Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Weigh In Wednesday

First of all, I can't believe it has been one whole week since I've blogged last.  I'll have to find some things to post between weigh ins this week.

Secondly, the changes I made this week in my diet really paid off.  This week I lost.....

2.4 pounds

That's what I'm talking about!!  Like I said in last weeks post, I changed my dinners into healthier dinners.  For a couple weeks there I was eating not so healthy dinners, like, 15 point dinners..and I'm only allotted 29 points a day.  So this past week I made a lot of changes to my menu, like eating more balanced meals throughout the day, a 5 point breakfast, a 8-9 point lunch, a 9-10 point dinner leaving 6-7 points left over for snacks.  So I'd say my changes worked out pretty well in my favor : ) 

As for exercising, I'm doing really well there.  I worked out 5 days this week for 40 minutes to an hour each day.  Well, besides one day when I only worked out 20 minutes, but at least I did something!  I'm actually pretty proud of myself for getting up to 5 days a week.  And really, I don't even think about working out anymore.  It's just part of my day now.  Ryleigh goes down for her morning nap, I get on the work out clothes and get to it.  I kind of feel guilty on the days I don't work out now : /  But it's paying off and even though I weigh more than what I usually weigh, my clothes are fitting better and some of my pants are actually a little large because I'm more fit than what I used to be.  And that makes me feel good inside.  In fact, I went on a little shopping spree yesterday to celebrate my successes : )

So this past week was very good and I got the results I have been looking for!  Now I'm only 8 pounds away from my "usual" weight and we're 3 weeks away from our trip to California.  So hopefully my streak will continue!!  I took lots of pictures this week, so enjoy some photos and recipes from this week.

 6 point breakfast: 1 hash brown pattie, 1 scrambled egg, 1 scrambled egg white, scallions, Canadian bacon, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, and 8oz. Trop50 Orange Juice.


8 point breakfast: 1 cup sliced strawberries, 6oz. low fat vanilla yogurt, and 1/2 cup low fat granola.


8 point lunch:  Cobb Salad- 2 cups romaine lettuce, 2 slices deli turkey, 1 slice low fat Swiss cheese, 1/4 cup diced tomato, 1 slice turkey bacon crumbled, 1/2 hard boiled egg, 1 1/2 Tbsp. Ranch dressing, and a side of orange slices.


10 point lunch:  Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella panini- I drizzled each inner side bread slice with some EVOO, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt and pepper to give it some flavor. (I used rye swirl bread because that's what I had in the pantry)  Then added 2oz. whole milk mozzarella, 1 cup arugula,  1 medium plum tomato (sliced), then sprayed each side of the sandwich with cooking spray and grilled it.  Then added some slices of cantaloupe on the side.


11 point dinner:  Tart Apple Pork with garlic mashed potatoes

Tart Apple Pork
makes 4 servings

This is a good recipe for people who like to mix sweet and savory.  Personally, I love apples with pork and the mixture of the apples and onions with the honey mustard in this recipe is wonderful.  But like I said, only for those who like to mix their proteins and fruits.

16 oz. boneless pork chop, trimmed of all visible fat
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. canola oil
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup apple juice, unsweetened
2 Tbsp. honey mustard

Sprinkle chops with the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Heat 1 tsp. of oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chops and cook until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate and cover.
Heat the remaining 1 tsp. oil in the same skillet over medium heat.  Add the apples and onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally until tender and golden, about 8 minutes.  Stir in apple juice and honey mustard; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Return chops to pan and cook, turning once, to heat through, about 2 minutes.

Yields 1 chop with 1/2 cup apple mixture per serving.
Recipe from weightwatchers.com

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pound uncooked potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. plain, nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Combine the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes.  Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
Mash the potatoes and garlic in the saucepan.  Stir in the yogurt, oil, salt and pepper.  Gradually stir in enough of the cooking liquid, 2 or 3 tbsp. at a time, until the potatoes become creamy. 

Yields 3/4 cup per serving.
recipe from weightwatchers.com...with some changes made by me.


8 point dinner:  Orange Chicken with brown rice and broccoli

Orange Chinese Chicken
makes 4 servings

I followed this recipe for the chicken then just steamed some broccoli and made instant brown rice.  It's a pretty good healthy take on orange chicken.

2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. orange zest, strips
1 lbs. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (Four 4oz. pieces)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
15 oz. canned mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. orange zest, grated
2 tsp. cornstarch

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add zest strips and cook, stirring until fragrant and slightly cooked, about 1-2 minutes.  Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.  When zest is finished, increase heat to medium-high; add chicken and cook until golden, flipping once, about 2 minutes per side.
Drain oranges and reserve 1/4 cup liquid.  Add oranges with reserved liquid to skillet and simmer 2 minutes.  Whisk together broth, soy sauce, finely grated zest, and cornstarch in a small bowl; add mixture to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more. 

Yields 1 piece of chicken and about 1/4 cup sauce
recipe from weightwatchers.com


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