think about what really motivates you.

Thanks for sticking with me!  You are helping hold me accountable and it does make a difference for me!  Hugs to all!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Blueberry-Corn Muffins

Yet another yummy WW recipe I tried!  I found this recipe in my WW Best-Ever Desserts cookbook.  These are just yummy muffins though - nobody would guess that they're all that healthy!  I had frozen blueberries to use up so I dumped them all in, even though it was more berries than the recipe called for.  I would suggest following their blueberry measurement though - there were too many berries in mine, making some of the muffins too goopy at the bottom!  :)

Blueberry-Corn Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2.  Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened.

3.  Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bake until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed, 15-20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack 5 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on the rack about 15 minutes longer.  Serve warm.

Per serving (1 muffin): 158 cal, 4 g fat, 1 g fiber, 3 WW pts

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Try them for breakfast this week - yummy!! 

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - go check out all the yummy recipes!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Final Update

I finished the final week of Recipe Girl's 10 in 2010 Challenge!  Though I didn't have as much success as I originally hoped for, I did accomplish a few things and that will help me keep the ball rolling!

I went to my Saturday weigh-in and it was certainly not how I wanted to finish out the 10 weeks.  I had a gain!  Ugh!  I only gained .2 lbs, but it was still disappointing.  I wasn't as much on track this week, but still didn't expect a gain.

Here's how I did for the week:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in; couldn't stay for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  1 60-min. Wii Fit Plus workout.
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Once. 
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Did it about half the days.
Plan meals each week: Not well planned, and did end up eating In & Out burger and fries one night because of it.

Not a great week, but not a complete failure either.   So how did I do on my goals?

1.  To lose at least 15 pounds. ~ I only lost 5.2 lbs for the 10 weeks, but that is the first time that I have lost more than 5 lbs at one time in the last 4-5 years - seriously!  It's a great start for me!

2.  To be more fit/healthy with more energy. ~ When I keep up with my workout sessions and drinking my water, I definitely have more energy.  Since I can feel a difference, it makes me more motivated to keep it up!

3.  To be motivated to continue program beyond 10 weeks. ~  Definitely motivated, even though the weight loss is so slow.  I plan to keep on going!!

Over all, I'm pleased with my progress during the 10 weeks.  I'm much more consistent about working out and drinking water which will make it easier to increase amounts for both!  And though I didn't have a big loss, my jeans are more comfortable and being able to feel a difference makes me want to continue.

I do have a plan for the next 4 weeks to keep myself focused and you're welcome to join in!  I'll put up a separate post about that later.

Did you follow along for the 10 weeks (or part of it)?  How did you do?  Don't beat yourself up if you didn't hit all of your goals.  Focus on the positive changes that you made and keep on going!

Thanks again to Recipe Girl for doing this to help us focus on starting out 2010 in a healthy way!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I'm still loving my newer WW cookbooks!  I like that the recipes work for you even if you're not a WW person - my family loves these recipes and you can even make them work for a more "Real Food" approach.

This recipe (from the WW Comfort Classics cookbook) was SO yummy - I've got to make it again this week!  I served it with Crispy Sweet Onion Rings on the side.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 (1/4-lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

1.  Stir the ketchup, sugar, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, allspice, and ginger together in a medium skillet; add the chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender, 20-25 minutes.

2.  Remove from the heat and shred the chicken with 2 forks.  Serve the chicken mixture between the bread slices.

~ The cookbook suggests topping the sandwiches with thinly sliced cabbage tossed with a little fat-free Ranch dressing.  I did this though I used light Ranch and thought it was a great topping and makes it a little more filling.

Per sandwich: 352 cal., 11 g fat, 3 g fiber, 7 WW points

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Hope you try this one!  I say double or triple the recipe so there are leftovers!  And now I'm wondering if it would freeze well - then you could even freeze individual portions to pull out later, heat in the microwave, and make your sandwich.

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - go check out all the yummy recipes!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 10

 

OK - 9 weeks done and starting the last week of the 10 in 2010 challenge!!  This has been so helpful to keep me on track with goals and plans!  Somebody asked if I would be doing this again.  The program was set up by Recipe Girl and will be over at the end of the 10th week.  I wouldn't mind doing something myself when it's over to stay on track.  At the end of the 10 weeks, there will be 4 weeks until my birthday, so I think I'll come up with a 4 week challenge that you'll be welcome to join!

I did have my weigh-in on Saturday and it was a loss - .4 lbs.  Not much, but again in the right direction!  I sure am glad those WW scales do those decimals - LOL!  I know that I need to do more exercise and make some better choices with what I eat to lose more weight and will work on that eventually.  My main goal for this 10 weeks was to develop some good habits and become consistent.  Then I can add on!

Here's how I did this past week:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in; couldn't stay for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  3 60-min. Wii Fit Plus workouts - Yay!!
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Not even sure I made it once.  :(
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Did it almost every day!
Plan meals each week: I didn't plan as well for the week, but got through it OK.

3 things I'm proud of this week:
1.  I worked out longer than my goal each session!
2.  I've gone to every weigh-in during these 9 weeks, whether or not I thought I had a loss.
3.  Made good choices when eating out this week.

How was your week?  Do you have some good habits you're trying to develop?  Let's start fresh again and have an excellent week!!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 9

 

Wow - hard to believe that Week 8 is over and Week 9 is starting!  Only 2 weeks left of this challenge!

I stayed pretty consistent this week and had a good weigh-in this morning!  I lost 1.2 lbs for the week - yay!  That puts me at a 5 lb loss so far for the challenge, but only 2 weeks left.  It's doubtful that I can lose at least 5 more lbs in 2 weeks (not impossible though) - but I will just focus on being consistent and losing what I can!

Here is how my week went:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in; no time for the meeting as my son was with me. (And I will have to go much earlier as there almost wasn't even any place left to stand - totally full today!)

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  3 45-min. Wii Fit Plus workouts - Woo Hoo!
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Sigh - maybe twice.
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Did it almost every day!
Plan meals each week: Meals were great, but I don't have much planned for this week yet.

3 things I'm proud of this week:

1. Less snacking in the evenings this week.
2. Working out even when I didn't feel like it.
3. Drinking water is becoming easier!

I hope things will go just as well this week.  I'm looking forward to it!  How was your week?  What do you struggle with?  Anything else you want me to post about?  I hope you have a great week - start out fresh and we can do it!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 8

Oops - never posted my 10 in 10 update for this past week!  We've finished Week 7 and started Week 8  - it's the last 3 weeks!

I did weigh in on Saturday, but the results were not what I was hoping.  I did lose, but only .4 lbs which was the exact amount that I gained the previous week.  While I'm happy that I lost my gain, I'm not happy that the whole 2 weeks net zero.  I want to see some downward movement this week!

Here was how last week went:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in and stayed for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  3 45-min. Wii Fit Plus workouts - yay!
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  3 times?
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Succeeded most of the week!
Plan meals each week: Meals were planned out, healthy and yummy.

It was a good week for me even though the scale really didn't reflect it.  I think I need to be really careful about evening snacking and asked my hubby to try and refrain from getting snacks out.  This week I'm making healthy desserts/snacks so that we do have something to munch on a little in the evening.

3 things I'm proud of for the week:
1.  I got my 3 workouts in!
2.  I drank more water.
3.  I decided *not* to get a yummy cinnamon sugar pretzel from Auntie Anne's even though I had originally planned to get one since they were FREE!

So far this week is going well - we'll see what happens on Saturday!  How are you doing?  A lot of you have snow - does it make it even harder to stay on track?  We can do this - let's have a great finish to our week!!

Don't forget to enter my Progresso soup giveaway - today is the last day!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 7

 

Week 6 is over and Week 7 has begun!  I do hope this will be a good week!

After a much-needed "kick in the pants" from friends' comments on my blog and on twitter (thank you ladies!), I ended up following my plans better as I ended the week.  However, that was not reflected at the scale when I weighed in (though it could have been much worse!).  For the first time during the 10-week challenge, I gained weight.  :(  I gained .4 lb.  I refuse to be discouraged by that and plan to have a great week this week!  I choose to believe that all the days of keeping to my plans will show at the scale at my next weigh-in.

How I did this week:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in and stayed for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  2 45-min. Wii Fit Plus workouts.
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Twice.
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  1st half of week - 1 glass/day.  2nd half of week - 3 glasses/day.
Plan meals each week: Too much dessert at church potluck and some Super Bowl snacks last weekend, but dinners during the week were all planned out and turned out great!  Already have this week's dinners planned.

I'm going to start adding in something additional that I thought of after hearing some ideas at the WW meeting.  I'm going to list 3 things I'm proud of related to this challenge each week.  It's especially important when you've had a tough week to take time to think about the things that you have done well!

I'm proud that I...
1.  Drank some water every day of the week!
2.  Prepared healthy dinners for my family all week!
3.  Weighed in even though I knew it was a gain!

On to the next week!  How was your week?  What are some accomplishments that you are proud of?  Let's have a great week this week!

Stop by Recipe Girl to see more 10 in 10 updates and get a great healthy soup recipe!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

P.S. Be sure to check back this week as I'll be having a giveaway!!

Healthy Recipe: Crispy Sweet Onion Rings

With the Super Bowl approaching, snacks are on everybody's mind!  It is possible to snack on that day without going too overboard!  This recipe is one way to do it - it came from my WW Comfort Classics cookbook (LOVE that book!).  These are delicious!!  The family loved them!  Make sure you buy sweet onions, not regular yellow onions - makes a big difference.

 

Crispy Sweet Onion Rings

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

3/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs (I only had seasoned, but thought it made it yummy)

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 (1/2 pound each) sweet onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and separated into 32 rings

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray two large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2.  Place the flour, salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne in a large zip-close plastic bag.  Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish.  Place the egg whites in another shallow dish.

3.  Place the onion rings, a few at a time, in the flour mixture and shake to coat.  Dip each ring into the egg whites, then coat lightly with the bread crumbs.  Arrange the rings in a single layer on the baking sheets (reserving for another use any broken or small inner rings) and lightly spray the tops with nonstick spray.  Discard the excess flour mixture, egg white, and bread crumbs. (I didn't have any extra; had to use more 'cause I didn't coat "lightly" enough!)

4.  Bake until the bottoms of the onion rings are browned, about 10 minutes.  Turn the rings and bake until browned, about 5 minutes.

1 serving = 8 onion rings

Per serving: 154 cal, 2 g fat, 3 g fiber, 3 WW pts

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Other healthy snack ideas would be fresh crunchy veggies, Crunchy Party Mix, and I found a couple yummy snack ideas on the WW site (only 2 pts per serving!): Beef Nachos and Beef, Blue Cheese and Spinach Quesadillas.

Do you have a plan for Super Bowl snacking?  Let me know if you try the onion rings!  I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 5

 

Wow - 4 weeks done of the 10 in 10 Challenge and on to the 5th week!  Although I'd like to do better with my goals and plans, this challenge is helping me to stay more focused on being healthy than I would be otherwise.

I had a tough week because of a few unexpected goodies, but I managed to lose a tiny bit of weight anyway!  I lost .4 lbs this week.  I would really like to lose at least 1 lb this week.

Here's how the week went:

Weigh in at WW:  Missed the meeting, but weighed in.
Track all food:  I tracked almost every day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  1 50-min Wii Fit Plus workout.
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Only once or twice.  :(
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Drank water daily, but only got 3 glasses in a couple times.
Plan meals each week:  Didn't plan ahead well but still had some yummy WW dinners and food from the freezer.

As usual, I want to do better this week.  I look at each week as a fresh start and try to have the best week I can!  How did your week go?  Struggles?  Successes?  We CAN have a great week!!

Stop by Recipe Girl to see her update, get some great healthy recipes, and read about others who are working on 10 in 10!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Carbonara With Fettuccine

We recently had another really yummy recipe from WW Comfort Classics cookbook.  My whole family loved it and I can't wait to have it again!  I used bow tie pasta instead just because that's what I had on hand.

Cheesy Chicken Carbonara With Fettuccine

6 oz fettuccine

3/4 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast

1.  Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt if desired.  Drain and keep warm.

2.  Meanwhile, whisk the milk, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl until blended.

3.  Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to brown, 3-4 minutes.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to brown, 2-3 minutes.  *Optional - add 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper with onion.

4.  Add the chicken and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the fettuccine and the milk mixture.  Cook, tossing, until the sauce is thickened and creamy, 2-3 minutes.

1 serving = 1 cup

Per serving:  311 cal, 9 g fat, 2 g fiber, 7 WW pts

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How does that sound?  I hope you get to try it soon!  I'm linking it up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)