7 today
tangerine juice
turkey
sweet potatoes
broccoli
tea
watermelon, marinara
wheat germ and flaxseed
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I posted this up in the 100 pounds section, and want your thoughts ont eh matter as well, please?
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Had an interesting experience today.
I did my weigh-in this morning and it was 236, down 12 pounds since I started posting here. I knew this would be a day when we'd be outside doing some work and at an outdoor event this afternoon that involved several hours of walking around, so I decided to give myself a day to not worry about dieting but still stay sane. In other words, I wasn't going to count calories, but neither was I going to eat an entire box of Thin Mints. (oh, how I love Girl Scout cookies!)
Made pancakes for the kids this morning and found that the syrup I'd always used before--lots of HFCS--was just almost too sweet. Pancakes were good--I use low-fat Bisquick with added flaxseed and wheat germ anyway. Just didn't like the syrup. Weird.
Lunch was on the go and we went by Arby's. It was just...bleh? Not nearly as good as I remembered? I didn't even finish what I ordered.
By dinner time I was wanting water, lots of water, and fruit. And whole wheat. As it was a "holiday" from dieting for me, my family wanted me to choose where we'd eat out, since we were nowhere near home. I opted for a buffet place--and put water, turkey--no gravy, steamed broccoli, sweet potato, watermelon, and a small poonful of crab salad on my tray. The kids didn't notice, but DH did.
I can't say if I stayed in my calorie range today, but I suspect I wasn't very much over. Got lots of exercise, too, so maybe it will cancel out any extra calories. But I'm wondering--have my tastes really changed that much? It's been about a month now that I've been trying to do the "whole foods" plan, and generally eat better.
What are your experiences? Have your tastes changed for foods?
Sorcha-I know exactly what you mean about wanting to tell the world about how wonderful you feel when you are eating healthy. I even have fantasies about spending a week with momand my best friend and cooking for them and showing them how much better they feel with a healthy diet.
Dark Blue- I think my tastes have changed also. Last night I made spaghetti for the family. Kids love Prego sauce...I had one teaspon of the sauce and thought...YUCK this is soooo sweet!!!! About a month ago my DD came with me to league bowling, she had a chicken strip basket...I had one french fry...actually half a french fry...to me it just tasted icky. I think finding that out has really helped me stay on plan.
I had a busy weekend. I did not get a chance to post, but have been staying on planeven with a night out at a dinner theatre with hubby on friday night.
Friday-
B-oatmeal, orange, tea, soymilk
L- Power bar naturally nut, Naked red machine juice (was on the run had to have a grab n go lunch)
D- Shrimp cocktail, salad greens, grilled pork chop, roasted baby red potatoes, steamed green beans and carrots, dinner roll (unfortunately white was all they had) hot black tea and 2 glasses of white merlot.
L- turkey fajita salad (romaine & napa cabbage, grilled turkey breast, oinion red and orange peppers, avocado, tomato, salsa and ranch dressing made with fat freee plain yogurt) brown rice with a little salasa (sort of a spanish rice)
As far as eating superfoods, the weekend wasn't a total disaster! And I definitely ate waaay less than I usually do on weekends. I still need improvement though.
Saturday:
B- granola, yogurt, fruit, wheat toast (dry)
L- tomato soup
D- shellfish and veggies in white wine sauce
12-2a.m. party- 2 slices pizza, 2 glasses red wine (yikes!)
Sunday:
B- dark chocolate, lite popcorn (yikes!)
L- dark chocolate (yikes!)
D- gnocchi with tomato cream sauce, tortilla chips & salsa, black licorice (yikes!)
Monday so far:
B- Oat bran muffin (dry), 1 egg
L- Kung Pao Chicken bowl (330 calories, not bad but had white rice)
b - 2 Kashi waffles, 1 with natural peanut butter, 1 with cherry butter
Snack - 1/2 package strawberries
Lunch - home made pulled pork sandwich on a sprouted, whole grain bun, 1 serving BBQ soy chips
snack - tall skinny mocha
snack - gala apple with 2 tbs of peanut butter
Dinner - home made pizza - whole wheat crust, spinach, spicy sauce, spinach, onion, garlic, pepperocini, sun dried tomato
Monday
B - 1/2 cup nature's path pumpkin flax granola, Trader Joe's fat free honey yogurt
Snack - package of blackberries
Lunch - big salad -spinach, broccoli slaw, shredded carrot, purple cabbage, grape tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, 90 calories of chicken, a little BBQ sauce
snack - no sugar added cocoa
Snack - tangelo
Snack - cut up veggies - sugar snap peas, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red pepper strips
Dinner - small broiled steak, baked sweet potato, green beans
Weigh in at Doc's office yesterday, I lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks....not too shabby. Of those 7 pounds 6.2 pounds were fat!!! Just a slight decrease in lean muscle mass!!
I stir fry my veggies most nights. I think I am craving beef. I used to eat LOTS of red meat. Now, since Jan 21, I have had beef once and pork twice. I think I am gonna have to toss a sirloin on the grill tonight. The thought of Sat fats scare me!!
There's definitely a place for red meat in moderation - no fear! I love asian food/flavors, and one thing I find is that beef can be really satisfying in smaller portions when it's flavored really well. You can either marinate it in a mix of garlic, ginger, soy, chile, a little rice wine (shaoxing), and a touch of sesame oil, then grill it and serve it sliced (so you won't eat the whole steak) - or, you can make a huge stirfry with loads of veggies and just enough beef to take care of the craving. Again, garlic, ginger, soy, chile, a little honey, broccoli, a touch of chicken or beef broth - tasty stuff!
Here's me for today. We're having company for dinner tonight, and in the interests of being a gracious hostess I'm sticking with what I know will be well received (a few tweaks here and there, though ). I'll just limit my portions on the gravy and mashed potatoes, and probably skip the pie.
breakfast: whole grain toast with peanut butter and homemade concord grape jelly, yogurt and an orange
snack: marcona almonds and kiwi berries
lunch: salmon filet flaked into a whole wheat pita with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, some dill and a big squeeze of lemon. Watermelon chunks and grapes.
snack: cup of tea and half a Trio bar
dinner: roast chicken (no skin for me!), gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing (again, I'll pass and have more veggies instead), green beans, peas with pearl onions, steamed carrots with dill, and a spinach salad.
dessert: homemade apple pie - I'll see if I decide to have a small piece, or if I'm content to just have tea and then maybe a piece of dark chocolate later. I like pie, but don't looooove it, so it's not a big deal to me.
L - went out for business lunch to Mexican place so I had a tostada w/ beans and avocado, probably pretty high fat but it was small and yummy, no chips and salsa for me
S - lara bar, chamomile tea
D - homemade vegetable lasagna
S - oatmeal and soy milk
Here is my lasagna recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites
Lighter Lasagna
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed bell peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 oz.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 T chopped fresh basil
10 oz fresh spinach, rinsed
2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce
1 lb. uncooked lasagna noodles - no need to precook, they get tender during baking
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in basil and set aside.
Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but shill bright green. Drain and chop coarsely. Combine with the cheeses.
Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3" deep nonreactive 8 x 12 baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles (my pan only held 3 of the ww noodles I had so that is all I used), 1 generous cup of undrained vegetables, and 1 cup of the spinach cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, 1 cup of veg. , and 1 cup spinach cheese mixture, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the vegetables, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture and fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 min. before cutting.
serves 6-8
per 12 oz serving: 218 calories, 17.7 g protein, 5.8 g fat, 22..9 cabs
This is very good and goes together very easily. Next time I might use a bigger pan because it overflowed and trashed my oven.
Well I got my butt to the gym before dinner last night. That seemed to help get me out of my funk. I tried a different program on the elliptical...I sweat more than I thought humanly possible.
Rather than edit yesterday's post (cuz I am lazy like that) to add dinner I will post it here. As I said I was craving beef..a steak. I resisted that temptation. Mainly because first of all it was all frozen. Second, we live on a farm, and although do not farm as our main source of income, we do raise our own beef. The steaks are huge 1 3/4" cut. I did not have enough will power to have a sensible portion.
Tuesday Dinner- Homemade chunky spicy marinara with sweet italian chicken sausage and whole wheat pasta spirals, soy milk, dark sweet cherries, vanilla yogurt topped with nature's path pumpkin flax granola
Wednesday-
B- 2 organic flax waffles topped with blueberry applesauce soy milk and tea (SURPRISE!! It wasn't oatmeal!!)
L-Romaine, shredded carrots, grilled chicken, ranch dressing made with fat free plain yogurt (only 8 calories per Tablespoon!!!) dark sweet cherries, vanilla yogurt topped with nature's path pumpkin flax granola
Had to fast for a health screening. At the "health" screening, they had a huge tray of pastries. There aren't enough eye rollies in the universe. I had one of those tiny banana walnut mini muffins - I shouldn't have, but I had forgotten my wallet upstairs and it's a pretty long haul up the stairs and across the building before I could get my money for breakfast. Still shouldn't!
B - oatmeal - dried cranberries, walnuts
I ate breakfast so late, I wasn't hungry for my berries, so saved them until Wed.
Lunch - big salad -spinach, broccoli slaw, shredded carrot, purple cabbage, grape tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, 90 calories of chicken, a little BBQ sauce
snack - no sugar added cocoa
Snack - tangelo
Had a pumpkin cookie at the grocery store - total impulse purchase.
Snack - cut up veggies - sugar snap peas, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red pepper strips
Dinner - Made Mandalinn's chicken caccitore, but it didn't turn out so well (I blame ME not her recipe). Chicken was too dry Her recipe called for mushrooms and green peppers, but I substituted summer squash and cauliflower - the veggies were great.
Wednesday
B - 1/2 cup nature's path pumpkin flax granola, Trader Joe's fat free honey yogurt
Snack - package of blackberries
Lunch - big salad -spinach, broccoli slaw, shredded carrot, purple cabbage, grape tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, 90 calories of chicken, a little BBQ sauce
snack - no sugar added cocoa
Snack - tangelo
Snack - cut up veggies - sugar snap peas, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red pepper strips
Dinner - tonight is game night. I am picking up Chipotle - chicken bol no beans - rice, chicken, lots of romaine, pico, a little hot salsa, 1/2 serving of guacamole.
My goal tonight is to stay OUT of the snacks. I can have a no sugar added cocoa. The end.
It's the free stuff at work, I think it's Nestle. It has fake sugar and transfat! I need to find something better. I keep telling myself to quit drinking it, but I love something sweet after lunch.
Just a slight decrease in lean muscle mass!!
I love asian food/flavors, and one thing I find is that beef can be really satisfying in smaller portions when it's flavored really well. You can either marinate it in a mix of garlic, ginger, soy, chile, a little rice wine (shaoxing), and a touch of sesame oil, then grill it and serve it sliced (so you won't eat the whole steak) - or, you can make a huge stirfry with loads of veggies and just enough beef to take care of the craving. Again, garlic, ginger, soy, chile, a little honey, broccoli, a touch of chicken or beef broth - tasty stuff!
). I'll just limit my portions on the gravy and mashed potatoes, and probably skip the pie.
Her recipe called for mushrooms and green peppers, but I substituted summer squash and cauliflower - the veggies were great.
