On the Menu This Week

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

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.

The Weekly Round up 10/3-10/9

I got in 7 workouts this week.

Summary I used 25/35 Weekly Points and I earned 29 Activity Points.

I'm down 3.6, which has me ecstatic. Finally that extra activity is paying off, took long enough! I plan to up my activity again this week as my knee is feeling better, aiming for 10 workouts this week.

Saturday 36 of 26 points boring breakfast, apple with peanutbutter for lunch and lucious ribs and mashed potatoes for dinner.

Sunday 41 of 26 points Went out to brunch and had spaghetti squash with tomato-meat sauce for dinner. Earned 7 activity points

Monday 25.5 of 26 points Peanut butter and banana on a sandwich thin, Sandwich for lunch and Chicken Paprikash for Dinner with pasta. Earned 10 activity points

Tuesday 24 of 26 points leftovers. . Earned 3 activity points

Wednesday 25.5 of 26 points. Beef Stew. Earned 4 activity points

Thursday 25 of 26 points, leftovers. 5 activity points

Friday 20.5 of 26 points Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

I had a goal of 35 activity points this week and I didn't quite make it. My knee was really bothering me so running was out, a single stride nearly had me on the ground so I walked instead, but even that was too much so i backed off and took Friday off, my knee is feeling better today so I think it was the right call

I did 2 days of the Squats, Push ups, Sit ups challenges, I took Thursday off due to injury but will finish week 2 this week.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Dinner out
Sunday- Asian Chicken and Rice Soup and Saucy Chicken Marsala
Monday-Autumn Pot Roast
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday-Chicken Tortilla Soup and BBQ pork Quesadillas
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday- Smothered Pork Chops

October 10th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 47 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(3)- WW 2 point bar, apple
Lunch (8)-Pop chips (1), Chicken and Dumplings (7)
Dinner (36)-Chinese (34), Beer (2)



Running Weekly totals used 21 of 35 weekly points earned 0 activity points.

Friday, October 9, 2009

October 9th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 20.5 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(6)- Peanut butter, Sandwich Thin, 1/2 banana, skim milk
Lunch (4.5)-Sandwich (sourdough, chicken breast, roasted red pepper, spinach, horseradish sauce) carrots, plum
Dinner (7)-Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings (7)
Snack (3) - Vitamuffin and skim milk


Knee hurts no exercise, the chicken and dumplings were good, modified the recipe while cooking to make it thicker as per Ben's request.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points earned 29 activity points.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

October 8th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25 of 26 points earned 5 activity points.

Breakfast(6)- Oatmeal (2.5), flax seeds (1), blueberries (1), 1/4 cup skim milk (0.5), brown sugar (1)
Lunch (6.5)-Salad with vinagrette (1), Roast Chicken Breast 3 oz (2.5), mashed potatoes (3)
Snack (3) -apple and peanut butter
Dinner (8.5)-Beef Stew (6), potatoes (1.5), horseradish sauce (1)
Snack (1) - Vitamuffin


Knee still hurts walked in the morning but I couldn't up my pace in fact it's down to where it was a few weeks ago with no running segments :( Burned 493 calories earned 5 activity points.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points earned 29 activity points.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

October 7th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25.5 of 26 points earned 4 activity points.

Breakfast(4)- Peanut butter, 1/2 banana and sandwich thin
Lunch (6)-Sandwich (5) (Sandwich thin (1), laughing cow (1), 2 oz chicken breast (1), roasted red pepper (0), 1 oz reduced fat cheddar (2)), carrots (0),
Snack (2.5) -apple and walnuts
Dinner (11.5)-Beef Stew (6), potatoes (1.5), beer (3), horseradish sauce (1)
Snack (2) - skim milk

Beef Stew was awesome, rich and flavourful and thick and NO added fat as well as using well trimmed beef.

Knee still hurts did a stroll in the afternoon slower than usual still did 3 miles burned 371 calories.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points earned 24 activity points.

October 6th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 24 of 26 points earned 3 activity points.

Breakfast(6)- Oatmeal (2.5), raspberry preserves (1), 1/4 cup skim milk (0.5), chicken breakfast sausage (2)
Lunch (5)-Spaghetti Squash (0), Tomato-Meat Sauce (5)
Snack (1) -spaghetti squash seeds, roasted (1)
Dinner (9)-Chicken Paprikash(4), whole wheat penne (3), wine (2), roasted red peppers (0)
Snack (3) - vitamuffin (1), skim mlk (2)

My knee was hurting and I was running around doing errands all day so no afternoon walk

Did an hour of weights and the ssp challenges for 312 calories burned.

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

SSP Week Two Day One

Tuesday 10/6/09

W2D1
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/14/14
2/14/14
3/10/10
4/10/10
5/>15/16


W4D1
Squats

set #/planned/completed
1/29/29
2/34/34
3/29/29
4/29/29
5/>43/60

W4D1
Sit ups

set #/planned/completed
1/32/32
2/38/38
3/32/32
4/32/32
5/>48/58

increased my total squats by 9, my total sit ups by 5 and my total push ups by 5.

Monday, October 5, 2009

October 5th Food and Exercise Diary

Ate 25.5 of 26 points earned 10 activity points.

Breakfast(4)- Peanut butter, 1/2 banana and sandwich thin
Lunch (6)-Sandwich (3) (Sandwich thin (1), laughing cow (1), 2 oz chicken breast (1), lettuce, carrots), coleslaw (3)
Snack (2.5) -2 medium plums(1), 1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt (1), 1.5 Tbsp Raspberry Preserves (0.5)
Dinner (9)-Chicken Paprikash(4), whole wheat penne (3), wine (2), roasted red peppers (0)
Snack (4) - apple (1), walnuts (3)

Chicken Paprikash turned out well, next time I'll use sweet paprika rather than smoky. Ben of course wished it was "creamier", but the broth was flavourful, it didn't thicken as much as I would have liked, but that's adjustable. All in all very good.

Did an hour run/walk in the morning burned 609 calories, did a one hour strolling walk in the afternoon burned 414 calories for a total of 1023 calories burned and 10 activity points earned.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points earned 17 activity points.

October 4th Food Diary

Ate 41 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Brunch (29.5)-1/2 an omlette with cheese, spinach and mushrooms (11) Sourdough toast with butter (2.5), country potatoes (2) Hot chocolate (7), 1/2 french toast (7)
Dinner (10.5)-Spaghetti Squash (0), Tomato-Meat Sauce (5), Sourdough Garlic bread (3.5), skim milk (2)
Snack (1) -Cantaloupe

Went out to brunch, Ben and I split french toast and an omelette it was good.
Made a tomato meat sauce that turned out really well and serving it with zero point spaghetti squash just makes it even better, that even allowed room for garlic bread which noodles would not have.

Running Weekly totals used 25 of 35 weekly points earned 7 activity points.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

SSP Week One Day Three

W1D3
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/11/11
2/15/15
3/9/9
4/9/9
5/>13/15

W3D3
Squats

set #/planned/completed
1/30/30
2/38/38
3/27/27
4/27/27
5/>40/60

W3D3
Sit ups

set #/planned/completed
1/33/33
2/42/42
3/30/30
4/30/30
5/>45/52

Woot did it again, increased my total squats by 34, my total sit ups by 35 and my total push ups by 7. OK I'm improving but man doing 60 squats is BORING :P. At the end of week 2 and 4 you do a test to see where to start the following week, and I'm hoping by the end of next week I can do 200 sit ups and squats, I do think the push up challenge will take the full 6 weeks for me as I struggle much more with those.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

October 3rd Food Diary

Ate 36 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(3)- WW Apple Cinnamon Bar (2), Apple (1)
Lunch (5)-Apple with Peanut butter (3), Pretzel thins (2)
Dinner (26)-Ribs (14), Mashed Potatoes (6), coleslaw (3), Beer (3)
Snack (2) -WW Toffee Ice Cream Bar

The ribs were rubbed on thursday and boy oh boy were they tasty today...

Running Weekly totals used 10 of 35 weekly points earned 0 activity points.

The Weekly Round up 9/26-10/2

I got in 10 workouts this week.

Summary I used 31/35 Weekly Points and I earned 42 Activity Points.

I'm down 0.8, which I should be happy about but I am honestly frustrated by. I shrugged off last week's gain as water weight from increased working out, BUT this week I only lost half of what I gained and I burnt over 4200 calories in exercise, never mind the food portion. So I'm frustrated. I took home the traveling journal from my WW meeting to see if it will work some magic for me. I already am pretty good about my journal but hopefully this will be my magic. I'm also going to try to focus on whole foods and cut out as much processed food as possible.

Saturday 50.5 of 26 points boring breakfast, BLTA on a sandwich thin for lunch, went to The tap house for beer and dinner

Sunday 30 of 26 points Cornmeal blueberry pancakes, pulled pork sandwiches and mac and cheese for dinner. Earned 8 activity points

Monday 25.5 of 26 points Peanut butter and banana on a sandwich thin, BLTA for lunch, Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables. Earned 10 activity points

Tuesday 28 of 26 points leftovers. Oatmeal, pad thai, mac and cheese. Earned7 activity points

Wednesday 26.5 of 26 points. leftovers. Earned 10 activity points

Thursday 26 of 26 points, leftovers. 7 activity points

Friday 33.5 of 26 points chopped chicken salad and chicken wontons for lunch, pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw. Made the dressing with low fat mayo and it turned out really well.

I had a goal of 35 activity points this week and I exceeded it! I earned 42 Activity. My goal for next week is still 35 activity points, this includes walking in the afternoon 5 days (I earn about 4 points on these walks) so that's only 15 activity points elsewhere, I will probably exceed this but the goal is 35.

I did 2 days of the Squats, Push ups, Sit ups challenges, Sunday is my last day of week one.

Next Week's Menu
Saturday- Ribs, Coleslaw and Mashed Potatoes
Sunday- Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce
Monday-Chicken Paprikash and noodles
Tuesday-leftovers
Wednesday-Beef Stew
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday- Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

Friday, October 2, 2009

October 2nd Food Diary

Ate 24 of 26 points earned 0 activity points.

Breakfast(7)- Sandwich thin (1), Eggs (4), Chicken Sausage (2)
Lunch (8)-Sweet and Sour Shrimp (5), Brown rice (3)
Dinner (9)-dinner

No workout today, feeling tired and I have already earned 42 activity points.

Running Weekly totals used 31 of 35 weekly points earned 42 activity points.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Recipe of the Week 9/25/09

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen winter squash
  • 2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
  • 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Use and immersion blender to puree the squash. (Alternately buy pureed frozen winter squash) Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs and oil in a small skillet. Toast the bread crumbs. Allow to cool and mix in the Parmesan Cheese. (You do not need to toast the breadcrumbs with the oil but i find it gives a crunchier topping). Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

This recipe can be cut in half easily.

Makes 8 servings


Nutrition Facts

Nutritional analysis per serving (Approximate)

Calories 395
Total Fat 11.5 grams
Saturated Fat 6 grams
Cholesterol 35 mg
Sodium 545 mg
Carbohydrates 55 grams
Protein 18 grams
Fiber 4 grams


October 1st Food Diary

Ate 26 of 26 points earned 7 activity points.

Breakfast(4.5)- Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Brown sugar, apple
Lunch (4)-Sandwich (3) (sandwich thin (1), pesto/sourcream spread (1), 2 oz chicken (1))and Nectarine (1)
Snack (2)-Pretzel thins
Dinner (14.5)-Mac and Cheese, Roasted Brussels Sprouts (1), skim milk (2) chocolate (3.5)
Snack (1)-mint chocolate vitamuffin

Burned 737 Calories doing my challenge, bowflexing and walking on the Treadmill.
Did the second day of my push ups, sit ups and squats challenge that was good.

Running Weekly totals used 31 of 35 weekly points earned 42 activity points.

SSP Week One Day Two

W1D2
Push-ups

set #/planned/completed
1/10/10
2/12/12
3/8/8
4/8/8
5/>12/14

W3D2
Squats

set #/planned/completed
1/27/27
2/34/34
3/21/21
4/21/21
5/>34/45

W3D2
Sit ups

set #/planned/completed
1/30/30
2/38/38
3/23/23
4/23/23
5/>38/48

Woot did it again, increased my total squats by 42, my total sit ups by 34 and my total push ups by 5. It's an interesting change of pace from doing the bowflex where I lift until I can't anymore, here it's set reps and sets, the last one pushing for as many as you can, I am liking the structure. Day 3 on Sunday.
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