Menu Plan Monday March 30- March 5

We had this program at church last week and I had to make a ton of cookies, none really fit into my diet. I guess they were a little bit healthier since they used whole wheat flour, but still. I gave all of them away I could and the kids ate some for awhile. Here are the recipes in case you are interested. I am so glad they are gone! Here is my plan for this week.
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Dinners
Monday- Peking Pork Chops, rice, peas
Tuesday- Spaghetti Casserole, salad, toast
Wednesday- Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili, Cornbread (Jiffy mixed with creamed corn)
Thursday- Corn Dog Casserole, salad
Friday- Pizza Cups, salad
Saturday- Soup and sandwiches
Sunday- Breakfast for dinner
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Breakfast
Special K Waffles, sugar free syrup, banana, hot herbal tea (2 days)
Cinnamon French Toast, fruit, hot herbal tea
Omelet with onions, mushrooms, and cheese, banana, hot herbal tea (2 days)
Hungry Girl's Laughing Cow Cheese Microwave Eggs, banana, hot herbal tea
Special K cereal with milk , strawberries, hot herbal tea
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Lunch
Weight Watcher 0 Point Vegetable Soup- 2 days
Cheesy Vegetable Soup 2 days
leftovers
Smart Ones dinners
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Desserts and Snacks
Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Crustless Strawberry Pie, Twinkie Cake, 94% Fat Free Popcorn, Pistachio Cake
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Go here to see more plans.

Meeting Topic: Making Restaurant Food "Fit"

Tonight's topic was Making Restaurant Food "Fit." Our leader held up a Subway paper that they put on your tray and she had the number 5.8 on it and she asked it what that number meant. Well ends up the 5.8 is the average number of days most people eat out. So, if eating out is part of our lifestyle, we have to learn to incorporate it in our healthy eating plan.

There are two priorities when eating out. First, plan ahead. There are lots of ways to do this. Ask your favorite restaurant if they have pamphlets on the nutrition facts of the food they serve, many do. Go online to the restaurants website and check there for information. Weight Watchers also offers a Dining Out Companion book that has lots of restaurants information included in it. Check out your weekly books from Weight Watchers many have ideas in them for eating out. Know what you are going to eat before you go out. If you out with others order first because after you hear what everyone else is ordering, you will be more likely to be talked in to getting something else. Second, enjoy yourself when eating out.

Our leader also gave some tips for managing eating out.
1. Study menu/ ask how selections are prepared
I have found that some restaurants are more helpful with answering questions than others. But, I still ask! Sometimes I feel stupid for asking so many questions, but I know my weight loss goals are important. So, I continue to do it!

2. Trim visible fat/ remove skin
I know some people say the skin is the best part, but it is also high in fat and other stuff we don't need.

3. Butter, gravy, dressings, on the side.
I always ask for dry potatoes when I eat out and if it's not there, I won't eat it! I eat fat free ranch on my baked potatoes. You can also put some dressing on your fork and then get some salad and eat it like that. Our salads don't have to be dripping in dressing.

4. Ask for baked potatoes instead of fries, skim milk, salad instead of slaw.

5. Skip the bread.
Tell the server not to bring the bread basket. Personally, I love bread and if I eat out that's one thing I really want so I limit myself to one piece on special occasions.

6. Know how much is too much
Many restaurants serve 3-4 times the serving size so be ready to get a doggie bag. Ask for it up front so you can make it more portion friendly. I like to order a lunch size, that is usually plenty of food.

7. Avoid "All You Can Eat" restaurants
Many people like to eat their money's worth and when you are watching what you are eating, you do not feel like are getting it and there are always desserts too, which bring in more temptation. I like to eat at Ponderosa. This steakhouse has a bar that comes with your entree. We like to go there because our kids eat free or for a very small price. I order a chicken meal and while I wait for that, I fill up on salad. By the time I am done with that, my chicken meal comes. I ask for my baked potato to be dry and then I get some fat free ranch off of the salad bar and put that on there. When the kids are full they hit the dessert bar and I go get some fruit. That usually satisfies my sweet tooth. The kids usually want my fruit. lol! We don't go out a lot but this is where we like to go when we get the money.
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Finally, our leader left us with a quote:
Small Size Portions, Small Size Jeans Tomorrow!
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At weigh in, I lost 0.6 pound. oh well, I did realize that since I gained, I have 6 pounds to lose to get another 10%. That means I will have lost 20% of my body weight since going to weight watchers. Remember I lost 25 pounds on my own online before going to the meetings, but they don't count that. Anyways, 6 more pounds is my goal right now. I really want to see that! A 20% body weight loss is a big deal! I must do good this week!

Menu Plan Monday-March 23-29

Dinners

Monday- Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad, toast

Tuesday- Creamy Potato and Ham Bake, salad

Wednesday- Buffalo Chicken Pasta, salad

Thursday- Peking Porkchops, rice, peas

Friday- Pizza Cups, salad

Saturday-Soup and Sandwiches

Sunday- Breakfast for dinner

Breakfast

Special K cereal with milk , strawberries, hot herbal tea (2 days)

Special K Waffles, sugar free syrup, banana, hot herbal tea (2 days)

Omelet with onions, mushrooms, and cheese, banana, hot herbal tea

Hungry Girl's Laughing Cow Cheese Microwave Eggs, banana, hot herbal tea

Cinnamon French Toast, fruit, hot herbal tea

Lunch

Weight Watcher 0 Point Vegetable Soup- 2 days

Cheesy Vegetable Soup 2 days

Leftovers

Smart Ones

Desserts and Snacks

Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Crustless Strawberry Pie, Twinkie Cake, Strawberry Fluf, Pumpkin Fluff, 94% Fat Free Popcorn, Weight Watcher Snacks (Pretzel thins, Cheddar Twist)

Go here to see more plans.

"Why Did I Do That?"

Why Did I Do That? That was the theme of our meeting this week. How do we know when it is true hunger? If it's not true hunger why are we eating? Our leader said we needed to use the Weight Watchers Tool for living reframing to help us with this situation.

Reframing is a process for finding better ways to get what you want or better ways to satisfy the positive intentions behind negative behavior.

To use reframing, we need to first ask ourselves, What habit do we want to stop? Then ask ourselves What does the behavior get for you? How does it benefit you in some way? Then ask, What non-food behaviors will get you the same benefit? and finally Which of these behaviors will you try?

I gained 3 pounds this week. Now I am really frustrated because I really did nothing different than the past two weeks that I lost over 2 pounds each week. The only thing I think it might be is that I started today and it is water weight gain? I am just so frustrated because as soon as I start to get out of the 240's I get deeper into them :(

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup
1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef, cooked

2 (14.5 oz.) Cans Diced Tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano

2 (10.5 oz.) Cans Chicken Broth

1 Large Onion, chopped

3 Bell Peppers, chopped

2 (10 3/4 oz.) Cans Condensed Tomato Soup

1 1/2 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Inside the crockpot, Combine the cooked beef, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, bell peppers and tomato soup. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Warm up the rice, stir it into the soup and serve.

Serves: 12 (1 Cup Each)

Per Serving: 141 Calories; 3g Fat (18.2% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 470mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

WWP: 3

From: AimeesAdventures

RR: This taste just like a stuffed green pepper. If you like those you will love this!

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
1½ cups cauliflower
2 tsp. grated reduced fat Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. extra virgin oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and toss to mix. Drizzle oil and toss again. Put mixture in a nonstick baking dish. Bake for 15-17 minutes, tossing once until lightly browned and crisp tender.
Serves 1
104 calories, 6 g fat, 4g fiber

Recipe from Biggest Loser Cookbook

RR: This was very good!

Garden Vegetable Soup

I think a lot of people call this 0 point soup. I never tried it until this week and it is really good!
I will be making it again! I added mushrooms to my soup. You can pretty much addd any veggies you like!

Garden Vegetable Soup
2/3 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat free broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 1/2 cup diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini
In large saucepan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 min. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 min. or until beans are tender. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 min. Serve hot.
Makes 4- 1 cup servings
Per serving: 42 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

Tonight our topic was on moving more. Our leader had a bag full of different things and pictures. Some included tennis shoes, treadmill, bicycle,can of soup, a jump rope, a towel, a ball, and a dumbbell. Our leader was trying to show us that we could use any of those things to help us move more. Many of them really did not even cost a lot of money. So, you can exercise even on a budget. I know I need to move more and I am only having one goal this week. I want to move more. Today, I got my Wi back out. I did a 3 minute warm up with the basic step aerobics and then I did 30 minutes of the advanced step aerobics and then back to the 3 minute basic step aerobics for a cool down. I did that this morning and it really made a difference in my energy level today. I did not feel as tired and I still do not feel that tired. I feel energized and it is almost midnight. Don't worry, I'm going to bed soon! I know a lot of people say you can't get a good workout with the Wi, but I always break a sweat doing the things I do!

I am really happy with my weigh in this week. I feel like I am getting back on track and going in the right direction! I lost 2.4 pounds this week! I hope these two weeks can continue, so I can get to my 100 pound goal a little faster! I'm sooo close!

No Bake Cookie Oatmeal

If you like no bake cookies, you will like this. Very yummy!
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No Bake Cookie Oatmeal
1/2 cup rolled oatmeal
1 cup water
1 Weight Watchers Smoothie Packet
1/2 Tbs. Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Splenda (to sweeten as desired)

Mix oatmeal and water and place in microwave for 2 minutes. Add smoothie packet and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are mixed in. Enjoy!
Serves 1

4 Weight Watchers Points

Biggest Loser Month 2 and Menu Plan Monday March 9-15

Well, here is my weigh in for Month 2 of my biggest loser contest. It must have been a fluke that day because I can't get my scale to say that in the morning the past couple of days, it says 242. something most mornings. Guess that means I gained somewhere. I don't know, but I was glad to see my scale say that. We had to have a comb in the picture this month, so don't ask me about that. I would love to be out of the 240's next month. I don't think I'll ever win a month, because I'm not losing as fast as I did when I started, but I know that that's what is suppose to be happening. On a GREAT note, my starting BMI was 50.7 and now it is 37.6!!!

Here's what we are eating in our house this week. I do Weight Watchers and my family eats about the same dinners as I do.

Dinners
Spaghetti Casserole, salad, toast, Pistachio Fluff
Creamy Potato and Ham Bake, salad
Doritos Casserole, Salad
Corn Dog Casserole, salad
Peking Pork Chops, rice, mixed veggies
Soup and Sandwich night (I'm making Unstuffed Pepper Soup for me)
Breakfast for dinner night

Breakfast
Special K cereal with milk , strawberries, hot herbal tea (2 days)
Special K Waffles, sugar free syrup, banana, hot herbal tea (2 days)
Omelet with onions, mushrooms, and cheese, banana, hot herbal tea
Hungry Girl's Laughing Cow Cheese Microwave Eggs, banana, hot herbal tea
Cinnamon French Toast, fruit, hot herbal tea

Lunch
Leftover Unstuffed Pepper Soup- 2 days
Weight Watcher 0 Point Vegetable Soup- 2 days
Cheesy Vegetable Soup 2 days
Leftovers

Desserts and Snacks
94% Fat Free Popcorn, Chips Ahoy Dessert, Pistachio Fluff, Twinkie Cake, Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats

Go here to see more plans.

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

This week the theme of the meeting was Stages of Change.

5 Stages of Change
1. Pre-contemplation- Unaware or denying there is a problem or not seeing it as serious.
This time for me was when I was having children. I kept saying after I have all my children then I will worry about what I am eating.

2. Contemplation- Becoming aware of a need to change. Deciding to change and weighing the pros and cons.
This time for me was when I cut my finger in the kitchen and had to go get stitches and found out what my weight was and that my blood pressure was super high. This was my "wake up" call!

3. Preparation- Gathering information, equipment, supplies, learning the "how-to's", learning to weigh/measures food, journaling food etc.
This time for me started by learning everything I could about Weight Watchers online. I did it on my own for 2 months and decided I needed the meetings. I started measuring food, writing down everything I ate.

4. Action- Starting to practice helpful behaviors, recording what he/she is doing, noticing what does/doesn't work, keep practicing until it was "normal"
Most of the big changes I have made, I continue to do or they have become a lifestyle for me or "normal."

5. Maintenance- Sustaining new behaviors, (new habits) over time.

6. Relapse- Experiencing a full or partial return to previous behaviors, often accompanied by negative feelings and a return to earlier stage.
I think this happened to me at Christmas time! I let myself eat whatever I wanted for about 5 weeks and I paid for it at the scale. I am just now recovering from that mistake!

"The elevator to success is out of order. You have to use the stairs....one step at a time."

"Change comes from within."

I lost 2.8 pounds this week, which made me feel so much better.

Goals for the week
1. Journal!
2. Exercise!
3. Eat my 5 servings of fruits and veggies!

I'm sick again!

I just got over a really bad cold. Yesterday we went to pick up our kids some new bunk beds because the toddler beds they are in are just falling apart. I felt bad before we even walked out the door. My mother in law keep the kids and that was the best part because I did not have to deal with them all day. It feels like a bad flu. My eyes still are bad. I use the eye drops at least 5 times a day for relief. On a good note, I found out about a patient assistance program for the medicine I need to help my eyes. It cost $222 a month! I could never afford that so I am glad I found out about the program. They will send me 3 months at a time, if I qualify, which I am pretty sure I do! So, I hope this goes through because I have been battling these dry eyes for way too long. They burn, and just irritate me. So, I am definitely looking for some relief.

I had a really bad day yesterday! I gave into EVERY temptation. What's wrong with me? I did really good until after lunch time. For lunch we went to the Taco Bell drive thru. I had two Fresco Ranchero Chicken Enchilada. It is on the light menu and only 3 points each. Then I stopped and bought some Girl Scout Cookies. They have some that are 100 calorie packs. They were pretty good. I also ate some of the Caramel Delights not so good. Then for dinner we went thru the McDonald's drive thru with the kids. Usually, I get the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken, but no I got a Quarter Pounder meal. I NEVER get that. I also had some of dh's chips while we were transporting the stuff. We never eat out that much. I try to avoid it! I guess I just felt so bad I did not care what I ate. My dh is sick too this time and this is the kind of flu where every muscle in your body aches so you fell like doing nothing but sleeping. But we got 4 kids to take care of so we might take shifts. Oh I hate being sick! Igot on the scale this morning to see how much damage I had done and the number looked a lot better than I thought. I am just going to have to be very careful until my weigh in on Tuesday. It is snowing really bad here today and all I want is spring and no more colds!!!!