Off the Rock...and the wagon...somewhat

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OK, I have to admit it - I counted points on Thursday...most of Friday and then Friday night the wings came out again and the points went out the window...I'm sure I have had worse eating weekends, but this one wasn't in my top 10 best ones, that's for sure!  Back on the wagon tomorrow morning and 100% on program from now until WI day on Saturday morning.

Here are some pics from the trip:

 

Tales from the Rock

Pin It I arrived in St. John's around 11:30 last night and was met by my wonderful friend and her hubby at the airport.  We took the long way around to get to their condo so we could take a little tour of the city (as much as we could see at night!) then arrived at their place and we chatted til after 1am!  Man it was hard to get up for work this morning.  Arrived at the office around 8:30am and couldn't get connected to the internet for the first hour...once I was online though...I hit the ground running...never stopped until it was time for me to go to lunch - and if I hadn't already committed to going to WW, I'd likely have worked right through.

Today's food did NOT start out good.  For breakfast I had a large tims coffee (with milk) and a mini aerobar.  I brought an apple with me to work, but where I was weighing in, I didn't want something heavy in me (usually I weigh in Sat morning BEFORE I eat).  For lunch I had a McDonalds Spicy Thai Chicken Salad (the grilled chicken one) - only SIX points for the salad AND the dressing!  SO impressed with this salad, it was awesome!

Now for the news I am SURE you have all been waiting for (yeah right!), I am down 2lbs this week - not bad since I only weighed in 5 days ago!

Well, off to do some more work, but just wanted to keep you posted on progress.

Product review - Vitamuffins!

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OK, one word...YUMMO!!!  I give these a 25 out of 10 they are so good.  The best part is, at 100 calories and 7 grams of fibre, they are only ONE point each!!  The chocolate ones are hard to find - found these at superstore in the Organic freezer section. Sobeys only had the blueberry bran or cranberry ones though...too bad about that 'cause they're $1.00 cheaper at Sobeys.  Superstore sells them for $4.99 (or was it $4.49?) per box...either way, over $1 per muffin :-(  BUT if you need that chocolate fix...totally worth it!  They are also available to order online.

From what I understand, they have muffin mixes too, but I have not seen them around here.  Ontario may have them as their Canadian distribution centre is in Toronto...

Doing my skinny dance!

Pin It Which would be great if a) I were skinny...and b) I could dance! ;-)  All jokes aside, today was a great day.  Down 2 lbs at WW (see my little flower and lady bug ticker above for my total as well as my first BIG goal (which I'd like to reach before going to the UK in September).  It is by no means my final goal, but it's a HUGE chunk of it!  I left WW and to went to my hairdressers for a trim "up the neck" (anyone with an inverted bob may know what I'm talking about) before my trip to NL this week...I know I'll need somethign to keep my neck warm, but I figure it's more fashionable (or "Fashion" as Kamryn says) to use a scarf!  Then I went to Penningtons/Additone-Elle and spent WAY too much money...but got some great deals!  Then to Frenchy's where I got sweaters for the kids to wear in the Christmas play at Metro, then the used bookstore...where I got books for a certain someone (won't name names in case he's reading this!) for Christmas.  Then home, cooked soup and my Adobe Chicken Stew, parade of lights, babysat the kids and now I'm home...basically been on the go since 9:30 this morning :-) 

Oh, I forgot to explain my title of today's blog!  I brought my usual sizes into the dressing room with me today and low and behold...several of them were TOO BIG!  This is also after spending all day yesterday hauling up my undies AND my dress pants at work (not a pretty sight, don't try to picture it!)  Anywho, that's all I have to write for now.  Will post recipe and photos tomorrow from today's cook-a-thon.

Nighty night...

Mindless eating

Pin It Ok, it became apparent to me tonight that I am a mindless eater.  I guess deep down I've always known it, but tonight it became truly obvious. 

I was sitting at my computer with my allotted 2 nibs (the long ones, not the tiny ones)...I ate one...I ate the 2nd one...and the next thing that approached my lips...was a PEN!  I almost ate my pen!  I think my new goal should be to pay attention to WHAT I am eating...no, I don't necessarily mean fat, calories or sugar...I mean - AM I EATING FOOD??!! 

Well, you know what they say - if you can't laugh at yourself...lol

One more full day before weigh in day...meant to cook tonight, but ended up eating leftovers instead.  Recipes for tomorrow are Adobe Chicken Stew and some recipe with turkey kielbasa and lentils...can't recall the name of it...

Chipotle & Honey Glazed Pork Roast

Pin It This is tonight's recipe (compliments of Recipezaar.com)...check back later for pictures!

Tanya

Chipotle & Honey Glazed Pork Recipe #49161

Easy, quick, and subtly spice, this one's a winner for weekday dinners, or even for company. Nice any time of the year with salads or fresh corn in the warm months, and with winter squash and spinach during cold months. Adapted from epicurious.com,

by Lizzie-Babette

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 6 (6 points per serving)

• 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (1/4 cup total)
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 lbs 2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Purée chipotles in adobo with garlic and honey in a blender until you have a smooth glaze.
3. Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and allspice, rubbing the mixture into the meat.
4. Put pork on a foil-lined baking sheet and spread with the glaze to coat well.
5. Roast the pork in the middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer registers 155°F, about 20 minutes.
6. Let pork stand 5 minutes on a cutting board before cutting into thin slices.

OK, I forgot to take pictures, so am including a picture from the recipe website.  But it was GREAT!  SPICY hot, but great.  Maybe next time I'll cut it down to two peppers from three.

White chocolate, oreos and peppermint...oh my!

Pin It Just had a visitor from a hotel chain in PEI come to visit...and as always, these people bring gifts...often they bring samples of their hotel's special brand of shampoo, soap or lotion that they supply for their guests...sometimes a little trinket...but Islanders tend to do stuff a little differently (and better) than the rest of the world...they brought me their own special "bark"...white chocolate, crushed oreos and peppermint...OH MY! A nice big bag of it too. I took it straight into George's office and said HELP ME - you HAVE to take it away from me!! And he did. Few! That was close! I have to say - chocolate (don't care what colour), oreos and mint...THREE OF MY FAV things in the whole world! But i just knew that 1) counting the points would be tough and 2) I would not be able to stop at just one piece...the whole bag would have been gone!!!

One more "hotel" visit left to come...the Delta is next (must be the season for sales calls)...thankfully they usually bring soap!

Egg white omelets ARE good!

Pin It My first attempt at an egg white omelet!

Egg-White Omelet With Vegetable-Cheddar Filling - 2 points total!  7 including WW toast with REAL margarine!

Cooking Time: 4 to 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

You Will Need
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed, thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded low fatcheddar cheese (0.5 ounces)
Vegetable cooking spray

What to Do
1. Whisk egg whites, water, dill (if using), salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Toss spinach, tomato, and cheddar together in a small bowl.

2. Lightly coat an omelet pan or small skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat 1 minute. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs begin to set on bottom.

3. Spread filling over half of omelet, leaving a 1/2-inch border and reserving 1 tablespoon mixture for garnish. Lift up omelet at edge nearest handle and fold in half, slightly off-center, so filling peeks out. Cook 2 minutes. Slide omelet onto a serving plate and garnish with reserved filling.

Serves: 1

Per serving: Calories 110, fat 0.5 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 3 mg, sodium 906 mg, carbohydrate 8 g, fiber 1 g, protein 18 g. 

I also added one large mushroom, chopped small.  Afterall, what's spinach without mushrooms in an omelet!  And it added no points...I can't believe this BIG omelet was only 2 points!

Down down down...

Pin It Down again!  Lost 1.8lbs today...total lost to date is 13.6 - hopefully next week I will hit the 15lb mark and get another 5lb star!


Went to Dave's Fruit & Vegetable stand over in Dartmouth today after I picked up Mom and Dad from the airport.  I got 4 bags of veggies (also included a PC Blue Menu turkey breast with gravy, sliced ham [thick slice for supper] and a large package of sliced roasted turkey breast for sandwiches) all for under $40!  At Sobeys that would probably well over $50!



For lunch I had a healthy clubhouse sandwich ( 2pc whole wheat bread, 1 oz reduced fat cheese, 3 slices roast turkey breast, 3 slices tomatoes, 1 tbsp miracle whip light, 3 slices pre-cooked bacon, handful of baby spinach)...all for 9 points!

Tonight I had the *turkey, mashed sweet potatoes and snow peas & carrots (picture below)...entire meal (INCLUDING the 2 tsp of omega oil on the veggies...2 tsp/day of oil is HIGHLY recommended for successful weightloss...otherwise I'd have had these veggies dry!) was 10.5 points...and I could not finish it all!!

* update on the turkey...I would say it was OK...maybe a 6.5/10.  Had the taste of that water-processed chicken that you get sometimes in the frozen section...I likely won't buy it again, but am glad I tried it.  I always wonder about those frozen roasts...now I know!  The M&Ms stuffed turkey breast is MUCH better (I'd give that one a 10!)

At my WI today, I also bought a new cookbook...they are half price for the month of November!  So far, some great looking recipes!

I owe, I owe, it's off to shop I go...

Pin It I use the excuse "it was for a good cause"...after a yummy roast beef dinner (Thanks Tina!!), Tina and I went shopping to fill our Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes (nothing like leaving them until the last minute...they're due Sunday!)  We hit the dollar store, Miracles and Canadian Tire...I did spend money on myself at Canadian Tire, but I'm told it was justified (Shark Iron on HALF price!  $39.99!)  Now I think I will sit in front of my DVR (well the TV too) and watch a bit of the boob tube and pack my shoe box.  Tomorrow is WI day, AND Mom and Dad come home from their trip...now if I can only remember to pick them up...must set reminder in my cell phone...hopefully I will hear the alarm!

Won't be checking in until late tomorrow as I will take Mom and Dad home and then they'll likely want me to visit for a bit.

Catch ya on the flip flop!

Look out Rock, here I come!

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Well, I've been talking with my friend Tanya in Newfoundland about going over to visit her for a while and today I finally booked my ticket.  Porter Airlines had a seat sale on - $59 each way!  Plus, all of my EY senior peeps will either be in St. John's at the same time or on vacation.  My plan is to fly over on a Wednesday night and work from the St. John's office on Thurs and Fri - this way I'll get to spend a few evenings, plus the whole weekend with Tanya and her hubby, Ed.  I'm so looking forward to this trip!  I miss talking to her every day (she used to work in our St. John's office) and I know we'll have a great time.  Our plan for my first full night there (Thursday) is, of course, to watch Grey's Anatomy!  She's my G.A. pal :-)

So...this is my first trip to The Rock...and I really want to try Chess' Fish & Chips...must check out the point value...I'll be working out 24-7 the week before I go to build up my activity points (to add to my 35 flex points!)  I am going to TRY and make it to a WW meeting while I'm there (BEFORE I eat the fish and chips I hope!)

One more full day before weigh in...a bit nervous this week as I went to a small group potluck last night...I was well within my points (not my daily points, but rather my daily remaining, plus my flex points) and I still have about 7 flex points remaining for the week...I've NEVER used this many of them before!  The most I think I've used is 10...this week I have used 28!!  Yikes!  Well, they do say that some people NEED to eat their flex points to lose weight...Please Lord, let me be one of those people...at least this week!!

"See" you Saturday afternoon!

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

Pin It I think today was the best WW meeting I've ever been to in my life. No, it wasn't due to a large loss (although I did lose 1.6lbs for a total of 11.8lbs lost since Oct 2). Today's meeting was about staying motivated. I normally go to these meetings with (I admit) a bit of a chip on my shoulder - I tend to think that other people (other than the leader) speak too much and don't let the leader have her turn...after all, that's what she's there for...isn't it? Today I had an "aha" moment...most of the 30 minute meeting was spent with the leader talking to those of us in the meeting about what motivates us...two girls were there who had just started coming to the meetings a couple weeks ago...they had both been doing WW online for quite a while and one of them had lost 120lbs!! The other had lost right around 100lbs. They are both bloggers and have blogged their WW journey online (once I check out their blogs for myself, I'll post links here). They met in one of the WW message boards online and have become friends and inspirations to each other over the past few years. I had a chance to chat with them for a few minutes after the meeting and am awed by their determination and attitude. One of them started her journey as a type 2 diabetic and was on cholesterol meds - she is now only on the cholesterol meds (she's been told by her Dr that it's not weight-related, but rather hereditary). This week, these two young girls (couldn't be more than 24 or 25 maybe...) will be my inspiration, while my motivation is to get "healthy". I've always claimed to be healthy - I'm not on any meds, don't have any health problems (beyond allergies to dust, cats and strawberries!) and rarely get sick...but I've come to realize that I'm NOT healthy...I am high risk for diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. On a more vain note, my other goal is to go on my trip to England next September and not have to worry...will the seat belt fit? Will I have to be embarrassed and ask for an extender for the seat belt?

Signing off...no great recipes planned for the week, but...who knows! Let's see where the week takes me :-)

Soup, soup, everywhere is soup!

Pin It Ok, I made two soups this week - Taco Soup and Stuffed Pepper Soup. Both of which are low in points and high in satisfaction (and on top of that, freeze amazingly well!)...also, if you can fry ground beef, chop a pepper and open some cans, you can make these soups - SO easy!

Taco Soup

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 9

Ingredients

12 oz cooked ground beef, 5-7% fat, scramble fried, drained and rinsed

1 packageTaco Seasoning Mix

1 serving(s) Ranch Dressing Mix
19 oz (each) canned black beans, kidney beans, romano beans (any combo will work - just make sure you have 3 cans of SOME kind of bean...not GREEN or BAKED!)
28 oz canned tomatoes(that's the really big one)
19 oz canned tomatoes with flavors (petite cuts with diff. flavs are good)

1 med size can of corn
1 1/2 item(s) bell pepper(s), red and/or green, chopped (usually I don't add these, but I had them in the house, so what the heck!)

1 clove(s) garlic clove(s)

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Once beef is cooked, add all other ingredients (DO NOT drain any of the canned items) and simmer until cooked (15 mins or so) or put in slow cooker.


Stuffed Pepper Soup
4-7 Points per serving ( Depending on meat used)

2 pounds extra lean ground beef -- or ground turkey (I recently made it with only 3/4lb of ground beef and it was great)
3 cups green peppers -- cut in 1" pieces (or mixed peppers)
28 ounces tomato sauce (I use the Hunts spicy spaghetti sauce)
28 ounces diced tomatoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice)

Brown ground meat--drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil--lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until peppers are tender, stirring occasionally.
Makes 10 servings.

NOTE: Use extra lean ground beef, 92%fat, 8%lean ground beef, or ground turkey, nutritional information follows
NOTES :
Per serving (extra lean ground beef): 7 points
Per serving (92% lean, 8%fat ground beef): 4 points
Per serving (ground turkey): 5 points