Zoup You.

A new restaurant (chain) opened up downtown called Zoup. They specialize in-- wait for it-- soup. They have over 150 types of soups, rotated daily, and they have ALL of the nutritional value online *including* WW Points! WIN! Well- kind of. On their website, the old points values are shown. So my project for today's break time was to re-point the menu and figure out what I wanted from there. But let's talk about the Zoup experience first.

We walk in (to get a to-go order), and the place is packed. I mean, PACKED. And all 8 people behind the counter are smiling, having a great time, and yelling "HOT SOUP!" every time a new vat of soup came out. They encourage soup sampling while you wait in line (I was assured this was not a "Grand Opening" ploy, rather you can sample soup at any time), so I tried the Wild Mushroom Barley and the Over-Stuffed Red Pepper (didn't want to be greedy and try all 12 they had out there). I couldn't decide which one I wanted to go with my salad until I was pushed to make a choice (eenie-meenie-miney-mo style) at the register.

It was a happy, energetic restaurant. For SOUP. And salads... and some sandwiches. But primarily, for SOUP. I know I've made homemade soup once or twice, but it was a long time ago- now it's just cranking open a can of Progresso and heating this up. With a soup place like this, though (and for it being relatively cheap, like Panera-pricing), who needs the canned crap.

Speaking of soup, Dana got the office to have a "Souper Bowl" at the staff meeting the Wednesday after the Super Bowl (See the creative play on words? She's witty like that). We have people bringing in different types of soup, some bread and crackers, even some desserts and we're having a buffet style lunch. I'm making a Slow Cooker Lentil Soup- never cooked with lentils, don't even know where to find them in the grocery store, and I don't remember the last time I made soup (though I know I've made it!) but the recipe is low point and sounds pretty dang good. Plus, you make it in a crock pot. Can't get much easier than that.

Recipe:
2c. Spinach
2 medium carrots, peeled and chunked
2 stalks celery, chunked
1 medium onion, chunked
2 garlic clove, minced
2 cups dry lentils, picked over (?!)
3 leaves bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I have vegetarians in my office, so I'm going with veggie)

1) Place ingrediants in following order (seriously?): carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lentils, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, broth
2) Cook on low 8 hours
3) remove bay leaves, cook for 30 minutes more.
4) serving size: 1 1/2 cups (makes 8 servings)- 5 Points (4 if I use vegetable broth!)

Now, onto the Zoup unveiling, with its new PointsPlus values- all values are based on a 8 oz "side" of soup (and these were the only soups out today- they rotate, and this list will expand as they do/ as I go in!). * Their "cup" of soup is 12 oz, so be careful!*

Soup
Spicy Black Bean Chili: 4 PointsPlus
Collard Green Chicken Barley: 4 PointsPlus
Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque: 9 (yeah, 9) PointsPlus
Crab Bisque: 5 PointsPlus
Lobster Bisque: 9 PointsPlus
Twice Baked Stuffed Potato with Baco: 11 PointsPlus
Vegetarian Split Pea: 5 PointsPlus
Chicken Pot Pie: 6 PointsPlus
Wild Mushroom Barley: 3 PointsPlus
Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo: 6 PointsPlus
Over Stuffed Bell Pepper: 4 PointsPlus


Sandwiches (serving size is HALF a sandwich- thus, the points here are for half of the sandwich)
Chicken Greek with Feta: 11 PointsPluswith bread, 10 PointsPlusas a wrap
Southwest Turkey: 12 PointsPluswith bread, 11 PointsPlusas a wrap
Turkey Club with Swiss: 12 PointsPluswith bread, 11 PointsPlusas a wrap
Cali Veg with Provolone: 9 PointsPluswith bread, 10 PointsPlusas a wrap
Tuna Salad with Lemon and Capers: 12 PointsPluswith bread, 11 PointsPlusas a wrap
Tuscan Chicken with Pesto: 12 PointsPluswith bread, 11 PointsPlusas a wrap
* they didn't have the Grilled Cheese listed, which is odd, but meh.**


Salads (serving size is whole salad)
Sonoma: 6 PointsPlus
Asian: 7 PointsPlus
American Farm: 2 PointsPlus
Chicken Caesar: 5 PointsPlus
Greek: 2 PointsPlus
*no nutritional value for the Cobb or Loco Burrito*


Salad Dressings
Raspberry Vinaigrette: 4 PointsPlus
Sesame Dressing: 4 PointsPlus
Ranch: 4 PointsPlus
Balsamic Vinaigrette: 4 PointsPlus

*PointsPlus is a trademark of Weight Watchers International, Inc.*

No Substitutions, Please.

I'm all for making recipes as healthy as possible. Most recipes. Some, however, just shouldn't be tampered with. For example: my mom's lasagna recipe. I've asked about healthy substitutes for it (Try veggie lasagna! Use skim cheese! Whole wheat noodles!)- but no matter how I try, I can't replicate mom's home-cooking.

So, for some recipes, I just leave it alone. My mom once told me, "I would rather have a smaller portion of the real thing instead of a larger portion of the fake stuff."

On days like today, when I'm feeling a little homesick and have some time on my hands, I'll make the real stuff, bite the "points" bullet (that's why we have weekly points, right?) and not worry about it. Sometimes, it just has to be done for my own sanity. Plus, I can't remember the last time I had real lasagna (well, as real as it can get- we're not Italian or anything!).

Only thing that can make this better is if my mom came to town and just made it *for* me :)

To Weigh or Not to Weigh

Weekly Weigh-in: 1.4 lbs down! (total: - 4.4)

I brought my high-tech scale today to work to see what the weight difference is between the office scale and my home scale. You'd think they would be close, but... nope. Like 3lbs different. Before I checked this though, I stepped on the scale, showing some people how the scale works. Our break room has awesome linoleum floors, just like the flooring in my bathroom (so it was similar flooring types, which is different when dealing with scales!). Within the 20 minutes it took me to walk to work from home, unpack for the day, and grab people to show the scale, I gained 3 lbs. What?! Carol says, "Maybe it's stress. I've heard you should get on the scale relaxed instead of stressed out; being stressed makes you weigh more."

Again, what?

I understand the stress argument- the more you're stressed, the more cortisol your body gains as a defense mechanism. More cortisol = more weight. But to gain 3lbs over 20 minutes, when I wasn't stressed out yet? That probably wasn't the reason (but that could be contributing to my overall weight loss).

Doctors say that you are at your most natural weight (and lightest weight) right after you wake up and use the restroom. Your body "resets" while you sleep, "Excess fluid that has accumulated during the day moves from the body's cells into the bloodstream, where it makes its way to the kidneys. In the morning, when we get up, we get rid of this extra fluid by peeing." Plus, we eat and drink during the day, which messes with our weight as well.

Well, that explains the 3lbs between home and work. Wait, no it doesn't. The Diet Coke was not consumed yet! So what gives? Different flooring? Did my clothes weigh 3 lbs?

And, when I got on the (different) scale after working out at the end of  the day yesterday, I *still* got a different number. That's the water's fault. As I work out, I drink water (when needed). That stays in my system- I don't sweat that out immediately. And, if I'm not hydrated properly, my body holds onto that water and I gain "water weight." It's also possible that the *little* tweaks I make in my workout routine are causing me to lose less calories than expected. Maybe I'm gaining muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat.

Gross, I know.

That's my favorite exercise myth; that fat weighs more than muscle. 5 lbs is 5 lbs, but it's all about the space that fat/muscle takes up. Muscle takes up less, fat just kind of ...spreads. Weight Watchers Online Trainer (William R. Sukala, MS, CS) states, "Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat. In addition, because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you're helping your body burn more calories."

So, weighing every day probably isn't helping me in the overall goal. That's why Weight Watchers advocates the "once a week weigh-in"- at the same time, every week, for consistency.  I can't let the other numbers psych me out. I'm going to use the scale when I want (usually every morning), but not put any stock in the numbers, unless it's my Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-in.  Win. (

A More Perfect Union

I think food manufacturers are out to kill me.

I am a big believer in combining certain foods- some things just go together, like peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels (notice the theme?).

As I was browsing Gawker today, I stumbled across an article excitedly announcing the arrival of DiGiornio pizza and COOKIES. You can now buy a joint box of frozen pizza and Nesles' Toll House Cookie Dough. You can also get the "pizza and wyngz (because they're not really chicken?)" combo as well.Really? We need more encouragement to eat poorly?

Smart marketing, as I now want to run out and buy them-- ohhhh wait. One slice of DiGiornio pizza clocks in at 300 calories, 13 fat grams, 39g carbs, and 2 g fiber (9 points). One cookie is 180 calories, 9 g fat, 23 g carbs, and 1 g fiber (5 points)- and who can eat one slice of pizza AND one cookie? Not me. 14 points for an unsatisfying meal?

Creative, but impractical for a dieter. Then again, buying a frozen pizza that isn't a Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, or Weight Watchers brand pizza is a diasaster waiting to happen.

Hungry Girl's TV show had a recipe for pizza that I've been living off of the last week- take a tortilla (I have the "Ultra Healthy!' ones that are 2 points) and bake it at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Take out of oven, spread 1/4 c pizza sauce, 1/4 c shredded (RF) cheese, 5 slices turkey pepperoni, sliced, and some veggies (I went with green pepper, red pepper, onion and mushroom). Bake again for 5 minutes. Cut and serve. BAM. A 6 point pizza.

This combo reminds me of when the "pancake and sausage on a stick" came out from Jimmy Dean in 2006 (they have a *chocolate chip* pancake and sausage on a stick!)- all of the late night hosts were making fun of it, Jon Stewart in particular. "You listening al Qaeda?! You can't take us down as fast as these things!" Granted, the cookies aren't *on* the pizza, but I'm sure it's not far behind.

Not All Popcorn is Created Equal

Popcorn- it's served at movies, it's made in offices across the country as an afternoon snack, it's mooshed into balls with marshmallow creme and food coloring to make.. popcorn balls. Heck, in some places, it's used to decorate Christmas trees. It's a very versatile food.

You can air pop it, microwave it, pan/pot fry it, make it in a kettle-- the varieties are endless. Some swear by cooking it one method over another. Me, I just want to eat it. Pop it in the microwave, coat it with caramel, mix in some chocolate chips, douse it with movie butter (can't get much better than the synthetic butter they serve at movie theaters), add some powdered flavorings, whatever- I just want it in my belly. Too much talking, not enough popping!

Random idea- making popcorn in all of the above ways (pan/pot, microwave, air pop) and see if I can tell the difference, because I honestly don't think I could. Have lots of flavoring on standby. Someone have a kettle I can borrow??

On Weight Watchers, popcorn has always been trumpeted as a good-for-you snack food. When you read the fine print, you realize they are talking about the 94% fat free version, AND a serving size is not the entire (big) bag- it's 4 cups. When you break it down, it's about a point a cup. And, it *is* filling. Popcorn contains more than 40 different nutrients, and has more iron than eggs, peanuts or spinach. It also has the most protein of any cereal grain and has more fiber than potato chips or pretzels. AND, you can find B complex vitamins, vitamin E, Riboflavin and Thiamine in popcorn kernels. Popcorn is even recommended as a snack for hyperactive children, since there are no additives or sugars involved. BAM. Healthy power food.

Problem is, those stats are for the healthy, oil free/ fat free versions. I haven't found a 94% fat free version I really like- all of it is dry and gets stuck in my teeth (and on the roof of my mouth. How does a kernel get lodged up there EVERY SINGLE TIME I eat popcorn?!). 

If I air pop it, I put some sprays of butter on the kernels. That seems to help a bit. But, I want some flavor, too. The powdered flavorings seem ok in theory for points, but a serving size is 1/4 TEASPOON (0 fat, 0 fiber, 0 carbs, 0 protein). Who are they trying to kid?! Especially when the serving size of popcorn is THAT much larger. Measure out a quarter of a teaspoon. Go ahead. Try it. It's just a little bigger than a "dash" of seasoning. If I'm going to season the popcorn, I want to *taste* the seasoning. Try a quarter-cup of seasoning (ok, that may be too much... but you get the point). eHow suggests seasoning it with "Nutritional yeast"- that sounds utterly disgusting. It also suggests topping your popcorn with agave nectar (which is like $6/bottle). I'm looking for ways to enhance my popcorn eating experience that isn't a waste of time or a waste of calories.

But I did learn that *cough cough* adding crushed red pepper flakes *cough* to popcorn *cough* like eHow suggests is a bad idea when not measuring it out. I think there's a red pepper flake permanently lodged in my nostril.

Commandeering the Kitchen

I COOKED A CHICKEN! A whole one! I'm so impressed with myself right now, it's crazy. My roommate came downstairs this morning and said, "it smells AMAZING in here! What did you make?!" And BAM! I pulled this beautiful bird out of the oven. That long black thing on the ground next to the chicken is my dog, who wouldn't leave the kitchen while I was making the bird. I used a hybrid of recipes provided by Trish, Kathleen, and the Weight Watchers blog I read- after removing the gross innards (EW. EW EW EW), I shoved an orange up there with 2 garlic cloves, used spray butter all over the bird and under the skin, and coated it in an herb mix of thyme, rosemary, basil, "poultry seasoning" and salt and pepper. I then cooked it for 425 degrees for 80 minutes- 20 minutes into the cooking, I surrounded the bird with the veggies (carrot, onion, potato and celery) and a cup of water. Then, BAM (I'm feeling very Emril-like today), I presented the bird. The most fun part was removing them meat from the bird- I probably had too much fun with that. I got rid of the skin (BOO- but the diet requires it!) and shredded most of the meat and popped it in the fridge. I mixed 8 oz of the chicken with a homemade barbeque sauce for sandwiches tomorrow for lunch, and have the rest for chicken salad, chicken *on* my salad... and had some of the chicken breast for lunch.

I was on a roll. I made Daisy's dog biscuits (yes, I make her treats- they're healthier for her and hella cheaper), and stumbled across an old Weight Watchers recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies- these cookies are huge, the recipe makes 24 cookies, and under the old program, it was 1 point a cookie. ONE POINT! I made the cookies, had one out of the oven (there's nothing better), and *then* point checked it. Yeah... it's now 3 points. But it was totally worth it. And it's going to be totally worth it when I have one later tonight, too :)

I've been cooking and baking since 10am. I took a break to go to the Y, but have been in front of the stove ever since. I'm tired- but I have chicken- and treats!- for the week. Hopefully this "preparing food in advance" strategy works...

AM Wake Up and the Budget

THIS is what I woke up to- 4 different times!

So I have YET to get up and go to the gym in the AM- I went Wednesday PM, figured Thursday AM was just "too soon," intended to go this morning and OW; I'm trying to train my dog to sleep in her OWN bed- so every time she crawled in, I got up and moved her to her lil nest. 4 moves later, and I woke up to her bitch slapping me awake to feed her at 4:30 am. Payback is a bitch, I guess. And, surprise surprise! I have another pinched something or other in my back. I took two Tylenol and laid back down, but packed the gym bag and brought it to work, in the hopes it would get better. The back still hurts- but that's why man created heating pads. I really need to leave one here in my office... it's looking like working out anytime in the next few hours won't be too beneficial (I'm hunched over! I'm walking like Quasimodo!). New plan: go before hockey tonight. I still have some time to heal up -- and if I go this weekend upon "waking up," that counts, right?

While the heating pad was warming up, I spent some time looking up ways to cook a chicken. Not chicken breast, but an entire bird. I'm getting gutsy with my cooking- and you can get an entire chicken this week @ Kroger for under $4. This baby is going to last me at LEAST a week- what a budget plus! Assuming I can figure out what to do with it. My friend Trish, thankfully, JUST posted her chicken recipe on her blog- so I'll be trying to follow that for advice (minus the giggling because the whole idea of taking the innards out of the bird is disgusting- like preventing-me-from-cooking-it disgusting). Maureen has been trying to get me to try this for years now- its much cheaper, much tastier, etc than just buying the chicken breast. She's a huge advocate for the entire bird- and what else do I have to do this weekend besides cooking and watching sports!?

Problem is... I have a whole chicken. Me vs. a 4lb bird. When I pull it out of the pan, do I cut it like a turkey? Can I shred it for BBQ chicken sandwiches? What about all of those little bones? Will Daisy attack me while carving the bird? HOW do I even tackle this project?

While shopping last night, I kept thinking about New Year's Eve. We played this game "What If", and a question about me came up- if I was any room in a house, what room would I be. EVERYONE- except me- picked the kitchen (I picked library- I like to read!!). I was at first a little hot- were they calling me fat?! Then I realized it was because I was playing with a group of guys that, every time we get together, I bring some kind of food. And they actually *like* my cooking. I guess if I have the reputation, I might as well live it up, right? Why *not* try the entire chicken? What's the worst that can happen?

Breathe, Stretch, Shake

Weekly weigh in: +.4 BOOOOOOOOO!

What happened? I didn't track every day. I *thought* I was ok with extra points this week, and, oops, I wasn't. I got stressed and ate everything I could find (just once!). I made some choices that I *thought* were smart, but not so much (note to self: a bowl of Max and Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup isn't as healthy as a grilled chicken sandwich). I looked through the weekly food tracker and saw where I fell.

I know what happened. I know I need to fix it. And, with Amy now a WW member (YAY AMY!), I have someone counting on me and looking up to me for weight loss advice. No pressure there.

Picking myself up AND making sure I grab Amy on the way up. I AM SHE-RA!

I also know that the gym/working out played a part in this week's minor setback. I went twice- I should have gone more, but life got busy... and when I worked out, I was pressed for time.

I had to laugh at yesterday'sGawker article, "How to go to the Gym For an Entire Year."  With hints like Acquire a Bully ("There is simply no better motivation for working out than knowing that you face the very real possibility of being beaten up by someone bigger and stronger than you, each and every day"), Caffeine ('drink the equivalent of at least one red bull before every workout'), and Get Horribly Embarrassed ("Simply allow a man or woman that you fancy to "accidentally" see you with your shirt off. The resulting shame should give you all the motivation you need to get in shape, or kill yourself.")... yeah. Maybe helpful isn't what I was going for. While the article is a joke aimed as those who make New Year's resolutions to work out/ get to the gym, then fail by mid-February, it has some valid underlying points. Go to the gym. It's important. Bring a friend. Boost your mood. YAY working out!

Next week's goal: when Daisy wakes me at 6am (or when my alarm clock does it), I am going to go to the gym- at least 3x next week. I can be home a little after 7am, shower, pack up for work, let the dog out, and be on my way to the desk job. I keep scheduling the gym in for over the lunch hour/ after work, but life keeps getting in the way. I know the importance of working out, but sitting around with my friends, playing trivia or some other game is just WAY more fun than running on a treadmill. I keep getting told that after a week or two, getting up and working out will become second nature- we'll see. I'm going to at LEAST try it.

Lesson of the day? Waking up early and working out will help me more than my last hour of restless sleep will. Or will just make me crabby. And hopefully, next week, I can post a more positive (negative) number.

Breakfast of Champions

I'm not a breakfast person - unless its a huge, homemade (or restaurant made) breakfast with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, peanut butter french toast with bananas, Maureen's Eggs Benedict... you get the idea.

I understand the need to eat breakfast- its the fuel that keeps you going through the day. Glucose is necessary to function- if you run off of last night's dinner, and you don't eat again until midday, your body is going to freak out and you'll binge when presented with any type of food. The National Weight Control Registry, which are people who have maintained a 30lb weight loss and maintained it for 6+ years, states that 78% of their members eat breakfast every day of the week, and 90% eat breakfast at least 5 times a week. WebMD released an article  that cites a study of 4200 adults. Women in that group that ate breakfast ate fewer calories throughout the day, and people who ate breakfast were more inclined to work out. Every article out there about the importance of breakfast then gives a list of quick breakfast foods, including yogurt, almonds, fruit, light bread, peanut butter (!!), and oatmeal.

I started making myself eat something for breakfast every morning, even if it's just a banana and a clementine. I have Weight Watchers oatmeal in my desk drawer (along with some Quaker Oats- the Weight Watchers stuff is just TOO expensive at times), and our cafe downstairs serves awesome breakfasts- they have fruit cups, hard boiled eggs, light string cheese, and yogurts in case of a breakfast emergency. Last week, I made a pot of Quaker Steel Cut Oats to eat through the week (they take 30+ minutes to make)- little bit of Splenda, couple of raisins, and BAM. A warm, filling breakfast.

Old packaging- oatmeal is now 3 points on new program!

I "sabotaged" my Weight Watchers oatmeal this morning- I say ""sabotage," but I really mean "perfected" my oatmeal :) I feel a little guilty, but I got the recipe from Carol, a fellow Weight Watcher, and *she* got it from a Weight Watchers meeting, so pffffffft.I needed a quick fix of sugar and protein, and I was thisclose to getting a donut from the break room (the thinnest man in our office, who never eats, brings in donuts every Friday morning and puts them in the break room across from my office. TORTURE!)

Cookiefied Oatmeal - 5 points on WW 
* 1 cup Weight Watchers Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal (or one package Weight Management oatmeal of the same flavor) - 3 points
* 1 tbs peanut butter (low fat if you got it) - 2 points
* 1/2 pkg of sugar free Swiss Miss or hot cocoa mix - 0 points (1 if you use entire package)


Make oatmeal as directed
Stir in other ingredients
ENJOY.

It's like a warm no-bake cookie. It's amazing. I don't care how gross it looks when you mix it up, it's awesome. And, it's a good thing it's portion controlled, because you will want to eat the entire thing AND lick the container (I'm about ready to take scissors to this bad boy so I can reach the bottom). Dessert for breakfast? That, I can handle.

Morton's and the Dueling Scales

Talk about throwing someone for a loop...

I go to WW yesterday, weigh in, down 3.4lbs! WIN! I'm pumped, I do a little dance, I continue on eating my  fruits and veggies. I weigh in this morning for our work competition (Go Flabulous!), and I'm only down .4 lbs. Not even a half pound.

What. The. Hell.

Looking back at my food journal, I can maybe blame some of it on the fries I had with my veggie burger last night. And the 97% Fat Free popcorn from earlier that day.  Maybe. Together with the little bit of water I drank yesterday (it was a Diet Coke kind of day), definitely.  

I've always heard that sodium can affect your weight loss because of water retention. That's why people lose so much weight the first week or two of any diet program. They're knocking back water like it's going out of style, rehydrating themselves and "removing the toxins," whatever that means. What I *didn't* realize was that too little sodium can be just as detrimental. The 2005 health guidelines recommend not exceeding 2,300 mg of sodium a day if you're a healthy adult. More than that can cause water retention. More water in your body = more weight showing on the scales. Less than 500 mg of sodium on a regular basis will also lead to you increasing your weight- and is extremely unhealthy. So, what gives? Where's the balance?

Wise Geek states, "There are essentially two main things that help stop water retention. Ironically, the first of these is drinking more water. Water retention is common when we are dehydrated or low on water. The body tends toward conserving water, and will retain a bit in order to keep us hydrated. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day helps shed extra water, reducing water retention.

The other thing that can help stop water retention is minimizing extra sodium in the diet, which can be difficult. We usually can point to a few foods high in sodium, but just about any packaged food contains some level of sodium. Most natural food sources also have some sodium too, though the amount is negligible. If you’re having problems with water retention, lowering overall sodium intake is one of the best methods for reducing it. Look for low sodium varieties of foods, especially canned foods and prepared meals."

Wise Geek suggests that, to decrease your sodium intake, you should have caffeine in limited amounts- too much (like me with the Diet Coke) has a reverse diuretic effect and will make you retain water. It also suggests substituting a glass of 100% cranberry juice for one of your glasses of water daily, since it's a natural diuretic. Keep on with the Vitamin C, as it is a natural diuretic as well (go, lil clementines, go!)

I've never had sodium issues- never affected my heart rate, my blood pressure, any of that. Then again, I'm not a salty-snack kind of girl. Give me chocolate and I'm happy (but a salty ruffly chip, dipped in chocolate, and I'm in heaven). But this was a bit of an eye opener. On WW, I tend to eat a lot of frozen meals for lunch- they're easy and we have a super powered microwave in our office that can cook an entire frozen turkey in like 15 minutes. I hit the Diet Coke- hard.  So, besides the mass increase of fruits and veggies, it looks like I have to start making less salty foods-- or at least remember to drink my 8-10 oz of water a day.

Water. The word of the day. There's so many benefits to drinking water- it curbs appetite, is necessary to your body functioning properly, it's thirst quenching... why fight it? Because it's bland? Has no flavor? Mix in a Crystal Lite pack for 5 whopping calories. That's going to have to be my trick (for today- or until I run out of them)- and I'm going to have to cut back(NOT cut out) on the Diet Coke. Sad.

My Darlin' Clementine

Weekly weigh-in: 3.4 down!

This is despite eating half a pan of black bean brownies in the last 3 days AND eating an entire order of deep fried mac and cheese bites on Saturday (I was supposed to share them at Reno's... when my friend went to have his first one, they were gone. Oops.)- I'm starting to believe Hungry Girl's theory of 80/20-- eat healthy 80% of the time and forgive yourself for the other 20%. I wrote EVERYTHING down- even the mac and cheese bites- and I held myself accountable. I'll be damned if it didn't work.

I had an *ah-ha* moment after weigh-in this afternoon. I went back to the gym- 3x this week, to be exact. And, all 3 times, I pushed myself. I'm sore and my arms are hating me for it this morning, but with the gym came better sleep... and with better sleep came making better food choices. I even stopped myself from eating everything in my pantry last night when I came home from basketball (watching- not playing) and wanted to kick some ass. Whoa. It all linked.

And, clementines. Clementines have been my saving grace this week. Thankfully, a serving is 2 clementines, AND they're 0 points with the new Points Plus program. Every time I left my house, I grabbed one or two. Every time I wanted something sweet, I grabbed one. I even mixed 3 of them (peeled of course) with a quart of strawberries and a pint of blackberries (both on sale at Meijer) and had a "winter fruit salad" available for my picking-- that  was gone in a flash. Clementines are fat free, have 40 calories each, have over 300% of one's daily Vitamin C requirement, lowers blood pressure, aids in muscle function, and each little nugget of sunshine contains 16% of one's daily dose of fiber. It's a shame they are only in season from November to May.

I have also found that fruit being 0 points has been absolutely wonderful- I shied away from them when on WW in the past because of the point value. Now, with them being free, I flock to them. My wallet can't keep up with the demands of my taste buds. But, it's all about the sale- $5 for a crate of clementines, while sounding expensive is worth my sanity- plus, they last me about 7-10 days. Plus, while a 10 for $10 sale on Cup O' Noodles sounds like a budget helper, it's a belly buster.

This week's challenge is to *not* sabotage myself. I did well with the way I ate/worked out, dropped some weight, and think I can do it again. I can't slack, saying "I did well last week- this week will just make it a wash!" I am still a good distance away from my goal. It's all about perspective, right?

Tri, tri again.

After eating about half of the pan of brownies from yesterday, I felt the need to get myself to the gym. I started back at the Y along with most of Lansing after the first of the year, so getting myself to go despite the crowds is a bit of a battle. However, with Trish, Caleb and I talking about the Warrior Dash yesterday, Dana and I talking about getting back to the gym a few times a week after work, and with the reminder about the Hawk Island Tri registration I got, the gym is a necessity. I got it. Gym good. I need to work out if I don't want to embarass myself. I sat down last week and wrote down my gym dates/times on my big desk calendar at work- I found the time last week to go my 3 scheduled days (yay!), so it's time to do it again. If I can make it to the gym 3x last week with the crazy ass schedule I had, I can totally do it again this week.

I don't even know what it takes to *do* a tri- besides a lot of willpower and a crazy streak. I found a fairly helpful website, trinewbies.com, which has free training schedules to get me moving. They require 10 weeks worth of training. I'm thinking of starting that, then when the 10 weeks is up (since it won't be tri time yet), start up the Playmakers tri class. However, I've tried these 10 week programs on my own before, and seem to fall off of the program by week 3; someone isn't standing over me, making sure I swim the laps, checking my pace on the treadmill, kicking me off the comfortable, recliner-like exercise bikes.

But, is now too early to be focusing *this* much on the tri events? Do I *really* need to deal with bricks now, or can that wait? I don't want to collapse and do too much when training this early on, because I know it will kill my motivation. However, I also know that I need to do more than just run and use free weights right now.

I figure if I can do the tri (which is in June), then I can do the Warrior Dash without batting an eyelash. Hence the tri focus. But don't worry, I'll be perfecting my jump so I can leap over the flaming pile of.... coals?

Trish brought up an interesting point about the Warrior Dash- what costume am I going to dress up in (that isn't a warrior- those hats look annoying!)? Maybe if I can get enough people to go with me in July, there can be a team-wide dress code...!

Misleadingly delicious

During a routine pedicure (yeah, right), the topic of interesting diet foods came up. I mentioned hearing of black bean brownies, and a 20 minute discussion took place on if you would taste the beans, what would the texture be, how could they be worshiped by the Weight Watchers community (they're ALL over the message boards!) despite their high butter content. This thought stuck with me for a couple of hours, and I decided I wanted to make them. And hit me- Trish would totally love to help me with this challenge. My wonderful friend (and only "known" blog follower) has a blog of her own, chronicling her trials in the kitchen (READ IT. Now. My blog will still be here!) and this odd recipe would be right up her alley. Unknown to me, baking is not Trish's forte- yet she was still willing to help me out and test out her newly acquired kitchen gadgets.

Trish did some research and found that one of the ways people make the brownies was to add a can of pureed beans to a boxed brownie mix- that wasn't going to cut it. She found a recipe at 101 Cookbooks that required cooking, blending, and fluffing eggs. For the details on how the brownie-making worked out, visit Trish's blog (it was fun!). Looking at the recipe, I was concerned that this wasn't going to be diet-friendly. How can it be?! Just look at the ingrediants!

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (we used pecans)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar (we used 1 cup agave nectar and 1/2 cup maple syrup)

I ran the recipe through Spark's recipe calculator, made the brownies a "reasonable" size (the recipe says it makes 48- 2"x2"  brownies- nope. With our pan, it makes about 24 brownies, same size, but they're thicker brownies than the recipe says), and here's the output:

Calories: 174
Fat: 14.6g
Cholesterol: 56.1 mg
Sodium: 13.4g
Carbohydrates: 10g
Fiber: 2.5 g
Protein: 3.5 g
---------> 5 points a brownie

Lesson? Fun and innovative foods are going to cost points. For the record, the brownies are GREAT. And, if we had the right size pan, they would be decent size (but thininsh) brownies. The only suggestion with the recipe would be to use 1/2 of the called-for coffee amount.

I'm feeling all bakey when I arrive at home, so I grab one of the weekly recipes from WW and try making the Mini Chocolate Chip cookies. They weren't kidding by calling them "mini"- a HALF of a teaspoon of dough per cookie?! That's 1 point?! I ended up just making them each a teaspoon of dough each, calling them 2 point cookies, and they're STILL small. I know they say "mini' cookies, but honestly, we're taking 50-cent piece sized.

I'm making their chicken pot pie for dinner tonight, and it's supposed to make enough for 6 servings. After today's lessons, I'm a little leery- but here's hoping...!

Fudge v. Brocolli

I mentioned yesterday that I am beginning to think of food as an addiction, like an alcoholic has an addiction to alcohol, despite my one friend's comment that I'm just sabotaging myself by  going for the cookies or saying that I even *want* a cookie. I've tried diet after diet (including a diet of grapefruits and bacon- yeah, that desperate), I've read every nutritional report that has come out of every flipping university, hell I even have a digital scale that reports my weight to a chart somewhere in cyberspace, tracking my progress (or lack thereof). But the lure of a cookie or, in my case, a peanut butter cup, is a strong one to fight. It's not just a matter of wanting the peanut butter cup, it's the *need* to have it. I need the instant gratification, the creamy peanut butter hitting my tongue at the exact same time the chocolately goodness hits the front tastebuds. I can taste the awesomeness a lot faster than I can see my pants size drop.


Apparently, my food habits and need for nutty goodness may be hard wired in my DNA, like an actual addiction. MSNBC reported today that studies are showing that dopamine in a person's system "...conditions the brain to want that reward again and again — reinforcing the connection each time — especially when it gets the right cue from your environment." Some people are just hardwired to go for the fudge instead of the broccoli, although the person knows that the broccoli is the better choice. The study of dopamine's effects on habits used to centralize around drug and alcohol addiction, but now neurologists are seeing its effects on all bad habits, including unhealthy eating. While I can now blame my DNA and dopamine levels on my desires for chocolately, fatty treats all of the time, I *do* have some tools at my disposal that I need to better utilize, accoding to MSNBC.

* Exercise increases dopamine levels, and by consistently exercising, I will (eventually) train my brain to crave exercise instead of Reeses.

* I should begin to reward myself with something I "really deserve"  for small successes as well as the big ones. On a budget, that's a little difficult, but I should be able to come up with something...

*Practice stress relief that doesn't involve food. No kidding. Food is my crutch, my drug of choice. However, if I can learn to take a walk every time I am stressed... well... I'd be able to walk to San Francisco by March.

I've also learned, thanks to some informative websites, that I seem to have an "addictive personality"- and not in the "everyone wants to hang out with me!" kind of way. More in the manages-stress, needs-the-instant-gratification" kind of way.  This just makes it tougher for me to succeed in my weight loss, but does not, in any way, make it impossible.


Randomly, I also stumbled across an ad for "Diet Coke with Bacon" while researching "addictive personality"- I'm a little concerned how the two are connected... and I'm throughly disgusted at someone ruining my Diet Coke.

Breathe and Reboot

So, the 30 by 30 didn't happen. It was more like 12 by 30, which just doesn't sound so hot. Then, I got sick. Real sick. Like only-eating-mashed-potatoes-and-strawberry-shakes kind of sick. That doesn't make for a good diet, not at all (but it tasted fabulous). New year, new start, right? So with a little modification and a few new goals to hit, I am now calling this "30 WHILE 30." I hope to drop 30 pounds MINIMUM this year. I can do this, and here's the how and why:

1) I've been back to the YMCA. After getting picked on by the gym staff for my absence, I grabbed a towel and got back into the swing of things. Knowing that the staff recognized my absence kind of freaked me out- but made me already plan my next gym visit.

2) Team Flabulous- at work, we're starting the 3rd "Biggest Loser" contest. My team, being Flabulous, is counting on me to lose weight so we can win the big pot of cash at the end. All of my teammates are on my floor at work, and all have permission to knock cookies out of my hands. During the competition the last 2 years, I've done well- losing 34 lbs the first year and another 20 the second year. I'm hoping for just as much success.

3) Weight Watchers- still going, still journaling with Carol checking in on me, and still getting used to the new plan. Last week I was told that I think "too much" and to just forget about the old program and jump on the new. It's a little tricky, but I can do it. It's just a LOT of restarting.

4) I have committed to doing the Hawk Island Triathlon this June (!!) and want to do the Warrior Dash in July. I mean, you have to jump over fire. FIRE! I'm in. But that means I have to get my ass in gear- now.

5) I went to the doctor today and, while my weight has stayed the same in the last year, I *feel* crappy. My cholesterol level is a little high and my Vitamin D is all out of whack. Plus, my doc thinks I'm a superstar after doing the Muddy Buddy, and I can't disappoint.

Now I just have to readjust my points, find new foods to eat (like mashed cauliflower, which I discovered last night- like mashed potatoes, but point free!), and go. I had a friend tell me that I sabotage myself and make too many excuses. I argued that some are valid excuses (I'm NOT going to work out in the AM, or late after work- it doesn't work for me mentally. I won't be productive), but acknowledged that some of the excuses are flimsy. This can't just be a diet- it has to be a lifestyle. I have to get out of the habit of reaching for a cookie (or a shake) when I don't feel great. Food is my drug of choice. I'm going to start treating it like a recovering alcoholic would with booze- now, I just have to create my "12 steps" and stick with it.