I Love Wendie!

I am 5 days in to the Wendie plan and it is working great. This morning the scale said 208.8 - so much better than the 213 this time last week, and only 1.2 more than my lowest weight a few weeks ago. The interesting part is that I incorporated my flex points in to the wendi plan so even on my low days I was eating pretty much what I have been doing everyday for the past months. On my high days I supplemented with dairy and extra fiber and resisted the temptation to use up those points on junk food.

So, I have learned that I have not been eating enough. Wendie is a bit difficult to plan for so next week I am just going to add 5-10 flex points every second day and see how that works for me.

I have a couple recipe pictures to share. The first is ESBM Maui Wowie Meatballs. I used the meatball recipe from Glad Thai Dings, and skewed them with some fresh pineapple, mushrooms and zucchini. The sauce you baste them with is tany and delicious!

On Saturday night we used the Raclette we got for Christmas and did some table top korean BBQ. Grilled steak and turkey as well as a bunch of veggies. Wrap with rice in some lettuce leaves, add hoisin sauce and sciracha and you have my favourite meal of all time. Here is DH enjoying the dinner!

Wendie Day1

As of this morning I have shed 3 of the 5 pounds that I mysteriously gained. I have been thinking about what I have been doing differently during the past three monhs I have been stuck on this plateau. I went back and looked at my WW journals from when I first started and I came to a few conclusions.

#1 - I am not eating as much for breakfast (sometimes no breakfast at all). I am slipping into my old habits of waiting until later in the day to start eating - causing me to eat too much at once. Even though I stay within my points, I know this is not the correct way to fuel my body. So I am committing to eating a healthy breakfast each day - with some fiber and protein to kickstart my metabolism in the morning. So tonight I made 'A Bran New World' muffins from ESBM. These are delicious and full of good things including mashed sweet potato (I used yams) and tons of bran flakes. Each big muffin is only 3 points. I will have one tomorrow for breakfast with a fruit smoothie for another 3 points.


#2 - I am not eating enough throughout the day. I used to pack snacks for work and for before the gym - lately I have been sticking to my three meals - again not giving my body sufficient fuel during the day. So I will have some fruit and veggies to snack on during the day. Today I made the most delicious 1 point snack. A portabello mushroom grilled, the drizzled with balsamic vinegar, topped with a slice of tomato and 20g of light feta crumbles on top. Sooo good!

My lunch today was also from ESBM. Star-Kissed Tuna Melt. For four servings here are the ingredients:

2 cans tuna (drained)

1/4 cup light ranch dressing

2 tbsp fat-free mayo

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar (I used agave nectar)

1/4 cup minced red onion

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

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Toast four slices of whole grain bread. Top with tuna mixture, slice of tomato and 20g light cheese. Place under the broiler. This was delicious and so nutricious, hitting all of the food groups for 5 points.

Today is the first day of my Wendie Plan week. My super high day will be on Saturday. We are doing homemade korean bbq lettuce wraps, so I will be able to have a little more rice and steak than usual. I took the day off from the gym today - just a little walking with the pup. Last night I did a cardio/ab class and I got really tired near the end, I think my body wanted a rest day. If the sun stays shining for another day or so I think I will dust of the bike, pump up the tires and get it back on the road!

Grrrrrrrrr

So I had a really great week of vacation. In total I earned 42 activity points. I did lots of classes at the gym, plus cario and weight training. I did some yoga, swimming and a 5 hour mountain hike on Friday with my DH and SIL. My eating was totally OP. I made healthy meals and did not eat out at all. So are you ready for the great WI results??? I GAINED 5 POUNDS!!! WTF!!!

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I must be retaining some serious water, because there is no way I could have realy gained five pounds. So weird. Anyway, I know the hard work will catch up in the next week or so and I am going to stay on track. My body does this sometimes, and then one morning I will wake up 7 pounds lighter than when I went to sleep. Sigh, at this rate I will never get to onederland! I think after my WI on Wednesday I will do the Wendie Plan for a week. I think the triple activity this past week may have freaked my body out - I need to shake up my eating plan.

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Ok, I have one recipe to share and this is one that I made up so we will call it Zucchini ala Blendergirl. It was so delicious that I made it two nights in a row, and my weekend dinner guests loved it.

Take 2 zucchinis and slice down the middle. I scooped out the insides with a melon baller. Put the hollowed out zucs in a pan and roast in a 350 oven for about 10 minutes (while you prepare the filling).

Filling:

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup finely diced crimini mushrooms

zucchini flesh finely chopped

1 clove minced garlic

sautee all of this in a pan with a little olive oil until cooked and most of the liquid is gone. Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup grated light cheese, one beaten egg, salt and pepper. Fill the zucchinis with the mixture (will be very gooey - but firms up when cooked).

Topping:

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan (powder)

1-2 tbsp melted butter

Mix together and spread evenly on stuffed zucchini. I covered in foil and continued cooking for 15 minutes. Remove foil and cook 5 min (until topping is brown). Enjoy!!!

Quickie

Still here... week is still going good. In 5 days I have earned 30 AP. I have some recipes to post but need to find some more time. Maybe tomorrow.......

SWEAT!!!

I used to be the kind of girl who would not want to work out too hard because I did not like to sweat. Over the past year I have learned to love my sweat (mmm that does not sound exactly like I meant it to). Today during an aerobics/strength training class we were doing leg lifts with barbells tucked behind our knees. She made us keep our legs up and still for a 12 count at the end of the set. My leg was burning and I could feel sweat trickling down my back. Instead of thinking about the pain, or the heat, all I could think of is how much stronger my body has become. I am still one of the biggest participants in the class, but I am not the weakest. I have learned that I am not weak - my body can take a lot. What is the point of spending an hour at these classes if I am not going to give it 110%? I was exhausted afterwards, and can honestly say I gave 110% for the whole class. As soon as I left the gym I called my DH and told him how strong I felt. Sweaty and Strong!!!

Oh, did I mention that the class was my second trip to the gym today?? As I promised yesterday I got up and hit the gym this morning. I did 30 minutes of interval training on the elliptical. I played around with my heart rate. I pushed until it was at the high end of the safe range, and then eased off a bit to lower it - and repeat. I am proud of how quick my recovery time is now - I can lover my heart rate in just a couple of minutes. This is a huge change from when I began running a few months ago - It would take me 30 minutes on the couch to recover from a 5 minute run.

After the elliptical I did 15 minutes of free weights and then 30 minutes of crunches and sit ups on the ball. After lunch I went for a walk with a girlfriend, my pup and her kids for about 30 minutes. And then the evening class I already told you about. So a grand total of 12 ap for today!

Food was good for today as well. I did eat 4 of the AP that I earned.

Breakfast: fresh pineapple and yogurt (4)

Snack: cranberries and chocolate (3)

Lunch: meatloaf and salad (6)

Snack: poppy love loaf (4)

Dinner: meatloaf in pita with veggies (7)

Snack: frozen yogurt with sf caramel (4)

I made a new ESBM recipe today with my friends little girl. 'Poppy Love' is a nice light lemony loaf that was so easy to make (perfect when teaching a 6 year old some cooking skills). Afterward we had a dish washing lesson as well :)

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oat bran

1 tbsp poppy seeds

2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt

1 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup melted butter or veg. oil

1 egg

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar oat bran, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, lemon juice, and zest. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 mins, or until loaf is light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool loaf on a wire rack for 10 mins. REmove from pan and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices3 points per slice.

So - the plan for tomorrow: step aerobics class in the morning, cleaning out the closets, menu planning for rest of the week and grocery shopping, water aerobics class in the PM.

I am loving this staycation!!

BLBS Day 2!

Day two of my biggest loser week was great. I had a fantastic workout at the gym. Did 30 minutes on the treadmill - instead of my usual interval runs I did incline intervals. It was a great workout and I really pushed myself on the steepest inclines. It took me 35 minutes to burn 300 calories (usually I do about 250 in the same time). I then did 30 minutes of free weights. I find this to be so much more effective than the weight machines and I was really working on my control and body positioning. Finally I did 15 minutes of crunches on the pilates ball and 15 minutes of stretching. I also managed a few walks with the puppy (despite the gross slushy rain/snow and wind). The plan was to do some DDR tonight but I am a little sore from the workout and I want to be able to get to the gym in the morning.

Food intake was good today as well.

Breakfast: smoothie (4)

Snack: peanut butter and ww bread (3)

Lunch: not humdrumsticks and snap peas (4)

Snack: baked bbq and honey chips (4)

Dinner: One Loaf to Love and Britney Spears (8)

Snack: milkshake (frozen yogurt, strawberries, milk) (4)

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Sorry I forgot to post the recipe for the Not Humdrumsticks from yesterday. I have not been able to find it online so here is the quick version:

12 skinless drumsticks

1/4 cup liquid honey

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp grainy dijon mustard

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried herbes de provence

salt and pepper.

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Coat baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange drumsticks in pan. Mix all other ingredients and pour over drumsticks. Bake for 30 minutes at 400. Baste frequently.

The squash from yesterday was an acorn squash. I cut it in half and place the halves cut side down in a dish with 1/2 inch of water. Microwave for 5 minutes. Then turn over the squash halves - rub with 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp brown sugar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rast in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

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Todays recipes were also from ESBM (I think I will have to try another cookbook soon). One Loaf to Love was a new twist on a favourite comfort food. The meat mixture is:

1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I put weight wathers bread in the food processor)

1/4 cup bbq sauce

1 pkge hamburger seasoning (I used Club House Superburger)

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh parsley

salt and pepper

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Mix this all together. Line a sheet pan with wax paper (or a silpat) and spread meat into a 10x12 rectangle.

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For the veggie layer sautee 1 cup finely diced mushrooms, 1/2 cup zucchini, 1/2 cup onions, 1/2 cup red pepper (I left this out - I hate peppers) and 1 tsp garlic. Sautee until soft and add 1 tsp chopped basil.

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Spread the veggies onto the meat mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 cup light cheese.

Roll up the meatloaf and bake on a broil pan (375 degrees) for 40 minutes. Remove and spread top with 2 tbsp of BBQ sauce - return to oven for 10 minutes or until done. Let it rest for 5 miniutes before cutting. YUMMY!!!

The side dish was also from ESBM - Britney's Spears. Just toss aperagus with EVOO, salt, pepper and garlic and roast for 12-15 minutes at 400. Put on serving platter - sprinkle with a couple tsp of balsamic vinegar and crumble 1/4 cup feta on top. YUMMY!!!!

The plan for tomorrow is to hit the gym when I wake up. Come home and do some housework (laundry, bathroom, floors etc..). I am going to try a new low fat lemon poppyseed loaf. I am going to go back to the gym for a 5pm cardio crunch class. If the weather co-operates I also have a walk planned with a girlfriend. I earned another 4 AP today but tomorrows goal is 8.

Thanks for reading!

Biggest Loser Blendergrl Style - Day 1

DH went back to work a day early so I started my biggest loser week today. The plan is to take advantage of this week I have off of work and devote myself completely to this healthy lifestyle I have adopted. I vow to earn a minimum of 4 ap each day (hopefully more most days) and eat healthy home made food within my daily allowed points. I will also drink 3L of water each day.

So how did today go? Great! I went to the gym and did 30 min on the elliptical - I pushed it really hard doing intervals to raise and lower my heart rate. The machine said I burned 300 calories (usually it is about 230 for 30 minutes). Then I did 20 minutes of weights and 20 minutes of abs and stretching. Later I took the dog for a brisk half hour walk in the wind and rain. I estimate I got 5 AP today.

I am also going to track my food here this week..

breakfast:

smoothie (carrot juice, apple juice, strawberries, froz yogurt) - 4points

snack:

cranberries and chocolate - 2points

lunch:

ESBM Melancauli soup - 4points

snap peas and dip - 2points

snack:

peanut butter on toast - 3points

dinner:

ESBM Not Humdrumsticks - 3points

peas and squash -4 points

(the chicken recipe was really good - I had DH take the skin off the big package of drumsticks I bought before he left yesterday. Not a fun job - but worth it in the end)

snacks:

smoothie - 3points

frozen yogurt - 3points

Total 28 points for the day

Yesterday my little niece was over and I decided to test drive a dessert I am planning on making for a dinner party I am throwing next weekend. My helper and I made La Vida Mocha from ESBM. It is a flourless chocolate mousse cake that will only cost you four points (with some cool whip and strawberries). The cake was delicious but the picture is definately lacking in flare - but the one of my little buddy after licking the bowl is priceless. I will post a picture of the dolled up version of the cake after next Friday's dinner party.

The scale said 207.8 this morning... inching my way to Onederland...

Update

Not much new to report around here. I have had a cold this week and had to go out of town for work. I did good staying within my points (I am a WW travelling pro now!) but the exercise this week was limited to a few walks with the dog and some dance dance revolution. I think I will have a small loss at WI tomorrow and Im fine with that.

I have one week of vacation left that I have to take by the end of the month, too little cash and a husband busy out of town with work means I am having a 'staycation' at home. My plan is to do my own little 'Biggest Loser' adventure next week. I am going to go to the gym twice a day - one class and one cardi/weights session each day. I am also going to try out a bunch of new recipes as well. I am looking forward to a week all about me and my health - I wonder I can drop a biggest loser style amount of weight as well???

The fun starts Sunday and I will try to post an update everyday.

Look what I found....

My Clavicles!!!! I was flitting around the kitchen tonight in a tank top and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window and there they were... my old friend collar bone. I haven't seen them in about 10 years. I think they are cute!

I was flitting around the kitchen because I was preparing DH's meals for the week as he is headed back to work out of town tonight. I tried another new ESBM recipe 'Jellystone Pork'

1 tbs butter

1/3 C minced shallots

2 Tbs grated ginger root

1 tsp garlic1/3 C apple jelly

3 Tbs dijon mustard

2 Tbs cider vinegar

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1/4 C light sour cream

Sprinkle pork with s&p. Brush grill rack lightly with oil. Grill pork for about 16 minutes, turning occasionally. (Or roast in oven - brush pork lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with s&p, then roast at 350F for about 40 minutes).

To make sauce, melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger root, and garlic. Cook and stir until shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add jelly, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, until jelly completely melts and sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low if it's bubbling too much. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Slice pork thinly and drizzle sauce over top.

It was delicious!

Last night I made some oatmeal raisin cookies (DHs favourite cookie) I tried a new lower fat recipe that works out to 2 points per cookie. When they were warm from the over they were kind of fluffy and had a weird texture. After sitting overnight though they were chewy and yummy this morning. So if you try this recipe definitely let them sit overnight. DH said they were not as good as my old recipe but he ate a bunch of them so I think they grew on him. If anyone has any ideas to make this recipe more moist and chewy tips would be welcome.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Thanks for reading, my clavicles and I are headed to bed now!

WI -2.4lbs!!!!!!

-2.4 today!! I even weighed in in jeans today - I usually wear my light Lulu pants. I am still .2 away from officially regaining my 60lb bling but I know it is all in the pants :)

I have the next two day off of work. Planning some pre-spring yard prep with DH, aerobics class tomorrow night, and a bike ride if the weather holds.

Hopefully I can try a couple of new recipes oer the next few days as well. Hope you are all doing great!

My body is so strange...

Sunday morning the scale said 209.6, yesterday morning the scale said 208.6 (woohoo) and this morning the scale said:

If only I knew what magic thing I had done to cause my self to lose four pounds this week. I guess the last month of hard work has caught up to me, but I would still like to know what happened. My official WI is tomorrow morning - with clothes on I hope I can be at 208.8 so that my 60lb lost bling is deserved again and I will be back to the lowest weight I was in December.

Thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post, if I ever need a shot of self-esteem I know where to come and get it.. you ladies are all so lovely!

New look and a new weight!

I got a haircut today - very similar to one I got about a year ago, so I thought what a perfect time for a little side by side comparison. My husband always comments on how much slimmer my face looks but I just don't see it when I look in the mirror. Even my skewed self image can't deny the difference when I look at these.

On to other good news... the past couple of days have finally seen a dip in the scale and I am finally back below 210. I thought I should take a picture to prove it!