Filling Portions

So, I'm back into my little tweaks of finding ways to bulk up these meals! I really do prefer having large meals when I can, rather than breaking them down into small meals and snacks. I feel more satisfied and content that way.

Last night for dinner, I made the Rotini with Meatballs. I'm not sure why they slightly changed the name, except maybe to signify the reformulation, because it seems to be pretty much the same meal to me (feel free to check the tag under Rotini with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce if you want to compare). I'm not a big fan of the meal pouches, they just kinda weird me out a little. I can see how it probably saves on packaging, though.

This meal is easy to bulk up, though, and it's quite tasty! I used tomato paste as an extra, for something to cook my veggies and give a little more sauce since the entrée won't have enough for everything. I chopped up onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes and sautéed them in diced garlic and tomato paste. When they were simmering away nicely, I poured the Rotini with Meatballs into the pan. If you happen to have a Powerfuel left, I'd add a serving of ricotta cheese (4 tbsp of fat free) or 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese to make it even more decadent.

It was a huge, satisfying portion and I really enjoyed this entrée. It felt like there were lots of tiny meatballs and enough pasta to be filling.

Some Successes!

So with health issues and a busy summer, weight loss got put on the back burner until late fall, when I ordered another Nutrisystem shipment. I restarted in earnest in November, with some slack time around the holidays. I have a long way to go again to get where I'd like to be, but honestly, a year isn't too bad for doing a transformation of yourself. The weight loss is the easier bit; staying in a healthy range is more of a problem.

What I do love about the Nutrisystem program is the convenience. It makes it easy to stay on track when you're tired and don't feel like cooking, or don't even want to think about food. I know I'm capable of losing weight on my own by counting calories and exercising, but given my health issues, I want to have some successes before I spend more time focusing on flexing.

As of today, I'm down just over 20lbs over my high weight, which is awesome! I can feel that some of my jeans have gotten looser, although I can't really see any difference in my body. That's OK, I'll give it some time.

If you just started reading me, I put some great promo codes on my Tips for Newbies page, hopefully that can help some of you!

I'm going to go back to my usual trend of reviewing food items with pictures, so that people can see what they will get. Hopefully I'll be coming up with more new recipes as well. I find it really helpful and supportive to help other people, and it motivates me to work harder. I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of my journey with you!