...Back to School...and Back to the Task at Hand!!!

Happy hump day!

I read somewhere that the best way to that the best way to set a goal in motion is to write it down. Here goes. From this point forward, I am officially in the home stretch of losing my last 30 pounds. I need support, and encouragement (yes...even THIS grand motivator is human...). Can I count on you guys???  I hope so.  2010 has been the toughest part of my weight loss journey, to date.  I haven’t really lost much, and what I did lose is basically offsetting the end of the year jump I experienced at the end of 2009.  Am I discouraged? Maybe a little.  Am I giving up? No way.  This is a JOURNEY…so this is a slight detour on the way to the ultimate destination.  No worries.  I am in it for the long haul.

One good side effect of all of this has been the shrinkage of the size of my body J  I was able to rid my closet of my size 16 Lee jeans, and replace them with the size 14s!  I didn’t like the way the 14s fit me earlier this year, but I must be doing SOMETHING right, because they looked great when I tried them again this weekend!!!  If any of my readers who are local are in need of some very gently uses size 16 jeans, please reply to me, and they’re yours!!!!  I have three pair and I loved them.  They are just a bit big on me now.

This weekend was also sales tax vacation weekend here in Texas and maybe for some of you in other states too.  I take advantage of this every year because my children tend to outgrow most of their clothing over the summer.  I sort of compare this to growing a vegetable garden and my children are those mutant zucchinis!!! LOL….they start out small and in a couple of weeks they are overtaking everything.  Morgan grew two sizes since school ended, and Adam…well…Adam is Adam.  He is just a tall boy!!!!  I did the majority of their shopping at Target and Once Upon a Child.  I spent maybe a total of $250 on the both of them, and came away with over 35 pieces of clothing, and a pair of sneakers.  Not bad, in my book!!!  The ultimate coup was the fact that Morgan actually has two dresses that she actually likes!!! This is from the tomboy that would never go near dresses.  Maybe 5^th grade will be a turning point for her? Who knows…I just know better than to look a gift horse (or DRESS) in the mouth!!!  We are set; at least for another few months anyway….or until one of them hits another growth spurt.

Morgan is in the 5^th grade now, and they moved Adam up into the preschool classroom.  My babies are growing up.  I still think that I was born without the mom gene.  Yesterday, I saw all these moms post pictures of their kids on the first day of school out on Facebook.  Me? I was just so happy to get Morgan out of the house, that the thought of grabbing the camera never even entered my mind.  Is that wrong?  I did, however, bake a cake (from a mix) that said we were proud of her.  I did manage to snap a photo of her after she got home though.  See proof below:

 

Today’s torture session was quite the sweat inducer. I began with 30 minutes on the elliptical on a weight loss setting.  Dwayne then followed up with three sets of walking lunges w/ a 18 lb body-bar press after each one alternated with 30 seconds of ab pulses on the smaller stability ball.  The next set of three was using the 18 lb. body bar (for the first two sets and on the third using the 24 lb body bar) and doing a dead lift alternating with an upright row; then a deadlift followed by a body bar bicep curl.  This exercise was alternated with sort of a leg press done on the larger stability ball holding 7 ½ pound weights.  The last set of exercises consisted of lying fact down on the stability ball and doing front raises using the 5 lb dumbbells alternated with bicycle crunches on the Bosu ball.  I needed a major shower after that workout.  I think all my workout clothes could be wrung out after that session.  I earned 8 activity POINTS® for that set of exercises.

This week’s meeting topic focused on not depriving yourself.  You can fit in your favorite foods with a little bit of planning.  When you make a place for your favorite foods along your weight loss journey, you are more likely to see success over the long term;  a can’t-have-it mind-set is too rigid for most people to live with, and it tends to backfire.  How can you fit in your favorites?

1. Use your weekly POINTS® Allowance – you get 35 extra POINTS® each week to use as you see fit.  You can use them on a birthday dinner, a slice of cherry pie at a barbecue, or to have popcorn with a movie.  To use these POINTS® wisely, plan ahead.  Just remember, that at the end of the week, any of those unused POINTS® will expire.

2. Earn Activity POINTS® - If you are eying a couple of homemade chocolate chip cookies, you can still have them if you rack up some Activity POINTS®.  Up your activity to work in those treats.

3. Reduce portion size – More food means more POINTS® values, especially when you are talking about, say, the meaty, cheesy lasagna at your local favorite Italian restaurant.  If you want to indulge, go ahead!  Just opt for a smaller portion size.  To make sure you leave the table feeling satisfied when eating a smaller portion of main dishes with higher POINTS ® Values, bulk up your meal with Filling Foods.  Start off with a broth-based soup or ask for vegetables as a side dish (a crisp salad, steamed broccoli or grilled zucchini with lemon)

4. Make smart substitutions – If you love tacos or quiche or pudding, a few switches can make them more plan-friendly.  Use leaner cuts of meat like lean ground turkey or lean ground sirloin in place of ground chuck; egg whites or egg substitute for whole eggs; evaporated fat-free milk for light cream…skip the oil when sautéing and use cooking spray and water or broth instead.  You can often halve the butter or shortening in a recipe OR replace the fat with equal parts of unsweetened applesauce or fruit puree.

This week’s closing quote, I’m pretty sure, I have used before.  I felt that it was appropriate, so I am using it again!!!

“"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

PRODUCT DU JOUR – Not a new segment of the newsletter; I just found this amazing product that I had to tell you guys about!!!!!!

           

Okay…I have been a fan of Hungry Girl for quite sometime, and have a huge girl-crush on her!!! Her recipes are fabulous (and very easy for those of you who may not be as culinarily inclined as others of us!)  The find? TOFU SHIRATAKI NOODLES!!! They sound scary, but in fact they are a fabulous substitute for traditional pasta.  Made of tofu and yam flour, they are dairy-free, gluten-free, cholesterol and sugar free, and lastly? virtually CALORIE FREE!!! The entire 8-oz bag has a POINTS® Value of ZERO.  That’s right. Zero. Nil. Zilch. Nada.  The possibilities for using this product are virtually endless.  You can add an entire bag to your favorite soup to make it into a noodle bowl, you can make lowfat tomato sauce and have a pasta dinner for literally 1 POINT®

Their website is:  http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/tofu_shirataki.aspx .  I have found these noodles in Central Market, and recently in my Kroger up in Denton.  For my readers in Florida, I am told that Publix carries them.  In Texas, you can find them at Sprouts, Kroger, Central Market, and supposedly Market Street.  Not sure if they are being sold in NC at this time, but there is a store locator on the website. It is definitely worth checking out.  I have a cache of this stuff in my refrigerator, and they DO come in handy!!!! 

You can use them in almost any dish calling for noodles.  Italian-style dishes come out fine, but they would lend themselves to Asian dishes as well.

Per the photos below, there are three different varieties, although the ones I have found recently are the middle ones.  These are the Fettuccine noodles.   This week’s newsletter will feature a couple of recipes using these noodles.

  

This wonderful find comes courtesy of Hungry Girl.  If you want to check out the website, here it is:  http://www.hungry-girl.com  She has a newsletter and some FANTASTIC tips.  She’s been at the weight loss game as long as we all have, and she makes dishes that we ALL can make (without needing a culinary degree!!!) 

RECIPES

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo

This recipe is using those Tofu Shirataki noodles that I talked about above.  I found this one on the Hungry Girl website and loved it!  It’s now on my rotation! 

Yield: 1 serving (entire recipe) = 1 POINT®

Ingredients:

1 Package Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles

1/2 Wedge The Laughing Cow Light Cheese

1 teaspoon Fat Free Sour Cream

2 teaspoons Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper (if desired)

Instructions:

Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well.  Microwave them for one minute, then drain them and pat dry. Add cheeses and sour cream.  Mix thoroughly.  Microwave to help melt cheese further, and mix some more.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy.  Serves 1.

This Fettucine Hungry Girlfredo has just 80 calories per serving, and is only 1 point on Weight Watchers (if you're counting).  This is the guilt-free recipe of the century! 

Nutrition Information:

(81 Calories, 3g Fat, 242mg Sodium, 9g Carbs, 4g Fiber, <1g Sugars, 4g Protein = 1 Point!!!)

Totally PUMPin’ Fettuccine

Here is another one that is worth trying!  It’s cheesy…it’s creamy…it’s Totally PUMPin’ Fettuccine!

Yield: 1 serving (entire recipe!)

Ingredients:

1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki, Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute

1/2 wedge The Laughing Cow Cheese, Light Original Swiss

1/4 cup light plain soymilk

1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp. reduced-fat parmesan-style topping

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

dash pepper

Optional: additional salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Rinse and drain Shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. Place noodles in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid from noodles, and pat them until thoroughly dry. Cut noodles up a bit using a knife or kitchen shears, and then set aside.

In a separate dish, combine soymilk, pumpkin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Bring a small saucepan to high heat. Add chicken broth, onions, chopped garlic, and the cheese wedge half. Stirring occasionally to break up the cheese, cook until broth has mostly evaporated (2 - 4 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook for just a minute or so, until onions and garlic begin to brown.

Next, add the pumpkin mixture. Stir until sauce is thoroughly blended and hot. Then add the sauce to your noodles, and stir well. If you like, season to taste with more salt and pepper. Then top with the parm-style topping!

Nutrition Information: PER SERVING (entire recipe): 129 calories, 3g fat, 639mg sodium, 19g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 7g protein -- POINTS® value 2

Notes:

There is an alternative if you don’t like the Shirataki Noodles:  You can make the Totally PUMPin' Fettuccine with 1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta instead! Here are the stats for that version:

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 265 calories, 3g fat, 614mg sodium, 51g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 12g protein -- POINTS® value 5

Sugo Parma Rosa – The Light Way!

This recipe came about on a whim.  I have a stash of these Tofu Shirataki noodles in the house, and wanted to use up some leftover marinara sauce that I had from the weekend.  I improvised, and this recipe was the result.  It came out fantastic, and it won’t blow your POINTS® budget in the least!

Yield:  2 servings at a POINTS® Value of 3.5 per serving

Ingredients:

2 packages of Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles

1 cup marinara sauce (I had some that I made previously, but I prefer Barilla when I don’t have any homemade sauce on hand!)

2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Swiss (or any flavor that you enjoy!!!)

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well.  Microwave them for one minute, then drain them and pat dry; set aside.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sauce and cheese wedges.  Stir until cheese melts and sauce is heated through.  It will turn a slight pinkish color.  In a large serving bowl, combine noodles and sauce mixture.  Toss in parmesan cheese.  Combine well, and divide between two pasta bowls.  Enjoy!

Oven-Fried Paprika Chicken Cutlets

Here’s a tangy Spanish spin on classic breaded chicken!  Enjoy.

Yield: 4 servings at a POINTS® Value of 4 per serving

Prep time: 14 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy!

Ingredients:

 2 spray(s) cooking spray  

1/2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt  

1 Tbsp paprika, sweet-variety, divided  

15 item(s) saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs  

1 tsp table salt  

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground  

16 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz thin pieces  

1 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

1/2 medium lemon(s), cut into 4 wedges   

Instructions:

Preheat broiler and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place yogurt and 1 teaspoon of paprika in a small shallow bowl; mix to combine. Combine cracker crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons of paprika on a large shallow pie plate; stir to combine. Place each chicken cutlet in yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Next, place chicken in crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing lightly to make crumbs stick.

Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges. Yields 1 piece of chicken per serving.