Wordless Roasted Veggie Manicotti

**If you use 1/2 cup low fat ricotta each piece of stuffed manicotti is roughly 3 points (with the cheese and sauce!). A great, filling and fibrous option!

Weigh In Wednesday

Good Morning Bloggers,

I weighed in today at 251.6 for a loss of -.06.
I gained .7 in muscle.

I'll take it, though I had such a great weekend I did expect slightly better. I was hoping to see the 240's.

Yesterday a group of girls from my office went on a field trip and stopped to get lunch. We chose a unique little pub that no one had been to.

The menu left something to be desired in the nutrition department.

I chose what I thought was a decent option--nachos. Honestly, this seemed the best option. They had salads, but they consisted of iceburg lettuce covered in cheese. And the kids menu didn't have a single thing that wasn't covered in cheese or deep fried.

Well, I was wrong on the nachos.

I thought I could eat mostly the chicken and a few chips and leave without a huge calorie hit.

But, alas, the chicken was DEEP FRIED.

Deep fried chicken on nachos? I never knew....

I had no energy last night (big surprise huh?).
I'm never doing that again.

Here's to a loss---a loss is a loss is a loss after all.

And to the killer workout I'm offering up to the scale Gods today at lunch.

Have a great Wednesday!

Have you seen this logo around? Did you know it is a propaganda piece from the UK, made during the war to boost morale? Crazy.

It is the motto of my life right now.

Here's the math:
I am 1 person.
I have 1 husband.
Between the 2 of us, we have 2 full time jobs and 4 part time jobs.
We have 1 dog. 1 house. And 3 cars, all of which need work (we got the money, we don't got the time!).
He will complete 6 credit hours of school this Fall.
And I will teach 6 credit hours.
Hell breaks loose in two weeks--
and I'm not sure I'm ready.
I am 1 person.

There's good news here people. There's even a recipe.

Ways to cope with a hectic schedule:
1. Avoid uncomfortable clothes.
2. Pack for the day the night before.
3. Plan ahead.
4. Set time aside when you don't check email or answer the phone.
5. De-clutter.
6. I repeat: De-clutter.
7. Break big tasks into smaller tasks.
8. Clean ten minutes a day, instead of once a week.
9. Make a chore chart.
10. Set goals.
11. Make a weekly menu.
12. Put exercise first.
13. Breathe deeply.
14. Drink less caffeine.
15. Make Lists.

I'm ready. I can do this.





And now, for a super fast recipe for all the busy dieters out there:

No Bake Cheesecake
From Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes-- www.skinnytaste.com

8oz coolwhip free
8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
9 inch reduced fat graham cracker crust
1/4 cup sugar (or splenda)
1 tsp lemon juice

Blend.
Spread.
Enjoy.

Non-Scale Victories

Hi Fellow Losers :)

This weekend was a success with many non-scale victories to report.

1. Mocktails.




Not only were they delicious and filling before dinner, they really satisfied my pre-going out ritual. Before, I would have had one or two drinks before going out, followed by one or two at dinner. I was really excited to find that this was totally unnecessary. I ended the day well within my points/calorie range thanks to these delicious placebo beverages.

2. Clothes.



In the above pictures you will see me with the dress I bought off the clearance rack for the wedding we were attending. The dress is still on the hangar because when I put it on, I realized it was way too baggy and would need altered very soon if I was to keep it. I am wearing a dress from roughly 4 years ago--a dress I didn't fit in to for the last few years. Pretty exciting stuff! Now I can take that other loose dress back and spend that money on something in my new size.

3. Late night snacking.



I packed really healthy snacks for hubs and I for the trip: broccoli salad with thai dressing for me (70 calories), a light babybel cheese (also for me) and crackers and string cheese for hubs. We snacked on these on the way to the wedding.
The wedding food was sparse so we didn't eat much over the many hours we spent conversing and celebrating. It was a 2.5 hour drive home and we spent all of it in a state of hunger. As we made it to our exit, we had a choice:

Wendys, Mcdonalds, Taco Bell
or
Home.

We chose home. I had a smart one thai noodles and chicken--a personal favorite--and 1/2 cup of Life cereal. It was fulfilling and healthy though eating that late at night isn't always the best idea. I am proud of us!

4. Givin' it to the Pavement
The dog and I walked 1.6 miles in 30 minutes today! Record time considering we often have to stop and smell things (cough, cough). I have been struggling with some things and I spent my walk thinking about them. I got mad. And I gave it to the pavement. And guess what? It's still out there, on the pavement, not here with me. I am off to enjoy a stress free Sunday because this workout freed me :

I hope your weekend was chalked full of non-scale victories!

Mocktails

I follow Katheatsrealfood (and you should too, by the way). She has a focus on natural food and one of her favorite things besides wine and beer is mocktails.

She makes them out of club soda or carbonated water (please excuse me if these two things are in any way the same thing)and sometimes juice. She says these meet her need for "happy hour" while keeping her calories and health in check.

In the spirit of Kath, I'm going to try my hand at mocktail hour at my house.

At lunch, I'm going to walk across the street to Meijer where I will pick up this delicious 50-calorie beverage:



You know how I know they are good? Cause this guy likes them too:



So, I'm going to mix some tasty 25 calorie mocktails before we go out to dinner tonight. Do you drink? What do you do to curb your drinking?

Summer Squash Love Affair

I don't know what my problem is, but I can't get enough summer squash in my life.

Yesterday, I purposefully bought Hubs his dinner so that I could have a different dinner of summer squash.

I have been making summer squash pizza, summer squash hoagies with peppers and barbecue sauce and sauteed summer squash salad. I Caramelized summer squash with balsamic vinegar. I ate it raw. I have dreamed of grilling it. My love affair with this vegetable is getting out of hand.

See for yourself:




The hoagie picture didn't turn out too well--I need to work on that. But know that it was delicious and filling.

Weigh In Wednesday

Welcome to the first installment of weigh in Wednesday.
Today I weigh: 252.2 pounds
I am down 7.8 pounds.
I am currently 52% fat and 30% muscle.
If I feel like this right now:


(thanks DC Comics)

How will I feel next week?

Let’s rock this.

Happy Tummy, Happy Tummy, Ra-Ra-Ra!

Behold, sauteed summer squash, bbq ham pizza! Yes, it is as good as it sounds (and looks)!

Raiding a Garden

This weekend hubs and I headed to his home town for a family event.

It was a fun weekend, but I was not at all prepared for the glorious goodness I would be sent home with from the family farm.

Let me show you:








and the garden it came from:




My husband's family sits on about 10 acres of land in northern Ohio. His grandmother, mother and his two uncles work this garden all summer long. The produce is amazing.

The minute we got home I got to chopping and cleaning. I made this heavenly number. The cucumbers were buttery and succulent and the tomatoes tasted like candy. I hate tomatoes and until this past weekend thought I could only eat them in Greece where somehow they taste better. Sadly, I am 26 years old and just discovered the secret: the best tomatoes are home grown.

I threw some feta on the salad too, along with crisp red and green peppers and I ate it with balsamic vinegar.



This salad tops the list of best things I ever ate.

and to top off the weekend, I met this little guy:



My father-in-law named him Avatar (don't ask), but he goes by Av for short. He is a bundle of love.

I hope your weekend was just as abundant with puppy love and summer veggies!

How I'll Survive the Weekend

This weekend hubster and I are headed north for a bridal shower. We will be staying at his parent's house.

I have a tendency to eat horribly when I travel. I've been this way since I was a kid. It's like I am away from home, so the calories don't count.

But really, we all know they do.

There is also some slightly added stress when we go to his rents house--kids. And the yelling that comes with kids. The kids are loud and noisy and I have trouble with loud and noisy and so do the other adults so they yell at the kids which equals more loud and noisy. Do you see this?

It makes me want to eat.

I plant to eat of course. Just not badly.

They will probably order pizza on Saturday night and we might go out to breakfast on Sunday. I know just how to combat all that craziness.

Here's what I am packing with me for the trip:





(thanks thechiclife.com--my pics didn't turn out as nice!)

Healthy Choices at Panera

Good Morning, World!

Yesterday I had a sweet surprise: a friend called me for lunch. I normally work out at lunch, so getting out and about for an hour sounded awesome.

We decided on Panera.

I ordered the you pick two with a chopped bbq chicken salad, a whole grain baguette and a roast beef asiago sandwich.

There was no way I could eat it all in one sitting. Not unless I wanted to take a nap back at the office.

So I just had this(the salad part of the picture):



This was only 250 calories and 5 grams of fat! Amazing.
And I didn't even have to let on that I was "dieting" or require special accommodations from my friend (i.e., I need to go to a salad bar or can we just get coffee?).

At the end of lunch my fit and slim friend mentioned her need to hit the pastry counter. I strolled over there with her as she ordered and she said something to the effect of "oh, come on, you have to have something." And I thought in my head, well, she means no harm at all but she has never had 100+ pounds to lose. She doesn't understand. But that's ok, because I get it. And I know I don't have to have some. Not even one.

300+ Pages of Motivation

This:




is what is currently motivating me to work out. My promise to myself is to work out every day this week (M-F) and then I can get my new MP3 player. Until then, I am excited to hit the gym so I can read some of this awesome collection of short stories.

Many people say they can't read while working out, but I find that I am somewhat successful--even on the elliptical, with all the bounce!

The Ultimate Equation for Weight Loss

Alright, ladies and gents, here is the secret to weight loss:

Burn more calories than you consume.
Move more. Eat less.

It is that easy, and yet so very HARD some days.

I have tried to lose weight without working out and it just doesn't, well, work. Sure, you'll have some initial success but when you turn the corner and the cupcake is staring you in the face saying, "I triple dog dare ya" (like in the picture below), you'll have nothing to combat it.



(thanks google)



When you add movement to your life--and I know I am preaching to the choir here--you are able to have more "room" in your diet for special treats AND you find that your body requests more healthy things (in the form of cravings).

I walked past a weed on the ground the other day around breakfast time and I found myself picturing it in a salad with olive oil and garlic. My body wasn't asking for a cinnamon roll, but instead for a weed. Amazing, huh?

Now, back to the equation.

When I first started weight loss, I used Weight Watchers. I love the plan. At the time, I had no idea how much food "cost" the body. Once I started using the points plan, I learned what was healthy and why.

Most of you know a "point" on weight watchers equals roughly 65 calories. Depending on the amount of fiber and fat in the food item, the points of an item can change. This is why those amazing tortillas I eat are only point--because while they have 100 calories, they also have about 1 gram of fat with a whopping 7 grams of fiber! There are plenty of calculators out there for anyone trying to figure out what their cupboard really offers.

Recently, I realized that the points system was separating me from my food choices. I would have a piece of cheese even if it had 3 grams of fat because it was "only one point". I would also make bad choices just because they were low in points-- like those 100 calorie packs that are not nutritious at all or sugar packed granola bars. This realization reminded me of the golden rule:

Use your calorie allotment for the day on healthy, natural and unprocessed glorious goodness that will keep your body going.

It is easy to forget the golden rule when you figure out that a sugar free ice cream sandwich is only two points.


When I started counting calories, I started to see these foods as what they really are--fuel for the body. And now when I look at food and know that I will have to be accountable for every calorie, I tend to make slightly better decisions. I don't eat when I'm not hungry, for instance, because I know I'll need those calories later in the day to stave off hunger. Whereas, on Weight watchers, I would often just rejoice in all the "points" I had left.

I try to stay around 1500 calories a day. If I work out, I sometimes allow myself to go up to 2,000. On weight watchers, I currently get 31 points a day. (There are calculators out there to tell you how many points you get too--for anyone interested). 31 points is roughly 2,000 calories a day. But sometimes when I was doing weight watchers I simply couldn't hit that number-- one day I converted my 24 point menu for the day and it only came out to 1200 calories. Most nutritionists will tell you that you need at minimum 1500 calories a day so that your body will not slip into starvation mode and start hoarding all you give it (=weight gain! yikes.).

So for me, at this point in my life, the weight watchers system can be a little scary. I work in a Biology office of a university and often talk to the biology professors here about weight loss. One professor is on weight watchers as well and has been really successful. She tells me that she keeps chocolate in her freezer for the days she is too low on points because she knows, as a scientist, that you have to eat to lose.

Now here is a conundrum: a woman eats chocolate, sometimes very late in the day, because she has to so she can lose weight?

Wait, what?

There is a reason why so many of the blogs I read are not only dedicated to weight loss, but to healthy, natural eating.

Everywhere you turn there is an opportunity to throw points or calories away on food that is not good for your soul, heart or hips. Even if it is "only 4 points".

I have to count calories at this time in my life to better my relationship with food. Once I lose and am maintaining, maybe I can go back to points--after all, it is simple, fast and convenient. But until I change my relationship with doughnuts, I can't use the points system. Because, you know, a glazed doughnut is only five points.....

A Wordless Breakfast

Changing Tastes

I have read a lot about how changing your diet will change your taste preferences. There was a time when I would have called this a load of crap.

But, it seems that it may in fact be true that when you change what you eat, you change what you crave.

After a fulfilling workout, I whipped together this little treat:


That is a boca burger on a whole wheat bun with pine nut hummus and fresh red and orange peppers.

It was outrageously good. I have also found that boca burger with avocado is phenomenal.

There was a time when nothing could compare with a cheeseburger. I think that time has changed.