On the Menu This Week

Greek Style Cheeseburgers
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Roasted Cornish Hens with Quinoa and Broccoli

Thursday, December 31, 2009

December in Brief

December in a few quick stats....

Days in November that I counted all my points: 24

Number of days I did high intensity activity(ie worked up a sweat): 18

Number of days I did moderate or low intensity activity: 9

Number of days I did some form of organized activity: 27

Number of days I reached my 30 minute activity goal: 28

Fast Food Eaten: 0

Meals Eaten Out: 9

Sodas Consumed: 0

Glasses of Wine: 13

Servings of Beer: 2

Total Weight lost: 1 pounds

Total Inches lost: (not sure)

December 31st Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 31.5 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(5) -Kringle, pear
Lunch (5)-Mushroom, Barley Soup and mandarin oranges
Dinner (21.5)-1/2 serving Sausage, Bulgur and Kale, cheeseball and trisquits, champagne

Earned 5 activity points on the treadmill

Running Weekly totals used 26 of 35 weekly points, earned 29 activity points

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

December 30th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 21 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(4) -oatmeal, brown sugar, pear
Lunch (6)-Lemon Chicken Soup with orzo
Dinner (11)-Chicken Cacciatore(5), brown rice (3), beer (3)

Earned 5 activity points on the treadmill

Running Weekly totals used 19.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 24 activity points

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

December 29th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(6.5) -English muffin, neufchâtel, pear
Lunch (6)-Beef, Mushroom and Barley Soup
Dinner (12)-Beef Bourguignon (5) Potatoes (2), Tomato Basil Soup (1) Chocolate (3) asparagus with brown butter sauce (1) half servings of each

Earned 5 activity points on the treadmill

Running Weekly totals used 19.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 19 activity points

Monday, December 28, 2009

December 28th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points. Earned 6 activity points.

Breakfast(7) -granola, yogurt and a pear
Lunch (9)-Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo (6), Sourdough (2), Brummel and Brown (1)
Dinner (9)-Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup (7), apple cider (2)

Earned 6 activity points on the treadmill and step aerobics

Running Weekly totals used 19.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 14 activity points

Sunday, December 27, 2009

December 27th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 31 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(5.5) -english muffin with brummel and brown and pear
Lunch (10.5)-Sausage, bulgur and kale(6), chocolate bar(4.5)
Dinner (15)-Beef Bourguignon (10), potatoes (3), wine (2)

Earned 5 activity points on the treadmill

Running Weekly totals used 19.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 8 activity points

Went and saw avatar, good movie worth seeing in 3D

December 26th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 36.5 of 25 points. Earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast(11.5) -english muffin with butter and latte
Lunch (11)-Roast Beef Panini
Snack (1)-pear
Dinner (13)-Roast beef, roast potatoes Zucchini, persimmon pudding, red wine


Running Weekly totals used 13.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 3 activity points

Back on the wagon after a week of not counting points

December 25th Food and Exercise Diary

Breakfast() -kringle, english muffin, butter, scrambled eggs and bacon
Lunch ()-turkey, stuffing, dinner roll and cherry pie with splenda
Dinner ()-persimmon pudding

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 10 activity points

December 24th Food and Exercise Diary

Breakfast() -cereal with milk
Lunch ()-nachos with reduced fat cheese
Dinner ()-prime rib with horseradish sauce, roasted potatoes and parsnips, roasted brussels sprouts, yorkshire pudding, persimmon pudding with brandy sauce

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 10 activity points

December 23rd Food and Exercise Diary

Breakfast() -banana oatmeal with walnuts
Lunch ()-Cracked Crab with tomato basil soup
Dinner ()-chicken panini with pesto


Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 10 activity points

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Recipe of the Week 12/19/09

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 14.5 oz can ground peeled tomatoes
  • 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil.

Place the pot of soup directly in sink, and using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serving Size 1 cup (1 WW point) (2 points for 2 cups)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

December 22nd Food and Exercise Diary

Earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast() -peanutbutter, banana, sandwich thin
Lunch ()-Cracked Crab with Salad and Sourdough (9.5)
Dinner ()-greek dinner (pita, hummus, baba ganoush, gyro meats, greek salad), beer

Earned 2 activity points on the wii fit.

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 10 activity points

Pain in my left ankle and right knee so taking tomorrow off from activity to see if it helps.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

December 21st Food and Exercise Diary

Earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast() -peanutbutter, banana, sandwich thin
Lunch ()-Tomato Basil Soup (2), sourdough (2)
Dinner ()-chili beef tacos, roasted cauliflower, non-fat refried beans

Earned 5 activity points on the EA active and wii fit.

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 8 activity points

December 20th Food and Exercise Diary

Earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast() -eggs benedict
Lunch ()-kozy shack low fat chocolate pudding
Dinner ()-fondue (cheese, veggie/meat, chocolate) wine and and port...

Birthday dinner at The Melting Pot
I'm not tracking points this week, except activity al

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 3 activity points

Sunday, December 20, 2009

December 19th Food and Exercise Diary

Earned 1 activity points.

Breakfast() -mandarin oranges, pear
Lunch ()-Tomato Basil Soup (2), sourdough (2)
Snack ()-hot buttered rum, cookies, fudge, soup etc (21.5)
Dinner ()-cheeseburger, fries, beer (18.5)

Lost 0.6 pounds, went to a christmas party oh my :P
I'm not tracking points this week, except activity al

Running Weekly totals used ?? of 35 weekly points, earned 1 activity points

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Recipe of the Week 12/12/09

Thai Pork & Peanut Sauce

Adapted from a cooking light recipe

Serve over hot jasmine rice

Ingredients


2 pounds lean pork loin
2 large sweet red peppers
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup peanut butter
Chopped green onion, for garnish
Chopped dry roasted peanuts, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Coat crock pot with cooking spray.

Put pork, bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic in crockpot. Cover and cook on low until pork is fork tender, 6-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours).

Remove pork and coarsely chop. Add the peanut butter to the liquid in crockpot, stir well to dissolve.

Return pork to sauce, stir to coat meat evenly. Serve with rice, garnishing with green onion, peanuts and lime wedges

Serves 8
6 points per serving (not including rice)

Friday, December 18, 2009

December 18th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-apple cinamon oatmeal with walnuts
Lunch (10)-Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce (6), Tomato Basil Soup (1), mandarin oranges (1)
Dinner (7)-Chili Beef Tacos (6) green beans with butter (1)
Snack (2.5)-Moose Munch

Earned 5 Activity Points on the EA Active and Wii.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points, earned 28 activity points

Thursday, December 17, 2009

December 17th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 21 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (5)-Tomato Basil Soup (2), Sourdough (2), mandarin oranges (1)
Dinner (11)-Chili Beef Tacos (6) fat free refried beans (1), cumin-lime roasted cauliflower (1), beer (3)

Earned 5 Activity Points on the EA Active and Wii.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points, earned 25 activity points

December 16th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Peanut butter, banana, sandwich thin, skim milk
Lunch (8)-Campbell's Select Harvest 98% Fat Free New England Clam Chowder (4.5) Sourdough with Brummel and Brown (3) tangerine (0.5)
Dinner (9)-Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce, brown rice and green beans.
Snack (1)-Kozy Shack lowfat chocolate pudding

Earned 5 Activity Points on the treadmill.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points, earned 20 activity points

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

December 15th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-Latte, sandwich thin, laughing cow
Lunch (7)-Cracked Crab, cocktail sauce, light mayo, sourdough, lettuce
Dinner (11)-Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce, brown rice and snow peas with sesame oil.

Earned 3 Activity Points on the wiifit and step aerobics

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points, earned 15 activity points

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

December 14th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 36 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Oatmeal with apples and walnut
Lunch (11)-Dim sum
Dinner (20)-Prosciutto with persimmon, beef flatiron with blue cheese and desserts...

Earned 5 Activity Points, went out to lunch and dinner

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points, earned 12 activity points

December 13th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (6.5)-Granola, skim milk and 1/2 pear
Lunch (10.5)-Shrimp, sourdough and beer
Dinner (8)-Four Cheese Baked Penne (7), Green Beans with Butter (1)



Running Weekly totals used 14 of 35 weekly points, earned 7 activity points

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Recipe of the Week 12/5/09

Four Cheese Baked Penne

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole-wheat penne
  • 1 cup small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese or Fat Free Quark
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes more if you like it on the spicier side
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese(or quark, I prefer quark, less calories and fat, but it's not available everywhere), 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes. You can assemble this dish in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Makes 8 servings

Per Serving:

Calories 400
Total Fat 10 g
Sat Fat 5 g
Protein 24 g
Carb 55 g
Fiber 7 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Sodium 670 mg

The Weekly Round up 12/5-12/11

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 35/35 Weekly Points and I earned 26 Activity Points.

I'm down 1.2 pounds for a grand total of 50!!!!!!!

Saturday 60 of 25 points went to El Gaucho in Bellevue, really good steaks and lovely wine lis. Earned 2 activity points

Sunday 25 of 25 points. Earned 2 activity points, Made Tuna Noodle Casserole for dinner, lots of veggies, very tasty

Monday 25.5 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points, Autumn Pot Roast for dinner, so many great root vegetables in it.

Tuesday 22 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points. Leftovers for dinner and Sausage, Bulgar and Kale for lunch, quick, hot and delicious.

Wednesday 24.5 of 25 points. Four Cheese Penne Bake for dinner, very filling. Earned 5 activity points.

Thursday 24 of 25 points, leftovers. 5 activity points, leftovers

Friday 22.5 of 25 points leftovers. 2 activity points, leftovers

My plan for the coming week is to exercise every day with very light exercise on saturday and friday.
I hit 50 pounds I still want to hit 52 by January 10th to have 1 pound a week, it will be hard with holidays, birthdays etc but its still a goal... Basically 0.5 a week for the next 4 weeks, I think I can, I think I can.

December 12th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 39 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (9)-Latte and Croissant
Lunch (22)-Cheeseburger, Fries and Beer at wingdome
Dinner (8)-Four Cheese Baked Penne (7), Green Beans with Butter (1)

Earned 2Activity Points, Got the WiiFit set up and played a bunch of the games for about an hour, it was fun and I hope it will be a nice change of pace for afternoon fast low key workouts.

Running Weekly totals used 14 of 35 weekly points, earned 2 activity points

I HIT THE 50 POUND MARK!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited, now I just need 2 more by 1/10/10

Saturday, December 12, 2009

December 11th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 22.5 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-Scramble with spinach and herbs, sourdough with bummel and brown
Lunch (6.5)-Sausage with Bulgur and Kale(6), 2 small mandarin oranges (0.5)
Dinner (10)-Autumn Pot Roast (7), Sautéed Spinach
Snack (2.5)-Hot Chocolate

Earned 2 Activity Points on the treadmill and probably more moving furniture in the garage, but its as done as it will be until spring. WOOT!!!!

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 26 activity points

Thursday, December 10, 2009

December 10th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5.5)-Oatmeal with apple and walnuts
Lunch (7.5)-Autumn Pot Roast and Mandarin oranges
Dinner (10)-Four Cheese Baked Penne (7), Delicata Squash (1), Butter (2)
Snack (1)-pudding

Earned 5 Activity Points, forced myself to do an hour on the treadmill, really was feeling lazy today.

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 24 activity points

December 9th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (6.5)-Sandwich thin, peanut butter and banana (4.5), skim milk (2)
Lunch (7)-Sausage with Bulgur and Kale (6) apple (1)
Snack (1)- Pudding
Dinner (7)-Four Cheese Baked Penne (7)
Snack (3)-Chocolate bar

Earned 5 Activity Points. Made Four Cheese Penne Bake for dinner, very savoury and filling.

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 19 activity points

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

December 8th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (8)-sourdough, cheese and soup
Dinner (9)-Tuna Noodle Casserole
Snack (1.5)-lowfat chocolate pudding and 1/2 pear

Oatmeal is a must in this cold weather for me. Made Bulgur, Chicken Sausage and Kale for lunch, super yummy and filling. Had Tuna Noodle Casserole leftovers for dinner. Hour on the treadmill.

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 14 activity points

December 7th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25.5 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5.5)-Oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries
Lunch (6.5)-sandwich thin, peanutbutter and banana
Dinner (8)-Autumn Pot Roast with Horseradish Sauce
Snack (5.5)-popcorn and eggnog

Pot Roast was excellent, have made it before, although stupid grocery store was out of parsnips which are one of my favourites! I did an hour on the treadmill and a bunch of boring errands.

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 9 activity points

Monday, December 7, 2009

December 6th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (6.5)-Muesli and skim milk
Lunch (8)-sourdough, cheese and soup
Dinner (9)-Tuna Noodle Casserole
Snack (1.5)-lowfat chocolate pudding and 1/2 pear

Did more moving of furniture and painting, got a christmas tree. Earned 2 activity points, lifting, carrying and moving stuff. The Tuna Noodle Casserole was good, tons of veggies (mushrooms, onions, peas, broccoli and celery).

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 4 activity points

Sunday, December 6, 2009

December 5th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 60 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-WW 2 point apple cinnamon bar, latte
Lunch (12.5)-chili, baked potato soup, sourdough
Dinner (41.5)-wine (5), caesar salad (7), New York Steak (16.5), Potatoes Au Gratin (13)

Worked on moving furniture and SUPER heavy TVs. Earned 2 activity points, lifting, carrying and moving stuff. Went out to dinner at El Gaucho, really good steak, nice wine, totally worth the points...

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 2 activity points

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Recipe of the Week 11/28/09

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 3 medium poblano peppers (about 4 ounces each), seeded and white ribs removed, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
  • 1 pound ground white meat turkey
  • 2 (15.5-ounce) cans white beans such as cannelini, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
  • Salt
  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • Lime wedges

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery, poblanos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink about 2 minutes. Add the white beans, broth and oregano. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

Add the hominy and salt and more cayenne pepper, to taste, and continue cooking, partially covered, 10 minutes longer. Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of yogurt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cilantro. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Per Serving:

Calories 320

Total Fat 6 g

Sat Fat 0.5 g

Protein 31 g

Carb 37 g

Fiber 9 g

Cholesterol 30 mg

Sodium 310 mg

Friday, December 4, 2009

December 4th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Granola, Yogurt, maple syrup
Lunch (9.5)-2 eggs, soughdough, 1 tsp butter, 2 slices turkey bacon, pear
Dinner (10)-White Turkey Chili

Did 30 minutes slowly on the treadmill as well as unpacking a bunch of boxes in the garage. I think I will be up a bit at this week's weigh in :(

Running Weekly totals used 27.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 20 activity points

Thursday, December 3, 2009

December 3rd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (6.5)-Oatmeal with walnuts and applebutter (5.5), pear (1)
Lunch (9.5)-1/2 serving white turkey chili (4.5), 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (2), slice sourdough (2), green beans with butter (1)
Dinner (6)-Sloppy Joes (5), salad with de-lightful ranch dressing (1)
Snack (3)-hot chocolate and vita muffin

Leftovers for lunch and dinner. I added about half a cup of mashed potato to the white turkey chili which thickened it quite a bit and was tasty and filling. Burned 304 calories on the treadmill today in about 45 minutes. My knee has been sore the last 4 days and it doesn't seem to be getting any better with walking, like last time, so I'm debating staying off it a few days.

Running Weekly totals used 27.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 18 activity points

November in Brief

November in a few quick stats....

Days in November that I counted all my points: 28

Number of days I did high intensity activity(ie worked up a sweat): 16

Number of days I did moderate or low intensity activity: 9

Number of days I did some form of organized activity: 24

Number of days I reached my 30 minute activity goal: 28

Fast Food Eaten: 1

Meals Eaten Out: 12

Sodas Consumed: 1

Glasses of Wine: 9

Servings of Beer: 4

Total Weight lost: 3.4 pounds

Total Inches lost: (not sure)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

December 2nd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-1 TBsp peanutbutter (2), 1 small banana (1.5), sandwich thin (1)
Lunch (8.5)-1/2 serving white turkey chili (4.5), 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (2), slice sourdough (2)
Dinner (11)-Sloppy Joes (5), salad with de-lightful ranch dressing (1), green beans with 1 tsp butter (1), beer (3), apple chips (1)
Snack (1)-pudding

Yum yum I love my sloppy joe recipe so tasty and only 5 points, and its filling too! burned 510 calories on the treadmill today in a bit over an hour.

Running Weekly totals used 27.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 15 activity points

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

New Month New Resolution

Thank you Roni of http://ronisweigh.com for the idea that we don't have to wait til the new year to make resolutions.

So on this first day of December I'm making some resolutions for the month.

1. Remember that a holiday is just that a day. I learned from Thanksgiving that I can't be near the leftovers, I have to give them away and have plans for light nutritious meals after the holiday fare.

2. To enjoy what I eat and not eat mindlessly.

3. To enjoy some form of activity every day.

4. To keep blogging and journaling no matter how "bad" it looks

December 1st Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 22.5 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (3.5)-oatmeal, apple
Lunch (5)-soup (3), sourdough(2)
Dinner (10)-White Turkey Chili
Snack (4)-Brownie and pudding

Got on the treadmill today (burned 461 calories), made white turkey chili 2.5 cups for 10 points, not bad.

Running Weekly totals used 27.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 10 activity points

November 30th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 38 of 25 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast (4)-yogurt, english muffin, grapefruit(1/2)
Lunch (3)-ww bar, pudding
Dinner (31)-chinese

Running Weekly totals used 27.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 5 activity points.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

November 29th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 33.5 of 25 points earned 1 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-yogurt, orange juice, 1 slice of bacon
Lunch (17)-pork sandwich salad, wine, salad with cilantro lime dressing
Dinner (12)-ox tail stew, penne

Running Weekly totals used 14.5 of 35 weekly points, earned 5 activity points,

November 28th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 31 of 25 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast (9)-turkey, mushroom scramble, sourdough, bacon
Lunch (12)-stuffing string beans, onions, sweet potatoes
Dinner (6)-turkey soup
Snack (4)-chocolate


need to get away from the leftovers....

Running Weekly totals used 6 of 35 weekly points, earned 4 activity points,

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Recipe of the week 11/21/09

Pork Piccata

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/4 inch medallions
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp drained capers

Directions

Combine the flour and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in a sealable container. Place teh pork in the container and shake until well-coated.

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet (not non-stick, you want bits) over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the pork until it is browned on both sides, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add the garlic to the same skillet, then immediately add the wine and cook. As the wine reduces, stir to dissolve the small bits and juices remaining in the pan from the meat. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers and remaining salt and pepper and cook until the mixture has reduced slightly, 3-4 minutes. Return the medallions to the skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat until the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked to medium, about 3 minutes.

Serve with sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes to soak up all the good sauce.

Per Serving: (serves 4)
7 points
Calories 310
Total Fat 11 g
Sat Fat 2 g
Protein 32g
Carb 10g
Fiber 1g
Cholesterol 90 mg
Sodium 600 mg

Adapted from Ellie Krieger in So Easy

Recipe of the week 11/14/09

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

  • 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 small shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons fat free evaporated milk
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Squeeze all of the water from the spinach. Now Squeeze it again! In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the milk and broth and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Per Serving: (4 servings)
2 points
Calories 130
Total Fat 4 g
Sat Fat 1 g
Protein 10g
Carb 17g
Fiber 4g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 170 mg

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

This creamed spinach doesn't taste light, I promise! It really lives up to full fat creamed spinach

November 23rd-27th Food and Exercise Journal

Holidays, holidays, holidays!!!!
So not much time for blogging, not to mention a not so hot connection.

Monday November 23rd
Ate 24 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake(5)
Lunch (6)-Minestrone soup (3), sandwich with laughing cow (2), pear (1)
Dinner (10)-Pork Picatta with sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes
Snack (3)-brownie

The pork picatta was excellent, savory, tangy and yummy. earned 3 activity points.

Tuesday November 24th
Ate 23 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (5)-Tomato soup (3), sandwich with laughing cow (2)
Dinner (10)-Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut squash
Snack (3)-brownie

The stew turned out well. earned 3 activity points

Wednesday November 25th
Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-Breakfast Sandwich
Lunch (9)-Roast Beef Sandwich
Dinner (9.5)-grilled Ribeye, artichoke and mayo

Travel day, UGH! Totally messed up day, eating lunch at 3 and dinner at 9....

Thursday November 26th
Ate 45.5 of 25 points earned 0 activity points, although I was on my feet more or less all day cooking.

Breakfast (6)-Portabello Benedict
Lunch (5)-stuffing, tomato juice
Dinner (34.5)-Turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans with mushroom madeira sauce, creamed onions, stuffing, roasted brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie, wine

Turkey day. I planned to indulge this day and I did. It was excellent. I stuck to one plate no seconds but having the leftovers around stinks, note for next year don't stay where the food stays! :P

Friday November 27th
Ate 32.5 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-yogurt, orange juice, 1 slice of bacon
Lunch (14)-leftovers
Dinner (14)-grilled sausage, salad and blueberry pie

need to get away from the leftovers....

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 14 activity points, used 12 activity points. Glad I'm not weighing in this saturday...

Monday, November 23, 2009

November 23rd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake(5)
Lunch (6)-Minestrone Soup (3), Sandwich thin with laughing cow (2), Pear (1)
Snack (3)-Rocky Road Brownie
Dinner (1))-Pork Piccata with Sauted Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Pork Picatta was excellent! earned 3 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 18 of 35 weekly points, earned 7 activity points.

November 22nd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 25 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake(5)
Lunch (9)-Ravioli with Pesto and Pear
Dinner (11)-Beef Stroganoff (11), Green Beans with Grainy Mustard (0)

The Beef Stroganoff turned out really good. With a cup of noodles and 1 1/2 cups of Stroganoff it was 11 pionts, not bad at all, very filling. earned 3 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 18 of 35 weekly points, earned 4 activity points.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

November 21st Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 43 of 25 points earned 1 activity points.

Breakfast (9)-Eggnog Latte
Lunch (9.5)-Mushroom Barley Soup, Baguette and Brie
Dinner (24.5)-Bacon Cheese 4 Alarm Burger, Fries and Beer

Went to wing dome earned 1 activity point

Running Weekly totals used 18 of 35 weekly points, earned 1 activity points.

The Weekly Round up 11/14-11/20

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 35/35 Weekly Points and I earned 29 Activity Points.

I'm down 2 pounds.

Saturday 53 of 25 points went to Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner. Earned 2 activity points

Sunday 24.5 of 25 points. Earned 6 activity points, Spicy chicken italian sausage for dinner with roasted brussels sprouts

Monday 26 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points, porcini crusted filet mignon with herbed mashed potatoes and the best "diet" creamed spinach I have ever tried. It will be the recipe of the week.

Tuesday 31 of 25 points. Earned 5 activity points, thai lunch, moroccan slow cooker stew, good not great.

Wednesday 18.5 of 25 points. Garlic Basil Shrimp EXCELLENT, ben had his with feta and given how few points I will probably try this next time.

Thursday 24.5 of 25 points, leftovers. 4 activity points, leftovers

Friday 24.5 of 25 points leftovers. 2 activity points, leftovers

My plan for this week is to cut back my activity to just 30 minute strolls, give my body a chance to recover. I plan to enjoy Thanksgiving and moderate what I eat around it.

November 20th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-Peanut butter, banana, Sandwich Thin
Lunch (7.5)-Garlic Basil Shrimp with Orzo and a pear
Dinner (7)-Moroccan slow cooker stew and couscous
Snack (6)-rocky road brownies

Leftovers for dinner. Did a 30 minute walk, earned 4 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 29 activity points.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

November 19th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast (7)-granola and yogurt
Lunch (6.5)-Campbell's Select Harvest Soup (Tomato Bisque) whole can (3), low fat cheddar (1) sandwich thin (1)
Snack (1)-pear
Dinner (9)-porcini crusted filet, herbed mashed potatoes and creamed spianch
Snack (1)-pudding

Leftovers for dinner. Did a 50 minute walk, earned 4 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 27 activity points.

November 18th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 18.5 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (5)-Campbell's Select Harvest Soup (Chicken Tuscany) whole can (3), laughing cow (1) sandwich thin (1)
Dinner (8.5)-Garlic Basil Shrimp with Orzo

Wow, didn't mean to be so light on points but I wasn't hungry for snacks and I didn't calculate dinner until this morning so I didn't realise how far off I was.

The Garlic Basil Shrimp turned out great, took about 10 minutes including cooking the orzo, tasted fantastic and was super simple, what's not to love. Did a 60 minute walk, earned 5 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 23 activity points.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

November 17th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 31 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-Peanut butter, banana, sandwich thin
Lunch (19.5)-thai lunch
Dinner (6)-Moroccan slow cooker stew(4), whole wheat couscous (2)
Snack (1)-Kozy shack pudding

The stew was good but not great, but it was super easy, love the slow cooker.Did a 60 minute walk, earned 5 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points, earned 18 activity points.

Monday, November 16, 2009

November 16th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 26 of 25 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (8)-Chicken sausage, brussels sprouts, pear
Snack (1)-Low fat chocolate pudding
Dinner (11)-Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon(4), Creamed Spinach(2), Herbed Mashed Potatoes (3), red wine (2)
Snack (1)-Vitamuffin Deep Chocolate

Did a 60 minute walk, earned 5 activity points

Running Weekly totals used 29 of 35 weekly points, earned 13 activity points.

November 15th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 25 points earned 6 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-Portabello Benedict
Lunch (3)-Peach Pie Smoothie
Dinner (14.5)-Chicken Sausage (6), Hotdog roll (3), Roasted Brussels Sprouts (1), Alexa Oven Fries (4.5)
Snack (1)-Vitamuffin Deep Chocolate

Did a 70 minute walk/jog, made Spicy Chicken Italian Sausages with oven fries and roasted brussels sprouts for dinner, hit the spot.

Running Weekly totals used 28 of 35 weekly points, earned 8 activity points.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

November 14th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 53 of 25 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (13)-eggnog latte and scone
Lunch (5.5)-Muesli and milk
Dinner (34.5)-Steak (9.5), mashed potatoes (4), tortilla chips and cheese dip (9), steamed vegetables (1), beer (5), chocolate cake (6)

Did a 30 minute walk, went to rock bottom for dinner

Running Weekly totals used 28 of 35 weekly points, earned 2 activity points.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Recipe of the Week 11/7/09

Chicken Rollatini

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut in half on the thin side, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness or 6 chicken cutlets
  • 6 ounces thinly sliced ham
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
  • 4 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange chicken breasts on a flat surface. Top each piece of chicken with ham. Mix together spinach and goat cheese and spread over ham. Starting from the shorter end, roll up chicken and secure with wooden picks. Brush mustard all over chicken rolls and then roll in bread crumbs.

Heat remaining oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken rolls and cook until golden brown on all sides.

Transfer chicken to oven and bake 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.


Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

Calories 266
Total Fat 10g
Saturated Fat 4.5g
Cholesterol 74mg
Sodium 840mg
Carbohydrates 14g
Protein 29g
Fiber 3g

Recipe of the week 10/31/09

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 6 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound)
  • 3 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound each)
  • 1 bulb fennel
  • 3 tablespoons oil, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 chicken breast halves skinless, bone-in (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Trim the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise and then cut each piece in half lengthwise once if the piece is thin and twice if it is thicker, so that the pieces are relatively uniform.

Remove the outermost layer of the fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulb in half so that each half retains part of the stem end. Cut each half into 8 thin wedges so each wedge is held together by a little piece of stem.

Put the vegetables into a large baking pan. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan with the vegetables.

In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Rub the mixture into the chicken in the pan. Season with a few turns of pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then give the vegetables a stir and add the rosemary. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes more until the chicken is done and the vegetable are tender and beginning to brown.

Yield: 4 servings (A serving is one piece of chicken and 1 1/2 cups of vegetables)

Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

Calories 410
Total Fat 13.5g
Saturated Fat 2.2g
Cholesterol 132mg
Sodium 640mg
Carbohydrates 15g
Protein 56g
Fiber 5g

The Weekly Round up 11/7-11/13

Forgive me for being gone

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 18/35 Weekly Points and I earned 26 Activity Points.

I'm down 1.2 pounds.

Saturday 43 of 26 points boring breakfast, granola and yogurt for lunch, mexican for dinner, mmm carne asada.

Sunday 27 of 26 points. Earned 4 activity points, dinner was homemade pizza

Monday 19 of 26 points. Earned 7 activity points, smoothie for breakfast, leftovers for lunch and homemade pot pies for dinner

Tuesday 24.5 of 26 points. Earned 6 activity points, leftovers

Wednesday 25 of 26 points. Earned 5 activity points, made chicken Rollatini's for dinner, sooo good, teriyaki for lunch

Thursday 24 of 26 points, leftovers. 2 activity points, leftovers

Friday 25 of 26 points leftovers. 2 activity points, crab cakes with smarter tartar and roasted asparagus with balsamic brown butter

I will be better about posting this week.

Monday, November 9, 2009

November 9th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 19 of 26 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast (3)-Peach Smoothie
Lunch (8)-Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Dinner (7)-homemade chicken pot pies(5), milk (2), broccoli
Snack (1)-kozy shack low fat pudding

Running Weekly totals used 19 of 35 weekly points, earned 7 activity points.

November 8th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 27 of 26 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast (5.5)-Muesli with Almond Breeze
Lunch (4.5)-Peanut butter banana sandwich
Dinner (17)-homemade turkey pepperoni pizza


Running Weekly totals used 19 of 35 weekly points, earned 4 activity points.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

SSP Week Five Day Three

Did 100 pushups today!!!!

It was supposed to be day 3 of week 5 but I felt I could do it so I tried and I did it!!!!!
Very exciting. So now all of the Squats, Sit ups and Push ups challenges are done. I will continue to build them into my workouts but without the formalised plan I was following.

November 7th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 43 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Brunch (3)-WW Apple Bar, apple
Lunch (8)-Granola with yogurt
Dinner (31)-Carne Asada with corn tortilla and guacamole, Chips with Salsa, Beer
Snack (1)-Vitamuffin

Went out to Mexican for dinner

Running Weekly totals used 17 of 35 weekly points, earned 0 activity points.

The Weekly Round up 10/31-11/6

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 32/35 Weekly Points and I earned 29 Activity Points.

I'm down .2 pounds, which is getting frustating. I missed my 30 AP goal by 1, but I was just worn out this week.

Saturday 59 of 26 points boring breakfast, ate out for lunch and dinner ugh, no workout.

Sunday 25 of 26 points. Earned 4 activity points

Monday 26 of 26 points. Earned 7 activity points

Tuesday 25 of 26 points. Earned 6 activity points

Wednesday 25 of 26 points. Earned 5 activity points

Thursday 25 of 26 points, leftovers. 5 activity points

Friday 23 of 26 points leftovers. 2 activity points

I had a goal of 30 activity points this week and I came up a bit short

I did 3 days of the Push up challenge, and did Squats and Sit ups one day each.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Homemade Pizza
Monday- Chicken Pot Pie and broccoli
Tuesday-Chicken Rollatini
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday-Crab cakes with smarter tartar

Friday, November 6, 2009

November 6th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 23 of 26 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (7)-Breakfast Sandwich
Lunch (5)-Peach and Banana Smoothie, apple
Dinner (10)-Peppercorn Pork, potatoes and green beans
Snack (1)-vitamuffin

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 29 activity points.

SSP Week Five Day Two

Thursday 11/5
W5D2
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/19/19
2/19/19
3/22/22
4/22/22
5/18/18
6/18/18
7/22/22
8/>45/65

For a total of 205 increased my total by 15 Also did 100 sit ups and 50 squats

Thursday, November 5, 2009

November 5th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (9)-Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs, Salad with olive oil and vinegar
Snack (2)-chocolate
Dinner (8)-Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Snack (2)-kozy shack

Completed another day of the push ups challenge as well as getting in some squats and sit ups.

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 27 activity points.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

November 4th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
Lunch (9)-Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs, Salad with olive oil and vinegar
Snack (2)-yogurt
Dinner (7)-Peppercorn Pork and Wine Sauce, Roasted potatoes, green beans

Super sore today but still managed to walk on the treadmill.

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 22 activity points.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

SSP Week Five Day One

Tuesday 11/3
W5D1
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/36/36
2/40/40
3/30/30
4/24/24
5/>40/60

For a total of 190 increased my total by 10

November 3rd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 6 activity points.

Breakfast (3.5)-Peach Smoothie
Lunch (8)-portabello mushroom sandwich and apple
Snack (3)-Peach Smoothie
Dinner (10.5)-Lamb chops, sourdough with olive oil, green beans

Did 2 firm tapes, Supercharged Sculpting and Jiggle Free Buns, they kicked my butt, seriously sweaty and I'm already sore, uh oh!

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 17 activity points.

Monday, November 2, 2009

November 2nd Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 26 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Brunch (6)-Oatmeal, with egg white, pomegranate and walnuts
Snack (8)-portabello mushroom sandwich and apple
Snack (1.5)-cottage cheese
Dinner (11)-Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs, roasted sweet potato, green beans
Snack (1)-vitamuffin

The chicken was great, but man chicken thighs are fatty, might have to try this with breasts.
Did a firm cardio "calorie killer" and walked in the afternoon

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 11 activity points.

The Weekly Round up 10/24-10/30

I got in 11 workouts this week.

Summary I used 35/35 Weekly Points, consumed 3 of my activty points and I earned 42 Activity Points.

I'm down .4 pounds, which is ok. I met my 40 Activity point goal.

Saturday 49 of 26 points boring breakfast, went out to a greek dinner. Earned 2 Activity points

Sunday 25 of 26 points Smothered Pork chops in onion gravy. Earned 9 activity points

Monday 22 of 26 points Tomato-Meat Sauce with spaghetti squash. Earned 9 activity points

Tuesday 41 of 26 points leftovers. . thai lunch, corn and bean casserole. Earned 8 activity points

Wednesday 24 of 26 points. Leftovers. Earned 7 activity points

Thursday 26 of 26 points, leftovers. 5 activity points

Friday 24.5 of 26 points leftovers. 2 activity points

I had a goal of 40 activity points this week and I beat it by 2 points, I am feeling a touch burned out so I plan to aim for 30 activity points this week

I did 3 days of the Push up challenge, and did Squats and Sit ups one day each.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Lemon Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops with Grilled Romaine
Monday- Mustard-Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs, Sweet Potato and green beans
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday- Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce and Roasted Potatoes
Thursday-Tuscan Roasted Chicken
Friday-Leftovers

October 31st, November 1st Food and Exercise Journal

Saturday 31st
Ate 59 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast (3)-Apple, WW 2 point bar
Lunch (22)-Chicken Fajita Pita, Fries, shake
Dinner (34)-Cheeseburger, Fries, shake

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 0 activity points.

Sunday 1st
Ate 25 of 26 points earned 4 activity points.

Brunch (9.5)-Breakfast Sandwich and grande latte
Snack (3)-apple and peanut butter
Dinner (11.5)-Grilled Romaine, Lemon-Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops
Snack (1)-chocolate pudding

The lamb chops and the grilled romaine both came out very well, seriously yummy.
Did the push ups week 4 post test and managed 72 consecutive push ups, soooo close.

Running Weekly totals used 33 of 35 weekly points, earned 4 activity points.

Friday, October 30, 2009

October 30th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 24.5 of 26 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-Peanut butter, banana and sandwich thin
Lunch (8)-Shrimp in olive oil, sourdough
Snack (3)-apple and peanut butter
Dinner (12)-Tomato-meat sauce, garlic bread, pudding, skim milk
Snack (0)-


Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points used 3 activity points, earned 42 activity points.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

October 29th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 26 of 26 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast (7.5)-Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal with walnuts
Lunch (8.5)-Soup and Bread
Snack (3)-apple and peanut butter
Dinner (7)-Smothered Pork Chops and Creamed Spinach
Snack (0)-

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points used 3 activity points, earned 40 activity points.

SSP Week Four Day Three

Thursday 10/29
W4D3
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/29/29
2/33/33
3/29/29
4/29/29
5/>40/60

For a total of 180 increased my total by 26

October 28th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 24 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-Sandwich thin, banana, peanut butter
Lunch (7.5)-Soup, Sandwich thin and laughing cow
Snack (3)-apple and peanut butter
Dinner (8)-spaghetti squash, tomato-meat sauce (5), wine (2), Sesame Broccoli (1)
Snack (1)-Kozy Shack pudding and apple chips

Made a corn and black bean casserole, turned out well.

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points used 3 activity points, earned 35 activity points.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

SSP Week Four Day Two

Tuesday 10/27/09
W4D2
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/25/25
2/29/29
3/25/25
4/25/25
5/>36/50

For a total of 154 increased my total by 28

I also threw in 25 squats and tons of squats and sit ups in my firm video

October 27th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 41 of 26 points earned 8 activity points.

Breakfast (5.5)-Sandwich thin, banana, peanut butter
Lunch (26.5)-Pad Thai, chicken peanut sauce, rice
Dinner (8)-corn and bean casserole (7), pan roasted brussels sprouts (1)
Snack (1)-double chocolate vitatop

Made a corn and black bean casserole, turned out well.

Did a Firm Video "Complete Aerobic and Weight Training" did all of it except a few of the sit ups, my lower abs need work!
I did 2 workouts for a total of 812 calories burned.
I decided to shake up my routine a bit this week, normally I have a big point day on Saturday, I decided to have a large point day today too and used the rest of my weekly points and a few of my activity points. I'm hoping this helps shake up my body, something unexpected, we will see...

Running Weekly totals used 35 of 35 weekly points used 3 activity points, earned 28 activity points.

Monday, October 26, 2009

October 26th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 22 of 26 points earned 9 activity points.

Breakfast (4.5)-Sandwich thin, banana, peanutbutter
Snack (2)-sandwich thin with laughing cow
Lunch (7)-soup and sourdough
Dinner (6)-tomato-meat sauce over spaghetti squash (5), green beans with lemon browned butter (1)
Snack (2)-double chocolate vitatop, kozy shack chocolate pudding

I love this tomato meat sauce, so easy tastes great. I made a double batch to freeze some.
I did 2 workouts for a total of 905 calories burned.

Running Weekly totals used 23 of 35 weekly points earned 20 activity points.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

SSP Week Four Day One

Sunday 10/25/09
W4D1
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/21/21
2/25/25
3/21/21
4/21/21
5/>32/40

For a total of 126

I also threw in 50 squats and 50 sit ups today.

October 25th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 9 activity points.

Breakfast (6)-Oatmeal with eggwhite, flax seed, walnuts and apple
Lunch (10)-leftover greek food
Dinner (8)-Smothered Pork Chops with Onion Gravy (6) Parmesan Creamed Spinach (1), 1/2 serving wine
Snack (1)-double chocolate vitatop

The Smothered Pork Chops turned out great, even enough sauce for Ben! :P The Parmesan Creamed Spinach was also good, you didn't really taste the parmesan but it added depth and creaminess, that helped stetch the non fat milk.

I did a 1 hour 45 minute workout for 887 Calories burned

Running Weekly totals used 23 of 35 weekly points earned 11 activity points.

October 24th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 49 of 26 points earned 2 activity points.

Breakfast (3)-apple, WW bar
Lunch (6)-popchips, whole wheat sourdough, butter
Dinner (40)-Greek Feast

I did a 30 minute walk for 200 calories burned

Running Weekly totals used 23 of 35 weekly points earned 2 activity points.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Weekly Round up 10/17-10/23

I got in 8 workouts this week.

Summary I used 24.5/35 Weekly Points and I earned 43 Activity Points.

I'm down 1 pound, which is good. I met my 35 Activity point goal so next week I aim for 40.

Saturday 50 of 26 points boring breakfast, went out to The Tap House for Beer and appetizers

Sunday 23 of 26 points Roasted Chicken and root vegetables. Earned 8 activity points

Monday 24.5 of 26 points Turkey Meatloaf, tried faux mashed potatoes which aren't as good as potatoes but not a bad substitute. Earned 8 activity points

Tuesday 24.5 of 26 points leftovers. . vegetarian lunch that even Ben ate... Earned 10 activity points

Wednesday 26.5 of 26 points.Went out for teriyaki had braised lamb shanks for dinner (yum). Earned 6 activity points

Thursday 25 of 26 points, leftovers. 7 activity points

Friday 24.5 of 26 points leftovers. 2 activity points

I had a goal of 35 activity points this week and I beat it by 8 points, I think I will shoot for 40 Activity points next week.

I did 3 days of the Push up challenge, and did Squats and Sit ups one day each.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Smothered Pork Chops with Onion Gravy and Parmesan Creamed Spinach
Monday- Tomato and Meat Sauce over Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans with Lemon Brown Butter
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday- Bean and Corn Casserole with Skillet Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday-Lemon Garlic Marinated Lamb Chops with Grilled Romaine

Friday, October 23, 2009

October 23rd Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 24.5 of 26 points earned 2 activity points.

Brunch (16.5)-Salad and Turkey meatloaf
Dinner (8)-Turkey Meatloaf (4), Beer (3), Roasted Red Peppers (1)

leftovers for dinner.

I hadn't planned to work out today but the GoWear Fit made me do it! I did a 30 minute walk for 200 calories burned

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 43 activity points.

Body Bugg LOVING it!

Let me start with I LOVE my new toy. Love it! What is this new toy you ask. It’s a Body Bugg. Now you ask what on earth is a body bugg??? Well my friends it’s a weight loss toy for gadget freaks like me. Yes, I love gadgets. I have used and continue to use a heart rate monitor and I used to use a pedometer but my body bugg has one built in!

So what does this new toy do?

It monitors your motion through an accelerometer, basically sensing how your body moves on a number of axis,

It has a pedometer to count steps and the accelerometer can tell the difference between a running gait and a walking gait.

It measures your galvanic skin response, our skin becomes more electrically conductive as we sweat (gross)

It measures skin temperature and heat flux, when we move our muscles produce heat and the device measures the heat that’s flowing from the body into the environment.

With all these measures they get a pretty accurate picture of our calorie burn. They are clinically proved to be within 5% on exercise and more than 90% accurate on daily activity.

So all of this together gives you a picture of your body’s caloric expenditure. This together with a 3 day review of your diet gives you a calorie target and if you are aiming for weight loss you enter your weight loss goal in pounds per week. With this number it creates a calorie deficit you need to reach daily to reach your goal.

Wearing the body bugg tracks caloric expenditure, with the display you can see where you are at or you can upload it. You can also enter your food online and it tracks your calories consumed and your calories burned. It shows your progress on calories burned, calories consumed and caloric deficit. It also gives you a break down of nutrients in your diet. It also tracks your physical activity how many minutes spent in moderate activity and how many in “vigorous” activity. The pedometer tracks your steps and finally it tracks your sleep. I was surprised to discover for the first 4 hours I’m in bed I wake up for about 5 minutes every 15-45 minutes and I only get one full REM cycle a night, no wonder I’m so tired!

Oh by the way I guess it has been renamed GoWear Fit, still great product even if its not a great name. Spendy but awesome

http://www.gowearfit.com/

Thursday, October 22, 2009

SSP Week Three Day Three

Thursday 10/22/09
W3D3
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/22/22
2/30/30
3/20/20
4/20/20
5/>28/35

I increased my push ups by 20 doing a total of 127

I also threw in 110 squats today.

October 22nd Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Breakfast(7)-2 scrambled eggs (4), sandwich thin (1), skim milk (2)
Lunch (5)-Salad and Turkey meatloaf
Snack (1)-chocolate pudding
Dinner (9)-braised lamb shanks (8) zucchini with 1 tsp butter (1)
Snack (3)-Vitamuffin and skim milk

leftovers for dinner.

I did a speed walk and bowflex workout as well as my push up challenge and a bunch of squats for 714 calories burned

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 41 activity points.

October 21st Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 26.5 of 26 points earned 8 activity points.

Breakfast(6.5)-Peanut butter, banana, sandwich thin, banana
Lunch (12)-Teriyaki Chicken and brown rice
Dinner (8)-Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata

The Braised Lamb Shanks were yummy

I did a walk/run on the treadmill for a total of 820 calories burned.

Running Weekly totals used 24.5 of 35 weekly points earned 34 activity points.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

October 20th Food and Exercise Journal

Ate 24.5 of 26 points earned 10 activity points.

Breakfast(5.5)-apple cinnamon oatmeal with flax seed
Lunch (6)-Hummus and salad Pita
Snack (4)-chocolate pudding, walnuts
Dinner (8)-Turkey Meatloaf (4), Cauliflower mashed "potatoes" (1), Green Beans with butter (1), wine (2)
Snack (1)-Vitamuffin

leftovers for dinner. The hummus salad pita was really good, Ben even liked this vegetarian lunch.

I did a speed walk and bowflex workout as well as my push up challenge in the morning and did a stroll in the afternoon for a total of 967 calories burned.
Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 16 activity points.

SSP Week Three Day Two

Tuesday 10/20/09
W3D2
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/20/20
2/25/25
3/15/15
4/15/15
5/>25/32

I increased my push ups by 22 doing a total of 107

I also threw in 110 sit ups today, after getting to 200 I have to stay on top of it, squats on Thursday.

Monday, October 19, 2009

October 19th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24.5 of 26 points earned 8 activity points.

Breakfast(6.5)-sandwich thin (1), Peanut butter (2), banana (1.5), skim milk (2)
Lunch (8)-Chicken Breast, Roasted Vegetables
Snack (1)-Apple
Dinner (8)-Turkey Meatloaf (4), Cauliflower mashed "potatoes" (1), Green Beans with butter (1), wine (2)
Snack (1)-Vitamuffin

The turkey meatloaf is fast becoming a favourite, so moist and only 4 points for a nice size piece. The cauliflower mashed "potatoes" are not mashed potatoes but they make a pretty good substitute.

Did two treadmill workouts for 795 calories burned.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 16 activity points.

October 18th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 23 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(6)-eggs (4), sandwich thin (1), 1/2 lg apple (1)
Lunch (5.5)- apple (1), 2 tbsp peanut butter (4.5)
Dinner (11.5)-roast chicken, roasted vegetables, squash with chili lime butter, wine

Burned 808 calories on the treadmill and strength training.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 8 activity points.

SSP Week Three Day One

Maybe I should rename these posts now that I'm done with the sit ups and squats portions.

Sunday 10/18/09
W3D1
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/14/14
2/18/18
3/14/14
4/14/14
5/>20/25

Recipe of the Week 10/10/09

Smoky BBQ Pork Quesadillas with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup prepared BBQ sauce
  • 2 Tbsp chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
  • 1/2 c shredded monterey jack cheese
  • 8 6 inch corn tortillas

Directions

To make the salsa, stir in the tomatoes, 2 Tbsp of the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, oil and salt together in a medium bowl

Spray a large non stick skillet with nonstick spray and place on medium heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 5 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce and chipotle chilies with adobo sauce; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Wipe the skillet clean.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on 4 of the tortillas, then top evenly with all of the pork mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and remaining 2 Tbsp cilantro. Top with the remaining tortillas, lightly pressing down on each stack.

Spray the skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add one of the tortilla stacks and cook until lightly browned and heated through, 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the quesadilla to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortilla stacks. Serve with the salsa.

Makes 4 servings


Nutrition Facts

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories 375
Total Fat 16 grams
Saturated Fat 7.6 grams
Cholesterol 80 mg
Sodium 507 mg
Carbohydrates 28.3 grams
Protein 34 grams
Fiber 4.5 grams
8 points

Sunday, October 18, 2009

October 17th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 50 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(3)-WW 2 point bar, apple
Lunch (0)-
Dinner (47)-shared appetizers and a cheeseburger, 1/2 slice of pumpkin cheesecake and beer

Went for a 3:00 lunch/dinner, basically 3 hours of sipping beers and trying different appetizers.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 0 activity points.

October 16th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 22 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(7)-apple cinnamon oatmeal (homemade)(5), Fruit2day(2)
Lunch (7.5)- Chicken-Tomato Tortilla Soup(4), pop chips (3.5)
Dinner (7)-Autumn Pot Roast

leftovers for dinner.


Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 36 activity points.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Weekly Round up 10/10-10/16

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 25.5/35 Weekly Points and I earned 36 Activity Points.

I'm down 1 pound, which is good. I met my 35 Activity point goal

Saturday 47 of 26 points boring breakfast, went out for Chinese for dinner.

Sunday 29 of 26 points Leftover chinese for lunch and Saucy Chicken Marsala for dinner. Earned 9 activity points

Monday 25 of 26 points Asian Flavoured Chicken and Rice soup for lunch and Autumn Pot Roast for dinner. Earned 9 activity points

Tuesday 23 of 26 points leftovers. . Earned 5 activity points

Wednesday 25 of 26 points. Tortilla Soup for lunch and BBQ Pork Quesadillas for dinner, super fast and good, a definite keeper. Earned 6 activity points

Thursday 25 of 26 points, leftovers. 7 activity points

Friday 23 of 26 points leftovers

I had a goal of 35 activity points this week and I beat it by one point

I did 2 days of the Squats, Push ups, Sit ups challenges, and did the "post-test" I completed 200 Squats and sit ups, I managed 35 push ups and will start on the highest column again for week 3.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Out
Sunday- Roasted Chicken with root vegetables, side of Roasted Delicata with Red Chili lime butter
Monday- Turkey Meatloaf with cauliflower mashed "potatoes" and green beans
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday- Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata and butternut squash
Thursday-Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Meat Sauce
Friday-Leftovers

Thursday, October 15, 2009

October 15th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Breakfast(6)-sandwich thin, peanut butter, banana, milk
Lunch (7)- Chicken-Tomato Tortilla Soup(6), kozy shack lowfat chocolate pudding (1)
Dinner (7)-BBQ Pork Quesadillas, green beans
Snack (4)-Chocolate Cake

leftovers for dinner.

Walk/Jogged on the treadmill, did a post test on my Squats, Sit ups, Push ups Challenges, as well as usuing the bowflex. in the morning for 7 points burned 736 calories.

I finished the Squats and the Sit ups challenges by doing 200 of each today!!!! I also managed 35 push ups

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 36 activity points.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

October 14th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 6 activity points.

Breakfast(6)-sandwich thin, peanut butter, banana, milk
Lunch (8)- Chicken-Tomato Tortilla Soup(6), Fruit2day (2)
Dinner (7)-BBQ Pork Quesadillas, broccoli
Snack (4)-Chocolate Cake

Made Chicken-Tomato Tortilla Soup for lunch and BBQ Pork Quesadillas for dinner turned out really well and was really fast.

Walk/Jogged on the treadmill in the morning for 6 points burned 604 calories.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 29 activity points.

October 13th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 23 of 26 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(5.5)-cherry vanilla oatmeal with extra cherries
Lunch (5)-Sandwich and Fruit2day
Snack (1)-Kozy Shack low fat chocolate pudding
Dinner (6)-Autumn Pot Roast (6)
Snack (5)-Chocolate pie

Leftovers for dinner. Made a chocolate pie from a weightwatchers recipe. Note to self deserts with coffee will keep you awake...

Walked on the treadmill and did strength training in the morning for 5 points, burned 514 calories.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 23 activity points.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

SSP Week Two Day Three

Tuesday 10/13/09
W2D3
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/16/16
2/17/17
3/14/14
4/14/14
5/>20/25

W4D3
Squats

set #/planned/completed
1/40/40
2/45/45
3/40/40
4/40/40
5/>54/65


W4D3
Sit ups

set #/planned/completed
1/45/45
2/50/50
3/45/45
4/45/45
5/>60/100

Totals
Squats 230
Push-ups 86
Sit ups 285

increased my total squats by 78, my total sit ups by 41 and my total push ups by 14.

On Sunday I will attempt 200 squats and Sit ups in a row. I will also do as many push ups as possible to determine what plan to follow next week for the push ups challenge.

Monday, October 12, 2009

October 12th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 9 activity points.

Breakfast(5)-sandwich thin, peanut butter, raspberry jam, apple
Lunch (6.5)-Asian Flavoured Chicken and Rice Soup (4), pear (1), cottage cheese (1.5)
Snack (3)-Apple (1), peanut butter (2)
Dinner (8)-Autumn Pot Roast (6), wine (2)
Snack (2.5)-Pop Chips

I'm trying to stick to 25 points a day this week as I am close to going down to 25 points and I have found when I'm within a pound or 2 I often don't lose as much if I stick to the higher points target.

Made and Asian Flavoured Chicken and Rice Soup that was quite good, loved the ginger and sesame flavours. One serving was 2 points so I had 2 for 4.
Dinner was an Autumn Pot Roast.

Walk/Jogged on the treadmill in the morning for 5 points and walked in the afternoon for 4 more, burned 943 calories.

Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 18 activity points.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

October 11th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 29 of 26 points earned 9 activity points.

Breakfast(7)- 2 eggs (4), 1/2 oz low fat cheese (1), sourdough(1), raspberry preserves (1)
Lunch (12)-Leftover Chinese
Dinner (9)-Saucy Chicken Marsala(5), whole wheat pasta (2), wine (2)
Snack (1)-Pita Chips


Had leftovers for lunch then made Chicken Marsala for dinner. Worked out, did strength training and treadmill, burned 916 calories
Running Weekly totals used 24 of 35 weekly points earned 9 activity points.

SSP Week Two Day Two

Sunday 10/11/09

W2D2
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/14/14
2/16/16
3/12/12
4/12/12
5/>17/18

W4D2
Squats

set #/planned/completed
1/34/34
2/40/40
3/34/34
4/34/34
5/>49/60

W2D2
Sit ups

set #/planned/completed
1/38/38
2/45/45
3/38/38
4/38/38
5/>54/85

increased my total squats by 11, my total sit ups by 52 and my total push ups by 12.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Recipe of the Week 10/3/09

Tomato and Meat Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic or 4 tsp prepared garlic
  • 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp dried basil
  • 1 lb ground beef 85% lean (will also give values for 95%)
  • 2 oz dry red wine (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.

Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juices, salt, red pepper flakes and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes for flavors to blend and for sauce to thicken slightly; taste and add wine if desire. Spoon sauce over spaghetti or spaghetti squash. Yields about 2/3 cup of sauce per serving.

Makes 6 servings


Nutrition Facts

Nutritional analysis per serving for 85% lean beef (Approximate)

Calories 250
Total Fat 13 grams
Saturated Fat 4.6 grams
Cholesterol 51 mg
Sodium 65 mg
Carbohydrates 12.7 grams
Protein 17 grams
Fiber 3.5 grams
5 points
Nutritional analysis per serving for 95% lean beef (Approximate)

Calories 192
Total Fat 5.4 grams
Saturated Fat 3.5 grams
Cholesterol 46 mg
Sodium 65 mg
Carbohydrates 12.7 grams
Protein 17 grams
Fiber 3.5 grams
3 points
Serve with 1 cup of spaghetti squash (0 points) for a delicious low cal meal or with pasta of your choice. Also good on a baked potato.
My Plan

I did WeightWatchers once before in 2004-2005. I lost 50 pounds. I gained some back going through my divorce but the good news is I kept off 20 of them until I restarted WeightWatchers in January 2009.

For the first time, I have found a plan that was easy to stick to. Something just felt right this time. Before embarking on WeightWatchers I re-read some books I had found helpful in the middle of my last journey. The books are listed under "Weight Loss" Books on the side bar, and a blog post about them will follow soon. These books helped get me mentally prepared to lose weight and they are the reason I think I am finding losing to be less of a struggle. I am not letting myself get discouraged by small gains and I am seeing far more consistent results.

WeightWatchers gives you a points target based on weight and basic daily activity level. Every food has a points value based on calories, fiber and fat. Then its like a checkbook you start with your daily balance, subtract for foods eaten and add for activity done which can earn you points. Exercise=More Food. Each food point is roughly 50 calories and each activity point is worth roughly 100, I use a heart-rate monitor to calculate my activity points earned.

You also get 35 weekly points to use as you want anytime during the week. For me the most successful both mentally and on the scale is to use most of those points on Saturday night for a splurge and to then stick to my daily points fairly closely the rest of the week. It helps me to know my favourite foods are only a week away if I want them. People can manage the plan however they want but for me this is the most successful. When I'm working out a lot I try to eat some of those activity points as well. Ironically I get much smaller losses the weeks I don't eat those points on Saturday, maybe it shakes up my metabolism, who knows I just know it works

Finally my last key to my plan is attending meetings. It helps keep me accountable and on track.

Weight Loss Slideshow