Ho there valiant Challengettes! Yes I did just see Lord of the Rings...

As I sit here munching raw carrots... I find myself saying over and over 'this is not a diet - this is not a diet - this is not a diet'. But I'm feeling the pull of post-holiday eating compression . My stomach's hungry and I can't fill it up!

I find I'm fighting myself in coming up with creative and satisfying alternatives to snack on that won't take up lots of points. Now, I've just come back from the Sunday Farmer's Market, and while poorer, I felt quite noble, bring home all these veggies. But, I don't want to even look at 'em! Even with all those reasons to forge forward. Help me!

So, I'm wondering if it might make sense to have a week of brainstorming on what to do veggie, side dish, and snack wise to cut and deter the cravings for the tempting foods of this holiday past. - What say you, gettes?

I'm right there with you, Patch, as I bake my spaghetti squash trying to save the day. I waited too long to eat lunch and now I can't stop munching. Help!

Good morning

Patch, I find that once I start cooking/eating better I feel more motivated to stay on course. I did some cooking on Sunday--made the eggplant parmesan out of the new booklet I got at my WW meeting on Wednesday (it's very good!), made the veggie soup and also made the caraway cabbage out of Six O'Clock Solutions. It's weird, once I get moving I feel inclined to keep on. Now, mind you, Saturday was altogether different--I was content to not worry about cooking healthy, etc.

The new booklet they gave us at the WW meeting has a lot of neat ideas for meals in it and maybe that's just what we need to get variety. When I'm munching mindlessly or continually hungry it's usually because I haven't had enough protein to keep me feeling full. Here's to a successful week of new ideas!

Happy new week everyone! Oooh, Lord of Rings, I'm going this weekend - and I'm saving points for popcorn! Afterall, it's 3 hours long so I'm bound to get the munchies.

To get back on track after the holidays I did a big grocery shop and restocked with my favorite low-point snacks and bought tons of veggies. I then proceeded to make a huge pot of zero point soup. Like I said last week, no foolin' around! I even threw out all of the leftover chocolate etc. Yes, I threw it out.

I'm starting to get over the post-holiday munchies. Life goes back to normal this week for most people I think.

I'm also going to get my exercise this week by walking home from work rather than using the treadmill. We are experiencing amazing weather for January so I may as well enjoy the fresh air while I can - it's bound to get really cold again soon enough.

K

Hey there Gettes... I got through Sunday (barely) eating up 27 points... but hey at least it wasn't 45 like Saturday! Even with the exercise, though, I'm not counting on today's weigh-in to be inspiring.

After writing up the Week 5 Challenge - I could not in 'good' conscience munch out on chips... so I pan-roasted carrots, and red bell peppers with spices and fresh basil (Lala that is such a great tip about sticking the bunch in water!)... using only cooking spray. And it did the trick.

DH was in the mood to cook (always dangerous) and made a roast chicken with (non-WW stuffing) and yes I had some stuffing... but looked it up and counted it.

Found a very tasty and low-point recip for strawberries. Just combine 1 tbl of Balsamic Vinegar with 1 1/2 tbl of suger (I used raw/unbleached) stir and try to dissolve as jmuch a poss. The combine with cut up strawberries. Really good! and the dressing is enough for probably 3-4 servings - so figure 2 pts for a cup's worth of strawberries.

Melissa - I'll look for that new WW book today, thanks for the tip!

lala's guide to winter veggies to make it through the
doldrums

*roasted pan veggies - celeriac, turnips, fennel, potatoes, carrots and rutabagas with dried morels and olive oil - not a lot

*roasted fennel with tomatoes and garlic and a bit of olive oil

*marinated beets - beets, mustard, onions and balsamic vinegar

*cabbage, chanterelles, nitrite free bacon cut up into lardons (I just read ruth reichl's book and am swooning over food terms), apple cider vinegar

*artichokes - lemon juice and salt and pepper

*roasted red pepper soup - chicken stock, red peppers and salt and pepper and nf sour cream

*carrot soup - onion, olive oil, carrots, chicken stock and ginger and a bit of nf sour cream

*lala's version of ww veggie soup - more veggies and a porcini mushroom stock cube for a bit of oomph

*baked squash with veggies and topped with gorgonzola cheese - DP had this at the getty on saturday. it was good.

I don't eat alot of stuff that is out of season and I love good food. Okay, I'll admit red peppers are in season in australia and chile and that is an exception.

I can't wait for more artichokes to come in.

lala

Wow! Thanks Lala I was hoping you'd post some veggie goodies... yummers. So, will I find all of the above at the Farmer's Market? And, OK, so I'm ignorant... What is celeriac, what does a rutabaga taste like, and what the heck is a lardon??? Can't wait to try some of these.

I just came back from my WW mtg and am duly re-inspired. Got the new brochure with ideas and coupons - thanks Melissa --- I weighed in at 126.8. Can't figure this out, especially after last week, but hey, who am I to knock the WW scale?

well, patchie- you look like you weigh even less .

whoo hooo for you!

lardon - basically cut bacon (usually thick cut- nitrite free) into matchstick thin pieces

celeriac- celery root - probably at the more foodie santa monica farmer's market or your local whole foods. Tastes better than celery.

rutabaga - like a harder turnip, but more brassica-ey tasting

I don't like parsnips because they are too sweet, but others may like them in all sorts of roasted veggie dishes.

I forgot to add one of my new faves - brussel sprouts lightly steamed and mixed with shallots and balsamic vinegar.

Hi everyone. How's it goin' eh?

Thanks lala for the great veggie suggestions. Nice and simple. I'm with you on the parsnips but didn't realize until now why I don't like them - it is the sweetness.

Wow patch I'm impressed. Down .4. Sometimes I think the period right after the holidays is the most difficult. I let my guard down, knowing that I made it through, then fall victim to all the leftovers .

kena: Saw The Lord of the Rings last nite and really liked it - even with all the bashing of heads and brandishing of swords. One of the better movies I've seen.

melissa: You're a cooking machine! I'm sure your week will be a lot easier as a result. I'm gearing up to do something similar but first I need to get to the market - not much in the way of fresh ingredients in my house at the moment. Loads of sweets tho.

I will actually have some numbers to post next week thanks to my new electronic tracker. I'm also going to weigh-in officially on Saturday.

Hi all--just a quickpost with my numbers and a few snack standbys I've been using. Pretzel's--fat free and 1 point Swiss Miss Lite Hot Cocoa with CALCUIM--light and calcium are the two important words--counts as 1 milk. I don't add as much water as the cocoa calls for--I think it's a little watery if you do. Nice comfort food for me in the evening. The first few weeks I ate enough Clementines to keep the Spanish growers in business--but they are getting hard to come by now. 2 clemintines are 1 point. I also make a vegi dip from a very old WW cookbook. You use fat free cottage cheese as the base and add whatever vegis you want for flavoring--seeded cukes, green pepper, onion etc. Throw it in the blender then eat with more raw vegis. 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese is 2 pts--with the other stuff in there you get a heck of a lot of dip--more than one sitting for a snack---

thurs--20.5 pts--Bank 6 Act.2
fri--27.5 pts----------------act.3
sat--22 bank5
sun--23bank4 act.1
mon23.5 bank 3.5 act.3
tues22 bank5 act.3
Now to see how the weigh in goes on Thursday--
Jo

Hi guys!

I'm back after the holiday blowout. You guys are so motivating and inspirating. I keep reading your successes and it just makes me want to be more successful, too. Thank you.

I've been doing well since Sunday. I finally stopped self-sabotaging myself.LOL I've been going to the gym everyday and drinking my water, too. Yay. I feel so much better for it. Now I just have to get myself to a WW meeting. (Gulp...oh, that dreaded scale.)

OK, my points so far this week:
Sun - 22.5
Mon - 21
Tues -22
Wed -should total around 22, with at least 2 or more exercise pts.

Thanks lala and Grandma for the food tips.

And Patch, thanks for continuing this challenge.

Here's to a great day and even a better week, everyone!
(Hugs),
Dena

grandma- a lot of the clemetines have been taken off the market because of fruit fly eggs being found in shipments. It makes agricultural sense to ban their importation, but its hard if you like them.

Try california satsumas, they are just as good.

lala

With all the cold weather I'm getting into cooking soups again.
Jo, I bet this recipe is from that same old WW book (I've had mine since 1989!) It's one of my favorites. I'm doing it from memory, so I might update if I get something 'wrong'.

Roasted veggie soup - a bit of work up front - but soooo worth it

roast 2 red bell peppers, eggplant, 4 zuchinnis, (option corn), when charred on all sides, take out and skin. Chop items not to be pureed in bite size morsels.

Blend (thank g=d for cuisinarts!) 1/2 or whole eggplant (depending on whether you like the consistency of eggplant you can puree the whole thing), 2 of the 4 zuchinnis.

While they're roasting/blending - saute onion, and garlic in 1-2 tsp (1 pt each) butter, in bottom of your soup 'cauldron', add spices like salt pepper, basil, I usually put in some granulated chicken boulion, etc . You can always put aside if the skinning/blending of Roasted veggies takes a while.

Dump the pureed mix into the sauteed onions/garlic, with the rest of the chopped veggies and add 2 cups low fat milk. I'm hazy with whether it's FF chicken broth or water as the additional liquid ... get back to ya. It's delish!

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd post my week and results:

Thur:27
Fri: 20
Sat: 21
Sun: 22
Mon: -12
Tue: 15
Wed: ?? Probably aruond 20

Weight: 144

Monday and Tuesday I had some sort of stomach virus so that's why my numbers are so low. Surprisingly I stayed the same this week. I was really hoping for some sort of a loss. On to next week! Hope everyone has a good weigh in!

Melissa, sometimes our metabolism slows when we don't eat. I hope you are feeling better now. Maintaining was good.

I think I lost about a half a pound this week. I can't WI. Transportation problems. Here is my week:

Range: 20-25

Thurs 23
Fri 25
Sat 23
Sun 25
Mon 24
Tue 23
Wed aiming for 22 or so

Was a stressful week and my life got in the way of the exercise so I am pleased, and shocked, that I didn't gain and actually lost a little. Hopefully next week will be better.

I don't know what I'm going to do when I finally get under 150 and have to eat only 18-23 pts. Any suggestions?