Battle of the Bulge...weight loss version

So now that the holidays are over and we are well into the new year, I think it's about time that I make an actual attempt at losing the rest of my baby weight.  I gained 47 lbs. while pregnant with Ryleigh and I have lost 32 lbs. of it (How? I'm not sure, but it's gone).  Unfortunately, I spent the weekdays of December 2009 eating a lot of fast food due to the fact that the hubby and I were apart (him in Greensboro, me still in Charlotte), then on the weekends when we were together, we ate out.  And of course with the addition of the holiday plus what I like to call "winter insulation", I was 15 lbs. over what I normally weigh when I became pregnant in February of 2010.  So while I only technically have 15 lbs. of baby weight left to lose, I have the additional 15 lbs. from before pregnancy, leaving me with 30 more lbs. left to shed!

For those of you who know me, you all know how I feel about dieting and exercising.  I loathe it.  I love sitting on my sofa, watching T.V. for hours on end while I stuff my face with carbs and Diet Coke.  And don't even get me started on exercising.  Experts say that exercising releases endorphins which make you feel good and help you stay positive.  Lies.  The only thing releasing from me after exercising is sweatdrops and the occasional curse word.  So needless to say, being healthy doesn't necessarily come easy or enjoyable to me.  BUT, I do miss being "skinny", so I guess I'll make the sacrifce : /

I started my lifestyle changes last Tuesday.  Unfortunately for my husband, he's had to make these changes too and for those of you who know him know that the word dieting isn't even in his vocabulary.  But he has been a good sport about it and hasn't tried to steer me off track like he usually does when I try to lose weight.  And actually he has lost like, 10 lbs. already (yeah, yeah, yeah, good for him...pbbth). 

Now for me.  I've changed the way I eat.  A lot.  I try to start my day off with breakfast (egg whites, plain oatmeal, sometimes some turkey sausage) and then I eat every couple of hours to keep my metabolism up.  I've also cut myself back to only 1 Diet Coke a day, and trust me when I say, that's a huge deal for me.  Now, I'm not being crazy about cutting my carbs and stuff but I am being more careful about my portions.  I've also started drinking more "water" (crystal light counts, right?).  But of course, I give myself one cheat day (Sunday)...our church care group meets Sunday nights and we always have dinner together, so I figure this will help me stay sane through the dieting process.

Anyways, I'd say my first week has been pretty successful.  I was able to work out 4 days and planned my meals out in advance, taking care to leave out "prepared" things and go with more "fresh" things.  So what's the verdict?  This week I lost.....drumroll................

4 pounds!!

I'm happy with that : )  We are leaving for California to visit my parents on April 22 and my goal is to be back to my original weight by then.  I feel that's realistic.  If I keep this up, it'll be a piece of cake....mmmmmmm....cake.....


Below are the recipes of some of my favorite things from this week, in case anyone would like to try them : )

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Risotto
makes 6 servings

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 pound Italian chicken or turkey sausage, casing removed & crumbled
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and chopped

To make risotto, bring the broth to a boil in medium saucepan.  Reduce heat and keep at a simmer.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the rice and cook until the outer shell is lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.  Add the wine, pepper, 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Continue to add the broth 1/2 cup  at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy.  The cooking time from the first addition of broth should be 20-24 mintues.  Stir in the parsely.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, cook the sausage, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 mintues.  Add the broccoli rabe; cover and cook until wilted and softened, about 7 minutes.  With a fork, stir the sausage and broccoli rabe into the risotto.

per serving (1 cup): 291 calories, 7g Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 22mg Chol, 360mg Sod, 43g Carb, 1g Fib, 13g Prot
Recipe from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook


Curried Butternut Squash Soup
makes 4 servings

I've made this soup before by roasting the butternut squash first, but to roast them you have to drench them in olive oil, so I assumed that wasn't the healthiest way.  So I found this recipe and tried it.  If you're not a fan of curry, you can leave it out, or don't use as much.  1 teaspoon will pretty much give you a sense of curry without over doing it.  But if you like curry, follow the recipe.

1 tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & cut into 1-inch cubes
6 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. honey
4 tsp. plain nonfat yogurt

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 mintues.  Add the squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, stir in the honey, and puree until smooth in the pot using an immersion blender or in two batches in a regular blender.  Taste and season with salt, if neccessary.
To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with the yogurt.

per serving (1 1/2 cups): 295 calories, 6.5g Fat, 1g Sat Fat, 0mg Chol, 415mg Sod, 56g Carb, 7.5g Fib, 12g Prot
Recipe from Ellie Krieger


Beef Burgers with Feta and Tomato
makes 2 servings

I thought these were super good, and since I love me some carbs, there is no way I couldn't have a bun.  But instead of a standard bun, I used one of those sandwich rounds, which is basically the equivilent of eating one slice of whole wheat bread instead of two.  Also, I made a little tomato, cucumber, avocado salad to eat with it and put a little on top of the burger itself.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup tomato, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill or 3/4 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine ground beef, green onion, spinach, tomato, feta, dill, salt and pepper. Form into 2 patties.  Grill or pan-fry over medium-high heat for 6 minutes on each side for medium doneness.

I'm not sure on the nutritional facts of this one because it is an Atkins recipe and they do weird things to their numbers because their diet plan is based on Net Carbs...but it was delicious.