Slave to the Scale...and a few good recipes!

I really, truly hate my bathroom scale.  I have been eating right.  Staying within my WW points (with the occasional slip up) and exercising 4-5 days a week.  I've been running, walking, lifting even!  And it's stuck AGAIN!!!!

I HATE THE SCALE!

I know I'm doing the right things.  Deep down I even know I'm still losing something as my clothes (new, smaller clothes) fit better and looser each day.  I wore a size 12 madras plaid skirt on Tuesday that I bought on clearance years ago when I could only ever DREAM of a 12...so glad I have a shopping problem :-)

I understand the whole gaining muscle thing.  I know that ultimately its more important.  I recognize that even if I never lose another pound.  If I never get to ONEderland, I'm making healthy choices and my body and life are better for it.  

BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!!!

I want that darn scale to show it too!!!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2 lbs.  2 measly pounds...that's all I'm asking for.  I used to drop that from Monday to Tuesday.  Heck, I can GAIN 5 lbs. between breakfast and lunch.  I know...I'm scale-obsessed!

Onwards and downwards (or in my case onwards and stay the same blessed weight each day).  I gotta keep on keepin on!

On a positive note, I've made quite a few yummy, healthy recipes this past week. 

Italian Wedding Soup

(recipe from my friend Sue P.)

-1 lb. extra lean ground beef

-1/4 cup egg whites

-1/2 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs

-3 T Parm cheese

-2 t onion powder

-2 T dried parsley

-1 t chicken boullion 

-8 to 10 cups of fresh baby spinach, torn

-3 (48 oz) containers of Swanson Chicken Broth...I used reduced sodium

-1 box of acini di pepe pasta, cooked according to box, rinsed and drained

Combine first 7 ingredients and roll into tiny meatballs (pain in the neck but worth it).  Add meatballs, broth and torn spinach to crockpot set to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.  You could also cook it on the stove in a stock pot.  Bring the broth to a boil.  Add the meatballs and spinach.  Cook till meatballs are done.

You can add the pasta to the soup all at once.  You can even cook it in the soup. I prefer to keep it seperate as I can control how much of the pasta I'm getting in each serving.

Huge pot of yummy soup...easily 24 cups of soup...

Each cup is about 1 WW point + (without pasta)...I served myself 2 cups of soup with 1/2 cup of the pasta for a total of 4.5 WW points +!!!

Caveat...if you are like my husband and fish out extra meatballs, you may want to up the points you counted too!!

I thought I took a picture of it on its own but it's M.I.A.  Here it is with a crockpot Cesar chicken sandwich...this picture does not do this soup justice though!

Ranch-Asparagus Turkey Meatloaf

-20 oz of extra lean ground turkey

-1/2 to 1 pkg of ranch dip/dressing mix.  I thought the full pkg made it a bit too salty.

-1 bag (10.5 oz) frozen asparagus, chopped

-1/2 cup egg whites

-1/2 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs

-1/2 cup 0% fat, plain Greek yogurt

Mix all ingredients together. They will seem VERY moist.   Form into a loaf (I hate that word).  Place on a broiling rack on a baking sheet so that excess grease or liquid drains.  Bake at 350 for about 50-55 minutes (internal temp should be 165).

Each 1 oz serving = 1 WW point+

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

-1.5 lbs frozen b/s chicken

-1 jar of salsa

That's it!

Place it in a crockpot set to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3.  It will shred with your fork.  Combine it with the sauce.  Serve over brown rice or in tortillas.  This was RIDICULOUSLY easy and good!

The chicken mixture is 1 WW points + per oz.

We ate it as soft tacos...

I used my new favorite find...these Joseph's Lavash bread things...

They're HUGE and only 2 WW points + each!

That's all for today!  I have a few more recipes I'll post next time.  Hopefully by then I will have seen the scale move...in the right direction, of course!  I think I'll break out my measuring tape again and see if that can boost my self-confidence.

Thanks for reading!!!

Ham and Cheese Biscuit Bake was a HIT!

I'm back on track and LOVING it! I've made it a personal goal to get to the gym 5 mornings a week. I'm on week 2 and so far so good! I still hate mornings. I still come up with a daily excuse to stay home...today was the blister on my toe. But I get there anyway.

I have to. I haven't made it to ONEderland yet. I'm still 2 pounds away. It's so close and sooooo frustrating!

I keep readjusting my goal. I have no idea when I'll be done or happy/content. I guess I'll know when I get there though. My current goal is 185. Why 185? Well...once I get below 200, I NEVER want to go back. I figure 185 gives me some good wiggle room for holidays/vacations, random Tuesdays, etc., when I can easily gain 10 pounds. Of course I will then work off those 10 gained pounds but as I said I NEVER want to be over 200 again. It's been 23 years since I was One Hundred and anything. Wow! If I got there, no---when I get there, WOW!

I made that Ham and Cheese Biscuit Bake last night. It was delicious!!! Here's the recipe:

-12 reduced fat flaky layer biscuits
-3/4 cup of egg whites
-3 T skim milk
-2 tsp of garlic salt or garlic powder
-2 lean ham steaks, diced
-7 oz bag of reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 11x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Mix egg whites, milk and garlic salt in a bowl. Cut biscuit dough into 4-6 chunks each. Ross in egg mixture. Pour into baking dish, making sure dough is in one layer only. Sprinkle with ham and cheese, toss to make it even. Bake for about 20-25 minutes till biscuit dough is golden. Cut into 16 equal servings.

1/16 of pan = 5 Pts + (actually its a little less than 5 but I rounded up).

It was delicious! Like ham and cheese monkey bread!! It got the kids' seal of approval!!

One Day at a Time :-)

I met up with good friends last night for dinner. While Olive Garden is not exactly synonymous with healthy eating, they post their nutritional info on their website. Therefore you have every opportunity to make it work for you! I had a delicious meal, yummy salad, breadstick and even an Andes mint for 21 points. I get 32 for the day so obviously planning for that dinner was necessary..but certainly doable! And the company was even better than the meal :-) Dinner pictures below...looks scrumptious, doesn't it?

You have to live a little. You have to be able to eat out, plan for it, not feel guilty. That's the only way I could call something a lifestyle, not a diet.

I said it before (and I'll say it again), Advocare is genuinely a great program. It's research backed. It's a healthy eating plan. The supplements are fantastic. I do think they work. The 24 Day Challenge is a great jump start to a new healthy lifestyle and an excellent plateau breaker. Let's be honest. After 24 days of putting only healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods into your mouth, if you have any desire to continue with being healthy...you'll be thrilled to eat just 1 slice of pizza. You won't need the 3 or 4 you used to eat. But alas, self control (see yesterday's post) must come in to play.

Honestly, I can't wait for August to do a cleanse again. Bring on the sea monkey drink!! Lol!! I felt great and loved watching my weight and size drop to virtually a record low.

But as part of my "experiment", I need to see how Weight Watchers works back into my life. I'm also trying to be realistic in a sense that I don't know that I could do Advocare forever. It's expensive, even with my discount for being a distributor, and it's restrictive. Restrictions can be good...and they even say you only have to be in plan 80% to see results...but if I'm shelling out good money I want THE BEST results, not just good. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal (see yesterday's post again, lol).

So, I'm back to counting points, weighing in at meetings...with an amazingly motivational leader. I've been sporadically making it there for meetings though. The kids' have me running all over creation. I wonder if I could organize a WW meeting at the baseball field, lol! I have to get back. It really does make a difference. There's something about weighing in front of someone (not that they care or judge) and also from the support that I get from the other members. I always take something away from the meeting.

Here's my menu for the day...

Breakfast: 100% whole wheat English muffin (3 Pts) with 1 T natural PB (3 Pts) and 1/2 banana, sliced 0 Pts. Total:6

Snack: fresh fruit salad and 1 hard boiled egg white (0 Pts)

Lunch: tossed salad with one slice of ham wrapped around a low fat string cheese, cut up (2 pts) and 2 T Newman's lite balsamic (1 pt)...maybe an apple and another egg white...total: 3 Pts

Snack: assorted raw veggies and a individual lite ranch dip cup (2 Pts)

Dinner: Ham and Cheese Bisquit Bake...pictured below...
I've adapted the recipe. I'll make sure it works and that it's yummy. If it is, I'll post my own picture and the recipe tomorrow. With my tweaks it should be 5 Pts per serving. I'll eat 2 helpings plus steamed broccoli. Total: 10 Pts

Dessert: Ya gotta have dessert! I'll probably eat a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with some raisins and almond milk...I love it at night!! 1 cup cereal, sprinkle of raisins, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk= 6 Pts.

And I still have 3 points left!!! Maybe I'll treat myself to an individual bag of microwave popcorn too!!!

I have no self control!

Strict plans like the 24 Day Challenge were made for people like me. If you tell me to follow the rules, eat these things, not those...I'll do it. It'll work. It did work!

So does Weight Watchers. I have done Weight Watchers more times than I care to count. I have been VERY successful. I would NEVER knock their program. It is truly a livable, doable, forever way of eating. But here's my problem...you can eat anything. Just count those points and plan for it... but food is my drug of choice. And sometimes if I have a little of it...I have soooo much trouble stopping!!!

Well Friday went well. I ate a healthy and low point breakfast and lunch. I saved my points for a splurge-like dinner of pizza and even a few wings. I worked out. I was good!

Saturday started out ok. We had my daughter's 1st Communion. I was too busy for breakfast, I grabbed a low fat string cheese and an apple and headed out the door. Good choice! At the party, I was under control. I ate veggies and hummus, fresh fruit and small portions of my favorite dishes from the caterer. I had 1 cookie and a teeny tiny piece of cake. I counted...I was very close to my max for the day. We went home.

The wheels fell off the bus! I was tired. I was NOT hungry. I should have bathed the kids and went to bed. Instead, I went to my Mom's to visit with family. Who doesn't love that? But there I should have kept my mouth shut. Remember, I was NOT hungry! But I ate...hoagie pieces and chips. They were good for like a second...but I knew I shouldn't eat them and I had immediate guilt. So I ate another hoagie piece...see where I'm going with this?

Then yesterday was Cinco de Mayo...so there were tacos and chips and guacamole and margaritas....Dios Mio!!!

I could have controlled myself. I should've controlled myself. But I have no self control...especially when I'm tired! I know that. I need to plan better next time.

I'm meeting with some friends for dinner tonight. We're going to Olive Garden, which isn't the most healthy place to eat. But I'm armed with the nutritional facts. Surprisingly, Lobster Cannelloni is only 13 points +...a breadstick 4, salad is almost zero without dressing, I'll have mine on the side and dip my fork into it. I can do this!

I went to the gym at 5:15 am...I am by no means a morning person but I like to get it out of the way, lol! I ate an egg white sandwich for breakfast, a salad and fresh fruit for lunch, I have some veggies with Greek yogurt dip for a snack. I'll enjoy my dinner with friends. I'll be within my points...then I'll promptly go to bed! Wish me luck!!!

No recipe for today but I promise I'll post one soon...I saw a really yummy bisquit bake on Facebook that I'm adapting to make healthier...

Thanks for keeping me honest!!!

Drumroll Please.........

24 Days down! Challenge accepted and completed!!!

Am I happy with my results? Hmmmm, well-my clothes were literally falling off of me. I NEEDED new pants, desperately. I had been wearing 16w or straight 16s. I was pretty happy there. I still remember the not-so-distant time when I wore 26/28!! So 16s, and XLs were a very welcome and comfortable fit.

But they had gotten too big. I figured I'd be in all 16s...saying goodbye to the plus sized "W's" once and for all. Guess what? I am a solid 14 and even most 12s fit!!!!! I was dancing around with tears in my eyes! Me...a 12!?!?! Holy Smokes!!!!!

Let's put this in perspective...the average American woman is a size 14. Many believe Marilyn Monroe was a 12. I'm Marilyn Monroe! (In my mind at least). I'm below average! I've never been so happy to be below average in my life!!!

Over 24 days I managed to break a 3 month plateau. I lost 8 lbs...respectable but not astonishing...a challenge teammate lost 22!. But the big loss was inches for me...21.5 total inches lost!!

Here's where they disappeared from, never to return...
Waist: -6.5
Hips: -4
Neck: -.5 (thank God because I was worried about my fat neck, lol)
Thighs: -2
Arms: -2
Calves: -1.5
Chest: -2.5 (I thought we had an understanding about this weight loss angels?!?)
Shoulders: -1
Forearms:-1

Yep...I'd say I'm pleased. I lost 8 stubborn pounds, 21.5 inches and dropped 2 pants/dress sizes. WOOHOOOOO!!!

I wonder what the BMI charts say about me now. I'll have to check. Maybe I'm just overweight, no longer obese. I'll check tonight!!! OMGoodness...what if I'm close to normal? I'll get there!!!!

So I'm excited for a little splurge tonight. I'll indulge in some real NEPA pizza, maybe even a beer! But...but, I'm not going crazy. I woke up both yesterday and today and realized I am still on a journey to continues health. I counted my WW points yesterday...including the 1/4 of an ice cream cone I ate before it fell to the ground (I think someone was trying to remind me to not celebrate too much). I had egg whites on a 100% whole grain flat for breakfast. I'm having a grilled chicken salad with LOTS of veggies for lunch. And then tonight, with the points that I've saved/allotted for, I'll eat pizza...gooey, cheesy pizza. 2 slices. Not 4.

I've made up my mind to go 100% off supplements this month. I'll follow WW with as much passion and vigor as ever. I think the cleanse/detox and challenge did exactly what I needed it to do. It got rid of the junk in my intestines. It allowed my body and metabolism to work for me, not against me. With this preparation, I believe I have set myself up for continues success on any healthy eating/exercise plan I choose.

I'll complete a challenge again. You need to wait 90 days in between cleanses. You can follow the challenge forever but you need to give your digestive tract time to regenerate it's natural flora...90 days. So I'm thinking that August 1st...I'll be ready for an end of summer challenge!

I have a few friends and family members who are starting challenges this week and next. I'm here to support them all the way. If anyone is interested in learning more about the 24 Day Challenge, the Cleanse etc., let me know. I'll support you too!

I'll continue my blog, discussing my journey with full on Weight Watchers. I'll keep posting recipes. I'll include tips I learn etc. if anyone has any suggestions on things you'd like me to explain, research, even try...I'm open to it all!

This health thing isn't a fad. It's life. This is the one body God gave me. Life means making mistakes but recognizing that you always have another chance, another day. I'll do my best. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading! Thanks for holding me accountable!!!

Here are the before and after shots...I'm still not ready to wear that outfit in public. But I know if you are reading this or lolling at these pics you either a.) love me or b.) struggle with weight/health yourself.

Don't gag...

Last Day!!! Wow, that FLEW!

Today is day 24 of my 24 Day Challenge. I wasn't as perfect as I had hoped to be. Stress got the better of me this last week, but that's real life. Overall, I did well...I think...I hope! I guess we'll find out tomorrow with my final weigh in and measure.

I consider myself to be a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to nutrition and overall health. That doesn't mean I always use that knowledge, lol! But I have it :-). The past 24 days forced me to do what I know is best for my body. To eat what is good for me. To make good choices...fruits and veggies, lean proteins, complex carbs and even healthy fats. In the real world you may need a cookie, or a beer or a greasy chicken wing. But for 24 days I tried to be REALLY good. Can it last forever? Of course not! But it proves I can do it. It forces you to analyze choices, read labels, choose minimally processed foods.

Advocare never expects anyone to live the challenge 100% on plan, 100% forever. If you can be even 80% healthy, you'll succeed. I stuck to about 95% on plan over the 24 days. (This percentage has been pulled out of my now smaller butt and has no scientific or mathematical basis, lol...just my guess).

I know I can continue at 80%. I can read labels, make clean choices. I can do this on any plan I follow or even if I have no real plan at all. I've done it before.

So how much did the supplements affect weight loss, inches lost, overall health? That's my big question. I'm anxious to tally my completed results tomorrow and compare pictures.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do for round 2. Right now, I'm leaning towards dropping the supplements all together to see how or if I continue losing. I have some soul searching and pondering to do tonight...right after teaching till 4:15, 2 baseball games, shopping for 1st Communion paper products, homework, dinner, baths and bed---lol!

2 recipes for today!!! 1 a success. 1 an epic fail!

Eggplant Lasagna (Success-yummy!)
-1 large eggplant, sliced thinly & lengthwise
-1 lb of 93-95% lean ground beef or turkey
-8oz sliced mushrooms
-2 jars of Classico Tomato Basil Sauce (very clean) or your own sauce
-1 small container (16oz) Fat Free Ricotta
-1/2 cup egg whites
-1 T Italian seasoning
-1 cup Fat Free shredded mozzarella
-1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella

Brown ground beef and mushrooms in a pan and drain. Add sauce to meat mix. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, egg whites and Italian seasoning.
In a 9 x13 pan, spread some sauce to cover the bottom, layer with eggplant, then ricotta, then sauce, then mozzarella mix. Repeat. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Eggplant should be fork tender. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set and cool slightly before cutting and serving.

This made 12 nice sized portions at 3 points + each!

I ate 3 servings :-). I was sooooo full but it was the comfort food I needed! Not a great habit to indulge in but healthier than doing it with my original lasagna recipe!



Dried Strawberries/Healthy Fruit Snacks (FAIL!)

Not sure if you even want this recipe but I'll post it anyway. Maybe I did something wrong...

-2 lbs of ripe strawberries, quartered...would be better even smaller I think.
-that's it, lol!

Preheat oven to 200. Place strawberries on a baking sheet, seed side down. Bake for 3 hours. At each 30 minute mark, open oven to allow air in (not sure why but this was a suggestion I saw). At the halfway point (1.5 hrs), flip the strawberries.

They're supposed to firm up. Some compared them to Twizzlers. Some said fruit snacks. I thought more along the lines of mushy, baked then cooled strawberries with the occasional edge that seemed almost like candy till you bit into the mushy strawberry part...
Waste of 3 hours and $5. My kids and I LOVE fresh strawberries. We'll stick with the originals. I'm pretty confident I could find a healthy fruit snack at Wegmans, Whole Foods or Trader Joes. I'm also ok with feeding them the occasional pack that's not healthy at all that costs $0.20 a piece for the few times they eat them, lol! Oh well, I tried!

Along with the pics of the strawberries and eggplant lasagna, I've included a picture of some yummy, healthy, crunchy snacks that I found at Wegmans. They were REALLY good...wayyyy better than mine :-). I don't think I posted about them before...if I did, forgive my forgetfulness :-)

See you tomorrow with measurement updates and comparison pictures ...