Weigh in: 156.5
Loss this week: .9
Total pounds lost: 2.5
Pounds to go: 36.5
I was doing great until this weekend. Then I stop counting points, made a heart-attack cake for a friend's birthday (and tasted everything in addition to eating the cake), consumed lots of weinerschnitzel, ate a deli sandwich the size of my head, which was slathered with REAL mayo. I still don't think that my body is quite aware of what I did to it. Boy, did I feel awful. The bonus was that my birthday buddy did agree to work out to TWO 30 minute dance videos with me. Yay! At least that happened.
Now I pooped. Exhausted from work on a physical and emotional level and don't want to do anything but sleep. Forever. Eh, at least I'm moving in the right direction. This is the point where I usually give up because I'm not losing weight fast enough. If I had kept at it two years ago, I'd be hanging out at my goal weight. Stupid Beth.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
This can't be good for me
I found a new recipe that can't possibly be as low in points as I calculated it out to be - it's just too good. Try it and see if you think the same. One serving is only 6 points! It's another Cooking Light find.
Three-Cheese Baked Penne
8 oz. whole wheat penne (you won't notice it's whole wheat, really)
Cooking spray
2 (4 oz.) links sweet turkey Italian sausage (chicken works, too)
1 c. finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I just threw in some basil, oregano, parsley, thyme)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Dash salt
10-15 grape tomatoes, halved
1 garlic cloved, minced
1 (8 oz.) can garlic-and-herb tomato sauce
3/4 c. (3 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. (2 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c. (1 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (fresh is better!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Use the minimum time or a minute less for al dente pasta. Drain and keep warm.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, crumbling with wooden spoon. Cook 2 min. Add bell pepper through garlic; saute 6 min or until pepper is tender. Stir in tomato sauce. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min.
Add pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into 8-in baking dish (or cast iron skillet) coated with cooking spray. Stir in mozzarella and goat cheese; sprinkle Parm over top.
Bake at 350 for 7 min or until bubbly and top is browned.
Yield: 6 servings
Three-Cheese Baked Penne
8 oz. whole wheat penne (you won't notice it's whole wheat, really)
Cooking spray
2 (4 oz.) links sweet turkey Italian sausage (chicken works, too)
1 c. finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I just threw in some basil, oregano, parsley, thyme)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Dash salt
10-15 grape tomatoes, halved
1 garlic cloved, minced
1 (8 oz.) can garlic-and-herb tomato sauce
3/4 c. (3 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. (2 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 c. (1 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (fresh is better!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Use the minimum time or a minute less for al dente pasta. Drain and keep warm.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, crumbling with wooden spoon. Cook 2 min. Add bell pepper through garlic; saute 6 min or until pepper is tender. Stir in tomato sauce. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min.
Add pasta to pan, tossing gently to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into 8-in baking dish (or cast iron skillet) coated with cooking spray. Stir in mozzarella and goat cheese; sprinkle Parm over top.
Bake at 350 for 7 min or until bubbly and top is browned.
Yield: 6 servings
Monday, January 18, 2010
Week 2 Weigh-in
I forgot to weigh-in again this morning. D'oh! I'll use Sunday's weigh-in, but I'm hoping it was high due to the edamame covered in salt that I ate the night before. And maybe my muscles were swollen from the intense running? I hope?
Weigh in: 157.4
Loss this week: .1
Total pounds lost: 1.6
Pounds to go: 37.4
In reality, it was because I didn't write down my food points, only did cardio 3 times, and strength trained once. Oh, and the dinner party where I made a lemon cake with several sticks of butter. Stress really shouldn't be an excuse, but I've been so exhausted! I'm going to stop whining and get my butt to the gym.
My challenge for the week: Write it before I bite it.
Weigh in: 157.4
Loss this week: .1
Total pounds lost: 1.6
Pounds to go: 37.4
In reality, it was because I didn't write down my food points, only did cardio 3 times, and strength trained once. Oh, and the dinner party where I made a lemon cake with several sticks of butter. Stress really shouldn't be an excuse, but I've been so exhausted! I'm going to stop whining and get my butt to the gym.
My challenge for the week: Write it before I bite it.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
12 Minute Mile
Today was a day of great victory! I really didn't think I could do it, but I ran a 12 minute mile today. Not wogged (walked + jogged). I ran the whole darn thing. I can't tell you if I've ever done that before in my entire life! I was so excited that I almost hopped off the treadmill and jumped on Drew, while screaming at the top of my well-used lungs. I managed to contain myself, but WOOOWEEE!
I was wondering if the treadmill was broken or maybe I'm still affected by the three cups of coffee and two cups of tea I've consumed over the past 32 hours. Who knows, but I'm willing to try it again tomorrow... and then see how much farther I can go.
Run, fat girl, run! (How many of you get the Simon Pegg reference?)
I was wondering if the treadmill was broken or maybe I'm still affected by the three cups of coffee and two cups of tea I've consumed over the past 32 hours. Who knows, but I'm willing to try it again tomorrow... and then see how much farther I can go.
Run, fat girl, run! (How many of you get the Simon Pegg reference?)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Week 1 Weigh-in
I forgot to weigh in Sunday and Monday morning. I did weigh myself Monday after taking my shower and getting dressed, so I'll average that with this morning.
Weigh in: 157.5
Pounds lost: 1.5
Pounds to go: 37.5
I didn't get home from work until after 7:00, and I was so stressed. I warned Drew that I knew I wanted to eat my feelings when he brought me dinner at school. Thankfully, he stayed and helped me remain strong through dinner. He served up my portion and took the temptation away when I ate what I needed to feel full. I'm disappointed that I did give in to lemon cake at work :( but decided to work out on the Total Gym to relieve my stress when I got home :) I really wanted to just sit on the couch, but am glad that I made a better choice tonight. I feel less stressed, too. Yay. (Doesn't hurt that I'm watching The Biggest Loser.)
My challenge for this week: Work out instead of eating when stressed.
Weigh in: 157.5
Pounds lost: 1.5
Pounds to go: 37.5
I didn't get home from work until after 7:00, and I was so stressed. I warned Drew that I knew I wanted to eat my feelings when he brought me dinner at school. Thankfully, he stayed and helped me remain strong through dinner. He served up my portion and took the temptation away when I ate what I needed to feel full. I'm disappointed that I did give in to lemon cake at work :( but decided to work out on the Total Gym to relieve my stress when I got home :) I really wanted to just sit on the couch, but am glad that I made a better choice tonight. I feel less stressed, too. Yay. (Doesn't hurt that I'm watching The Biggest Loser.)
My challenge for this week: Work out instead of eating when stressed.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Weekend Breakfast
During the week, my husband faithfully makes me a "flat sandwich" each morning - flat sandwich bread (1 point), an egg (2 points), and a slice of cheese or Canadian bacon. On the weekends, I like to mix it up to keep from getting bored with my filling M-F fare.
Today, I decided on sour cream scones, partly because they are so yummy and partly because I had sour cream and egg white to use up before they went bad. They certainly sound sinful, but this recipe is adapted from one of my Cooking Light cookbooks. They're only 3 points each! Despite being pretty good for you, they are a favorite morning treat when good friends stay overnight chez Newman. Drew has recently discovered that he likes them split and filled with lemon curd. Yum!
2/3 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c reduced fat sour cream
3 T butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg white
1/3 c craisins (sometimes we get crazy and use chocolate chips)
Cooking spray
1 T granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Today, I decided on sour cream scones, partly because they are so yummy and partly because I had sour cream and egg white to use up before they went bad. They certainly sound sinful, but this recipe is adapted from one of my Cooking Light cookbooks. They're only 3 points each! Despite being pretty good for you, they are a favorite morning treat when good friends stay overnight chez Newman. Drew has recently discovered that he likes them split and filled with lemon curd. Yum!
Sour Cream Scones
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour2/3 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c reduced fat sour cream
3 T butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg white
1/3 c craisins (sometimes we get crazy and use chocolate chips)
Cooking spray
1 T granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir well with a whisk.
- Combine sour cream, butter, and egg white in a small bowl. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in craisins.
- Knead dough 6-12 times with floured hands. (I just do it in the large bowl rather than get out a floured board.) Dough will be crumbly. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut each circle into 6 wedges with a pizza cutter (or knife); do not separate.
- Combine the 1 T sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle scones with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Hitting Goals!
Drew and I went to the gym today, as promised, and I ran. This is a pretty big feat for me. Since I was a (hefty meatball of a) kid, I've disliked running. The worst two days during school were the timed miles. I dreaded those days worse than any other day on the calendar. And there I was... running.
Okay, it was more of a fast jog, but I did it for half a mile before powerwalking. HALF A MILE! Usually, I can't get one time around the eighth mile track without stopping. Treadmills are great for pushing yourself when you don't have the will to do it. Run like heck or fall off, that's what works for me. I timed it and I got 13:00 minutes. THIRTEEN MINUTES. That's much better than I thought it would be. I'm going to have to do it again to cross my thirteen minute mile goal off the list, but looks like I have some shopping to do now that I blasted through two cardio goals today...
On the food side of things, I did treat myself to half a chocolate filled croissant from a local bakery this morning in celebration of getting an unexpected day off work. The way I made the treat really work with my nutrition plan was that I cut it in half, got out the good china, and sat and savored it for as long as possible. It made it worth it! I would rather eat a small amount of good, handmade food than gobs of processed, preserved unspecialness. (Thank you, Gesine!) I also made a kick butt focaccia today, and thought watching Drew enjoy it was almost as good as eating all that myself. I did try it, of course, but in very small portions. I'm going to take it to work tomorrow, so I'm not tempted to snack on it.
I made a filling soup the other day to take for lunch and snacking. It got good reviews from its smell at work. :)
Mexican Corn and Bean Soup from Cooking Light
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 frozen chopped onion (I used fresh)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I doubled it to 1 tsp)
1 c frozen whole-kernel corn
1/4 tsp black pepper
(pinch cayenne)
1 14-oz. can of fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained (I used two 10-oz. cans)
3 lime slices (I omitted)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, cumin, garlic, and oregano. Saute 1 1/2 min. Stir in corn, pepper(s), broth, beans, and tomatoes (I had some frozen chopped green, red, & yellow peppers, so I threw those in, too.); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 min. Serve with lime. 3 large servings.
Okay, it was more of a fast jog, but I did it for half a mile before powerwalking. HALF A MILE! Usually, I can't get one time around the eighth mile track without stopping. Treadmills are great for pushing yourself when you don't have the will to do it. Run like heck or fall off, that's what works for me. I timed it and I got 13:00 minutes. THIRTEEN MINUTES. That's much better than I thought it would be. I'm going to have to do it again to cross my thirteen minute mile goal off the list, but looks like I have some shopping to do now that I blasted through two cardio goals today...
On the food side of things, I did treat myself to half a chocolate filled croissant from a local bakery this morning in celebration of getting an unexpected day off work. The way I made the treat really work with my nutrition plan was that I cut it in half, got out the good china, and sat and savored it for as long as possible. It made it worth it! I would rather eat a small amount of good, handmade food than gobs of processed, preserved unspecialness. (Thank you, Gesine!) I also made a kick butt focaccia today, and thought watching Drew enjoy it was almost as good as eating all that myself. I did try it, of course, but in very small portions. I'm going to take it to work tomorrow, so I'm not tempted to snack on it.
I made a filling soup the other day to take for lunch and snacking. It got good reviews from its smell at work. :)
Mexican Corn and Bean Soup from Cooking Light
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 frozen chopped onion (I used fresh)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I doubled it to 1 tsp)
1 c frozen whole-kernel corn
1/4 tsp black pepper
(pinch cayenne)
1 14-oz. can of fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained (I used two 10-oz. cans)
3 lime slices (I omitted)
Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, cumin, garlic, and oregano. Saute 1 1/2 min. Stir in corn, pepper(s), broth, beans, and tomatoes (I had some frozen chopped green, red, & yellow peppers, so I threw those in, too.); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 min. Serve with lime. 3 large servings.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Thanks!
So many of you have responded with encouragement and support, so thank you, friends!
I've found that it is easier to work out with my big Christmas gift from Drew: a fancy schmancy Zune, the Microsoft answer to an iPod mini video doo-hickey. Completely beyond my expectations, since it's my first mp3 player. Ever. Yeah... I'm that out of date.
Right now I'm listening to The Biggest Loser Top 40 Mix and Imogen Heap's new stuff, Ellipse. Have you checked out Imogen? She's amazing at finding music in the most strange things, like flourescent light panels. She plays them on this new album for one of the tracks, no kidding.
Victory of the day: I made brownies to satisfy my chocolate craving, cut the oil in half, and only ate a measured portion size. Then I made Drew pack them up so I didn't eat the rest of the pan. Baby steps...
Had a tension headache today, but WILL work out at the gym tomorrow. There. I put it out there in cyberspace. Now I have to do it or I look like a will-less loser.
I've found that it is easier to work out with my big Christmas gift from Drew: a fancy schmancy Zune, the Microsoft answer to an iPod mini video doo-hickey. Completely beyond my expectations, since it's my first mp3 player. Ever. Yeah... I'm that out of date.
Right now I'm listening to The Biggest Loser Top 40 Mix and Imogen Heap's new stuff, Ellipse. Have you checked out Imogen? She's amazing at finding music in the most strange things, like flourescent light panels. She plays them on this new album for one of the tracks, no kidding.
Victory of the day: I made brownies to satisfy my chocolate craving, cut the oil in half, and only ate a measured portion size. Then I made Drew pack them up so I didn't eat the rest of the pan. Baby steps...
Had a tension headache today, but WILL work out at the gym tomorrow. There. I put it out there in cyberspace. Now I have to do it or I look like a will-less loser.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
New Year, New You, blah blah blah...
All right, friends. It's time that I ask for some help, and some of you know how hard that is for me. So here it goes...
Right after I got out of college, I joined Weight Watchers and lost almost 50 pounds. I never got to my goal weight, but I was within 9 pounds when my maternal grandmother passed away. Since then, I slowly put on the weight again. This last fall, I went through a tough time emotionally, and finally came to terms with the fact that I "eat my feelings." I'm ready to let go of this, and I'd like you to help keep my accountable to my self-destructive behaviors. A big part of my emotional stuff was being stressed by teaching and feeling incredibly lonely, so I'm trying to address those things before I fall back into eating to make myself feel better.
I'm going back "on plan" on my own (not with Weight Watchers, since the leaders here are just not as motivating as my one in NJ was) and trying to get my doctor's orders of 30 min of cardio, 5 times a week. In addition, I want to strength train 3 times a week.
At least once a week, and maybe more, it is my goal to post my weight and exercise patterns of the last week (i.e. - how much I worked out). In between, I'd love encouragement and "how are you doing?" emails, texts, phone calls, whatever you feel comfortable doing. If nothing else, just knowing that I'm putting all this out there for everyone to read should keep me going. If you check the blog, and I haven't posted, please call me and kick my large booty. I need it.
I've set goals to help keep me motivated, too.
Weight Lost Goals:
5 lbs - eyebrow waxing
10 lbs - manicure
15 lbs - manicure/pedicure
20 lbs - new DVD
25 lbs - movie date
30 lbs - massage
35 lbs - new purse
40 lbs - vacation (somewhere that I have to wear a swimsuit, of course)
Cardio Goals:
15 min mile - new running shoes
14 min mile - new sports bra
13 min mile - new exercise outfit
12 min mile - new music for running
11 min mile - new exercise DVD
10 min mile - run a 5K
First official weigh in: 159.4 lbs
Goal (the uppermost weight considered healthy for my height): 120.0 lbs
Pounds to go: 39.4
Right after I got out of college, I joined Weight Watchers and lost almost 50 pounds. I never got to my goal weight, but I was within 9 pounds when my maternal grandmother passed away. Since then, I slowly put on the weight again. This last fall, I went through a tough time emotionally, and finally came to terms with the fact that I "eat my feelings." I'm ready to let go of this, and I'd like you to help keep my accountable to my self-destructive behaviors. A big part of my emotional stuff was being stressed by teaching and feeling incredibly lonely, so I'm trying to address those things before I fall back into eating to make myself feel better.
I'm going back "on plan" on my own (not with Weight Watchers, since the leaders here are just not as motivating as my one in NJ was) and trying to get my doctor's orders of 30 min of cardio, 5 times a week. In addition, I want to strength train 3 times a week.
At least once a week, and maybe more, it is my goal to post my weight and exercise patterns of the last week (i.e. - how much I worked out). In between, I'd love encouragement and "how are you doing?" emails, texts, phone calls, whatever you feel comfortable doing. If nothing else, just knowing that I'm putting all this out there for everyone to read should keep me going. If you check the blog, and I haven't posted, please call me and kick my large booty. I need it.
I've set goals to help keep me motivated, too.
Weight Lost Goals:
5 lbs - eyebrow waxing
10 lbs - manicure
15 lbs - manicure/pedicure
20 lbs - new DVD
25 lbs - movie date
30 lbs - massage
35 lbs - new purse
40 lbs - vacation (somewhere that I have to wear a swimsuit, of course)
Cardio Goals:
15 min mile - new running shoes
14 min mile - new sports bra
13 min mile - new exercise outfit
12 min mile - new music for running
11 min mile - new exercise DVD
10 min mile - run a 5K
First official weigh in: 159.4 lbs
Goal (the uppermost weight considered healthy for my height): 120.0 lbs
Pounds to go: 39.4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)