Weigh In Wednesday

Week two of my battle of the bulge has ended today, so it's time for an update!  Although I know not many of you are very interested in my weight loss journey, writing about it keeps me accountable for how much I lose and don't lose.  Also knowing that at least some people are following it keeps me motivated...I mean, how embarassing would it be to have to write that I didn't lose any weight or (gasp!) gained weight!!  So hear me out while I talk about my week, then you can go back to eating your delicious, flavor filled meals >: (

The week started off great...I had lost 4 pounds last week, so results were actually happening, which is always inspiring.  I once again planned a menu out in advance and stuck to it.  But towards the end of the week, I became weak : (  Saturday, we were out and about running errands, so we ended up eating at Panera Bread.  The good thing is, they have their calories right next to the item on the menu, but still, I ended up eating a 500 calorie lunch : /  And don't even get me started on Sunday!  I knew I was going to have my cheat meal that night at small groups (mmmm. pizza.), but of course, cheat meal turned into cheat day!  So I guess a goal for this coming week will be to stay strong against my cravings and stick to my ONE cheat meal a week.

Mommy and Ryleigh before our walk

all bundled up!

Now for the exercising.  I've been trying to work out, but didn't get to do it as much as I would have liked this week.  Ryleigh and I went for a long walk one day, which was nice.  And courtesy of my "hilly" subdivision, my legs were feelin' the burn!  Hopefully all the lifting and running around at work will help a little bit.  I mean, it's movement, right?  My goal this week is to get in 4 days of workouts and 2 days of walking.  Maybe I can even convince the hubby to join in on some of those sessions? 

What's the verdict?  This week, even with all my boo-boos, I lost........2 pounds. 

So all in all, not a bad week...but it could have been better.  Wish me luck for a better week 3!  Below are some of the recipes I enjoyed this week. 

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
makes 4 servings

I thought these were a pretty good alternative to a beef burger.  I also topped mine with a slice of tomato, some lettuce and a few slices of avocado. Mmmmm.

1 1/4 lbs. lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, drained & rinsed if from a jar
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 whole-wheat buns, or sandwich rounds

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill.  Divide the turkey into 4 equal sized rounds.  Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total.  Sprinkle one side of four of the patties with 2 tablespoons each of roasted red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal the burgers closed.  Sprinkle the patties with the salt and few grinds of pepper.  Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Serve on buns.

per serving (1 burger w/bun): 310 calories, 7g Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 65mg Chol, 600mg Sod, 24g Carb, 3g Fib, 42g Prot
Recipe from Ellie Krieger


Roasted Salmon with Shallot-Grapefruit Sauce
makes 4 servings

This was amazing.  The sauce is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and is a welcome surprise on top of salmon!  If you don't like grapefruit, don't worry, it doesn't have an overpowering grapefruit taste...more sweet than tang.

4 skinless salmon fillets
1/4 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
2 ruby red grapefruits
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 tsp. honey
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 350.  Season the salmon with the salt, place in a baking dish, and roast until just cooked through, about 18 minutes.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the sauce.  Cut one of the grapefruits into sections by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit, then standing it on one end and cutting down the skin to remove the white pith and peel.  Then, remove each segment of fruit from its membrane  and cut the segments in half.  Set the segments aside.  Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 mintues.  Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne and bring to simmer.  Cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and season with salt.  Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil into the sauce. 
Place the salmon on a serving dish, spoon the sauce over it, and serve.

per serving (1 salmon fillet & 1/4 cup sauce):  345 calories, 18g Fat, 3.5g Sat Fat, 85mg Chol, 230mg Sod, 16g Carb, 1g Fib, 29g Prot
recipe from Ellie Krieger


Fruit Pizza 
servings depend on how small you cut your pizza slices

I doubt that this is "healthy", but for our Sunday small groups we had pizza for dinner, so for dessert I made a fruit pizza.  C'mon, it's got to be healthier than the alternative ; )  The number of fruits you will need depends on the size of your pizza as well as the size of your fruit, so this is what I used for mine.  You may need less or more. 

1 package store bought suger cookie dough
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 green apples, sliced
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
6 oz. blueberries
6 oz. raspberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Preheat the oven to 350. 
Flatten cookie dough onto a pizza pan or baking stone.  Bake until firm to touch, about 11-15 mintues.  Cool.  In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Spread the baked cookie with the cream cheese and arrange the sliced fruit on top.  In a small bowl, combine melted white chocolate with the chocolate syrup.  Top the pizza with the remaining berries and chocolate mixture.  Slice and serve immediately.

My fruit pizza...it was too pretty not to take a picture : )