Since I started Weight Watchers, there are two things I find myself reaching for between meals: fruit and popcorn.
Fruit -- which is now 0 PointsPlus on the new eating plan, is always my first option. I always have it at the ready -- either grapes, apple or bananas, which I can just pop in my mouth. If I am not famished, I'll take the time to peel an orange or grapefruit.
The point is, I always have fruit in the fridge, which is usually all I need to tame my hunger.
But sometimes, fruit just doesn't cut it. That's when I break out the Jolly Time popcorn, which already has aligned its packages to reflect the new PointsPlus. And because I really have to like the food I eat, I bought three different types of Jolly Time, all with 1 PointsPlus per bag. The kettle corn was the first one I tried, and it was just a tad too sweet for me. Plus, it was a mini bag. The buttery flavor Jolly Time was good, but again, it was a mini bag. The third box I opened was plain old air popped Jolly Time, and imagine my surprise when the bag was more than double the size of the mini bags. I ate with gusto, and by the time I finished this treat, I was more than sated.
What was missing was the stomach lump I used to have when I would inhale a bag of pretzels in one sitting.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Jack LaLanne
When I heard the news that Jack LaLanne died this week at age 96, I took a few minutes to offer a prayer for this amazing man. LaLanne was part of my childhood, the TV fitness guru who my mother exercised with daily -- through the TV of course.
I would exercise right along with my mom, and although I found his commands often daunting, this was a special time for mom and me, just the two of us doing something no one else in the family wanted to join. I had her undivided interest -- almost. After all, she did have to pay attention to the screen as well.
Around this time my mother developed a love for Carlton Fredericks and Adelle Davis, pioneers in the field of nutrition, vitmains and minerals. I have no idea if she got tuned in to these two through LaLanne, but I do know that her knowledge learned through these three people sent her on a course of nutritious eating long before most people ever gave diet and nutrition a second thought.
LaLanne's message was simple and concise: Exercise daily, eat nutritiously, loading up on fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains, and don't be afraid to challenge yourself. And as I am thinking back on those days, his tagline just popped into my head, one I think we would all be wise to remind ourselves daily: "Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom!"
And although LaLanne is now gone from this world, he is back in my life. His legend certainly lives on.
I would exercise right along with my mom, and although I found his commands often daunting, this was a special time for mom and me, just the two of us doing something no one else in the family wanted to join. I had her undivided interest -- almost. After all, she did have to pay attention to the screen as well.
Around this time my mother developed a love for Carlton Fredericks and Adelle Davis, pioneers in the field of nutrition, vitmains and minerals. I have no idea if she got tuned in to these two through LaLanne, but I do know that her knowledge learned through these three people sent her on a course of nutritious eating long before most people ever gave diet and nutrition a second thought.
LaLanne's message was simple and concise: Exercise daily, eat nutritiously, loading up on fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains, and don't be afraid to challenge yourself. And as I am thinking back on those days, his tagline just popped into my head, one I think we would all be wise to remind ourselves daily: "Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom!"
And although LaLanne is now gone from this world, he is back in my life. His legend certainly lives on.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Simply yummy
Last night I had forgotten to defrost anything for dinner, it was snowing really hard, and I decided a little creativity was in order. I had a dozen eggs, so I checked out recipes on www.weightwaters.com and decided the Breakfast Enchilada could work. For me, having breakfast for dinner is all about comfort.
The result was excellent. For the wrap, I used Trader Joe's habanero chili wraps, which added the perfect amount of zest to the dish. This recipe is a keeper because it meets my three goals for a successful weekday meal: It's economical, easy to prepare and tasty. The fact that it is vegetarian is the cherry on this dish.
I was going to serve it with a salad, but just as I was about to pull out the greens, a recall warning for Stop & Shop's organic greens came over the TV. Scary, since I have been eating from this batch all week. But a side of roasted corn proved a perfect accompaniment to our meal. At only 6 PointsPlus per serving, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be making this meal very often.
BREAKFAST ENCHILADA
2 sprays) cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 small green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (medium)
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1/2 cups salsa, medium or hot variety
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
* Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions, green pepper, tomato and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add egg whites and whole eggs; cook until eggs are scrambled, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese, cilantro, salt and black pepper.
* Place a tortilla on a flat surface; spoon 1/4 of egg mixture onto center of tortilla and roll up tortilla. Fill remaining tortillas with remaining egg mixture, then place tortillas side-by-side in prepared baking dish; lightly coat with cooking spray.
* Bake until golden brown and tortilla ends are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa spooned over top. Top each enchilada with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of salsa. Makes 4 servings. 6 PointsPlus per serving.
The result was excellent. For the wrap, I used Trader Joe's habanero chili wraps, which added the perfect amount of zest to the dish. This recipe is a keeper because it meets my three goals for a successful weekday meal: It's economical, easy to prepare and tasty. The fact that it is vegetarian is the cherry on this dish.
I was going to serve it with a salad, but just as I was about to pull out the greens, a recall warning for Stop & Shop's organic greens came over the TV. Scary, since I have been eating from this batch all week. But a side of roasted corn proved a perfect accompaniment to our meal. At only 6 PointsPlus per serving, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be making this meal very often.
BREAKFAST ENCHILADA
2 sprays) cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 small green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (medium)
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1/2 cups salsa, medium or hot variety
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
* Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions, green pepper, tomato and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add egg whites and whole eggs; cook until eggs are scrambled, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese, cilantro, salt and black pepper.
* Place a tortilla on a flat surface; spoon 1/4 of egg mixture onto center of tortilla and roll up tortilla. Fill remaining tortillas with remaining egg mixture, then place tortillas side-by-side in prepared baking dish; lightly coat with cooking spray.
* Bake until golden brown and tortilla ends are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa spooned over top. Top each enchilada with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of salsa. Makes 4 servings. 6 PointsPlus per serving.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
2 recipes
I usually devote today's post to my Weight Watchers meeting, which I missed last night because of the SNOW. Mom Nature are you listening? Enough!
Since it took me three hours to get into work yesterday, I had to work late. But my reaction to missing my meeting was so unexpected: I was disappointed. And this is a good thing.
On the way home last night -- that only took 90 minutes -- I started to think about how I am not meeting the WW daily requirement of two dairy servings a day. Since I am lactose intolerant, I avoid milk, but always eat one yogurt. It's the second serving I am missing.
This morning, I made myself what I know will become my daily drink to get me going: 8 ounces of almond milk, frozen blueberries and strawberries, and a banana. I whipped it up in the blender, and the result was a 16-ounce smoothie worth 1 PointsPlus. What a treat.
My other recipe is for oatmeal, the biggest hit at last Sunday's brunch. I was silently laughing at my son and daughter, who were impressed with how good steel-cut Irish oatmeal is. When they were children, they would sit there and gag rather than eat their oatmeal. Have times changed!
Do I have time to make real oatmeal daily? Absolutely not. But I made so much of it Sunday, that I had enough leftovers for breakfast all week. Besides the flavor, the texture of steel cut oatmeal is chewy and more filling than the flakes we are used to. And at about 3 PointsPlus per 1/4 cup serving, I think it is worth the effort. For an extra treat -- and of course some added PointsPlus -- you can throw in some nuts.
VAL'S OATMEAL
4 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. pure maple syrup
* Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup, stir, and after oatmeal begins to thicken, about 5 minutes, lower heat to simmer.
* Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency.
Since it took me three hours to get into work yesterday, I had to work late. But my reaction to missing my meeting was so unexpected: I was disappointed. And this is a good thing.
On the way home last night -- that only took 90 minutes -- I started to think about how I am not meeting the WW daily requirement of two dairy servings a day. Since I am lactose intolerant, I avoid milk, but always eat one yogurt. It's the second serving I am missing.
This morning, I made myself what I know will become my daily drink to get me going: 8 ounces of almond milk, frozen blueberries and strawberries, and a banana. I whipped it up in the blender, and the result was a 16-ounce smoothie worth 1 PointsPlus. What a treat.
My other recipe is for oatmeal, the biggest hit at last Sunday's brunch. I was silently laughing at my son and daughter, who were impressed with how good steel-cut Irish oatmeal is. When they were children, they would sit there and gag rather than eat their oatmeal. Have times changed!
Do I have time to make real oatmeal daily? Absolutely not. But I made so much of it Sunday, that I had enough leftovers for breakfast all week. Besides the flavor, the texture of steel cut oatmeal is chewy and more filling than the flakes we are used to. And at about 3 PointsPlus per 1/4 cup serving, I think it is worth the effort. For an extra treat -- and of course some added PointsPlus -- you can throw in some nuts.
VAL'S OATMEAL
4 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. pure maple syrup
* Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup, stir, and after oatmeal begins to thicken, about 5 minutes, lower heat to simmer.
* Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Every diet in the world
My friend Susan loves to laugh at me and my diets. And I have to agree with her that I am nuts when it comes to dieting.
We were talking last week about all the crazy ways I have tried to shed pounds, and she challenged me to write down every diet I have ever tried. I really tried to do this, but it's impossible. I have tried them all. But one thing Susan said struck home: That no matter what diet I try, I give it my all, tell the world that this is the diet, and that this time I am really going to reach my goal, and stay there.
And Susan is correct: That's what I said. But I lied. Internally I was telling myself that I was a phony, and that I knew that there was no way I would ever stay on this diet for life. In most cases I was miserable, depriving myself of the foods I love. I hated the diet. And I probably wasn't all too happy with myself, because if I really loved me, I would never have treated myself this way.
What a revelation.
And yes, right now I am outwardly saying that I love the new Weight Watchers diet, but it's what I am saying to myself that makes me confident that this time it is for life. My inner voice is not telling me that I am a failure. Instead, my inner voice is agreeing with my outer voice, and believes that I am now on an eating plan, not a diet. My inner voice tells me daily that the way I am eating is making me feel happy and content, not deprived.
For the first time in my life, my inner voice is being kind to me. And I have to admit that I like this kinder, gentler inside me.
We were talking last week about all the crazy ways I have tried to shed pounds, and she challenged me to write down every diet I have ever tried. I really tried to do this, but it's impossible. I have tried them all. But one thing Susan said struck home: That no matter what diet I try, I give it my all, tell the world that this is the diet, and that this time I am really going to reach my goal, and stay there.
And Susan is correct: That's what I said. But I lied. Internally I was telling myself that I was a phony, and that I knew that there was no way I would ever stay on this diet for life. In most cases I was miserable, depriving myself of the foods I love. I hated the diet. And I probably wasn't all too happy with myself, because if I really loved me, I would never have treated myself this way.
What a revelation.
And yes, right now I am outwardly saying that I love the new Weight Watchers diet, but it's what I am saying to myself that makes me confident that this time it is for life. My inner voice is not telling me that I am a failure. Instead, my inner voice is agreeing with my outer voice, and believes that I am now on an eating plan, not a diet. My inner voice tells me daily that the way I am eating is making me feel happy and content, not deprived.
For the first time in my life, my inner voice is being kind to me. And I have to admit that I like this kinder, gentler inside me.
Monday, January 24, 2011
It's Monday
...and I am not singing the blues. My weekend of challenges: Met.
I did exactly what I had planned on doing, and this morning, I have the biggest smile on my face.
I had saved my 49 extra Weight Watchers PointsPlus for Saturday, and I know I used them all. I made baked ravioli and meatballs, and for dessert, apple pie and carrot cake. I ate a normal serving of the ravioli, had one meatball, and was content with a tiny sliver of apple pie -- actually just a taste -- and a small piece of carrot cake. We had a big brunch late Sunday morning, and the pie and cake made it onto the spread of food. What was left of everything -- and that includes the ravioli -- was divided up among our relatives and went home with them.
Yesterday, I ate on plan. After dinner, I started thinking about what was left in my house, and the quart of vanilla ice cream in my freezer started calling my name. Jack was in the kitchen, and I asked him to please toss the vanilla ice cream, which he was more than happy to do. Truth be told, last night I was exhasted, the time when I start eating everything in sight. If Jack had not tossed the ice cream, I am convinced that I would have eaten the remains right out of the container.
But here's the best part: As soon as I knew the ice cream was gone, I gave myself a mental pat on the back and breathed a sigh of relief.
Close call. But it just reinforced to me that this time, I really am in it to win it.
I did exactly what I had planned on doing, and this morning, I have the biggest smile on my face.
I had saved my 49 extra Weight Watchers PointsPlus for Saturday, and I know I used them all. I made baked ravioli and meatballs, and for dessert, apple pie and carrot cake. I ate a normal serving of the ravioli, had one meatball, and was content with a tiny sliver of apple pie -- actually just a taste -- and a small piece of carrot cake. We had a big brunch late Sunday morning, and the pie and cake made it onto the spread of food. What was left of everything -- and that includes the ravioli -- was divided up among our relatives and went home with them.
Yesterday, I ate on plan. After dinner, I started thinking about what was left in my house, and the quart of vanilla ice cream in my freezer started calling my name. Jack was in the kitchen, and I asked him to please toss the vanilla ice cream, which he was more than happy to do. Truth be told, last night I was exhasted, the time when I start eating everything in sight. If Jack had not tossed the ice cream, I am convinced that I would have eaten the remains right out of the container.
But here's the best part: As soon as I knew the ice cream was gone, I gave myself a mental pat on the back and breathed a sigh of relief.
Close call. But it just reinforced to me that this time, I really am in it to win it.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Give this girl an "A"
I passed my test: Ate like a "normal" person last night, and today, I'm feeling like I've begun to really win that battle of my bulge.
Last night I ate out, in a French restaurant no less. I picked out what I wanted online before I got to the restaurant -- Seafood Bouillabaisse or Grilled Tuna Salad -- and had told myself that was exactly what I wanted. I also decided not to pay attention to the night's specials.
But then I found out that last night the restaurant was offering the Grilled Tuna Salad in an appetizer portion, and the Bouillabaisse came in two sizes. I took it as a sign that this time I will succeed. I had both, settling on the small Bouillabaisse and adding a glass of red wine -- because I knew I was within my PointsPlus.
And as the desserts went around the table -- Crepes and Creme Brulee -- I decided not to take even one bite. It's not that I wasn't tempted, because I was. But for some reason I was not tempted enough to take a bite. Instead, I sipped a cup of Ginger Lemon tea, and I was content.
Wow. Bring on the weekend!
Last night I ate out, in a French restaurant no less. I picked out what I wanted online before I got to the restaurant -- Seafood Bouillabaisse or Grilled Tuna Salad -- and had told myself that was exactly what I wanted. I also decided not to pay attention to the night's specials.
But then I found out that last night the restaurant was offering the Grilled Tuna Salad in an appetizer portion, and the Bouillabaisse came in two sizes. I took it as a sign that this time I will succeed. I had both, settling on the small Bouillabaisse and adding a glass of red wine -- because I knew I was within my PointsPlus.
And as the desserts went around the table -- Crepes and Creme Brulee -- I decided not to take even one bite. It's not that I wasn't tempted, because I was. But for some reason I was not tempted enough to take a bite. Instead, I sipped a cup of Ginger Lemon tea, and I was content.
Wow. Bring on the weekend!
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