Third Time's a Charm???

Hi all.

Well, I seemed to have survived Morgan’s 10^th birthday this past weekend.  My parents were in town from last Monday and went home this past Tuesday morning.  For the birthday celebration, I got tickets for the family to ride the Grapevine Vintage Railroad to the Stockyard in Fort Worth on Saturday the 22^nd.  We had done this trip once before when Morgan was 6.  Adam wasn’t born yet, so this was his first trip.  Morgan and Adam both LOVED the train ride.  Adam would have stayed aboard if we let him.  He was not happy at all when we arrived and had to get off the train.  We had a couple of hours in the Stockyards before the return trip.  Morgan talked me into doing the maze that they have out there.  We finished it in something like 11 minutes.  All I did was follow her.  She had a blast.  Adam went off with my dad and Steve to walk up the street a bit.  We did lunch at Riscky’s Barbecue (and YES I stayed on plan—had a chicken sandwich and some seasoned red beans!!!) and we girls were doing some window shopping in the Stockyards Station.  I was walking across the street and the next thing I know, I am on the ground.  I must have stepped into some missing bricks and lost my footing. How embarrassing! Good thing there was that I didn’t hurt myself. Skinned my knee a bit and roughed up the skin on my lower shin.  Luckily for us, that was about ALL the excitement for the day.  Still, a nice way to spend Morgan’s birthday. 

The house is really going to be quiet for the next little bit.  Back to back, we had Steve’s folks and my folks in town.  It was nice having the parental units around for a few days.

The topic for this week’s meeting was our leader’s 5^th anniversary of keeping the weight she lost off.  What a great thing to celebrate!  It’s something I aspire to do!  I am faithfully working toward my goal, although at times it seems insurmountable.  Then…I take a step back (breathe…) and refocus my efforts.  The most important thing I stress to myself is to not give up.  And you know what? No matter how good, bad or ugly it gets? I don’t give up.  I may not have a good day or week but it’s all a part of the journey.  I think the most important part is that you consider this a journey.  It’s a soul-searching series of events.  I don’t know about you guys, but I have learned an awful lot about myself over the last couple of years.   I never knew that I’d be motivating a fairly large audience on a weekly basis.  I do appreciate the comments and feedback you all provide.  It makes me smile knowing that this helps!!!!

I love the way Kathryn described her journey in the meetings…She said that we shouldn’t look this as joining and quitting a bazillion times or that I failed the first two times I joined and succeeded the third. The way to look at it is these were all different points along this ONE journey.  Sometimes we follow plan, sometimes we don’t, but in the end, we know what has to get done and we get it right. Eventually.

Mmmm…as I sit here and type this newsletter, I am eating the most delicious 1 POINT® snack.  Get this:

½ cup papaya chunks (.5)

½ cup fresh blueberries (.5)

2 HUMUNGOUS strawberries – about 5 oz (0)

4 oz cup Fiber One Vanilla yogurt – (0)

Most of these are filling foods, and it filled up one of those screw top Ziploc containers, and it makes for a nice 3 p.m. pick me up.  Nice, refreshing, and sweet…Ok…I digress!

What our meeting focused on this week was Kathryn’s top five list of things she learned while on her weight loss journey.  I wanted to share this with you guys because I thought her list was rather insightful! I am also putting in my 2-cents worth here as well, because I can see how these are helping me as well.

Here we go!!!!

1. Weight loss IS actually about calories.  It doesn’t matter WHEN you eat the calories.  In order to lose a pound, you must deficit 3500 calories.  That’s it.  No magic there.  You can either do this by eating that much less per week, or by exercising, or by any combination of the two.

2. Filling foods make a difference.  All POINTS® really aren’t created equal.  These foods (the whole grains, fruits, veggies, fat-free dairy) actually are designed to fill you up. They are more dense in water, air, or fiber which will help sustain you throughout the day.  I know that I personally do better when I get most of these checked off my list for the day.

3. Setting goals helps. They don’t have to be super ambitious.  My first goal with Weight Watchers this last time around? Simply to wear things that buttoned and zipped.  At the time I joined, I had all elastic-waisted pants. No more.  They are all out of my closet and hopefully in a better home!

4. We underestimate, so keep track!  Self explanatory. We are human.  As such, we tend to UNDERESTIMATE our portion sized and OVERESTIMATE how much activity we do on a daily basis.  To keep me honest, I have a kitchen scale on my counter, my trusty scoops out there too, AND I keep my pedometer on me (except for today…I think I left it on the dresser :::grumble grumble::: ).  I have said it before, and I think it’s worth repeating.  It’s been proven that those who track, journal, or otherwise account for their intake, will lose 50% more than those who don’t. Think about that!!!!

5. We CAN do this!  Yes, we can.  I am, and I have proof!!! Take pictures. Lots of them. Measure yourself.  Make those results tangible!!!  You are ALL capable of reaching your weight-loss goals.  Like I said…I am on a mission AND I am taking you all with me.

Oh…before I close this issue, I wanted to give a shout out to those working in the Richardson office—our fitness center has teamed up with the cafeteria downstairs and is doing what they call ‘Wellness Wednesdays’.  This is a healthy AND delicious meal choice and they provide nutrition information on the meal for you.  I have had the last 2 Wednesday meals (the Mexican Skillet Chicken and the Ultimate Barbecue-Rubbed Chicken) and they were both fabulous.  I have been making it a point to include these recipes within the newsletter.  Something to think about if you find yourself short on time as you are trying to rush out the door next week! 

A closing quote for you.  This one was on the meeting room board, and I liked it!

"We were born to win.

But to be a winner, you must plan to win,

prepare to win, and expect to win.”

-Zig Ziglar

RECIPES

 Asparagus, Bacon and Cheese Strata

POINTS® Value:    5

Servings:  6

Preparation Time:  15 min

Cooking Time:  20 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Stratas make an excellent breakfast or brunch, and they give you the perfect opportunity to use up leftover vegetables, lean meats and day-old bread.

Ingredients:

            2 tsp olive oil, or vegetable oil  

            4 slice(s) uncooked turkey bacon, diced  

            1/2 cup(s) onion(s), diced  

            2 cup(s) asparagus, fresh, or frozen and thawed, cut into 1-inch pieces  

            1 spray(s) cooking spray  

            6 slice(s) light whole wheat bread  

            4 large egg(s)  

            5 large egg white(s)  

            3/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk  

            2 tsp Dijon mustard  

            1/2 tsp table salt  

            1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground  

            2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided  

            1 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, about 4 oz  

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion and asparagus; sauté until vegetable are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
• Preheat broiler.
• Off heat, coat same skillet with cooking spray. Arrange bread slices tightly in bottom of skillet.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; pour over bread and allow milk mixture to soak in entirely (like when you make French toast). Sprinkle bread with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
• Place skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook, shaking pan frequently to promote even cooking, until almost cooked through to the top, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Place skillet under broiler to set eggs, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from broiler; top with bacon-vegetable mixture, cheddar cheese and remaining tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Place skillet under broiler again until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

 One Point Chili

This recipe has been circulating periodically throughout the meeting room, and I know that I have provided this one in the past.  It’s definitely a keeper.

POINTS® Value:   1 per 1 cup serving.

Servings:  18 - 20

Preparation Time:  5 min

Cooking Time:  20 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

10 ounces extra-lean ground beef OR ground turkey breast

1 medium onion, diced

1 each red & green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, diced

2 medium yellow squash diced

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (15-oz) cans fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 celery stalks, diced

1 (1 1/4-oz) package dry chili seasonings.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the meat and onion and sauté until browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the browned meat and onion mixture to a large soup pot and add the tomatoes, zucchini, squash, beans, broth, celery, bell peppers, and chili seasoning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes

Serves 18 - 20. 

 

Roast Salmon Provencal

This is another recipe in the ‘Wellness Wednesday’ series here at work.  Fat-free Italian dressing adds the zing in this easy and colorful salmon and vegetable creation.   This recipe was provided courtesy of http://www.eatbetteramerica.com.  Enjoy!

POINTS® Value:  5

Servings:  4

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking Time:  20 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients:

4          salmon fillets or steaks, 1/2 inch thick (1 to 1 1/4 lb)

3          cups refrigerated unpeeled potato wedges (from 1-lb 4-oz bag)

1 1/2   cups small whole fresh mushrooms

1          medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1          medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2      cup fat-free Italian dressing

1/2      teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/4      cup pitted kalamata or ripe olives

Instructions:

1.         Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Place salmon, potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini in pan. Brush with half of the dressing; sprinkle with basil.

2.         Bake 20 minutes.

3.         Add olives to pan and stir vegetables slightly. Drizzle remaining dressing over salmon and vegetables.

4.         Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork and potatoes are tender.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving: Calories 260 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 590mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 8g); Protein 26g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 25%; Vitamin C 60%; Calcium 4%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 3 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.