March 11, 2010 - Day 66

I've decided that I'm going to stop calculating WW points and calories. Well, I'll probably still put the calories down if I know them, but I'm not going to go out of my way to calculate the calories for casseroles and the like. The point of stopping now is that I want to see how I do while I'm still weighing myself pretty regularly. Since I don't want to be calculating points for the rest of my life, I want to see if I can maintain making smart choices without the push of calculating the points. If it doesn't work (i.e. I start gaining weight), then I'll go back to the tracking them. But for now, I'm done. :)

For breakfast

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories)

1 Nutri-Grain strawberry cereal bar (130 calories)

For lunch

Water

1 turkey ham wrap w/cheddar cheese, mixed greens, fat-free mayo, and alfalfa sprouts (215 calories)

A handful of green seedless grapes (25 calories)

A handful of mixed nuts (85 calories)

For dinner

Water

1 chicken patty burger w/remulade sauce and lettuce on a bun

1 serving of chicken caesar pasta with chicken

Snacks

1 trail mix bar (140 calories)

1 tall mocha w/skim milk

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

March 9, 2010 - Day 65

***** Weight update: 133.8 lbs *****
So, my weight loss rate is down since that number represents a little less than a pound in almost 2 weeks. But, really. I couldn't be any happier - I didn't gain anything b/c of my conference travels. Yay!

For breakfast

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

1 nutri-grain strawberry bar (130 calories; 2.5 points)

3/4 of a serving of shredded wheat w/skim milk (150 calories; 2 points)

For lunch

Water

Smart Ones 3-cheese ziti marinara (320 calories; 6 points)

For dinner

Water

1 serving of maple dijon chicken w/sweet potatoes (245 calories; 4.25 points)
* Score another for the crockpot! I love using one. It's so easy to throw something healthy together and forget about it, which is great on days that I am watching Riley. Then I can spend more time playing with her!

1 cup of steamed broccoli (54 calories; 0 points)

Snacks

1 Skinny Cow low-fat fudge bar (100 calories; 1 point)

1 Special K strawberry cereal bar (90 calories; 2 points)

A handful of Kashi Crunch! cereal (50 calories; 1 point)
* Sooo good! I love this Kashi brand. Everything so far has been yummy!

Total Calories: 1104

Total WW Points: 19.75

Total flex points left: 35 of 35

Days left in flex points week: 6

Exercise

A little over 45 minutes on an elliptical machine

150 ab crunches

February 27, 2010 - Day 55

It's interesting how different instructors approach the same class. I took a pilates class at the YMCA earlier this week, which was definitely more like a yoga class. Today at the university I took a pilates/yoga fusion class and it was way more pilates than yoga. Man, those pilates push-ups are killer!

Also, since I am starting to exercise more and have lost some weight, I went and recalculated the target number of WW points that I get each day. Good thing I did, since as it seems, I am now allowed 21 points per day before going into my flex points. This is important for me to keep on checking, since as I've read, if you start exercising more and more but don't adjust points (i.e. you don't eat enough to replenish yourself) you'll actually be doing more harm than good. Not only will you not lose weight, more importantly you'll be depriving your body of the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.

For breakfast

High fiber oatmeal (160 calories; 3 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 spinach lasagna roll (200 calories; 4 points)

Water

For dinner

Santa Fe chicken (300 calories; 5 points)
* I hate it when I only have the # of WW points per serving and not the # of calories as well as I did for this recipe. Then I just have to totally guess. Well, I guess I could've figured it out if I was careful, but seriously. That's too much work.

Brown rice (85 calories; 2 points)

Water

Snacks

1/2 an oatmeal/dark chocolate cookie (50 calories; 1 point)

Soy chocolate milk (150 calories; 3 points)
* I gotta say, this was really tasty! I bought a little 8 1/4 oz serving of it while shopping the other day on a whim. (I'm feeling like I'm not getting enough calcium each day. Anyway...) Wow! I was pleasantly surprised! Cam drinks the vanilla soy milk since he is lactose intolerant. I just may have to give that a try. Who knows? Maybe we'll all switch over? (That's funny for me to think about, since I have FINALLY made the switch over to fat-free milk.)

1 Skinny Cow low-fat fudge bar (100 calories; 1 point)

At Riley's day care open house tonight:

Bites of apple pie and vanilla ice cream (175 calories; 4 points)
* Another guess

1 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1290 - I did a lot of reading yesterday that said everyone needs to get a minimum of 1200 calories. It's interesting that on some days I find that extremely difficult to accomplish and on others it's no problem.

Total WW Points: 25

Total flex points left for week: 22.5 of 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 2

Exercise

Pilates/Yoga class

100 ab crunches

February 20, 2010 - Day 48

For breakfast

High fiber blueberry muffin (160 calories; 3 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1/2 of a low-carb chicken ceasar wrap (250 calories; 5 points)

1 apple (80 calories; 1 point)

Water

For dinner

1 roasted chicken garlic sausage (140 calories; 3 points)

1/2 ear of corn (no butter!) (40 calories; 0 points)

Water

Snacks

Strawberry fruit and grain bar (130 calories; 2 points)

1 cafe mocha w/skim milk (175 calories; 3 points)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1010

Total WW Points: 18

Total flex points left for week: 35 of 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 2

Exercise

About 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

100 ab crunches

Weeding in the back lot

February 17, 2010 - Day 45

Zumba again today! My friend and I are going to sign up for the Y - there is a great special just for this month in which the sign up fee is next to nothing (it's usually $100; it'll be just $14). Then, I just pay on a monthly basis.

The class was fun today. The lady who usually teaches the lunch time class had a baby, so there have been subs filling in. So, the lady I had today was not the same I had the first time I went. One wasn't better than the other; they were just different. Today I felt more like I was back in dance class which I liked.

The neat thing about signing up is that I'll now have access to any class at the Y. So, if I decide that a step class looks fun, then I can go. And since it's only on a month to month basis, I'll have no problem when I leave in June.

For breakfast

2 whole-wheat pancakes w/minimal syrup (235 calories; 5 points)
* Needed to use up the rest of the mix from yesterday. Actually, I hadn't thought t use it right away but after she got up Riley specifically asked for pancakes so I figured why not.

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

Smart Ones Fettucini Alfredo (240 calories; 4 points)

Water

For dinner

Roast chicken breast w/no skin (140 calories; 3 points)
* Yay! My first time roasting a chicken. It was really good too - super, super moist!

Asparagus with dijon vinagrette (30 calories; 0 points)

Water

Snacks

1/2 of a large banana (60 calories; 1 point)

1 chicken shu-mai (20 calories; 0 points)

Diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

Quaker Mini-Delights (90 calories; 2 points)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 875

Total WW Points: 16

Total flex points left for week: 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 5

Exercise

Zumba class at the YMCA

200 ab crunches

February 9, 2010 - Day 37

I'm definitely on a muffin kick lately. It's just so easy - the serving size is there for you already. If I make bread, then I run the great risk of thinking, "Oh, I can just take another little sliver." Plus you can put lots of good stuff in them. Today I made zucchini muffins. They were okay, but not great. Riley loves them though, which is good since they are full of zucchini! I even made it healthier by replacing the oil in the recipe w/apple sauce which apparently is a common substitute. Who knew?

I also found that if I spend time in the kitchen cooking/baking, then I eat less. I guess if I'm just around the food then I'm happy. It also helps when I get myself out of the house, which is why I'm always outside with Riley or taking her to the library (as I did today) or to the store.

For breakfast

1 high fiber oatmeal (160 calories; 3 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 bowl of cheerios w/skim milk (140 calories; 3 points)

For dinner

1 broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken (175 calories; 3 points)
* I don't really know how much this is worth calorie-wise, but it's around 3 points for the meal, so I estimated off of that.

1/2 serving of steamed broccoli (25 calories; 0 points)

Water

Snacks

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

1 Smart Ones Peanut Butter cup sundae (170 calories; 3 points)

1/2 of a zucchini muffin (60 calories; 1 point)
* I'm going to try these again with a new recipe.

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 790

Total WW Points: 14

Total flex points left for week: 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 6

Exercise
Nothing, except for playing outside w/Riley

February 5, 2010 - Day 33

So today I made my own pasta (thanks to my mother-in-law's loan of her pasta roller). It turned out okay. I think it would have been better if I hadn't gone low fat with the recipe. I think the hardest thing was rolling out the pasta. The roller couldn't be locked down with the vice it comes with since my countertops are the wrong width. So, I had to maneuver the rolling while the roller moved around and I held on to the pasta with both hands. In this case, making the pasta was definitely a two-person job!

In any case, I was proud that I did this. :)

For breakfast

1 high fiber oatmeal (160 calories; 3 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 serving of grilled garlic and herb chicken (120 calories; 3 points)

A few bites of Italian creamy garlic Rice A Roni (50 calories; 1 point)

1/2 serving of steamed brussel sprouts (20 calories; 0 points)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of low-fat "lasagna" (410 calories; 7 points)
* This lasagna wasn't a traditional lasagna because the sauce wasn't tomato based but instead made from cornmeal and skim milk. Plus, the only cheese it contained was the sprinkling of parmesan I put at the top. The mix for between the layers consisted of potatoes, peas, and onions reduced in skim milk. The lasagna noodles were made from whole-wheat flour and water.
* The verdict on this meal is "not bad." Riley and I ate our entire portion, and Cam took seconds, so it certainly was on the good side of "not bad." What we decided was that it was a little on the bland side, so if/when I make it again I need to think of what to add to this to make it have a little a more punch. I welcome any ideas!

Water

Snacks

1 small banana (90 calories; 1 point)

1 high fiber banana nut muffin (170 calories; 3 points)

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

Total Calories (roughly): 1040

Total WW Points: 19

Total "Flex Points" left for week: 33

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 3

Exercise

One hour on an elliptical machine - this is the longest I've done so far. Since I knew I was going to have some pasta tonight, I figured a little extra cardio would do me good. :)

300 ab crunches

February 2, 2010 - Day 30

All in all, a quiet day today. Tuesdays usually are.

For breakfast

1 high fiber oatmeal (160 calories; 3 points)

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

1 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 tuna and mayo sandwich with american cheese on multi-grain bread (230 calories; 3 points)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of 3-bean salad w/wheat rotini pasta (230 calories; 5 points)

1 dijon crispy drumstick (200 calories; 4 points)
* This was really tasty! I removed the skin, lightly salted the chicken and then covered each in a thin layer of flour. Then I coated the drumsticks with a mix comprised of mayo (fat-free), dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Then I covered the drumsticks in rice krispies and cooked at 425 for about 30 minutes.

Water

Snacks

1/2 of Riley's clementine (20 calories; 0 points)
* This was her second one so I didn't feel bad about eating it. Plus, she kept shoving the pieces in my face saying "Mommy's turn." LOL.

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

1 high fiber banana nut muffin (170 calories; 3 points)

Total Calories (roughly): 1110

Total WW Points: 19

Total "Flex Points" left for week: 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 6

Exercise

150 crunches

January 30, 2010 - Day 27

For breakfast

2 Pop-Overs w/ 1 tbsp of honey (200 calories; 4 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

Smart Ones Chicken Parmesan (290 calories; 5 points)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of grilled salmon (230 calories; 6 points)

Asparagus/peppers (100 calories; 2 points)

1 serving of pasta w/a lttle pesto (150 calories; 3 points)

Water

Snacks

1 glass of milk

1 ginger cookie

Total Calories (roughly): 1400

Total WW Points: 30

These numbers are complete estimates. I'm giving a lot of points/calories to my 2 snacks that I had. I was doing well... no snacks all day, but then, at the end of the day, I couldn't resist. I guess you could say I choked. :)

Total "Flex Points" left for week: 22

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 2

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

100 crunches

January 28, 2010 - Day 25

Yay! I returned to the gym for some exercise and it felt really good! I definitely needed that! Wait... did I just type that?!?

For breakfast

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 tuna and mayo sandwich with american cheese on multi-grain bread (250 calories; 4 points)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of grilled garlic and herb chicken (120 calories; 3 points)

1/2 serving of Italian creamy garlic Rice A Roni (130 calories; 3 points)

1/2 serving of steamed brussel sprouts (20 calories; 0 points)
* Wow, I knew these were good for you but I had no idea just how good they were. Here's what one site said: "This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese." It's a good thing I (and Riley!) like these. We have these a couple of times a month.

Water

Snacks

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

1 rice cake with peanut butter (130 calories; 3 points)

1 serving of cheerios w/skim milk (140 calories; 3 points)

Total Calories (roughly): 865

Total WW Points: 17

Flex points left: 34

Exercise

About 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

200 crunches

Housework - Among other things, I scrubbed all of the floors in my house by hand... a good work out for the arms!

All in all, today was a really good day!

January 26, 2010 - Day 23

For breakfast

3/4 of a high-fiber muffin (100 calories; 2 points)

1/2 of a clementine (10 calories; 0 points)

1/2 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (35 calories; 1 point)

For lunch

1 bowl of Total cereal w/skim milk (140 calories; 3 points)

A few bites of Light Progresso soup (50 calories; 1 point)
* The increase in calories comes from the cheese I put on and the cornstarch I put in to thicken it up.
* I didn't really like it, but I would have had more. However, my daughter LOVED it and ate almost the entire can.

Water

For dinner

1 breaded chicken breast w/a little gravy (200 calories; 5 points)

1/2 serving of parmesan couscous (110 calories; 2 points)

1 serving of roasted broccoli w/parmesan cheese (75 calories; 1 point)

Water

Snacks

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

1/2 box of mini-smarties (25 calories; 0 points)
* I shared this with Riley today as a treat - wow did she like this!

Total Calories (roughly): 870

Total WW Points: 15

Flex points left: 35

Exercise
Nothing, except for playing outside with Riley.