Recipe of the Week: Blueberry Squares

Blueberry Squares:
(serves 24; points value:  2 per serving)

1 package angel food cake mix
22 oz. light blueberry filling


Pour batter into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool and cut into 24 pieces.

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Peaches with Almonds and Honey

Grilled Peaches with Almonds and Honey:
(serves 4; points value:  2 per serving)

2 spray(s) cooking spray  
4 large peach(es), firm but ripe, cut in half, pits removed  
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, natural, chopped  
2 tsp honey, mild (such as clover honey)

Coat a grill or a grill pan with cooking spray. Preheat to medium heat.  Place peach halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet; lightly spray tops with cooking spray.  Place peach halves on grill, skin sides down, and cook until skin starts to split, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip peaches and cook, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes more.  Remove peaches from grill and place on a serving plate; top each peach with 3/4 teaspoon of almonds and drizzle each with 1/4 teaspoon of honey. Yields 2 peach halves per serving. 

Dave made these the other night and they are so decadent!  I can't believe a whole peach covered in honey and almonds is only 2 points!  We'll definitely make these again!

Recipe of the Week: Brunch Bake

Brunch Bake:

(serves 12; points value:  3 per serving)

12 small refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
24 oz. egg beaters (3 cups)
5 oz. Canadian bacon, chopped
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella

Arrange biscuits in a 13x9 pan coated with cooking spray.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the biscuits.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Weigh-in Thursday: Week 4

Oops - I forgot to post last week!  I lost a pound :)

This week I lost 3, for a whopping total of 4 pounds so far!  At this rate I'll reach my first goal 18.5 weeks.  Seems like a long time, but it took 32 years and 7 months to gain all this weight, so I shouldn't expect it to fall off in a month, right?

I'll be content for now for little successes, like already being motivated to shop for new clothes when my fat clothes start falling off!

Weigh-in Thursday: Week 2

I actually weighed in last night since the leader I love was at a different session this week.  I am up 0.2 pounds!  Must have been those damn Georgetown Cupcakes Bonnie and I bought on Tuesday!  I splurged, but splurged too much.

I've been doing really well tracking my points, but I went way overboard that day with the cupcakes and 2 high calorie/point meals.  Plus we had 2 cookouts for the holiday weekend.  I really need to decide if the 3rd deviled egg or 2nd cupcake is really worth it, or if 1 will satisfy my craving and then move on.

For the first full week I've been on the program, I feel like I've made progress in the right direction as far was watching what I'm putting in my mouth.  It's all about trade-offs.  If I have a big lunch, I need to make up for it at dinner.  If I decide to have a Java Chip Frappuccino as an afternoon snack, maybe I compensate with a 200 calorie Lean Cuisine meal the next day for lunch.

Learning experience, for sure.

Weigh-in Thursday: Week 1

Tonight I went to my first WeightWatchers meeting.

I chose WeightWatchers because it isn't the kind of program where you can't eat certain things - I don't like being told what to do, so if I am required to eat no hamburgers or no carbs or no sweets, I will fail.  It's not realistic to completely switch over to salads, or grilled instead of fried, or no brown foods.  There are some weird diets out there.  I can't follow rules like that.  If I want a baked potato, I'm going to eat one.

With this program, you are assigned a total number of points that you can use throughout the day.  Every food has an assigned points value formulated by its fat, protein, carb, and fiber content.  Once you are out of points, you are out of food for the day.  Seems oppressive, but it really isn't.  The greatest thing about it is that if you pig out and eat a 1/2 rack of ribs for dinner, but had a light lunch, it might all even out at the end of the day.  It doesn't mean you should do that every day - rather you should eat sensibly, fill up on power foods like fruit, grains, and nuts, and splurge when your body tells you it is necessary.

The leader at the WW meetings is very encouraging and just a little bit crazy - perfect combination :)  Tonight, she talked about summer vacations and offered some great suggestions about how to stay on track while on vacation, like if you're staying in an efficiency, condo, or house, go to the grocery store to stock up on fruits and power foods so you don't solely rely on eating out.  Also, check out local restaurants at your destination before you go and research their menus online to make sure there are healthier options that won't totally ruin your points balance for the day :)

I'm not posting my weight, because it's astronomical.  Instead, I'm using this week's weight as my baseline, and in subsequent weeks I'll show the loss...or gain...but that won't happen right?  RIGHT?  haha

Motivation

I am motivated by 2 things - public humiliation and completing lists.

Sure, that's an odd combination, but they both work for me.  Money motivates me, too, but that doesn't apply here.

Let's start with public humiliation...

I can talk myself out of anything.  If I tell myself I'm going to start eating right and lay off the ice cream, start going to bed earlier, or stay off the internet at work and nobody knows about it, it'll never happen.  However, when I declare publicly that I won't get breakfast from McDonald's for a week via Facebook, or post a sign on my monitor at work that asks anyone who walks by and sees me on the internet to close the browser, anyone can keep me honest by checking in or asking me if I've violated my proclamation.

For example, Bonnie and I gave up soda for Lent.  The only reason I made it 40 days without Diet Dr. Pepper, the sweetest nectar on earth, is that I knew I would let Bonnie down and instead of focusing on her own desire for Root Beer or Dr. Pepper or grape soda (!!!!) she would have to take care of me and get me back on track.  Oh, and there's Jesus, too.  He had a bunch to do with it - if he can survive 40 days in the desert being tempted, for sure I can go 40 days without high-fructose corn syrup.  But Jesus can't give me the look Bonnie can give me if I tell him I had a sip of Coke.  :)

Now, checking things off lists and following routines - one of my greatest joys.  I will commit to updating my weight here every Thursday after my Weight Watchers meeting.  Throughout the week I'll share trials and tribulations, successes and setbacks, and whatever else I feel I need to share about the journey.

I might make this public at some point, but I definitely don't want to publish my current weight on the internet. Haters gonna hate, you know?  Once I get more comfortable and settle into this routine, I'll re-evaluate.