March 6, 2010 - Day 62

Conference day 3. Man they sure do pile on the food here. My weigh-in tomorrow is not going to go well I think. :D

For breakfast

1/2 cup of coffee w/non-fat dairy creamer & minimal sugar

1 Kashi trail mix bar (140 calories; 2 points)

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

For lunch

3/4 of a turkey, cheese, and guacamole wrap
* I was so proud of myself - I ate most of it with the onions and tomatoes that came inside of it. For those who know me well, that's HUGE!
* I also skipped the apple pie for dessert.

Water

For dinner

1/2 of steak and black beans.

All of my rice and peppers

1/2 of flan

1/2 cup of decaf with just cream... no sugar!

Water

Snacks

1/2 of chocolate chip cookie

1 small bran muffin

1 kahluha and milk

1 Special K cereal bar

Exercise

About 35 minutes on a stationary bike

50 ab crunches

February 25, 2010 - Day 53

So, the theme of the last few days has been spinach, in case you haven't noticed, heh. I bought a big bag of spinach, and when I do that, I usually end up letting it sit there until it goes bad. And I didn't want to do that! So, each night for the past few (well, not yesterday of course) I've tried to figure out how to incorporate spinach into the dinner. The perfect opportunity came yesterday when I saw that Gina's WW Recipes had a great new recipe for lasagna spinach rolls. I just knew that I had to make it!

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 ham and cheese sandwich on multi-grain bread (160 calories; 2 points)

Water

For dinner

1 spinach lasagna roll (200 calories; 4 points)
* Quite tasty, and quite filling!

Water

Snacks

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

1 Kashi trail mix bar (140 calories; 2 points)

1/2 of an oatmeal/chocolate cookie (50 calories; 1 point)
* Riley and I made these together! :D

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 920

Total WW Points: 16

Total flex points left for week: 28.5 of 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 4

Exercise

Pilates/Yoga class

50 ab crunches

About 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

February 23, 2010 - Day 51

Happy 23 months Riley! In honor of your arrival 23 months ago, I thought I would try a new breakfast. Not really, but I did try it. I didn't like it.

For breakfast

1 tablespoon of cooked quinoa w/vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon (50 calories; 1 point)
* I can see this being good when it is incorporated with other things, like in lieu of rice when making stuffed peppers. It just wasn't good at all by itself. Maybe I need to find a better recipe.

1 banana (90 calories; 2 points)

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

For lunch

1 peanut butter and jelly on multi-grain bread (215 calories; 4 points)

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

Water

For dinner

Pork loin with dijon herb sauce (250 calories; 5 points)

Brown rice with broccoli, spinach, and peppers (100 calories; 1 point)

Water

Snacks

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

1 high fiber blueberry muffin (160 calories; 3 points)

Chamomile tea (0 calories; 0 points)

Little Debbie chocolate cake (100 calories; 2 points)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1075

Total WW Points: 20

Total flex points left for week: 34 of 35

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

Exercise

100 ab crunches

February 21, 2010 - Day 49

Flex points were created for days like today. Yum, yum, yum, it was pasty day! I love those days!

For breakfast

1 whole wheat english muffin w/margarine (160 calories; 3 points)

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

For lunch

1 meat and potato pasty (500 calories; 12 points)
* The inside of a pasty (turnip, onion, lean ground beef, potato, parsnip, carrot) is actually really healthy. It was the puff pastry the inside was cooked in where the majority of calories and points came from. :)

Water

For dinner

Stir fry w/carne asada (250 calories; 5 points)

Water

Snacks

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

1 high fiber blueberry muffin (160 calories; 3 points)

1 cup of tea (0 calories; 0 points)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1145

Total WW Points: 24 - Remarkably I'm only over my daily target by 5 points!

Total flex points left for week: 30 of 35

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 1

Exercise
Nothing. On pasty day, can you really expect anything more?

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 19, 2010 - Day 47

I couldn't resist - I was intrigued to know, even though I usually go a whole week without checking. So, my weight update is 136.2 lbs.

So, now officially my weight loss exceeds the amount of weight I still want to lose. Woo-hoo! On to the size 8 jeans now!

For breakfast

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

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

For lunch

Grilled cheese on multi-grain bread w/fat-free cheese (200 calories; 3 points)

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

Water

For dinner

Shrimp and Zucchini with Ziti in Light Tomato Sauce (450 calories; 8 points)
* I'm a little unsure of the points/calories here. Listed on the recipe I used, it said 440 calories (I upped a bit since I put a little cheese on) but 5.5 WW points. I have no idea how she got that. Granted I don't know the new formula for WW, but still. So, I just put it up to 8. Better to be safe then sorry.

Water

Snacks

High fiber blueberry muffin (160 calories; 3 points)

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

A small handful of animal crackers (50 calories; 1 point)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1100

Total WW Points: 19

Total flex points left for week: 35 of 35

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

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

200 ab crunches

February 13, 2010 - Day 41

It's leftover night! Actually, with the amount I've been cooking lately, a leftover weekend won't even be enough. :)

For breakfast

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

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

For lunch

Smart Ones Pasta Primavera (250 calories; 5 points)

Water

For dinner

Shepard's pie (350 calories; 8 points)
* It's hard to know how big your serving sizes are when you're eating leftovers. I think I ate less than last time, so I tried to adjust accordingly.

Water

Snacks

Diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

Smart Ones Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae (150 calories; 3 points)

At the birthday party Riley went to this morning:

A bite of Riley's banana (10 calories; 0 points)

A bite of Riley's zucchini/chocolate chip muffin (20 calories; 0 points)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1010

Total WW Points: 20

Total flex points left for week: 31

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

Exercise
Nothing. We went to a birthday party this morning, and then I did my taxes this afternoon. Woot!

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 8, 2010 - Day 36

Today was very blah for me. I just didn't want to do anything. It was very hard for me not to eat badly. I'm lucky I only ate a muffin for a snack this afternoon. It could have been much, much worse.

For breakfast

1 strawberry fruit and grain cereal bar (130 calories; 2 points)

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

For lunch

A few bites of a broiled portobello mushroom, seasoned w/rosemary, thyme, parmesan cheese, garlic, oil, and worcestershire sauces (20 calories; 0 points)
* Yeah, I didn't like this. It got rave reviews on some website, and I thought I would try it. I've always claimed I didn't like mushrooms, but I didn't think I ever gave them a fair shot. So, I figured why not. Yeah, no, not for me. So instead, I had...

1 Smart Ones 3 cheese ziti maranera (320 calories; 6 points)
* It's more calories, but definitely more my speed.

Water

For dinner

1 serving of rosemary turkey meatloaf (185 calories; 3 points)

One and a half cauliflower fritters (170 calories; 3 points)

Water

Snacks

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

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

1 smarties (50 calories; 1 point)

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1105

Total WW Points: 19

Total flex points left at the end of the week: 28!!! This is the most I've ever had left over at the end of a week. Go me! :)

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on elliptical machine

100 ab crunches

February 7, 2010 - Day 35

****** Weight update: 139.1 lbs ******
This is the first time I've been under 140 lbs in I don't know how many years! Woo-hoo!

For breakfast

1/2 of an everything bagel w/fat-free cream cheese (170 calories; 3 points)

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

For lunch

1 bbq beef burritio (290 calories; 5 points)

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

Water

For dinner

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

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

Water

Snacks

1 handful of chips w/refried beans, cheese, and sour cream (120 calories; 3 points)

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

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

So for today it's roughly:

Total Calories: 1235

Total WW Points: 24

Total flex points left for week: 28

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 1

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on elliptical machine

Various weight exercises for my arms (using 5 lb weights)

100 ab crunches

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 4, 2010 - Day 32

I was so proud of myself today. I went in to the office since I had to teach, and I was a little nervous about keeping up my diet. I usually forget to bring lunch and thus need to go out somewhere. There's this awesome place where they sell varenikis (they're like pierogis, but smaller) and they are amazingly delicious. This summer I must have gone there about twice a week. In fact, when I walk in, the lady that runs the place knows exactly what I'm going to get and starts prepping my food even before I order! :) However, after do a rough calculation on the calories and fat, I found that the meal is about 1300 calories and about 70 grams of fat! Yikes! No wonder I put on weight! Now, I'm not saying I'll never go there again before I leave Salem. That'd be crazy! But I figure I'd like to continue losing weight a little longer before I indulge myself. So instead, as you'll see, I brought in my lunch today. Go me! (As a bonus, it saves money...)

I also did NOT give in to temptation and eat the chocolate that was offered up to passerbys on the secretary's desk. Phew!

For breakfast

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

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 (230 calories; 3 points)

1 strawberry fruit and grain cereal bar (130 calories; 2 points)

Water

For dinner

1 piece of homemade white sauce pizza w/sausage and red peppers on garlic and herb dough (373 calories; 9 points)
* Wow, we sure are eating a lot of pizza lately! I do have to say that I'm liking the pizza a lot more now that we are making it ourselves. Maybe that's why we're eating it more!
* We're also eating a lot of peppers recently too. At least they're healthy, unlike the pizza they're sitting on. :)

Water

Snacks

1 clementine (40 calories; 0 points)

2 bites of WW boston creme yoguret (10 calories; 0 points)
* I didn't like this. I've had boston creme flavored yogurt before and liked it. But this wasn't good.

Total Calories (roughly): 988

Total WW Points: 18

Total "Flex Points" left for week: 33

Days left in flex points week (after today) : 4

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

February 3, 2010 - Day 31

I so did NOT want to go to they gym today. I'm not sure why either. After I dropped off Riley at day care and trudged my way over (yes, I did go), I just kept thinking about how this was going to be torture. This trend continued while I was on the elliptical machine; I thought I was going to die. But, I got through it, thankfully. :)

For breakfast

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

1 Light & Fit Strawberry yogurt (60 calories; 1 point)

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

For lunch

1 Smart Ones Mac and Cheese (270 calories; 5 points)
* This wasn't bad. In fact I liked it better than the Lean Cuisine variety (which is surprising since LC is made by the Stouffer's co. which makes an AWESOME frozen, non-healthy m&c).

Water

For dinner

1 ground turkey enchilada (345 calories; 7 points)
* Wow! This was REALLY good. I can't believe I've never had enchiladas before, let alone made them. This is especially surprising since I lived in Tucson for 10 years, but I digress. Cam's been wanting them and since I had no other ideas for today, I figured why not? Man. I totally could have gorged myself on these. However, I was good and just limited myself to one.

1 serving of sauteed yellow and red bell peppers (30 calories; 0 points)

Water

Snacks

1 square of (78% cacao) dark chocolate (57 calories; 1 point)

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

Total Calories (roughly): 1127

Total WW Points: 21

Total "Flex Points" left for week: 33

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

Exercise

A little over 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

400 crunches - Nope, this isn't a typo. I just did 4 sets of 100 at different points throughout the day.

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 27, 2010 - Day 24

I had every intention of going to the gym today. Riley had a doctor's appt around 9:30, but I was going to drop her off at daycare after that and then head over. However, the doctor's appointment took like an hour and a half, and Riley was very upset at the end of it (she needed to take this medicine from a breathing machine for about 10 minutes which upset her GREATLY). So I took her home and we hung out for the day. We even got to go visit Cam and take him out to lunch after our story time at the library.

For breakfast

1 high-fiber muffin (130 calories; 2 points)

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

For lunch

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

1 bbq beef burrito (290 calories; 5 points)

Water

For dinner

2 tacos (350 calories; 7 points)
* I had a little dollup of sour cream and a bit of shredded cheese on each. Cam did a great job on getting whole wheat taco shells, which a bunch of fiber in each. Good stuff!

Water

Snacks

1 diet hot chocolate (25 calories; 0 points)

A handful of chips with a little bit of guacamole (150 calories; 3 points)
* These numbers are an estimate. I really didn't have much at all, especially the guacamole, but we did get them from Chipotle when Riley and I took cam for lunch. So I think these numbers are good estimates.

A handful of animal crackers (60 calories; 1 point)

A box of mini-smarties (50 calories; 1 point)

Total Calories (roughly): 1100

Total WW Points: 20

Flex points left: 34

Exercise
Nothing, except for playing outside with Riley.

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.

January 19, 2010 - Day 16

Yay! Another good eating day! Tomorrow will hopefully be both a good eating and exercise day! :)

For breakfast

1 cup of coffee w/vanilla creamer (70 calories; 2 points)

For lunch

1 grilled cheese sandwich on multi-grain bread (240 calories; 5 points)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of sauteed ham steak, butternut squash, and broccoli (215 calories; 5 points)

Water

Snacks

1 slice of orange (20 calories; 0 points)

1 blueberry muffin (130 calories; 2 points)

1 cup of french vanilla hot chocolate (80 calories; 2 points)

Total Calories (roughly): 755

Total WW Points: 16

Flex points left: 35

Exercise
A walk around the neighborhood with Cam and Riley, as well as playing with Riley in the back yard. I am most definitely going to the gym tomorrow after I drop Riley off at daycare. :)

January 18, 2010 - Day 15

Today was a MUCH better day than yesterday! And I stepped on the scale this afternoon, and it registered 144 pounds. 4 pounds down! Woo-hoo!

For breakfast

1 serving of high-fiber, maple and brown sugar oatmeal (160 calories; 3 points)

1/2 of an english muffin w/reduced-fat margarine (90 calories; 3 points)

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

For lunch

1 turkey and fat-free mayo sandwich with romaine lettuce on multi-grain bread (180 calories; 3 points)

Some cantaloupe (60 calories; 1 point)

Water

For dinner

1 serving of chicken pot pie (?? calories; 4 points)
* I don't know how many calories this is, because I got this recipe from a friend and I forgot to write down the caloric info (and I didn't feel like calculating it). This is mostly because when I wrote down the recipe I did write down the number of points it was (it was a WW recipe), so I felt that was enough.
* Oh, and this pot pie is fabulous!

Water

Snacks

1 blueberry muffin (130 calories; 2 points)
* This was amazing. I bought Fiber-One blueberry muffins, because I was looking for snacks that were not too bad for me. These are high in fiber (hence the name) and are so good! I was a little worried, because I don't like the Fiber-One cereal, but my fears were for naught!

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

1 package of Smarties (50 calories; 1 point)

Total Calories (roughly): 755 + x

Total WW Points: 18

Exercise
Nothing. Seriously, I have to start doing something again!