Thought for the day:
"The future depends on what we do in the present." - Mahatma Gandhi Eleanor
Boy did I have a busy weekend, two of my Granddaughters are staying at my house while their Mother is out of town. We had a lot of fun and I was able to get in a lot of activity. Whoo! Hoo!
Saturday was weigh-in day and I did lose 0.4 pounds, a little disappointing, but due last weeks hot weather I didn't get in as much exercise as I would have liked. And I was hungry all week. Those Flex points were gone by Thursday night.
This weekend, however, was a different story. We walked, we played and we got in the swimming pool and played some more. The weather was beautiful. Sunday afternoon I cut grass and weed-whacked for a couple of hours, then got in the pool and did my 30 minute pool work out with the noodles, and I'm up to using two noodles for resistance now.
When I sat down and figured my activity up all of Sunday's activity points I was pleasantly surprised to learn I had 10 points in activity! I was feeling so good about that I had a cold frosty one and lolled on the pool raft to celebrate. I love to get a cold drink and loll around, an old friend of mine used to call the activity, or lack of it, "Not doing Jack Shit".
Well, "Not doing Jack Shit" sure did feel good after all of the weekend's activities.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Created a couple of new recipes substituting healthier ingredients to skinny down some favorite foods.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week. (I walked at lunch today)
c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
No Excuse
Thought for the day:
"And oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse."
-William Shakespeare
With the recent hot weather, getting my walk in has been a challenge because it's too easy to make an excuse not to do it. I don't want to get up earlier, I like to sleep too much. It's too hot to walk at lunch and even hot in the evening. I walked the mall yesterday and today just skipped it. Not Good! I am doing the pool exercise routine, hope that is enough to get the weight off this week because the walks have just not been happening.
Here is a recipe I came up with for Perch Amandine. I'd been wanting Sole Amandine but only had Perch in the freezer and "Necessity is the Mother of Invention". The potato recipe is a great side with the fish or just about anything else.
Perch Amandine
1 Lb of Perch fillets
juice of 2 lemons about 1/4 cup
1 lemon sliced
1/4 cup of sliced blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup of dry vermouth or other dry white wine
To prepare, use a covered skillet over medium heat.
Bring the lemon juice, vermouth, parsley, thyme, slat and pepper to a boil. Add the Perch fillets and half of the lemon slices, cover and reduce heat. Poach at a gentle boil until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the fish to a platter and top with the toasted almonds. Reduce the poaching liquid by 1/2 and pour over the fillets. Serve and enjoy
Makes 4 servings at 5 weight watchers points each.
Roasted Potatoes Asiago
4 small potatoes about 3-4 ounces each quartered
1 small onion thinly sliced and broken up into rings
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes and onions in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until just tender enough to pierce with a fork. Top the potatoes with the Asiago cheese and return to the oven to melt and slightly brown the cheese, about 7-10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings at 3 points each
"And oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse."
-William Shakespeare
With the recent hot weather, getting my walk in has been a challenge because it's too easy to make an excuse not to do it. I don't want to get up earlier, I like to sleep too much. It's too hot to walk at lunch and even hot in the evening. I walked the mall yesterday and today just skipped it. Not Good! I am doing the pool exercise routine, hope that is enough to get the weight off this week because the walks have just not been happening.
Here is a recipe I came up with for Perch Amandine. I'd been wanting Sole Amandine but only had Perch in the freezer and "Necessity is the Mother of Invention". The potato recipe is a great side with the fish or just about anything else.
Perch Amandine
1 Lb of Perch fillets
juice of 2 lemons about 1/4 cup
1 lemon sliced
1/4 cup of sliced blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup of dry vermouth or other dry white wine
To prepare, use a covered skillet over medium heat.
Bring the lemon juice, vermouth, parsley, thyme, slat and pepper to a boil. Add the Perch fillets and half of the lemon slices, cover and reduce heat. Poach at a gentle boil until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the fish to a platter and top with the toasted almonds. Reduce the poaching liquid by 1/2 and pour over the fillets. Serve and enjoy
Makes 4 servings at 5 weight watchers points each.
Roasted Potatoes Asiago
4 small potatoes about 3-4 ounces each quartered
1 small onion thinly sliced and broken up into rings
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes and onions in a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until just tender enough to pierce with a fork. Top the potatoes with the Asiago cheese and return to the oven to melt and slightly brown the cheese, about 7-10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings at 3 points each
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Independence Day
Thought for the day:
"Albert Einstein, who discovered that a tiny amount of mass is equal to a huge amount of energy, which explains why, as Einstein himself so eloquently put it in a famous 1939 speech to the Physics Department at Princeton, You have to exercise for a week to work off the thigh fat from a single Snickers." ~Dave Barry, Dave Barry Turns 50
Yesterday was weigh in day and this week the scale was my really good friend, I lost 4.8 pounds!
But I have worked out pretty hard for the past four weeks, maybe a little too hard at first. At this point I'm just happy to see the numbers on the scale go down.
Being independent of another 4.8 pounds is a great feeling and it puts me at 1/3 of the way to my 100 pound weight loss goal. Yippee!!!
My pool noodle water workout is going well and I can already tell that my body is changing by the way my clothing are fitting. I am also very happy to report that due to those changes, I can now solidly shop for clothes in the Misses Department and be independent of the Big Girls Clothes.
Today is Independence Day and while I celebrate American Independence, I'll also be celebrating Independence from 1/3 of my excess body fat.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked 30 minutes each day. Did a Pool Noodle Work Out three times this week
e. Use a few flex points each day, especially when I'm more active.
f. I've let go of the problems I had the last few weeks.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Drink extra water during outdoor activities.
c. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
d. Find another resistance Work Out for two or three days a week.
"Albert Einstein, who discovered that a tiny amount of mass is equal to a huge amount of energy, which explains why, as Einstein himself so eloquently put it in a famous 1939 speech to the Physics Department at Princeton, You have to exercise for a week to work off the thigh fat from a single Snickers." ~Dave Barry, Dave Barry Turns 50
Yesterday was weigh in day and this week the scale was my really good friend, I lost 4.8 pounds!
But I have worked out pretty hard for the past four weeks, maybe a little too hard at first. At this point I'm just happy to see the numbers on the scale go down.
Being independent of another 4.8 pounds is a great feeling and it puts me at 1/3 of the way to my 100 pound weight loss goal. Yippee!!!
My pool noodle water workout is going well and I can already tell that my body is changing by the way my clothing are fitting. I am also very happy to report that due to those changes, I can now solidly shop for clothes in the Misses Department and be independent of the Big Girls Clothes.
Today is Independence Day and while I celebrate American Independence, I'll also be celebrating Independence from 1/3 of my excess body fat.
The week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked 30 minutes each day. Did a Pool Noodle Work Out three times this week
e. Use a few flex points each day, especially when I'm more active.
f. I've let go of the problems I had the last few weeks.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Drink extra water during outdoor activities.
c. Find some additional ways to unwind and reduce stress.
d. Find another resistance Work Out for two or three days a week.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Back on Track
Thought for the day:
"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
-Benjamin Franklin
Wow! Another week is ending and a Holiday weekend approaching.
Tomorrow is Weigh-in day again and I think I've had a fairly good week this week. I have managed to walk every day and did some pool exercises on 3 out of 5 days. I've drank plenty of water and stayed on point all week.
I went out to lunch again today but this time to Subway. I had a 6" Sweet Onion Chicken Teryaki sandwich on whole wheat, an apple and Ice Tea to drink, about 8 points in all. Much better choices than last Friday. I really miss going out to lunch, but not only is it expensive, it's also difficult to stay within my points budget when I'm not preparing the food myself.
After last week I have come up with some strategies to stay in control when I eat a meal out:
I AVOID BUFFET AND SMORGASBORD TYPE RESTAURANTS!!!
I go on-line to check out the menu and nutritional info, and decide what I'm ordering.
I call my order in ahead of time to be ready when I arrive so I don't change my mind.
I drink a large glass of water before I go out.
Can't wait to weigh-in!
"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
-Benjamin Franklin
Wow! Another week is ending and a Holiday weekend approaching.
Tomorrow is Weigh-in day again and I think I've had a fairly good week this week. I have managed to walk every day and did some pool exercises on 3 out of 5 days. I've drank plenty of water and stayed on point all week.
I went out to lunch again today but this time to Subway. I had a 6" Sweet Onion Chicken Teryaki sandwich on whole wheat, an apple and Ice Tea to drink, about 8 points in all. Much better choices than last Friday. I really miss going out to lunch, but not only is it expensive, it's also difficult to stay within my points budget when I'm not preparing the food myself.
After last week I have come up with some strategies to stay in control when I eat a meal out:
I AVOID BUFFET AND SMORGASBORD TYPE RESTAURANTS!!!
I go on-line to check out the menu and nutritional info, and decide what I'm ordering.
I call my order in ahead of time to be ready when I arrive so I don't change my mind.
I drink a large glass of water before I go out.
Can't wait to weigh-in!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Get over it!
Thought for the day:
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
-Winston Churchill
I had a difficult week, I felt like I was starving all week long.
My children's paternal grandmother, my ex-husbands mother died and that brought up all kinds of emotional baggage for me. While my kids and I were not very close to my former mother-in-law, it was still a period of grief for them and a time to offer support to them and their Father.
My relationship with my ex-husband is to put it kindly a somewhat rocky one, but I do still care about him. You don't have three children with someone and then due to divorce turn all of that caring off. Do I still want to be married to the guy?
NO!!!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
My ex-husband and I had our great moments and our marriage was certainly not all bad. However, due to our differences we consistently infuriated each other and our fights were as volatile as napalm. For me, it came down to divorce him, or kill him.
I didn't want to go to prison and our children were young; they needed parents.
After paying respects at the funeral home, it was late I was hungry and we stopped at Golden Corral for dinner, I binged. I ate too much and topped it all off with chocolate cake.
The next day I get home from work to find what I suspect was the product of some neighborhood hooligans who entered my fenced back yard, took the cover off my pool wadded it up and threw it in the mud then horsed around in the pool collapsing the back wall and allowing 2/3 of the water to escape. To put it lightly I was boiling with anger. I suspect it is the same couple of older boys that I have seen cutting through my back yard on occasion.
There is now a pad-lock on the fence gate and No Trespassing signs posted. I hope the vandalism doesn't happen again. I've fixed the pool and had to completely drain it to do so. Filling a swimming pool twice took 5,000 gallons of water, so the water bill is probably going to have me rilled again.
Friday I went out to lunch with my co-workers, we went to a bar. I thought the choice of a steak sandwich and salad was good. The salad was dressed with fat free salad dressing, had no cheese or croutons and was a good choice, but the steak sandwich was huge and served on garlic-cheese bread I figure it was at least 25 points. I ate all of it.
Yesterday was Weigh-in day and I lost .4 Lbs, at least I didn't gain, I expected to. After the week I've had, and what I've posted doesn't even include the on the job stressors, .4 pounds lost is great. Heck, not gaining is great!
I'm not even going to review this week any more, I'm just going to put it to bed and...
GET OVER IT!
Forgive me for going all Scarlett O'Hara, but really,"Tomorrow is another day".
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
-Winston Churchill
I had a difficult week, I felt like I was starving all week long.
My children's paternal grandmother, my ex-husbands mother died and that brought up all kinds of emotional baggage for me. While my kids and I were not very close to my former mother-in-law, it was still a period of grief for them and a time to offer support to them and their Father.
My relationship with my ex-husband is to put it kindly a somewhat rocky one, but I do still care about him. You don't have three children with someone and then due to divorce turn all of that caring off. Do I still want to be married to the guy?
NO!!!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
My ex-husband and I had our great moments and our marriage was certainly not all bad. However, due to our differences we consistently infuriated each other and our fights were as volatile as napalm. For me, it came down to divorce him, or kill him.
I didn't want to go to prison and our children were young; they needed parents.
After paying respects at the funeral home, it was late I was hungry and we stopped at Golden Corral for dinner, I binged. I ate too much and topped it all off with chocolate cake.
The next day I get home from work to find what I suspect was the product of some neighborhood hooligans who entered my fenced back yard, took the cover off my pool wadded it up and threw it in the mud then horsed around in the pool collapsing the back wall and allowing 2/3 of the water to escape. To put it lightly I was boiling with anger. I suspect it is the same couple of older boys that I have seen cutting through my back yard on occasion.
There is now a pad-lock on the fence gate and No Trespassing signs posted. I hope the vandalism doesn't happen again. I've fixed the pool and had to completely drain it to do so. Filling a swimming pool twice took 5,000 gallons of water, so the water bill is probably going to have me rilled again.
Friday I went out to lunch with my co-workers, we went to a bar. I thought the choice of a steak sandwich and salad was good. The salad was dressed with fat free salad dressing, had no cheese or croutons and was a good choice, but the steak sandwich was huge and served on garlic-cheese bread I figure it was at least 25 points. I ate all of it.
Yesterday was Weigh-in day and I lost .4 Lbs, at least I didn't gain, I expected to. After the week I've had, and what I've posted doesn't even include the on the job stressors, .4 pounds lost is great. Heck, not gaining is great!
I'm not even going to review this week any more, I'm just going to put it to bed and...
GET OVER IT!
Forgive me for going all Scarlett O'Hara, but really,"Tomorrow is another day".
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thinking Outside The Box
Thought for the day:
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
-Sun Tzu
The weekend is over and another busy week begins.
Last Saturday was weigh in day and those 2 pounds I had gained are off again. Yippee! May they never return!
Saturday was also my granddaughters Birthday party with cake and all of the trimmings. I did indulge, a piece of cake and a scoop of ice-cream. I had planned well and had the flex points to accommodate it but it did leave me wanting more sweets and I caved. Saturday was most definitely a sugar binge. But it's over.
Sunday I put up one of those above the ground pools with the blow up ring. Boy! You sure find out how level your yard isn't putting one of those pools up. It took all day and plenty of sweat to get a pool that was supposed to set up in 10 minutes ready for water. I must have earned about 20 activity points!
The pool is up and full so today after work I took the opportunity to use it. First I warmed up a bit by just walking around the perimeter for about 5 minutes, then I sat down in the water. The pool is only 30 inches deep which make it chest high for me in a seated position. I did a few wind mills to warm my arms up using the water for resistance. Since that felt pretty good I grabbed the Pool Noodles I had bought for the grand-kids to play with. I took one in each hand and pushed them to the floor of the pool with my arms fully extended. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Then I tried putting them under my ankles and using my legs to push them down. I felt a lot of resistance with this move working not just my thighs but my lower abdomen as well.
I'm thinking you could get a pretty good work-out using pool noodles and maybe water wings as well. I'm going to do some research on the subject to find out which moves would work major muscle groups and could be done in the water.
My New project "Fat Momma's Water-Wing and Pool Noodle Workout".
If this isn't thinking outside the box I don't know what is.
Last week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked 30 minutes each day.
e. Saved some Flex Points for a special event.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Drink extra water during outdoor activities.
c. Use a few flex points each day, especially when I'm more active.
d. Research some water exercise moves to devise a pool work-out.
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
-Sun Tzu
The weekend is over and another busy week begins.
Last Saturday was weigh in day and those 2 pounds I had gained are off again. Yippee! May they never return!
Saturday was also my granddaughters Birthday party with cake and all of the trimmings. I did indulge, a piece of cake and a scoop of ice-cream. I had planned well and had the flex points to accommodate it but it did leave me wanting more sweets and I caved. Saturday was most definitely a sugar binge. But it's over.
Sunday I put up one of those above the ground pools with the blow up ring. Boy! You sure find out how level your yard isn't putting one of those pools up. It took all day and plenty of sweat to get a pool that was supposed to set up in 10 minutes ready for water. I must have earned about 20 activity points!
The pool is up and full so today after work I took the opportunity to use it. First I warmed up a bit by just walking around the perimeter for about 5 minutes, then I sat down in the water. The pool is only 30 inches deep which make it chest high for me in a seated position. I did a few wind mills to warm my arms up using the water for resistance. Since that felt pretty good I grabbed the Pool Noodles I had bought for the grand-kids to play with. I took one in each hand and pushed them to the floor of the pool with my arms fully extended. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Then I tried putting them under my ankles and using my legs to push them down. I felt a lot of resistance with this move working not just my thighs but my lower abdomen as well.
I'm thinking you could get a pretty good work-out using pool noodles and maybe water wings as well. I'm going to do some research on the subject to find out which moves would work major muscle groups and could be done in the water.
My New project "Fat Momma's Water-Wing and Pool Noodle Workout".
If this isn't thinking outside the box I don't know what is.
Last week in review:
What I did right-
a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked 30 minutes each day.
e. Saved some Flex Points for a special event.
What I can do better-
a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Drink extra water during outdoor activities.
c. Use a few flex points each day, especially when I'm more active.
d. Research some water exercise moves to devise a pool work-out.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Getting Back to Work
Thought for the day:
"Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections."
-Saint Francis de Sales
Being back to my job after nine days off has been a struggle. I'm having trouble getting back into the routine. At least I have stayed on point and I'm drinking my water, but the heat and rain have prevented my walk until today.
The Time off was refreshing even though I probably worked harder and certainly more physically while at home.
While on Vacation I did try a new product that I like, Bagel Thins from Thomas Bakery. These are really versatile and only 110 calories each with enough fiber that they only cost 2 points on Weight Watchers. The following is a breakfast sandwich using Bagel Thins that I came up with as a swap for the yummy Bagel sandwiches from Panera-St. Louis Bread Company.
Breakfast Bagel Sandwich
1 Thomas Bagel Thin
1 oz lean ham
1 oz of 2% Milk Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
Butter flavor cooking spray
Lightly toast the Bagel Thin. Cook egg substitute over medium heat in a pan coated with the cooking spray, or cook as I do in the Microwave oven in a small bowl coated with the cooking spray. Warm the ham. To assemble place the Cheese on one half of the Bagel Thin and top with egg, ham and the other bagel thin half. Enjoy!
This sandwich costs 5-6 points on Weight Watchers depending upon the brand of Egg substitute you use. It makes a really good breakfast to eat while on the go.
"Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections."
-Saint Francis de Sales
Being back to my job after nine days off has been a struggle. I'm having trouble getting back into the routine. At least I have stayed on point and I'm drinking my water, but the heat and rain have prevented my walk until today.
The Time off was refreshing even though I probably worked harder and certainly more physically while at home.
While on Vacation I did try a new product that I like, Bagel Thins from Thomas Bakery. These are really versatile and only 110 calories each with enough fiber that they only cost 2 points on Weight Watchers. The following is a breakfast sandwich using Bagel Thins that I came up with as a swap for the yummy Bagel sandwiches from Panera-St. Louis Bread Company.
Breakfast Bagel Sandwich
1 Thomas Bagel Thin
1 oz lean ham
1 oz of 2% Milk Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
Butter flavor cooking spray
Lightly toast the Bagel Thin. Cook egg substitute over medium heat in a pan coated with the cooking spray, or cook as I do in the Microwave oven in a small bowl coated with the cooking spray. Warm the ham. To assemble place the Cheese on one half of the Bagel Thin and top with egg, ham and the other bagel thin half. Enjoy!
This sandwich costs 5-6 points on Weight Watchers depending upon the brand of Egg substitute you use. It makes a really good breakfast to eat while on the go.
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