Back on Track

11/9/09
Well, I didn’t do incredible over the weekend, but I definitely was careful. Id say it’s a huge improvement over the past. I feel that taking little steps (Such as no rice and beans) helps greatly along the way. In addition, I walked several times this weekend, and spent time working in the house and yard, so I feel it was over all a healthy weekend!!
I threw a pot roast in the crock pot last night, so we hope to eat on it all week!

Breakfast – Jimmy Dean D-Light Egg White and Turkey Sausage Sandwich : 260 calories, 7g fat, 30g carbs, 18g protein, 2g DF, 5 WW pts (if you have not tried these, and are a fan of fast food breakfast sandwiches, you must!! Very good and filling!)

Snack – 1 cup diced pineapple : 76 calories, 1g fat, 19g carbs, 1g protein, 2g DF, 1 WW pt

Lunch – ¼ cup brown rice, 2 oz grilled chicken, 1 green giant just for one cauliflower and cheese tray : 193 calories, 4g fat, 16g carbs, 22g protein, 1g DF, WW points 4

Snack – 1 stalk celery, 1 laughing cow light swiss cheese wedge : 41 calories, 2g fat, 2g carbs, 3g protein, 1g DF, 1 WW pt

Dinner – 3 oz Pot Roast, 1 cup steamed carrots : 133 calories, 3g fat, 6g carbs, 19g protein, 1g DF, 8 WW pts

Dessert – 1 piece chocolate peanut butter fudge : 50 calories, 3g fat, 5g carbs, 1g protein, 0g dietary fiber, WW points = 1

Totals: 790 calories, 20g fat, 80g carbs, 71g protein, 7g DF, 20 WW pts
Summary: 22% calories from fat, 73g carbs, 71g protein (pretty perfect day!!!!)

Weekend Eatin'

11/7/09
Whew! Its hard to catch up from the weekend!!

Breakfast - Quesadilla: 1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wrap, 2 slices Center Cut Bacon, 1/8 cup Kraft 2% shredded cheddar cheese : 204 calories, 18g carbs, 12g fat, 17g protein, 12g DF, 4 WW pts

Lunch - Quiznos Small Turkey, Low Fat Ranch, and Swiss, 1 serving Lays Baked BBQ Chips : 570 calories, 25g fat, 68g carbs, 22g protein, 8g DF, 9 WW pts

Snack - ½ La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wrap (baked into chips), ¼ cup Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip : 102 calories, 5g fat, 13g carbs, 8g protein, 7g DF, 2 WW pts

Dinner - Local Mexican Restaurant, 2 Tacos al Carbon (1 beef, 1 chicken), Chips & Queso (ordered a la carte, no rice/beans) : 1035 calories, 57g fat, 79g carbs, 48g protein, 7g DF, 25 WW pts

Totals: 1911 calories, 99g fat, 179g carbs, 94g protein, 34g DF, 40 WW pts
Summary: 46% calories from fat, 145 carbs, 94g protein YIKES!!!!

11/8/09
Breakfast - Jimmy Dean D-Light Egg White and Turkey sausage sandwich : 260 calories, 7g fat, 30g carbs, 18g protein, 2g DF, 5 WW pts

Lunch - Leftover Chicken Pot Pie : 422 calories, 15g fat, 39g carbs, 34g protein, 3g DF, 7 WW pts

Snack - 1 cup diced pineapple : 76 calories, 1g fat, 19g carbs, 1g protein, 2g DF, 1 WW pt

Dinner - Turkey Feta Burger with spinach artichoke dip (used as a spread for the burger), Zucchini Fries : 238 calories, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 13g protein, 8g DF, 6 WW pts

Dessert - 1 kids cup BerriBlu cookies and cream yogurt : 220 calories, 0g fat, 46g carbs, 8g protein, 0g DF, 4 WW pts

Totals: 1216 calories, 27g fat, 164g carbs, 85g protein, 15g DF, 23 WW pts
Summary: 19% calories from fat, 149 carbs, 85g protein (heavy on carbs, but did great on fat!!)

Dinner Recipes!

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 Tbs I Cant Believe its not Butter Light
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
10 ox, chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
14 oz canned artichoke hearts (no oil), coarsely chopped
8 oz reduced fat sour cream
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
¼ tsp black pepper
cooking spray
8 wedges Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Melt butter in a large skillet
3. Add onions and garlic, saute until tender
4. Add in spinach and artichokes, sauté 2 minutes
5. Add in Sour cream, swiss cheese, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, and spices
6. Spray a 11x7 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour in dip.
7. Top with rest of parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes
62 calories, 3g fat, 4g carbs, 4 g protein, 1g DF, 1 WW pt

Sesame Ginger Asparagus
1 tsp ginger root, freshly grated
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 lb asparagus, trimmed

1. Heat broiler
2. Combine ginger, oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl
3. On a sheet pan, coat asparagus with ginger mixture. 4. Broil asparagus until tips begin to brown, about 5-8 minutes.
48 calories, 2g fat, 5g carbs, 3g protein, 2g DF, 1 WW pt

Korean Flank Steak with Watercress Salad
1 ¼ lbs raw lean flank steak
4 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs ginger root, chopped
¼ cup vinegar
2 tbs soy sauce
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs sesame oil
2 bunches watercress, cleaned and trimmed
2 medium scallions, sliced
1 medium carrot, grated

1. Put flank steak in a shallow glass or ceramic dish
2. To make marinade, combine garlic through to sesame oil in a blender and blend until smooth
3. Pour half the marinade over the flank steak and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Refrigerate remaining marinade as well
4. Prepare coals for grill (or grill pan on stove)
5. Grill flank steak for 5-7 minutes on each side for medium rare. Set on a cutting board to rest while you make the salad.
6. Put remaining marinade into a small saucepan and add 3tbs water. Bring to a simmer over very low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes
7. In a large bowl, toss watercress, scallions, and carrot with warm marinade8. Slice flank steak into thin strips. Pour any juice from meat over salad and toss it in. Serve flank steak along side of salad.
271 calories, 14g fat, 5g carbs, 30g protein, 1 g DF, 6 WW pts

You CAN eat well on the run!

Another busy day! I don’t like starting the day without every snack and meal planned, but sometimes, you just cannot help it! Breakfast and lunch were anything I could grab (making sure I stayed balanced atleast for the end of the day. I was a little high on carbs, but still under my daily allowance). I am cooking dinner for a friend tonight, so there are some special “treats” involved! Lots of recipes in this post!

Breakfast – Orowheat Whole Wheat Sandwich thin, 1 tsp Skippy Natural Peanut Butter:
130 cals, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 6g protein, 5g DF, 2 WW pts

Lunch – Schlotzsky’s Small Chicken Breast Sandwich and small garden salad (no dressing): 362 calories, 4g fat, 57g carbs, 25g protein, 4g DF, 7 WW pts

Snack – 2 slices Hormel 98% fat free turkey breast, 2 Claussen Mini Dill Pickles:
34 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 4g protein, 0g DF, 1 WW pt

Appetizer – 1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wrap (cut into strips, sprayed with cooking spray, seasoned, and baked at 350 until crispy), ¼ cup Hot Spinach Artichoke dip: 142 calories, 6g fat, 22g carbs, 12g protein, 13g DF, 3 WW pts

Dinner – 1 serving Korean Flank Steak (includes watercress salad), 1 serving Ginger Sesame Asparagus: 319 calories, 17g fat, 11g carbs, 22g protein, 3g DF, 7 WW pts

Dessert – 1 piece Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: 50 calories, 3g fat, 5g carbs, 1g protein, 0g dietary fiber, WW points = 1

Totals: 1012 calories, 33g fat, 118g carbs, 80g protein, 26g DF, 21 WW pts
Summary: 29% calories from fat, 92g carbs, 80g protein

If you like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups . . .

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Makes 24 pieces
1 spray cooking spray
1 tbs I cant believe its not butter light spread
1/3 cup fat free evaporated milk
½ cup splenda
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
7 large marshmallows
4 tsp Skippy Natural Creamy peanut butter

1. Spray a small glass dish or pan with cooking spray (like 5x5 or 6x4 – or double the recipe and use a 8x8)
2. In a small pot, combine splenda, butter, and evaporated milk. Stir to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and continue stirring for 3 minutes
4. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth
5. Stir in marshmallows, breaking them up with a wooden spoon to help them melt
6. Stir in 3 tsp of the peanut butter
7. Pour into prepared dish, making sure its even across the dish
8. Place the last tsp of peanut butter on top and swirl into the fudge to make a decoration (or just swirl until blended into the fudge)
9. Refrigerate for 2 hours (you can place in the freezer to speed up the process)
10. Cut into 24 equal pieces
50 cals, 3g fat, 5g carbs, 1g protein, 0g dietary fiber, WW points = 1

Chicken Pot Pie, Oh My!

Chicken Pot Pie
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
1 can Pillsbury creations crescent rolls
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced carrots
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs garlic salt
1 can Campbells cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free)
1 ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
3 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese
8 oz cooked chicken breast, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray
3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
4. Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add in seasoning
5. Pour in soup and chicken broth, bring to a simmer
6. Break the cheese into pieces and stir into the mixture until melted
7. Add in the chicken and stir to heat through. Remove from heat
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate
6. Top with crescent sheet, and cut a few slits to allow steam to escape (you may have to trim the dough)
7. Bake in the over for about 15 minutes, until crust is golden
319 cals, 13g fat, 33g carbs, 20g protein, 3g dietary fiber, WW points = 7

You can also roll out the dough as thin as possible, and press half into the bottom of the pie pan, and use the other half sparingly on top.

Another day down!

Well, this morning I was in a rush, but I took the 5 minutes to make my breakfast. Im glad I did. This afternoon, work got a little stressful, so I was thinking of running out to Schlotzskys. I even changed my lunch in Spark People to see how it would affect my day. I would have still been ok, but closer to 30% fat from calories. After it finally calmed down, I heated up my lunch….again, glad I did.

As a side note, I know alcohol is empty calories, but its fat free. Adding a glass of wine to dinner helped me get from 28% calories from fat to 26%!!

Here is todays breakdown:

Breakfast - La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Soft Wrap with 2 slices turkey and ½ Sargento Light String Cheese (which surprisingly melts well!): 126 calories, 4g fat, 19g carbs, 14g protein, 12g DF, WW points 2

Lunch – ¼ cup brown rice, 3 oz baked chicken, 1 tray Green Giant Just for One Broccoli and cheese (these 3 ingredients make a quick rice casserole!): 193 calories, 4g fat, 16g carbs, 22g protein, 1g DF, WW points 4

Snack – 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese, 2 stalks celery : 48 calories, 2g fat, 4g carbs, 3g protein, 1g DF, WW points 1

Snack – 2 Claussen Mini Dill Pickles : 10 calories, 0g fat, 2g carbs, 0g protein, 0g DF, WW points 0

Dinner – Chicken Pot Pie (recipe posted), glass of white wine: 492 calories, 15g fat, 40g carbs, 34g protein, 3g DF, WW points 11

Totals: 869 calories, 25g fat, 81g carbs, 75g protein, 18g DF
Summary: 26% calories from fat, 63g carbs, 75g protein, WW points 18

New Eating Plan!

This week has been a little hectic due to a safety meeting at work. It took all my strength to stay away from the sandwiches and pasta (and cookies and brownies) that were lingering. So, Monday and Tuesday, I just tried to eat decently. My nutrients weren’t so balanced. From what Ive read, its ok to have some meals off balance as long as your overall day adds up properly.

A little background into what I am doing. . . I can have up to 95 grams of carbs and 95 grams of protein daily (sets no limit on calories). You can subtract the dietary fiber from the carbs, so that helps balance out some foods that are whole wheat, etc. I also am trying to remain under 30% of my calories from fat. To calculate calories from fat…. Take the total amount of fat and multiply by 9. Then divide that by your total calories, and multiply by 100.

Here are my food and calculations for today. All I had around me was some stale pretzel goldfish, so that’s what I had for breakfast. You can see I made up for the wacky carbs by eating higher protein for lunch. Dinner carbs look high, but the brown rice and kidney beans also have a lot of fiber to even it out.

Breakfast – 1 serving pretzel goldfish: 130 calories, 2g fat, 24g carb, 3g protein, 1g dietary fiber (which we will now refer to as DF)

Lunch – ½ of California Salad from Target with Walden Farms Ranch dressing (threw out the cranberries and walnuts from the salad – so, chicken, goat cheese, and lettuce): 210 calories, 7g fat, 1g carb, 33g protein, 0g DF

Snack – 1 serving (3 slices) 98% fat free turkey, 2 Claussen mini dill pickles: 52 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs, 9g protein, 0g DF

Dinner – 3oz Holmes Andouille Sausage, ½ cup brown rice, ½ cup red beans, 1 cup steamed snap peas: 485 calories, 16g fat, 50g carbs, 32g protein, 12g DF

Snack – Jello dark Chocolate Mousse: 60 calories, 3g fat, 10g carbs, 2g protein, 1 g DF

Totals: 937 calories, 29g fat, 88g carb, 79g protein, 14g DF
Summary: 28% calories from fat, 74g carbs, 79g protein