Poppy Seed Chicken - 5 PointsPlus

Poppy Seed Chicken

Course: main meals
PointsPlus™ Value:  5
Servings:  8

Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  30 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Cook and de-bone

3 item(s) cooked skinless chicken drumstick

3 item(s) cooked skinless chicken thigh with bone,

In separate bowl, mix together:

1 1/2 cup(s) light sour cream   

2 can 98% Fat Free Cream Chicken Soup 1/2 cup, unprepared   

1 tsp poppy seeds   

Add chicken to soup and sour cream.  Pour in a 9x13 pan.

In a zip top bag, crush:

20 cracker(s) Nabisco Ritz Whole wheat crackers   

Add:

½ - 1 tsp olive oil   

Pour crumbs on top of mixture.  Bake at 375^o for 30-35 minutes.

Mission: Not Accomplished.... and a Confession

As I mentioned in my last post, I was at my mother's over the weekend.  Yum.  Delicious food - even more delish since I didn't have to cook it! :)  WI was an encouragement though... I am down 0.6 lbs.   Yay!  It's smaller number and I'll take it!  It wasn't the 3+ lbs loss I need to reach 20 lbs though (my goal for last week).  Although disappointed in myself, I'm putting last week behind me and moving ahead.

My dear sister and her hubby have joined WW!  I'm really excited about that.  And... here's the confession: it's helping me see WW through new eyes.  By 'new eyes' I'm meaning: seeing it as a new member again.  Which is good!

On my sister's blog, she mentioned her coffee with 1 PointsPlus creamer.  I kinda woke me up to realize (confession #2)

1. I never count my coffee and creamer
2. I have no idea how much creamer I put in my coffee.

So here I am "unable" to loose this weight.  Stuck.  Blaming it on a plateau or whatever you want to call it.  Whose fault is it?  Then I began to think about all the other things I don't count or measure.

And guess what this week's meeting was about????? If you guessed "measuring and counting everything" you guessed right.  This weeks challenge is to find 10 foods that you regularly eat but don't measure or properly count.

Right off the top of my head, here are a few things:

1. Coffee creamer
2. Cheese
3. Salad dressing (after all, I am using light dressing!)
4. My evening cappuccino... never.  ever. tracked it.  Even though I know it's 2 or 3 PointsPlus.

This morning I measured out 2 Tbsp. of coffee creamer and counted the points.  Two. Whole. Points.  And guess what... it wasn't anywhere near what I normally drink in my coffee.  I'm guessing I normally use 4 Tbsp.  *Gulp.*  As soon as I get the chance, I intend to measure out those other items instead of blissfully eyeballing it.

So this weeks goal is to count everything.  I mean EVERYTHING... And hopefully... I'll hit that 20 lb. mark this week!

Weekend

I had a wonderful 3 whole days away from home!  It was wonderful!  72 wonderful hours away from home... a mini vaca if you would.  Did I mention that is was wonderful?

We actually just went to my parents house.  I was a bit surprised with DH suggested we take a vacation day from work and create our own three day weekend.  I readily agreed and we had so much fun.  No big plans, just relaxing and spending time with family.  My son had a blast with his Papa and Granna... he wasn't ready to come home!

Of course, with family, comes food!  Since we left the house around 3:15 PM on Thursday, we had to eat dinner on the road.  I'd fully intended to request Taco Bell (I LOVE their fresco style tacos!) but we somehow ended up in the Western Sizzlin' parking lot.  Thankfully, they had a beautiful salad bar.  I had a salad, made with baby spinach too, along with mushrooms, broccoli, olives, turkey, eggs, cheese (very little), and few other lighter toppings.  They didn't have a dressing marked 'light' so I went ahead with good ol' ranch.  It was delish.  I ended up going back to the bar for a small helping of meatloaf, green beans, smashed potatos, and about 4 pieces of fried okra.  Keep in mind that I used a child size plate for my second trip... so it was small portions of everything previously mentioned.  If only I would have stopped there... But no, the ice cream bar beckoned and I succummed to temptation.  A small bowl of ice cream, with minimal toppings... yummmmm!

The rest of the weekend was Mom's breakfasts (2 of them - both great!), one lunch trip to Cici's (which included another large salad), and three (yes, three!) church dinners.  I did my best and hopefully it will pay off.  If I stay the same, I will be fine with that...  But, oh Lord, please don't let me gain again!

All things considered, it was a great weekend... and I enjoyed eating! 

So what did you do this weekend?

Fitness...

So this morning... I was burning fat!  Not sure it smelled like bacon, but I can hope! 

I remember my dad describing what "iniquity" was when I was about 7 years old.  Maybe younger.  He said it was doing something you know you shouldn't do OR not doing something you should do.  I'm pretty sure fitness fits in that category.  Ha ha. 

My kind of fitness is taking a walk with my son.  I'm not into joining a gym or beating a path on a treadmill...  Last night, I walked with my son.  I thought I was in pretty good shape until then.  This morning, (*go me!*) I got up at 6:00 AM (yes, 6:00 comes twice a day) and worked out at the fitness center my employer provides.  Yes, my employer provides a very nice fitness center.  Free. of. charge.  Exactly one city street away from my house.  I have no excuse except that it's all the way around the corner... *whine*

Since I'm doing my best to hit the 20 lb mark this week - and I'm holding you accountable to hold me accountable - I figured I'd better get over to the sweet little fitness center and take care of some iniquity in my life. 

Amazingly enough... after that workout, I feel like I could take on the world.  Go figure.

Are you kidding me???

I've already blogged about setbacks so it hardly seems appropriate to do so again... but here I am.  Set back.  Great...

Yes, I gained again this week.  My official weigh in was up 0.6 lbs.  I know that may not seem like much BUT add that to the last .06 gain (that I still haven't lost) and I'm officially up 1.2 lbs. A big disappointment to me.

I'm setting a new goal for myself.  20 lbs (total weight loss) by next Monday (2/21/11).  I can do this.  I know I can.  I need to loose just over 3 lbs.  I will do it.  By watching what I eat and getting in some exercise activity.  But I need your help.

I need to know that someone is holding me accountable.  If you're reading this blog, please leave a comment and say it: I'm holding you accountable.  I need to know someone is reading this and will be watching me to see how I'm doing.  And then please, check back and see if I came through...

FYI: I will be with my Mom over the entire weekend - this adds to the challenge, but I know I can do it!

Non-scale Victories

I had a non-scale victory (NSV) this weekend.  Yay!  By saying "non-scale" I'm meaning that I had one of those "wow-I've-lost-weight" moments and it had nothing to do with a number on the scale.  Non-scale victories can be buying a smaller size, realizing your measurements have dropped, sleeping better, etc.

You see... our church had a sweetheart banquet on Saturday night.  The shirt I bought "just" fit.  As in, three weeks ago, when I bought the shirt, I probably couldn't have got it on, but now it fits.  I was slightly self-conscious about it, but not enough to ruin my night. 

Then, I saw the picture that was taken of my DH and I at the banquet.  I was so happy to see my (our!) weight loss!  It felt great!  It was motivating.  I love the picture of both of us and I'm having it printed.   For two reasons:

1. because my hubby looks so great
2. because I look smaller
3. because we're both smiling and look so in love

Okay... so that's three reasons, but who's counting?

Please share your non-scale victory with me!  You deserve a pat on the back so speak up and share!

Laugh of the day

Everyone who knows my DH very well, knows he LOVES snow and winter.  He's been threatened with his life over the last two snows.  Several people have sent him the picture from above.  He has a great sense of humor and laughs... but admits, he's had enough to last him a while!

Biggest Loser



One of my skinny friends was talking about how much they loved the show "Biggest Loser." I decided to check it out.  Wow.  That's all I know to say.  Wow.  It doesn't get much more motivating than that!  Seriously, I was about ready to do some jumping jacks or at the very least, sit on a treadmill!  Goodness!

And then Moses hit the 100 lb mark - in a mere 6 weeks!  Oh my.  A new record for Biggest Loser.  I was shocked and cried.  Yes, I admit it.  I cry over that show.  I cried with Jen when she found out she was safe and was NOT going home this week!  (Yay!!! She's one of my favorites!) Am I the only one that cries when this show is on?  I don't know why I cry... maybe it's because I identify with these people?  Who knows, but it's a real blubber fest when I'm watching.  ☺

So what about you?  Do you watch the show?  Do you shed a tear or all out blubber?  If you haven't ever watched the show, it's fun.. and although I could care less about the game part of the show, my favorite part is sharing those weight loss victories with them!  And seriously, this show makes me want to get in shape and eat right.

Laugh of the day

Potato's - A Love/Hate Relationship

I love potatoes... cooked about any way.  Fried, mashed, baked, cheesy, tots/fries, and of course, every one's favorite: Lay's Potato Chips!  For several months now, I've avoided potatoes.  My traditional potato is baked (in the micro) and topped with (light) cheese, bacon, (light) sour cream, (light) butter... but, ugh.. all those "lights" add up to a whopping 7-10 PointsPlus.  Depending on how carried away I would get.

 Last week, I posted my very own creation, Potato Toss. (I'm not very creative when naming recipes)  I really wanted a potato last night, but had used all of my zucchini and kielbasa on the original creation.  Instead, I chopped my potato, tossed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, added my preferred seasoning (garlic salt, season salt, chives, cayenne, pepper, etc) and cooked in a skillet for 10? minutes.  It was delicious.  Total PointsPlus value: 6!  Yesss! I actually think I prefer the taste of this potato over my baked potato!

I decided to look up some information about potatoes to support my love of the spud.. Here's what I found on the Weight Watchers website:

• An average potato, eaten with the skin, provides 45 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin C and is a better source of potassium than bananas. It’s also a good source of fiber, iron and magnesium.
• As often as possible, eat the potato with the peel — just rinse and scrub. While it’s not true that all the potato’s nutrition is found in the peel, much of the fiber is, which aids digestion and helps you feel full longer.

And this from http://www.organicfacts.net/:

• Weight Gain: Potatoes are mounds of carbohydrates and contain little proteins too. This makes it an ideal diet for those lean and thins who desperately want to put on weight. The vitamins like vitamin-C and B-complex also help in proper absorption of this carbohydrate. That is why they make an inevitable part of the diet of Sumo Wrestlers.
• High Blood Pressure: Since high blood pressure is caused due to a number of reasons, including diabetes, tension, indigestion, nature of food and many such, different are the cures. Potato can be used to relieve High Blood Pressure due to tension, indigestion etc. due to abundance of vitamin-C and B in it, but should be avoided if it is due to diabetes. The fiber present in it is helpful in lowering cholesterol and improves functioning of insulin in the body, which aids to lowering of blood pressure, since there is a direct relation between the blood pressure and the glucose level in the blood and insulin regulates this glucose level.
• Heart Diseases: Apart from the vitamins (B-complex, C), minerals and roughage, potatoes also contain certain substances called Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin etc.) which are beneficial for heart and other internal organs. But again, since it raises the glucose level in the blood and over intake may cause obesity, which in turn can put a lot of pressure on your heart; hence it is not recommended for obese or diabetic people.
• Other Benefits and Cautions: Juice of potato is a good treatment for burns, bruises, sprains, skin problems, ulcers, effect of narcotics, cancer of prostrate and uterus and formation of cysts or tumors. On the other hand, some care also needs to be taken while eating potatoes. Green potatoes are poisonous, and so are potato leaves and fruits, as they contain alkaloids like solanine, chaconine and arsenic whose overdose may prove fatal. Moreover, the glycemic index (in simple words, the energy or sugar content) of potatoes is very high (above 80) and so obese, diabetic and those who are slimming down should avoid eating potatoes. If eaten, potatoes are better baked than raw or fried.

There was a lot more listed on the website, but I'm trying to condense here.  So my theory is this:


Live everything else, potatoes are great - when eaten in moderation!


Do you like potatoes? What is your favorite, low-fat, potato recipe?

2/8/11 Challenge

This week's challenge from my Weight Watcher's group is:

Create a list of 10 things to do INSTEAD of eating

1. Play with my son
2. Watch re-runs or online episodes of The Biggest Looser
3. Clean the house, do laundry, mop floors, or some other neccessity-but-no-fun chore
4. Write a letter/email/blog
5. Call a family member to say "I love you."
6. Read a book, crochet, quilt, scrap book, sew (what ever hobby suits your taste)
7. Watch a movie
8. Take a nice hot bath
9. Go for a walk
10. Look through an old family album for some good hearty laughs

So what's on your list of things to do instead of mindless aka FLAB eating? 

Frustrated

Lonely

Angry

Bored

Setbacks happen!

Last week's meeting was about set backs.  Very appropriate for for my week.  Chris' birthday was Jan. 25th.  We celebrated Monday night with fried chicken, Tuesday night with home made pizza, then of course, the weekend happened.  Read: chinese buffet Saturday night!

With Weight Watchers, you have a daily PointsPlus target, and then bonus points to use as you see fit.  All or none.  They're great.  I try to save them for the weekends.  But when your week starts out with fried chicken and pizza, trust me, the points disappear in a hurry.

I expected gain last week.  No surprise that I'd gained .6 lbs. This week, I did much better.  I didn't get in as much activity, but stayed within my point range.  Of course, Sunday night was the Super Bowl.  And it's against some unwritten law to watch the Super Bowl without nachos.  And to make us feel even better, we had cheese sticks, garlic feta cheese dip with pita chips (my downfall), cheeseball, and some other yummy stuff. I felt I did fairly well, but it must not have been quite good enough. 

Weigh in was last night.  I weighed in exactly the same as I did last week.  I'm ready to be back on track.  I'd fully intended to go to the fitness center this AM, but stayed up WAY too late last night working on a project.  I barely drug myself out of bed as it was...

This weeks meeting was about eating only when truly hungry vs FLAB eating..

Frustrated
Lonely
Angry
Bored

Our challenge for the week is to make a list of 10 things to do instead of eating.  Expect that on my next post...

Potato Toss

My very own creation... and we LOVED it!

Potato Toss

Course: side dishes
PointsPlus™ Value:    6
Servings:  4

Preparation Time:  0 min
Cooking Time:  0 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil   

2 large potato, red, white   

2 cup(s) zucchini   

1 medium onion(s)   

1 cup(s) mushroom(s)   

6 oz Boar's Head Kielbasa   

1 tsp garlic salt   

1 tsp Lawry's® Seasoned salt 25% less sodium   

1 tsp black pepper   

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Chop potatoes, onion, and zuchinni, and keilbasa in large pieces. Cook the potatoes (with seasoning) first, covering with a lid. Cook 5-7 minutes then add onion. Cook another 3-4 minutes and add zuchinni. Last, add the keilbasa and mushrooms. Stir ingredients while cooking.
(season with your preference of seasoning and your preferred amounts)

Self Portriat

Me. 11:30 at night... so don't look too close.
Me.  All 2xx lbs.
Me.  The pear shaped 23 year old stuck in a 30 year old's body!



Weight Watchers - The good, the bad...

Weight Watchers has been a wonderful plan for me.  It's flexible, doesn't require special/pre-packaged food, and it works.  Doggone it... it works!  Above are my stats since 10/25/10... not bad.  Although this past week's gain killed my average.  I'm doing my best to drop a chuck this week and that average will go back up.

The good:

• It works - when you follow the plan - it works.  If I'd actually get some activity in, it would work any better
• It's so easy you don't really feel like you're on a diet.  I mean - what other diet lets you have pizza and ice cream?
• It's healthy.  Of course, you have to make good choices, but when you do, it's a well balanced plan.
• The website.  I love the mobile tracking, getting those fun stars when you loose and encouragement when you gain.
• I can cook one meal.  As in, I don't have to cook for Bubby and Daddy then a separate meal for me.  This is probably my favorite benefit.
• The meetings - supportive - and as an added benefit... it's two hours of wonderful Mommy time.  As in, no kids, mommy goes to the library and Wally-world and enjoys two blissful hours!
• Activity... any movement counts.  You're not required to join a gym or walk a million miles a day.  Of course, it's encouraged, but I'm living proof that you don't have to exercise your heart out to loose weight.
• Mini-goals.  I've hit the first goal (5%) and am working towards the next 5%... they're much more attainable!

The bad:

• 40 bucks/month.  Of course, when I consider how much longer my groceries last when I'm on plan, I'm sure I save that $40/month on my grocery bill.
• I'm frustrated with part of the new plan... they won't tell you how to figure your own daily PointsPlus target.  Grr.  I really want My Man to do WW with me, but haven't a clue how many points he should be allowed with the new plan.
• Their stinkin' recipes... half the stuff in their cookbooks, I've never even heard of it.

I guess the good outweighs the bad... I'm still thinking of the downfalls, but so far, this is all I'm coming up with.

I haven't told a lot of people that I'm on WW.  For some reason, it just feels better not to say anything at all.  I'm letting people figure it out on their own.  So far, not too many comments.  The nice thing is that when no one knows, they don't feel that obligation to be your conscious.  As in "I thought you were on WW..." or "how many points is that?"  You just want to say "Shut up - it's my body and I'll fill it with pizza if I want to."  Okay so that's a little harsh, but not too far from the truth.

So this is why WW is my preferred method of weight loss...

My Story...

So... since I was 10? 11? years old, I have struggled with weight.  I remember going with  my mother to help her prepare for a wedding shower at Stone County National Bank.  I remember eating cake until I thought I was going to be sick.  For years, I blamed my weight gain on that night.  I felt fat after eating all that cake and it seemed the feeling never went away.  I've not told very many people about that night... and now I'm posting it on the internet. 

Long story - but I won't bore you with it.  It's pretty cliche'.  Weight ups and weight downs. 

When I was dating I weighed 150-160... and when the weight went up, I knew how to change my eating habits and the weight would fall back down to the 150 mark.  I was brought up eating very healthy, but somehow managed to get those genes.  On my wedding day, I believe I weighed 154.  And boy, I struggled back then with my weight.  I thought I was SO fat!   Boy was I wrong!

After marriage, I very quickly put on 20 lbs.  20 became 30.  30 became 40. (about 7 year time span) I decided I wanted to do something about my weight and joined Weight Watchers.  I was very successful and lost 35 lbs.  Back to 180!  Even though I was doing so well, I didn't see it in myself and didn't enjoy the weight loss.  I kept remembering how "fat" I was at 150 and knew I had to get there, plus loose another 20 lbs.  I really wish I'd stuck it out instead of becoming defeated.  Yes, I gained the 35 lbs back... plus.

Then, here came my beautiful baby boy!  After 10 years of marriage, I was very excited to be pregnant and then to finally hold that wonderful baby.   I'd gained 30 lbs through my pregnancy... Thanks to breast feeding, I lost 35 lbs after I had my baby.  Wow!  My doctor was so impressed. 

Oh wait... I was telling the short version...

October 25, 2010... my dear sister #2 convinced me to go back to WW with her.  I did it so I could be supportive and helpful.  I weighed in at a grand total of 225.  Size 20 skirts.  Ugh.  Depressing. But that first week, I lost 4 lbs!  I was shocked.  I'd forgotten how easy the WW plan was!

Fast forward to today... I'm approximatly 18 lbs lighter. Wohoo!  Sure, it seems kind of slow going, but I'll take it.  Since that fateful day in October, I've only logged 2 gains!  Which is very good, if you ask me.  My average weight loss has been 1.6 lbs.  I intend to keep it up. 

So this blog is about my struggles... it my place to vent... and my place to congratulate ME.  Who knows... maybe I'll get real crazy and try a new recipe or something.  Tomorrow I intend to line out the pro's and con's (IMHO) of following the WW plan.

Welcome aboard.