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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Planning for Success

Thought for the day:

"It would be far easier to lose weight permanently if replacement parts weren't so handy in the refrigerator." ~Hugh Allen


Well, I weighed in yesterday and I was up a pound. That binge on Friday came back to haunt me; at least it was only one pound, it could have been a lot worse.


I've stopped kicking myself in the butt over it, now I'm back on the waggon and hanging on for dear life!


After my weigh in and meeting, I went to a Zumba class and then got my game plan together to have successful week.


First stop, Farmer's Market; picked up watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, plumbs, nectarines, cucumbers, corn, zucchini and some ripe tomatoes. Next to the grocery store for items not available at the Farmers Market. I picked up a turkey breast tenderloin for Sunday dinner and sandwiches next week, other protein choices I made were black beans, red kidney beans, lean pork for kabobs, Ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp and chicken breasts.


I try to plan left-overs each evening for my lunch the next day, it's so much easier to stay on track and on budget by bringing my lunch to work.


I went to Target and bought a pair of pink and very girly looking 5 Lb. hand weights to use for some arm toning exercises, a set of resistance bands in pretty rainbow colors and a new yoga mat in Cinderella blue. Now I know that buying this stuff in pretty colors is not going to make it any more effective, but I've decided to look at these items as fitness accessories so that I'll be more inclined to use them.


I'm such a Princess, even my gym bag is pink.


OK!, I have my meal plans for the week, my 3 Zumba classes and 2 days of weight training lined out, as well my pool exercises, and I intend to have a successfull week!


This week, failure is NOT an option!



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 extra water due to the heat and my increase in activity.

d. Exercised 4 days last week.

e. Got a pedi.



What I can do better-


a. Get enough sleep.

b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week.

c. Work out some new recipes to help prevent boredom.

d. Make some time for meditation.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Dangerous Curves

Thought for the day:

"If I had been around when Rubens was painting, I would have been revered as a fabulous model. Kate Moss? Well, she would have been the paintbrush." ~Dawn French



OMG! I pigged out, and I feel awful.

I was really wanting a cheeseburger and fries; I thought there are 28 flex points that I haven't eaten this week, just have it. I had it all right, I ordered out for lunch from a place my co-workers frequently go but it just wasn't very good. It didn't satisfy me at all. What a let down! What a waste of flex points?

So after work I went home to find my granddaughter waiting for me, she wanted Pizza, something else I've had a yen for, so we ordered, and I ate 3 peices and chased them with a fruit and yogurt smoothy. Now I feel overly satisfied, stuffed and FAT!

Well, what is done is done. It's over now and all those calories are probably headed straight for my butt. Guess I see the damage when I step up on the scale tomarrow morning. I just hope the extra physical activity I've engaged in this week will counter my poor food choices.

Arggg!

Why didn't I stop with 1 slice of Pizza?

I'm such a DORK!

Monday, August 16, 2010

40 Pounds Down and Counting

Thought for the day:


"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." -Zig Ziglar



Another week down, this one marked another milestone for me.


Saturday was weigh in day and I can now say quite proudly that I have lost a total of 40 pounds, yup! 40 big ones! Boy! was I doing a happy dance at Zumba afterward or what.


At any rate it was a good week in despite the heat.


After Zumba, I went with my Daughter, 4 Granddaughters and my Son's girlfriend to Raging Rivers Water park to give the girls a Back to School Whoop-T-Do! My legs and butt are still sore from walking up the hills and in the Wave Pool water. While there a bought a half price bathing suit in a smaller size to give myself something to work toward.


I have noticed that my body composition has been changing, I have a neck now as well as a waist. However, what really surprised me is that when changing clothes, I got a glimpse of what I think is that six-pack that I just know is hiding under all of my abdominal fat.


This week I did try a new food, House of Foods Tofu Shiritaki Noodles. The texture is a little different than both regular pasta and the whole grain pasta I've been using, but not unpleasant, just different. With a serving of the pasta sauce recipe below and some grilled shrimp the difference was less noticeable, and at only 20 calories per 1 cup serving those noodles are a way to stay on point.


Fat Momma's Skinny Alfredo Sauce


Ingredients

2 Tbsp Fat-Free Sour Cream
2 wedge(s) Light Creamy Garlic & Herb
2 oz Philadelphia Free Fat-Free Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions
Warm in the microwave oven at 100% power for 1 minute.



Serves 4
POINTS® value per serving = 2

This makes 1 cup of pasta sauce, enough to toss with 4 cups of cooked pasta. For variety use a different flavor of Laughing Cow Wedges, to kick it up add steamed broccoli or to really kick it up add grilled chicken or shrimp. Yum!



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 extra water due to the heat and my increase in activity.
d. Exercised 4 days last week.
e. Ate 5 fruits and veggies a day.
f. Tried a new food, the Tofu Shiritaki Noodles.

What I can do better-


a. Get enough sleep.
b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week.
c. Work out some new recipes to help prevent boredom.
d. Get a pedicure or a massage for relaxation.
e. Make some time for meditation.

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Nitty Gritty

Thought for the day:

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."


-Epictetus
 
 
 
Another week down and only .4 pounds lost at weigh in. Guess I need to get down to the real Nitty Gritty and examine my game plan.



I used very few Flex points last week as a matter of fact I still had 30 of them left when the week ended. I just was not that hungry. With the hot weather I was just wanting to drink water.



 Zumba is still going good. I probably look like a fool doing it but I have no trouble sleeping after a class. The instructor is adding a class on Saturdays so I'll soon Zumba 3 days a week. Who would have thought I'd like any exercise enough to go 3 times a week! Guess I'm not as allergic as I thought.
 


I have been absolutely craving KFC coleslaw, but at 4 points per 1/2 cup I am also reluctant to indulge and 1/2 cup is never enough when it comes to the Colonel's coleslaw. After several tries at knocking the fat out of that creamy slaw I finally have come up with a greatly reduced fat version, the servings are a generous 3/4 cup each and I am no longer Jonesin for the Colonel. 



Fat Momma's Creamy Cole Slaw
 

4 tablespoons Hellman's lite mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Hendrickson's Original Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil salad dressing
1 teaspoon Dijonnaise
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon Splenda
1/2 teaspoon water
3 cups of packaged 3 color coleslaw
 


Whisk together the first 6 ingredients and toss with the coleslaw.
Makes 4 servings at 1 Weight Watchers point each.


 
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 extra water due to the heat and my increase in activity.

d. Exercised 6 days last week.

e. Ate 5 fruits and veggies a day.



What I can do better-


a. Get a little more sleep, and make some time for meditation.

b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week.

c. Work out some new recipes to help prevent boredom.

d. Get a pedicure or a massage for relaxation.
 

Monday, August 2, 2010

Chippin' Away

Thought for the day:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."



-Thomas A. Edison
 
 
 
Perseverance does pay off, I lost 3 pounds last week, so I was feeling pretty good while standing on the scale Saturday. It does seems like I have to keep working harder to keep losing. I'm exercising almost daily now and I keep looking for new swaps for the foods I crave.


Gotta keep chipping away at those pounds!
 
 
Last week had its ups and its downs but I didn't let it pull me off track.
 
   
I've been pretty mentally exhausted, so I went out to the swimming pool this evening and just vegetated for a while. It was good to clear my mind.
 
 
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 extra water due to the heat and my increase in activity.

d. Exercised 6 days last week.



What I can do better-

a. Get a little more sleep, and make some time for meditation.

b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week.

c. Work out some new recipes to help prevent boredom.  

d. Eat at least 5 fruits or veggies a day.
 
 
 

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sweet Tomatoes

Thought for the day:

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
~Lewis Grizzard


Last week was way to hot for my lunch hour stroll, but I was still able to loose one pound, Thank You Zumba!


I did a little shopping over the weekend, needed a few things in a smaller size. Yippee! Yippee! Yahoo!
I've been shopping the back of my closet, but I'm running out of smaller sizes. At least with all of the end of season sales, I'm not spending a fortune.

For me there is nothing else that tastes more like Summer than a sweet, juicy, fresh, homegrown tomato. I absolutely love Gazpacho, marinated tomato salad, sliced tomatoes, BLTs,stuffed tomatoes, baked, broiled and fire roasted tomatoes; honestly, I don't think I've met a tomato I didn't like. Lucky for me, they're in season and they are a good for you "SUPER" food. Packed with lycopene, potassium, vitamins A and C and really low in calories. Whoo! Hoo!

Does it get any better?


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 extra water due to the heat and my increase in activity.

d. Created a new recipe substituting healthier ingredients to put the skinny on a favorite dish.

e. Took up a new activity twice a week.


What I can do better-
a. Get a little more sleep, and make some time for meditation.

b. Manage to get my walks in at least 3 days this week.

c. Treat myself to a non-food splurge.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Big Easy

I have been absolutely craving Popeye's "Cajun Popcorn", but that deep fried stuff is sure to trigger what I call my "Fat Tooth" and result in a binge of eating fatty junk food. This swap that made me feel like I took a river boat cruse directly into the "Big Easy", and the serving size is generous.

That Zumba class has me thinking "Hot! Hot! Hot!


Kicked Up Cajun Popcorn Shrimp

Ingredients


1 pound(s) shrimp, medium peeled, tails removed

3/4 cup(s) General Mills Fiber One, ground into a bread-crumb like consistency (use a

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup(s) Egg Beaters Egg Beaters

1/4 cup(s) hot pepper sauce

10 spray(s) cooking spray

1 cup(s) store-bought cocktail sauce

1/2 tsp table salt

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a large baking sheet well with the cooking spray.
In a food storage bag mix together Fiber One crumbs with the salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Set aside.
Drain all liquid off of the shrimp then pat the shrimp dry . Set aside.
In a shallow bowl combine the Egg Beaters and the hot pepper sauce.
Drench the shrimp in the shaking a little to remove any excess drench mixture and shake to coat a few shrimp at a time in the bag with Fiber One crumb mixture . Place the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet and spray over the top with the cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until crispy turning once during the baking time. Serve with the cocktail sauce.

Weight Watchers Points Value: 4


Servings: 4