Yes! After weeks of waiting, I made it (convincingly) over the 60lb marker! I can't wait to get my new Nutribear. I lost 1.4lbs this week. While my losses over the past two weeks have slowed down a little, I think it's all part of the journey and it will encourage me to exercise more. I am pretty much at the halfway point which is pretty darn exciting! In not quite seven months I have lost more than sixty pounds and made it halfway to my goal weight!
Of course, I don't expect the second half to come off as quickly as the first... the closer you get to goal, the slower the weight comes off. But it's not a race and as long as I keep plugging away, I will get there in the end!
There are 5 weeks until my son's birthday and I was hoping to make it to 70lbs lost by then. I think it will be close but I am going to try! Hopefully all the exercise I am doing will make a difference and get me back up to 2lbs a week. I am still averaging more than that but it's definitely starting to slow down.
Oh, and I tried my hand at the Cheese Blintzes again this morning and it worked! Unfortunately no picture since my camera was dead but definitely give these a try on a lazy weekend morning! I just added an extra 1/4 cup water to the mix. The pancakes take longer to cook since the batter is so thin but they are easy to fold around the cheese mixture. I actually forgot about the cream cheese this time and the ricotta by itself was still delicious. My husband took one look at my breakfast and asked me to make one for him (but with real chocolate chips!).
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
It's made of WHAT?
OK, I saw this recipe kicking around on the NS boards for quite some time, but I honestly didn't believe it. How can you make cauliflower taste like pizza or bread sticks? I'm a carb addict myself and I really like my bread!
Finally, I decided to buy a head of cauliflower, with the intention of giving it a try. It's been sitting in my fridge for about a week and I've been giving it the side eye. It was starting to go a bit brown so I figured it was now or never, so without further ado...
Flex Meals (Dinner):
1 cup riced cauliflower
3 tbsp + 2 tsp Egg Beaters (or 1 egg)
1/2 cup shredded fat free mozzerella cheese
oregano, basil, garlic to taste
I tried to save time and ran my (raw) cauliflower through the food processor instead of grating it. Well, it got awfully small and looked more like large powder bits than rice, so I may do it the hard way for recipes where you actually substitute it for real rice, but it was fine for this one. I put the riced cauliflower into my silicone steamer for 2 minutes and then poured it into a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and blend well. Note that this stuff sticks like crazy to whatever you put it in- I put a sheet of tinfoil over my baking tray but the edges still stuck to the foil so make sure to use cooking spray on your foil as well! Spread the crust thinly (the thinner it is, the crisper it will be) onto the foil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
When it comes out, let it cool for a minute and then top with pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, and your favourite pizza toppings plus a little cheese of course. Broil the pizza just until cheese is melted or it will get soggy.
I was really surprised at how bread-y this tasted! I gave my husband a bite and we're going to make a double sized one for dinner tomorrow. It wasn't quite as satisfying as a bread-based pizza but it was still really good, and a very large serving! Don't forget to add a low GI carb to your day elsewhere and skip an extra dairy serving.
Grilled Chicken Breast (Dinner):
I love chicken parmigiana- one of my favourite meals! This is easy to flex if you don't have any Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken- just use 3oz of your own chicken.
1 pkg NS Grilled Chicken
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Eggbeaters
1/4 cup low sodium tomato sauce
shredded cheese, mozzerella or Parmesan (free food)
Dip the chicken in the Eggbeaters and breadcrumbs, and fry in a skillet sprayed with PAM until crispy. Put it into a glass baking dish and top with tomato sauce and cheese, and bake until cheese melts. You use so little breadcrumbs that it can count as a free food, same for the Eggbeaters. You only need a little cheese, but if you have a whole dairy serving to use, save some for this side dish!
Italian Vegetable Bake:
1 large can whole tomatoes (no sodium added)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb fresh green beans, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
fresh basil and oregano, chopped (better than dried by far)
All vegetables should be chopped coarsely into chunks, rather than small for pasta sauce or whatever else. Drain the tomatoes (reserving juice) and chop them into chunks as well. Mix everything together well in a bowl and pour into a baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees and top with a little Parmesan cheese just before serving if desired.
This makes a huge pan full of vegetables but it is very flavourful so they will go fast! If you like spice you can add a little chili pepper but I didn't think it was really needed.
Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes (Lunch):
When I was a kid, I used to complain that clam chowder never had enough clams in it. My mom used to tell me that clam chowder was basically cream of potato soup with clams added, so that's what we'd do- buy potato soup and add our own clams. I was just thinking today about how I missed Campbell's clam chowder and then I happened to glance at a cup of Nutrisystem's Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. Then the wheels started turning, since we already have a great recipe for potato soup!
1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped baby clams
steamed chunked cauliflower or onions, if desired
Prepare the potatoes by adding 1 cup of hot boiling water (more than you usually add) and let stand until they set. Pour into a pot and add the milk and stir, simmering for a few minutes. Add in the clams and any vegetables you want to use (the cauliflower chunks are a good sub for potato pieces) and let it warm on the stove until the flavours are well mixed.
This isn't as creamy as the Campbells' version, but it's very flavourful. I added a little of the riced cauliflower I used for the pizza to thicken it up a bit and that helped. It also had more clams than you'd get with Campbells', just like my Mama said it would!
Finally, I decided to buy a head of cauliflower, with the intention of giving it a try. It's been sitting in my fridge for about a week and I've been giving it the side eye. It was starting to go a bit brown so I figured it was now or never, so without further ado...
Flex Meals (Dinner):
1 cup riced cauliflower
3 tbsp + 2 tsp Egg Beaters (or 1 egg)
1/2 cup shredded fat free mozzerella cheese
oregano, basil, garlic to taste
I tried to save time and ran my (raw) cauliflower through the food processor instead of grating it. Well, it got awfully small and looked more like large powder bits than rice, so I may do it the hard way for recipes where you actually substitute it for real rice, but it was fine for this one. I put the riced cauliflower into my silicone steamer for 2 minutes and then poured it into a mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and blend well. Note that this stuff sticks like crazy to whatever you put it in- I put a sheet of tinfoil over my baking tray but the edges still stuck to the foil so make sure to use cooking spray on your foil as well! Spread the crust thinly (the thinner it is, the crisper it will be) onto the foil and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
When it comes out, let it cool for a minute and then top with pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, and your favourite pizza toppings plus a little cheese of course. Broil the pizza just until cheese is melted or it will get soggy.
I was really surprised at how bread-y this tasted! I gave my husband a bite and we're going to make a double sized one for dinner tomorrow. It wasn't quite as satisfying as a bread-based pizza but it was still really good, and a very large serving! Don't forget to add a low GI carb to your day elsewhere and skip an extra dairy serving.
Grilled Chicken Breast (Dinner):
I love chicken parmigiana- one of my favourite meals! This is easy to flex if you don't have any Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken- just use 3oz of your own chicken.
1 pkg NS Grilled Chicken
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Eggbeaters
1/4 cup low sodium tomato sauce
shredded cheese, mozzerella or Parmesan (free food)
Dip the chicken in the Eggbeaters and breadcrumbs, and fry in a skillet sprayed with PAM until crispy. Put it into a glass baking dish and top with tomato sauce and cheese, and bake until cheese melts. You use so little breadcrumbs that it can count as a free food, same for the Eggbeaters. You only need a little cheese, but if you have a whole dairy serving to use, save some for this side dish!
Italian Vegetable Bake:
1 large can whole tomatoes (no sodium added)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb fresh green beans, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
fresh basil and oregano, chopped (better than dried by far)
All vegetables should be chopped coarsely into chunks, rather than small for pasta sauce or whatever else. Drain the tomatoes (reserving juice) and chop them into chunks as well. Mix everything together well in a bowl and pour into a baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees and top with a little Parmesan cheese just before serving if desired.
This makes a huge pan full of vegetables but it is very flavourful so they will go fast! If you like spice you can add a little chili pepper but I didn't think it was really needed.
Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes (Lunch):
When I was a kid, I used to complain that clam chowder never had enough clams in it. My mom used to tell me that clam chowder was basically cream of potato soup with clams added, so that's what we'd do- buy potato soup and add our own clams. I was just thinking today about how I missed Campbell's clam chowder and then I happened to glance at a cup of Nutrisystem's Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. Then the wheels started turning, since we already have a great recipe for potato soup!
1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped baby clams
steamed chunked cauliflower or onions, if desired
Prepare the potatoes by adding 1 cup of hot boiling water (more than you usually add) and let stand until they set. Pour into a pot and add the milk and stir, simmering for a few minutes. Add in the clams and any vegetables you want to use (the cauliflower chunks are a good sub for potato pieces) and let it warm on the stove until the flavours are well mixed.
This isn't as creamy as the Campbells' version, but it's very flavourful. I added a little of the riced cauliflower I used for the pizza to thicken it up a bit and that helped. It also had more clams than you'd get with Campbells', just like my Mama said it would!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Being sick sucks
I took my son to a kids' indoor playground, and of course since he's ten months old, he put everything into his mouth. I suppose it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that a few days later, he came down with a nasty cough and a runny nose. Unfortunately, my husband and I have both caught it as well so I haven't felt much like posting lately.
I've also been off plan- frankly, I've been eating whatever sounds good because I've been too tired to do much preparation in the way of veggies or to go shopping. I've been eating a lot of Campbell's soup, which while tasty, is very low in protein and I can see why it's not good to eat on Nutrisystem. It started triggering the desire for sweets for me immediately after eating, which was the way I was in the past. I couldn't handle eating sweets when I feel this crappy but I did eat a lot of bread which I am sure didn't help.
I was happy to see that I still managed to lose 0.6lb despite feeling too lousy to exercise and eating poorly. It's frustrating to be a fifth of a pound away from my next Nutribear but hopefully I will achieve it next week! I am trying hard to be back on track and as soon as I don't feel so weak I'll be back on the elliptical again.
I have a great flex lunch to share with you- I had it today and it was so delicious!
Flex Meals (Lunch):
I got this great idea from All You Need is Cheese magazine, which my husband loves and I usually avoid because the average recipe has about 800 calories and 30g of fat, but I was surprised and delighted to find this was NS friendly!
Scandinavian Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
1 or 2 slices of pumpernickel bread
1 oz Havarti cheese (I used herbed Havarti)
fresh dill weed, chopped
3oz smoked salmon
Spray a skillet with PAM and preheat. Assemble the sandwich and pan fry until cheese is gooey, turning at the halfway point.
Yum! I was lucky enough to get my salmon from the farmer's market, so instead of that thin processed stuff you get at the store, I got a real salmon fillet that had been smoked. It was delicious! If you have an extra carb serving, go for it and have your sandwich on 2 slices of bread. If not, just cut your bread in half and heap the fillings higher! Lunch entrees get a fat serving so if you want you could brush the bread with olive oil although it's not necessary. I preferred to use cheese with some fat in it instead- it melts and tastes better. This was a really tasty and filling lunch! I might add some chopped green onions to it next time.
I've also been off plan- frankly, I've been eating whatever sounds good because I've been too tired to do much preparation in the way of veggies or to go shopping. I've been eating a lot of Campbell's soup, which while tasty, is very low in protein and I can see why it's not good to eat on Nutrisystem. It started triggering the desire for sweets for me immediately after eating, which was the way I was in the past. I couldn't handle eating sweets when I feel this crappy but I did eat a lot of bread which I am sure didn't help.
I was happy to see that I still managed to lose 0.6lb despite feeling too lousy to exercise and eating poorly. It's frustrating to be a fifth of a pound away from my next Nutribear but hopefully I will achieve it next week! I am trying hard to be back on track and as soon as I don't feel so weak I'll be back on the elliptical again.
I have a great flex lunch to share with you- I had it today and it was so delicious!
Flex Meals (Lunch):
I got this great idea from All You Need is Cheese magazine, which my husband loves and I usually avoid because the average recipe has about 800 calories and 30g of fat, but I was surprised and delighted to find this was NS friendly!
Scandinavian Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
1 or 2 slices of pumpernickel bread
1 oz Havarti cheese (I used herbed Havarti)
fresh dill weed, chopped
3oz smoked salmon
Spray a skillet with PAM and preheat. Assemble the sandwich and pan fry until cheese is gooey, turning at the halfway point.
Yum! I was lucky enough to get my salmon from the farmer's market, so instead of that thin processed stuff you get at the store, I got a real salmon fillet that had been smoked. It was delicious! If you have an extra carb serving, go for it and have your sandwich on 2 slices of bread. If not, just cut your bread in half and heap the fillings higher! Lunch entrees get a fat serving so if you want you could brush the bread with olive oil although it's not necessary. I preferred to use cheese with some fat in it instead- it melts and tastes better. This was a really tasty and filling lunch! I might add some chopped green onions to it next time.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
On Blogging
I've been looking for other weight loss bloggers to link to and it made me sad to say that I am having a hard time finding any active ones. I found several Nutrisystem blogs, but most of them have been abandoned- many of them after making a post or two saying they were slipping and were regaining the weight they'd lost. It's a little depressing to see so many people strive and fail.
I don't want Stomach Rumblings to become another dead blog to represent my failure! I would love to keep this blog going to inspire other people that this CAN be done if you want it enough. I plan to keep experimenting and posting new recipes even when I finish losing weight and go into maintenance. I believe that, as in all things in life, if you want something enough then you find a way to make it happen. You can keep making excuses, but that's all they are- just excuses. Do you make excuses to avoid doing things you really want to do? I doubt it.
So, chin up- if it's important to you to lose weight, you can do it! Nutrisystem makes it so easy. If you just want to eat the meals right out of the box, you can; you don't have to cook with them the way I do.
Believe me- if I can do this, you can. I had the worst eating habits- lots of refined carbs and fat, lots of sugar and empty calories, and very little nutritious food at all. The only difference between me and the people who fail at weight loss is that I've made this one of my top priorities. I am finding ways to stick to my program, not ways to justify "cheating". And that's why I believe I will be successful at losing the weight. Stick with me- let's see if I can do it! Hopefully at this time next year my ticker will be complete!
I also have some new recipes to share- enjoy!
Nacho Crisps (Dessert):
When I first tried the Nacho Crisps, I thought they were just okay but they have really grown on me! I topped them with diced green onions and tomatoes and melted cheese on top (you can do a little for a free food or a full dairy serving, whatever works in your day) and added sour cream and salsa. Delicious and satisfying!
Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
Here I was trying to create a version of my mother's favourite breakfast from her childhood- cheese blintzes. I think the recipe needs some work (I'm going to add a little water to the batter next time to make two thinner crepes since the pancake was a little thick and didn't fold well, and I am going to work on the filling as well) but it was pretty darn good!
Chocolate Chip Strawberry Blintzes
1 pkg NS Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp Splenda
1 serving strawberries, sliced thinly
4 tbsp ricotta cheese
1 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Spray a large pan with PAM and heat. Mix together pancake mix, milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp Splenda. Pour into large pan and swish it around so that it fills the entire bottom of the pan; cook like a regular pancake. In a separate pan, pour a little water and 2 tbsp of Splenda, add strawberries and simmer until they are a chunky sauce- set aside. In a small dish, blend together ricotta, cream cheese, lemon juice, remaining Splenda and vanilla. Spoon cheese mixture inside the crepe and fold. If your crepe folds well, fry it in a pan sprayed with PAM until crispy then top with strawberries and bake for ten minutes. If it needs toothpicks like mine, just put it straight into the oven. Top with a little Torani caramel syrup and whipped cream if desired.
For a recipe that didn't come out quite the way I intended, it was still yummy! You could use plain or blueberry pancake mix as well, I just wanted the chocolate/strawberry taste but you could drizzle with Walden Farms chocolate syrup instead.
Sometimes I still wonder how we're on a weight loss plan and still get to eat such delicious things. It doesn't seem quite fair, does it? :)
I don't want Stomach Rumblings to become another dead blog to represent my failure! I would love to keep this blog going to inspire other people that this CAN be done if you want it enough. I plan to keep experimenting and posting new recipes even when I finish losing weight and go into maintenance. I believe that, as in all things in life, if you want something enough then you find a way to make it happen. You can keep making excuses, but that's all they are- just excuses. Do you make excuses to avoid doing things you really want to do? I doubt it.
So, chin up- if it's important to you to lose weight, you can do it! Nutrisystem makes it so easy. If you just want to eat the meals right out of the box, you can; you don't have to cook with them the way I do.
Believe me- if I can do this, you can. I had the worst eating habits- lots of refined carbs and fat, lots of sugar and empty calories, and very little nutritious food at all. The only difference between me and the people who fail at weight loss is that I've made this one of my top priorities. I am finding ways to stick to my program, not ways to justify "cheating". And that's why I believe I will be successful at losing the weight. Stick with me- let's see if I can do it! Hopefully at this time next year my ticker will be complete!
I also have some new recipes to share- enjoy!
Nacho Crisps (Dessert):
When I first tried the Nacho Crisps, I thought they were just okay but they have really grown on me! I topped them with diced green onions and tomatoes and melted cheese on top (you can do a little for a free food or a full dairy serving, whatever works in your day) and added sour cream and salsa. Delicious and satisfying!
Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
Here I was trying to create a version of my mother's favourite breakfast from her childhood- cheese blintzes. I think the recipe needs some work (I'm going to add a little water to the batter next time to make two thinner crepes since the pancake was a little thick and didn't fold well, and I am going to work on the filling as well) but it was pretty darn good!
Chocolate Chip Strawberry Blintzes
1 pkg NS Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp Splenda
1 serving strawberries, sliced thinly
4 tbsp ricotta cheese
1 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Spray a large pan with PAM and heat. Mix together pancake mix, milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp Splenda. Pour into large pan and swish it around so that it fills the entire bottom of the pan; cook like a regular pancake. In a separate pan, pour a little water and 2 tbsp of Splenda, add strawberries and simmer until they are a chunky sauce- set aside. In a small dish, blend together ricotta, cream cheese, lemon juice, remaining Splenda and vanilla. Spoon cheese mixture inside the crepe and fold. If your crepe folds well, fry it in a pan sprayed with PAM until crispy then top with strawberries and bake for ten minutes. If it needs toothpicks like mine, just put it straight into the oven. Top with a little Torani caramel syrup and whipped cream if desired.
For a recipe that didn't come out quite the way I intended, it was still yummy! You could use plain or blueberry pancake mix as well, I just wanted the chocolate/strawberry taste but you could drizzle with Walden Farms chocolate syrup instead.
Sometimes I still wonder how we're on a weight loss plan and still get to eat such delicious things. It doesn't seem quite fair, does it? :)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Side Dishes
Well, it's still BBQ season, and I'm always on the lookout for yummy side dishes to enjoy with my Nutrisystem hamburger patty. If you read back in my posts about it, you'll see that my first reaction was, what is this gross thing? Then I tasted it and it actually wasn't bad. Now it makes up a big percentage of my auto delivery along with pizza!
But again, while I enjoy salad, I prefer to have something that tastes a little more, well, not diet when I'm having something like a hamburger. Here are two recipes that might become your new favourite side dishes- they are mine!
Vegetable Ideas:
Macaroni Salad:
2 carb servings of pasta (each ~80 calories, 15g of carbs)
1 cup dry broccoli slaw
3 egg whites, hard boiled, diced
1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 tbsp chopped onion
3 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
2 tbsp spicy Dijon mustard
2 tsp white vinegar
black pepper to taste
Prepare the pasta according to directions and set aside until cooled. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and pepper until blended and set aside. Add the macaroni to the vegetables and stir in the egg whites and relish. Pour in dressing and toss to coat. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 large servings (you could get away with using 1/2 carb if you made 4 servings).
Yes, this is worth giving up a carb serving for! You might like it on the side with a piece of grilled chicken (since it's weird eating a burger without the bun) but otherwise you can choose a lunch item and skip the carb, or flex a meal (enjoy something like my Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms) and save the carb for later. It does not taste diet and I plan on bringing it to BBQs in the future.
Cajun Fries:
1 large butternut squash
2 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper, paprika, and chili powder to taste
Peel the squash and either use a French fry slicer gadget (saves a lot of time!) or cut the squash into fry-like sticks. Pour them into a bowl and toss with olive oil and the spices. I like them quite spicy so I use a lot (well, easy on the salt). You can also use cayenne pepper instead of chili powder if you like. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, depending how thick you cut your fries. Broil them for the last 5 minutes until they are crisp. If you don't have a French fry pan, you'll need to turn them at the halfway point. Serve them with whatever you like on your fries. Tonight I used Ranch dip- fat free sour cream with a little Hidden Valley ranch powder mixed in- yummy!
The squash is so mild tasting that with the spices, it really can pass for French fries. I still enjoy my zucchini fries recipe but squash is much closer to the "real thing". This recipe is a winner!
So enjoy the rest of your BBQs this summer and don't miss out on your favourite side dishes- they don't have to be off limits anymore!
But again, while I enjoy salad, I prefer to have something that tastes a little more, well, not diet when I'm having something like a hamburger. Here are two recipes that might become your new favourite side dishes- they are mine!
Vegetable Ideas:
Macaroni Salad:
2 carb servings of pasta (each ~80 calories, 15g of carbs)
1 cup dry broccoli slaw
3 egg whites, hard boiled, diced
1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2 tbsp chopped onion
3 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
2 tbsp spicy Dijon mustard
2 tsp white vinegar
black pepper to taste
Prepare the pasta according to directions and set aside until cooled. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and pepper until blended and set aside. Add the macaroni to the vegetables and stir in the egg whites and relish. Pour in dressing and toss to coat. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 large servings (you could get away with using 1/2 carb if you made 4 servings).
Yes, this is worth giving up a carb serving for! You might like it on the side with a piece of grilled chicken (since it's weird eating a burger without the bun) but otherwise you can choose a lunch item and skip the carb, or flex a meal (enjoy something like my Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms) and save the carb for later. It does not taste diet and I plan on bringing it to BBQs in the future.
Cajun Fries:
1 large butternut squash
2 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper, paprika, and chili powder to taste
Peel the squash and either use a French fry slicer gadget (saves a lot of time!) or cut the squash into fry-like sticks. Pour them into a bowl and toss with olive oil and the spices. I like them quite spicy so I use a lot (well, easy on the salt). You can also use cayenne pepper instead of chili powder if you like. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, depending how thick you cut your fries. Broil them for the last 5 minutes until they are crisp. If you don't have a French fry pan, you'll need to turn them at the halfway point. Serve them with whatever you like on your fries. Tonight I used Ranch dip- fat free sour cream with a little Hidden Valley ranch powder mixed in- yummy!
The squash is so mild tasting that with the spices, it really can pass for French fries. I still enjoy my zucchini fries recipe but squash is much closer to the "real thing". This recipe is a winner!
So enjoy the rest of your BBQs this summer and don't miss out on your favourite side dishes- they don't have to be off limits anymore!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Flex away!
I weighed in this morning and I was down another 2lbs! I didn't make it to 60lbs this week but I knew it was a very ambitious goal so I would likely fall short. I'm always happy when I lose two pounds a week! Hopefully I'll be earning my new Nutribear next week.
I've been doing a lot of flexing lately- not only is it good "practice" for when I finish the program and go into maintenance, but it's cheaper since your food lasts longer! Yes, I pay for my Nutrisystem food just like any customer does- unlike other bloggers, I am sharing my journey because I want to, not because I am being paid to do so.
It also really helps me to be accountable to all my readers- the last thing I want to do is pig out and have to come here and confess it to you all! So thank you for reading and your comments- you help me and hopefully I am helping you. One day I do hope to be selected to be one of the weight loss models for Nutrisystem and tell my story. I would love to be able to help inspire people to lose weight and get healthy.
Here are some flex meals I've tried lately and really enjoyed!
Flex Meals:
Chicken Quesadilla:
1 or 2 whole wheat tortillas
3oz grilled chicken breast (or 1 pkg Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast)
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce
1 oz shredded tex mex cheese
diced tomatoes, onions, green pepper
sour cream & salsa to garnish
Cook the chicken in a frying pan sprayed with PAM until done, then cut into strips. Add the vegetables and enchilada sauce and cook until sauce has reduced and veggies are tender. In a clean sprayed pan, place tortilla shell and fill with chicken and veggies, top with cheese. If using one shell, fold over- if using two, place second tortilla on top. Cook until bottom shell is crunchy and carefully flip over. Serve hot with salsa and sour cream.
Yum! I was trying to figure out how to give this a zesty Mexican kick and then I found the leftover enchilada sauce from my last Mexican lasagna. I'm glad I tried it- it was delicious.
I said one or two tortillas because it depends how many calories they have and if you have an extra carb serving available. I have seen tortillas as low as 50 calories- in that case, you can use 2 to count as one carb serving. The ones I get are 90 calories so I'm only entitled to one for a flex dinner, so I eat a lunch like the chicken salad and save the carb for later so I can have two. You can definitely enjoy it with just one, you'll just have gooey filling leaking out which isn't all that bad!
Apple Pork Chops:
I made these for my husband- he had no idea they were NS friendly (well, if he ate less rice anyway)! This would be a great meal when you have to cook for company.
4 3oz pork loin chops
4 tsp butter or olive oil
4 tsp flour
1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
4 large apple rings
cinnamon to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a hot pan, then add pork chops and cook both sides until chops are lightly brown and juicy. Set aside in a baking dish. Add flour and brown sugar to the pan with the pork juices and stir to mix. Slowly pour in the apple juice and simmer to create a thick sauce. Place one apple ring on each pork chop and spoon the sauce over top. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake chops for 45 minutes and enjoy with a low GI carb serving and veggies.
Orange Beef:
This recipe is pretty labour intensive but I thought it was worth it- colourful, low calorie, and flavourful.
6oz inside round steak, fat trimmed and cut into cubes
1 1/2 large oranges
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
diced red and green bell peppers (I also added purple, yellow, and orange for colour)
diced Spanish onion
diced green onions
shredded bok choy
4 tsp olive oil
Place the beef cubes in a bowl with the soy sauce and allow to marinade- set aside. Somehow, hopefully without swearing or throwing your meal at the wall, manage to grate 1 tsp of orange zest and set it into a small dish. Take the half orange and squeeze it to make at least 2 tbsp of fresh juice. Add it to the bowl with the zest and add the chopped ginger. Remove all the white bits of peel from the remaining orange and cut the sections into little half moons and set them aside. Try to prevent other people in the house from eating them until you need them! Heat a pan and warm the olive oil. Spoon the chunks of beef (pour the soy sauce into the orange juice mixture) into the pan and cook until they are browning. Add the soy/orange sauce to the pan and cook until the liquid is reduced. Add the bell peppers and Spanish onion to the pan and cover until the veggies are tender. Add the bok choy, green onions, and orange segments and cover for just a minute or two until the new additions are tender but not soggy. Serve with a low GI carb and enjoy!
I've been doing a lot of flexing lately- not only is it good "practice" for when I finish the program and go into maintenance, but it's cheaper since your food lasts longer! Yes, I pay for my Nutrisystem food just like any customer does- unlike other bloggers, I am sharing my journey because I want to, not because I am being paid to do so.
It also really helps me to be accountable to all my readers- the last thing I want to do is pig out and have to come here and confess it to you all! So thank you for reading and your comments- you help me and hopefully I am helping you. One day I do hope to be selected to be one of the weight loss models for Nutrisystem and tell my story. I would love to be able to help inspire people to lose weight and get healthy.
Here are some flex meals I've tried lately and really enjoyed!
Flex Meals:
Chicken Quesadilla:
1 or 2 whole wheat tortillas
3oz grilled chicken breast (or 1 pkg Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast)
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce
1 oz shredded tex mex cheese
diced tomatoes, onions, green pepper
sour cream & salsa to garnish
Cook the chicken in a frying pan sprayed with PAM until done, then cut into strips. Add the vegetables and enchilada sauce and cook until sauce has reduced and veggies are tender. In a clean sprayed pan, place tortilla shell and fill with chicken and veggies, top with cheese. If using one shell, fold over- if using two, place second tortilla on top. Cook until bottom shell is crunchy and carefully flip over. Serve hot with salsa and sour cream.
Yum! I was trying to figure out how to give this a zesty Mexican kick and then I found the leftover enchilada sauce from my last Mexican lasagna. I'm glad I tried it- it was delicious.
I said one or two tortillas because it depends how many calories they have and if you have an extra carb serving available. I have seen tortillas as low as 50 calories- in that case, you can use 2 to count as one carb serving. The ones I get are 90 calories so I'm only entitled to one for a flex dinner, so I eat a lunch like the chicken salad and save the carb for later so I can have two. You can definitely enjoy it with just one, you'll just have gooey filling leaking out which isn't all that bad!
Apple Pork Chops:
I made these for my husband- he had no idea they were NS friendly (well, if he ate less rice anyway)! This would be a great meal when you have to cook for company.
4 3oz pork loin chops
4 tsp butter or olive oil
4 tsp flour
1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
4 large apple rings
cinnamon to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a hot pan, then add pork chops and cook both sides until chops are lightly brown and juicy. Set aside in a baking dish. Add flour and brown sugar to the pan with the pork juices and stir to mix. Slowly pour in the apple juice and simmer to create a thick sauce. Place one apple ring on each pork chop and spoon the sauce over top. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake chops for 45 minutes and enjoy with a low GI carb serving and veggies.
Orange Beef:
This recipe is pretty labour intensive but I thought it was worth it- colourful, low calorie, and flavourful.
6oz inside round steak, fat trimmed and cut into cubes
1 1/2 large oranges
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
diced red and green bell peppers (I also added purple, yellow, and orange for colour)
diced Spanish onion
diced green onions
shredded bok choy
4 tsp olive oil
Place the beef cubes in a bowl with the soy sauce and allow to marinade- set aside. Somehow, hopefully without swearing or throwing your meal at the wall, manage to grate 1 tsp of orange zest and set it into a small dish. Take the half orange and squeeze it to make at least 2 tbsp of fresh juice. Add it to the bowl with the zest and add the chopped ginger. Remove all the white bits of peel from the remaining orange and cut the sections into little half moons and set them aside. Try to prevent other people in the house from eating them until you need them! Heat a pan and warm the olive oil. Spoon the chunks of beef (pour the soy sauce into the orange juice mixture) into the pan and cook until they are browning. Add the soy/orange sauce to the pan and cook until the liquid is reduced. Add the bell peppers and Spanish onion to the pan and cover until the veggies are tender. Add the bok choy, green onions, and orange segments and cover for just a minute or two until the new additions are tender but not soggy. Serve with a low GI carb and enjoy!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New recipes and reviews!
OK, back to the interesting stuff for a while! I've got quite a few new recipes and reviews to share since they didn't really fit in with the Salad Free Week theme. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Granola Bar (Breakfast):
Yeah, I kind of knew when I opened the package that I wasn't really going to enjoy this. It looked just like the Apple Granola Bar that I threw out. It also had no real peanut buttery taste at all- just more of a heavy taste. I did eat it because it wasn't bad- it just wasn't good, either. In hindsight, I should have smeared my fat serving of 1 tsp peanut butter on top of it and I bet it would have tasted a lot better but I didn't think of it at the time. I think this could definitely have been improved if Nutrisystem put chopped peanuts in it instead of just "flavour"!
Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
I got this recipe off the NS forums and it sounded so good but I just didn't find that the taste was what I expected. I'm willing to give it a second try though because it sounds so good! I am thinking that the eggs and cheese might be better on the side.
Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Bowl:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/2 dairy/protein serving sausage (I use Lilydale Turkey Sausage)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup McCormick's Sausage Gravy
Prepare your sausage as directed and cut into chunks, set aside. Mix the pancake mix and milk and pour into a sprayed casserole dish. Pour half the gravy on top, then add the sausage, egg, and cheese. Top with remaining gravy and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
I've got one more pancake mix recipe that's so good, the whole family enjoyed it!
Sweet Potato Bran Bread:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
2 tbsp wheat bran
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
1 small jar pureed sweet potatoes
Mix all ingredients together and bake in a greased loaf pan at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done- very simple!
When I saw this recipe idea, I thought of how my ten month old son loves sweet potatoes so I decided to modify the recipe to make it for him. I used organic whole grain pancake mix instead of the NS mix and real sugar instead of Splenda, as well as butter to grease the pan instead of spray. He loved it! I did bake it in a casserole dish but I think next time I will use a loaf pan. This might be good with shredded zucchini as well.
Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes:
I decided to make a recipe similar to my Crab Cakes but baking them in the oven to get more of a twice baked potato feel.
Baked Crab Florets
1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
4oz crabmeat, drained (100 calories or less)
diced green onion
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Old Bay seafood seasoning
Prepared the potatoes as directed, with slightly less water to keep them thick. Stir in the other ingredients and put them in a fun shaped silicone baking dish (I used roses). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown, and serve with seafood sauce.
Yum! I think I'd let these crisp up a little more next time but I really enjoyed them.
Peanut Butter Granola Bar (Breakfast):
Yeah, I kind of knew when I opened the package that I wasn't really going to enjoy this. It looked just like the Apple Granola Bar that I threw out. It also had no real peanut buttery taste at all- just more of a heavy taste. I did eat it because it wasn't bad- it just wasn't good, either. In hindsight, I should have smeared my fat serving of 1 tsp peanut butter on top of it and I bet it would have tasted a lot better but I didn't think of it at the time. I think this could definitely have been improved if Nutrisystem put chopped peanuts in it instead of just "flavour"!
Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
I got this recipe off the NS forums and it sounded so good but I just didn't find that the taste was what I expected. I'm willing to give it a second try though because it sounds so good! I am thinking that the eggs and cheese might be better on the side.
Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Bowl:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/2 dairy/protein serving sausage (I use Lilydale Turkey Sausage)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup McCormick's Sausage Gravy
Prepare your sausage as directed and cut into chunks, set aside. Mix the pancake mix and milk and pour into a sprayed casserole dish. Pour half the gravy on top, then add the sausage, egg, and cheese. Top with remaining gravy and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
I've got one more pancake mix recipe that's so good, the whole family enjoyed it!
Sweet Potato Bran Bread:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
2 tbsp wheat bran
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
1 small jar pureed sweet potatoes
Mix all ingredients together and bake in a greased loaf pan at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done- very simple!
When I saw this recipe idea, I thought of how my ten month old son loves sweet potatoes so I decided to modify the recipe to make it for him. I used organic whole grain pancake mix instead of the NS mix and real sugar instead of Splenda, as well as butter to grease the pan instead of spray. He loved it! I did bake it in a casserole dish but I think next time I will use a loaf pan. This might be good with shredded zucchini as well.
Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes:
I decided to make a recipe similar to my Crab Cakes but baking them in the oven to get more of a twice baked potato feel.
Baked Crab Florets
1 pkg NS Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
4oz crabmeat, drained (100 calories or less)
diced green onion
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Old Bay seafood seasoning
Prepared the potatoes as directed, with slightly less water to keep them thick. Stir in the other ingredients and put them in a fun shaped silicone baking dish (I used roses). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown, and serve with seafood sauce.
Yum! I think I'd let these crisp up a little more next time but I really enjoyed them.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Wisdom of Children
I was downstairs on the elliptical machine tonight thinking that I really didn't want to be there, and I couldn't possibly exercise for another minute. A lot of the time when I'm exercising I distract myself with a book or the TV so that I don't think about what I'm doing, but tonight it was just me and sweat. I started making excuses to myself so that I could justify quitting, and then I found myself cheering myself on, telling myself that I could do anything for just one more minute, couldn't I? Then praising myself for accomplishing that and coaxing for just one more minute.
My field is Early Childhood Education. I have spent most of my time with preschoolers, although I've worked with babies right up to school age. A common characteristic of young children is called private speech, or self talk, where they talk to themselves out loud while they are figuring something out. They sort of coach themselves through the situation. Generally by the time we're adults, we've stopped the private speech, at least out loud! However, it's often still in our minds. In everyone's heart of hearts, we're all afraid of failure. That little voice in your head telling you not to try because you can't do it is WRONG. The problem is, we've allowed the negativity to overwhelm our self talk. Next time you're doing something challenging, cheer for yourself. Talk yourself through it in a positive way- it really does work! I survived those extra few minutes on the elliptical and I was proud of myself for doing it and not giving in to my negative thoughts.
A few months ago when I readjusted my ticker to my new target, I still didn't dare imagine that I could actually accomplish it. I was afraid that I was setting myself up for failure again with an unrealistic goal. But now, I really do believe that I will reach and maintain the weight that I want to attain. Maybe it'll take a long time to get there, but I will get there. I know that I can do it. I have faith in myself.
Out of the mouths of babes; the children knew what I had forgotten- you are your own biggest fan, and you're the best person to help yourself through a challenge. So next time that mean little voice rears its ugly head, you can tune it out and remind yourself that the only person who can stop you, is you.
My field is Early Childhood Education. I have spent most of my time with preschoolers, although I've worked with babies right up to school age. A common characteristic of young children is called private speech, or self talk, where they talk to themselves out loud while they are figuring something out. They sort of coach themselves through the situation. Generally by the time we're adults, we've stopped the private speech, at least out loud! However, it's often still in our minds. In everyone's heart of hearts, we're all afraid of failure. That little voice in your head telling you not to try because you can't do it is WRONG. The problem is, we've allowed the negativity to overwhelm our self talk. Next time you're doing something challenging, cheer for yourself. Talk yourself through it in a positive way- it really does work! I survived those extra few minutes on the elliptical and I was proud of myself for doing it and not giving in to my negative thoughts.
A few months ago when I readjusted my ticker to my new target, I still didn't dare imagine that I could actually accomplish it. I was afraid that I was setting myself up for failure again with an unrealistic goal. But now, I really do believe that I will reach and maintain the weight that I want to attain. Maybe it'll take a long time to get there, but I will get there. I know that I can do it. I have faith in myself.
Out of the mouths of babes; the children knew what I had forgotten- you are your own biggest fan, and you're the best person to help yourself through a challenge. So next time that mean little voice rears its ugly head, you can tune it out and remind yourself that the only person who can stop you, is you.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
What keeps you motivated?
We all know it's not easy to lose weight. There's temptation everywhere you look. And if you happen to be in a situation where your partner is not doing a weight loss plan and likes to eat everything in sight, it can be difficult at times (especially if you're expected to cook for him/her!). So what kinds of things work for you to keep yourself on track?
For me, one of my biggest motivators is my Fridge Tracker.
Maybe it's silly, but I'm on my third card right now (some other NS'ers were kind enough to give me theirs since they weren't using them) and just watching the weight come off week by week is so motivating for me. I can really see the progress! Plus, it's on the fridge. Every time I walk through the kitchen I see it, and it's enough to combat whatever craving I have. Why would I want to throw away my progress for a snack? It's just not worth it.
What also helps me is maintaining a larger "inventory" of Nutrisystem foods so that I always have lots of whatever I like. The first month I tried Nutrisystem, by the last week I was down to a few odds and ends that I'd been avoiding and didn't really want to eat. When you're faced with food that you don't want to eat, you're more likely to make excuses not to eat it and to go off program. I bought some extra food off of Kijijji, Craigslist, and eBay (always check expiry dates if you do this! People will swear it's fresh when it's years expired!) and now I know I'll always have whatever NS meal I'm craving available.
And of course, reminding myself why I'm doing this really helps. Yes, I want to look good in a swimsuit, but I also want to get healthy so that I'll be here for my son. I don't want to be the fat mom and make him feel ashamed of me, and I certainly don't want him to develop the bad habits that got me where I was seven months ago.
We are all doing this journey for different reasons, but the bottom line is that we're all becoming healthier, stronger people day by day. Every time you turn down something you're craving, you're a winner. Every time you make the decision to exercise and do it, you're a winner. And the prize is something money can't buy.
For me, one of my biggest motivators is my Fridge Tracker.
Maybe it's silly, but I'm on my third card right now (some other NS'ers were kind enough to give me theirs since they weren't using them) and just watching the weight come off week by week is so motivating for me. I can really see the progress! Plus, it's on the fridge. Every time I walk through the kitchen I see it, and it's enough to combat whatever craving I have. Why would I want to throw away my progress for a snack? It's just not worth it.
What also helps me is maintaining a larger "inventory" of Nutrisystem foods so that I always have lots of whatever I like. The first month I tried Nutrisystem, by the last week I was down to a few odds and ends that I'd been avoiding and didn't really want to eat. When you're faced with food that you don't want to eat, you're more likely to make excuses not to eat it and to go off program. I bought some extra food off of Kijijji, Craigslist, and eBay (always check expiry dates if you do this! People will swear it's fresh when it's years expired!) and now I know I'll always have whatever NS meal I'm craving available.
And of course, reminding myself why I'm doing this really helps. Yes, I want to look good in a swimsuit, but I also want to get healthy so that I'll be here for my son. I don't want to be the fat mom and make him feel ashamed of me, and I certainly don't want him to develop the bad habits that got me where I was seven months ago.
We are all doing this journey for different reasons, but the bottom line is that we're all becoming healthier, stronger people day by day. Every time you turn down something you're craving, you're a winner. Every time you make the decision to exercise and do it, you're a winner. And the prize is something money can't buy.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Mmm... Lasagna...
When I was a kid, I used to joke that I wanted to be Garfield because I loved lasagna so much. Before NS, I used to make delicious lasagnas- of course they were full of meat and dripping with cheese, so obviously not all that healthy! And to be perfectly honest, while Nutrisystem's lasagna is OK, it just doesn't satisfy the way that mine used to.
When I thought about it, the big kicker was the pasta. One serving of lasagna noodles has over 300 calories and 80 grams of carbs, but if you use less, it's not really a lasagna anymore. I needed something flat and noodle-y as a substitute.
Well, after my success with the Eggplant Rollatini, I thought that strips of eggplant might be a suitable substitute. I gave it a try and it was delicious! The best part is, it does not have a low GI carb or fat serving so you can have a slice of garlic bread to go with it!
Flex Meals (Dinner):
Eggplant Lasagna:
6 thin slices of eggplant, peeled
8oz extra lean ground beef
10 tbsp ricotta cheese (or 1 cup cottage cheese)
2 oz shredded cheese (I like the Kraft Italiano blend for this)
diced veggies (onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, green pepper, whatever you like)
1.5 cups low sodium tomato sauce
Spray the eggplant slices with PAM and bake them in the oven for ten minutes. Allow to cool. In the meantime, fry the ground beef and drain as much fat as possible from the pan. Add the veggies and saute until softened. Pour in the sauce and simmer until bubbling. Lay two eggplant "noodles" in the bottom of your pan (I used a square cake foil tray) and top with 1/3 of the sauce mixture. Add half the ricotta cheese and 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Add another "noodle" layer, crosshatching them with the original slices. Spoon half of the remaining sauce, then add the rest of the ricotta and half the cheese. Top with the final layer of "noodles" and cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves four as dinner entree + veggies as long as you add a low GI carb and fat serving here or elsewhere in your day.
I bet you won't even notice that something was missing- this was really good and a great way to get in those veggie servings!
When I thought about it, the big kicker was the pasta. One serving of lasagna noodles has over 300 calories and 80 grams of carbs, but if you use less, it's not really a lasagna anymore. I needed something flat and noodle-y as a substitute.
Well, after my success with the Eggplant Rollatini, I thought that strips of eggplant might be a suitable substitute. I gave it a try and it was delicious! The best part is, it does not have a low GI carb or fat serving so you can have a slice of garlic bread to go with it!
Flex Meals (Dinner):
Eggplant Lasagna:
6 thin slices of eggplant, peeled
8oz extra lean ground beef
10 tbsp ricotta cheese (or 1 cup cottage cheese)
2 oz shredded cheese (I like the Kraft Italiano blend for this)
diced veggies (onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, green pepper, whatever you like)
1.5 cups low sodium tomato sauce
Spray the eggplant slices with PAM and bake them in the oven for ten minutes. Allow to cool. In the meantime, fry the ground beef and drain as much fat as possible from the pan. Add the veggies and saute until softened. Pour in the sauce and simmer until bubbling. Lay two eggplant "noodles" in the bottom of your pan (I used a square cake foil tray) and top with 1/3 of the sauce mixture. Add half the ricotta cheese and 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Add another "noodle" layer, crosshatching them with the original slices. Spoon half of the remaining sauce, then add the rest of the ricotta and half the cheese. Top with the final layer of "noodles" and cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves four as dinner entree + veggies as long as you add a low GI carb and fat serving here or elsewhere in your day.
I bet you won't even notice that something was missing- this was really good and a great way to get in those veggie servings!
Weigh In Day
I was worried about this week's weigh in. I started doing a lot more exercise than I used to which I know causes your body to retain water, plus I'm already bloated. I thought I might actually gain.
I was very happy to see that I lost nearly a pound this week! I'm glad I stayed on track with my eating and I definitely had a lot of fun being creative with my veggies. I still have a few more ideas to share for Salad Free week and I'll try to post a few tonight.
I have some hopes of getting to 60lbs lost next week if I work hard- let's see if I can do it!
Some of you have asked me to post before and after photos. Well, I don't really have good ones to share, but I'll try.
Here is me 3 weeks after my son was born:
And here is me yesterday, out to lunch with Matthew:
I am honestly grossed out looking at the pictures of me with my son while he was little. How could I have let myself get that overweight? It's so embarrassing. I never want to feel this way about my body again. I still have a lot of weight to lose, but at least I don't look like the blimp that ate Toronto anymore!
I was very happy to see that I lost nearly a pound this week! I'm glad I stayed on track with my eating and I definitely had a lot of fun being creative with my veggies. I still have a few more ideas to share for Salad Free week and I'll try to post a few tonight.
I have some hopes of getting to 60lbs lost next week if I work hard- let's see if I can do it!
Some of you have asked me to post before and after photos. Well, I don't really have good ones to share, but I'll try.
Here is me 3 weeks after my son was born:
And here is me yesterday, out to lunch with Matthew:
I am honestly grossed out looking at the pictures of me with my son while he was little. How could I have let myself get that overweight? It's so embarrassing. I never want to feel this way about my body again. I still have a lot of weight to lose, but at least I don't look like the blimp that ate Toronto anymore!
Friday, August 6, 2010
CHEESE please!
I don't drink milk. I've always hated the way it tastes. I won't even use it with cereal (actually, I don't eat cereal anyway, who am I kidding?). I don't mind cooking with it but straight milk? Ugh. So for calcium, cheese has always been my go-to. Unfortunately good cheese = fat. I miss it! I still try to eat cheese daily but nothing like it used to be.
Here are two of my favourite cheesy ways to enjoy your vegetables!
Vegetable Ideas:
I used to love jalapeno cheese poppers- mmm, deep fried cheese with a little spice! Jalapenos are vegetables though, and there are still ways to enjoy them on plan!
Note: Before you start making these, I highly recommend wearing gloves. The first time I made them, I didn't, and I couldn't get the spice off my hands no matter how many times I washed them- it took days. And it hurt any time I touched my eyes! Not to mention I could taste the spice on anything I touched. It's definitely not worth the hassle so now I always wear gloves.
Jalapeno Cheese Poppers:
4 jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat cream cheese
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Cut the tops off the jalapeno peppers and make a slit down one side. Scoop out the seeds and veins as best you can. Put 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese inside each pepper. Dip the peppers in the Egg Beaters and then in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is leaking out all over your pan. Serve with salsa as a dipping sauce if desired. I count this as a veggie and free foods since you use so little of the egg and breadcrumbs, but if you use mozzerella I'd count it as a veggie and a dairy serving.
These are really yummy! If you have extra dairy remaining you can mix a little shredded mozzerella in with the cream cheese but you really don't need it. Personally, I'd rather save mine for the next recipe!
Cheese Sauce:
If you're like me, one of your favourite ways to eat veggies with dinner was smothered in cheese sauce. I had to come up with an NS friendly way to recreate this! It doesn't have the same rich flavour or heavy texture but it certainly livens up steamed veggies a little.
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp flour
1 tsp butter or olive oil
3/4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
garlic
Italian spices
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour and garlic. Slowly add in the milk and Italian spices. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add in the cheese and stir until well blended. Serve hot over your favourite steamed veggies- I like it especially with broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. Counts as a fat, dairy, and free foods.
Just a quick note that this is one of my favourite meals. I made the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes as indicated on the package, and fried a salmon burger in PAM spray (protein serving). I saved a carb serving to eat it on a bun and used a wedge of Laughing Cow Light as a free food, sprinkled with dill and topped with green onions. Then I have my vegetables with cheese sauce. This looks exactly like a meal I would have had pre-NS and it's so filling and delicious!
Here are two of my favourite cheesy ways to enjoy your vegetables!
Vegetable Ideas:
I used to love jalapeno cheese poppers- mmm, deep fried cheese with a little spice! Jalapenos are vegetables though, and there are still ways to enjoy them on plan!
Note: Before you start making these, I highly recommend wearing gloves. The first time I made them, I didn't, and I couldn't get the spice off my hands no matter how many times I washed them- it took days. And it hurt any time I touched my eyes! Not to mention I could taste the spice on anything I touched. It's definitely not worth the hassle so now I always wear gloves.
Jalapeno Cheese Poppers:
4 jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat cream cheese
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Cut the tops off the jalapeno peppers and make a slit down one side. Scoop out the seeds and veins as best you can. Put 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese inside each pepper. Dip the peppers in the Egg Beaters and then in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is leaking out all over your pan. Serve with salsa as a dipping sauce if desired. I count this as a veggie and free foods since you use so little of the egg and breadcrumbs, but if you use mozzerella I'd count it as a veggie and a dairy serving.
These are really yummy! If you have extra dairy remaining you can mix a little shredded mozzerella in with the cream cheese but you really don't need it. Personally, I'd rather save mine for the next recipe!
Cheese Sauce:
If you're like me, one of your favourite ways to eat veggies with dinner was smothered in cheese sauce. I had to come up with an NS friendly way to recreate this! It doesn't have the same rich flavour or heavy texture but it certainly livens up steamed veggies a little.
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp flour
1 tsp butter or olive oil
3/4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
garlic
Italian spices
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour and garlic. Slowly add in the milk and Italian spices. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add in the cheese and stir until well blended. Serve hot over your favourite steamed veggies- I like it especially with broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. Counts as a fat, dairy, and free foods.
Just a quick note that this is one of my favourite meals. I made the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes as indicated on the package, and fried a salmon burger in PAM spray (protein serving). I saved a carb serving to eat it on a bun and used a wedge of Laughing Cow Light as a free food, sprinkled with dill and topped with green onions. Then I have my vegetables with cheese sauce. This looks exactly like a meal I would have had pre-NS and it's so filling and delicious!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Another Old Favourite
When I was at the farmer's market, I found some beautiful shiitake mushrooms and I had to buy them. I just had to find a good way to prepare them! If you haven't had shiitake mushrooms before, they have a very strong, distinctive flavour that might be a bit startling if you're only used to the plain white mushrooms that are normally sold in bulk at the grocery store. I find their flavour to be rich and delicious.
I was talking to a friend about all the produce I bought and he suggested that I make mushroom soup. I love, love, love Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. So rich and yummy! However, I don't love all the fat and sodium in each serving! I couldn't even imagine it would be possible to make a good mushroom soup Nutrisystem friendly, but I laughed and said I'd look for a recipe. Much to my surprise, I found one that is going to make me regret that it's so difficult to find shiitake mushrooms! (Fortunately you can substitute with cremini mushrooms if you can't find anything else). Believe it or not, this soup meets the stats for a dairy/protein serving and still helps you get those veggies in!
Dairy/Protein Ideas:
Lightened-Up Cream of Mushroom Soup:
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cloves, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
diced chopped green onions
Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the spices, garlic, onion, and mushroom until the liquid has disappeared (about 7 minutes). Sprinkle the flour in and stir well, and then pour in the broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about ten minutes. Add the milk and stir until well blended. Serve hot and garnish with green onions. Makes 2 servings.
Wow. I was floored by how rich and flavourful this soup was! I was expecting it to be rather bland but it was amazing. My husband is a big mushroom fan and he really enjoyed it- it doesn't taste like "diet" soup at all. Actually, it tasted like a fine soup from a nice restaurant. I will definitely be making this again and again!
The nutritional stats for this recipe per serving are 111 calories, 7g of protein, 2g of fat, and 572mg of sodium. Of course, your choice of ingredients may vary the stats a little so keep that in mind! Chicken broth tends to make the protein higher than veggie broth.
Vegetable Ideas:
One thing I do miss is French fries. Unfortunately, potatoes are not a low glycemic index carb, so they do tend to be limited on the Nutrisystem program. However, there are ways to try and kick the craving!
Zucchini Fries:
1 zucchini, chopped into French fry-like pieces
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Dip the zucchini spears into the Egg Beaters and then toss them in a Tupperware container with the breadcrumbs and shake until they are well coated. Bake for 20-30 min (depending how crispy you like them!) and enjoy them plain or with sauce. I like to dip them in my Big Mac sauce recipe- 2 tbsp light mayo, 1 tbsp FF 1000 Island dressing, 1 tbsp relish. Yum! These are really good on the side with the Flame Broiled Beef Patty or the Grilled Chicken Breast.
Since the amount of Egg Beaters and breadcrumbs used are negligible, just count them as a free food and enjoy your veggies!
I was talking to a friend about all the produce I bought and he suggested that I make mushroom soup. I love, love, love Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. So rich and yummy! However, I don't love all the fat and sodium in each serving! I couldn't even imagine it would be possible to make a good mushroom soup Nutrisystem friendly, but I laughed and said I'd look for a recipe. Much to my surprise, I found one that is going to make me regret that it's so difficult to find shiitake mushrooms! (Fortunately you can substitute with cremini mushrooms if you can't find anything else). Believe it or not, this soup meets the stats for a dairy/protein serving and still helps you get those veggies in!
Dairy/Protein Ideas:
Lightened-Up Cream of Mushroom Soup:
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cloves, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
diced chopped green onions
Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the spices, garlic, onion, and mushroom until the liquid has disappeared (about 7 minutes). Sprinkle the flour in and stir well, and then pour in the broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about ten minutes. Add the milk and stir until well blended. Serve hot and garnish with green onions. Makes 2 servings.
Wow. I was floored by how rich and flavourful this soup was! I was expecting it to be rather bland but it was amazing. My husband is a big mushroom fan and he really enjoyed it- it doesn't taste like "diet" soup at all. Actually, it tasted like a fine soup from a nice restaurant. I will definitely be making this again and again!
The nutritional stats for this recipe per serving are 111 calories, 7g of protein, 2g of fat, and 572mg of sodium. Of course, your choice of ingredients may vary the stats a little so keep that in mind! Chicken broth tends to make the protein higher than veggie broth.
Vegetable Ideas:
One thing I do miss is French fries. Unfortunately, potatoes are not a low glycemic index carb, so they do tend to be limited on the Nutrisystem program. However, there are ways to try and kick the craving!
Zucchini Fries:
1 zucchini, chopped into French fry-like pieces
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Dip the zucchini spears into the Egg Beaters and then toss them in a Tupperware container with the breadcrumbs and shake until they are well coated. Bake for 20-30 min (depending how crispy you like them!) and enjoy them plain or with sauce. I like to dip them in my Big Mac sauce recipe- 2 tbsp light mayo, 1 tbsp FF 1000 Island dressing, 1 tbsp relish. Yum! These are really good on the side with the Flame Broiled Beef Patty or the Grilled Chicken Breast.
Since the amount of Egg Beaters and breadcrumbs used are negligible, just count them as a free food and enjoy your veggies!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A New Take On An Old Favourite
There are some meals which just feel like comfort food. My family background is Hungarian, and a meal I can remember having at my grandmother's from before I can see over the table was stuffed peppers. My grandmother was a wonderful cook who made everything from scratch and just the memory of her cooking is enough to make me hungry! She passed away in 1991 and I still miss her very much.
Today, I thought I'd set out to recreate her meal as best I could in a way that was Nutrisystem friendly and salad free!
Sloppy Joe Mix (Dinner):
Stuffed Pepper:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Sloppy Joe Mix
8oz water
diced onions
Aylmer Diced Chili Tomatoes, to taste
1 large green bell pepper, hollowed out
1 oz shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with PAM cooking spray (or use your favourite fat serving) and sautee the onions and chili tomatoes until fragrant. Add the water and sloppy joe mix and stir. Continue stirring occasionally until mixture is thick. Pour meat mixture into the bell pepper and top with cheese. Bake until it is gooey and melty, about ten minutes.
You're supposed to add a carb with this entree but I decided to have it earlier in the day and have the meal without. I was so full when I finished that I was glad I didn't save it. My grandmother used to put rice in her stuffed peppers so next time I may try putting in 1/3 cup brown rice in the mixture to see how that is but I am sure I'll need two peppers since the meat mixture was overflowing into the pan! If you use cooking spray, don't forget to have your fat serving at another point in the day. Between the onions and the peppers, you won't need salad with this meal!
Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
It's nice that breakfasts and desserts are interchangeable because I wanted to use some of the fresh mangos that I bought at the farmer's market and this cake really seems to be more of a dessert item than a breakfast item. Either way- it's a decadent treat!
Mango Almond Cake:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped mango
6 sliced almonds, toasted
2 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar
2 tsp Splenda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tsp butter extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you have to toast your own almonds, just put them in a saucepan over medium heat (they don't need spray or anything) and cook them until they're fragrant and turn them over.
Mix everything but the almonds together in a bowl (reserve 6 long thin strips of mango for garnish). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour the batter into the dish. It will be very thick. Arrange the six pieces of mango on top like a tropical flower and hope they don't fall into the cake like some of mine did! Decorate with the toasted almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I know this doesn't have anything to do with vegetables but I made it tonight for dessert and it's so yummy that I'm making one for tomorrow, too! It counts as breakfast or dessert plus a fruit serving and a fat serving.
Today, I thought I'd set out to recreate her meal as best I could in a way that was Nutrisystem friendly and salad free!
Sloppy Joe Mix (Dinner):
Stuffed Pepper:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Sloppy Joe Mix
8oz water
diced onions
Aylmer Diced Chili Tomatoes, to taste
1 large green bell pepper, hollowed out
1 oz shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with PAM cooking spray (or use your favourite fat serving) and sautee the onions and chili tomatoes until fragrant. Add the water and sloppy joe mix and stir. Continue stirring occasionally until mixture is thick. Pour meat mixture into the bell pepper and top with cheese. Bake until it is gooey and melty, about ten minutes.
You're supposed to add a carb with this entree but I decided to have it earlier in the day and have the meal without. I was so full when I finished that I was glad I didn't save it. My grandmother used to put rice in her stuffed peppers so next time I may try putting in 1/3 cup brown rice in the mixture to see how that is but I am sure I'll need two peppers since the meat mixture was overflowing into the pan! If you use cooking spray, don't forget to have your fat serving at another point in the day. Between the onions and the peppers, you won't need salad with this meal!
Pancake Mix (Breakfast):
It's nice that breakfasts and desserts are interchangeable because I wanted to use some of the fresh mangos that I bought at the farmer's market and this cake really seems to be more of a dessert item than a breakfast item. Either way- it's a decadent treat!
Mango Almond Cake:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Pancake Mix
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped mango
6 sliced almonds, toasted
2 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar
2 tsp Splenda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tsp butter extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you have to toast your own almonds, just put them in a saucepan over medium heat (they don't need spray or anything) and cook them until they're fragrant and turn them over.
Mix everything but the almonds together in a bowl (reserve 6 long thin strips of mango for garnish). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour the batter into the dish. It will be very thick. Arrange the six pieces of mango on top like a tropical flower and hope they don't fall into the cake like some of mine did! Decorate with the toasted almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I know this doesn't have anything to do with vegetables but I made it tonight for dessert and it's so yummy that I'm making one for tomorrow, too! It counts as breakfast or dessert plus a fruit serving and a fat serving.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Salad Free Week at Stomach Rumblings Continues!
I'm really enjoying trying as many new ways as possible to fix my veggies so that I can avoid salads. As you have probably seen if you've read my back posts, I try to cook my veggies with the entree as often as possible. It makes a bigger meal, plus the entree and the veggies both taste better as a result!
Here's a dinner recipe that I got from the Nutrisystem Recipe Club. I had some doubt about it at first- I've never been crazy about eggplant and the Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes but I figured in the spirit of Salad Free Week I would give them a try! I did make a couple of modifications- here is the recipe the way I prepared it. It's fairly labour intensive but worth trying!
Meatloaf & Tomato Sauce with Mashed Potatoes (Dinner):
Eggplant Rollatini:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Meatloaf & Tomato Sauce with Mashed Potatoes
7 thin slices of eggplant
4 tbsp ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Aylmer Accents Chili Tomatoes
diced onion
sprinkle of mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
chives
Take the eggplant, cut off the top and bottom, and attempt to cut it into thin slices. Realize that the first few chunks you've hacked off are way too thick. Set them aside and try again. Start cutting a slice and then notice it is so thin that it falls apart. Swear, hope you'll have enough eggplant, and try again. Eventually we hope you'll have seven reasonable slices of eggplant, although in my case they were definitely not uniform in size and some parts got crispy from being overcooked and some parts were really thick and mushy.
Anyway- take your eggplant slices and put them on a baking tray that's been sprayed with PAM. Arrange the slices in a single row on the tray and spray the tops and add Italian seasoning. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 depending on how thick your slices are, then set aside and allow to cool.
Open the Meatloaf entree and scoop out the meat and mashed potatoes and place in a bowl- try to leave as much of the sauce as possible in the tray. Add the ricotta cheese and chives and mash with a fork until smooth. Spoon the filling on top of the eggplant slices and roll them up.
Spoon a little tomato juice into a glass baking dish and arrange the eggplant rolls seam side down in the dish. Top with the remaining meatloaf sauce, onions, and tomatoes. Add the cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is all gooey and melty.
I had to take the photo in the pan because I was sure I couldn't scoop them onto my plate and have them look as pretty! Believe it or not, that is ONE serving. It's an enormous amount of food- much more so than you get in the little tray! I was stuffed when I finished eating and surprisingly, I really enjoyed the meal.
Flex Meals (Lunch):
I've really been enjoying portabello mushrooms lately. They are so rich and hearty and you can stuff them with just about anything and they'll taste delicious. It's also refreshingly simple!
Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms:
3 large portabello mushrooms, insides scooped out
4oz chopped lobster meat (or crab if you prefer)
1 wedge light Laughing Cow Herb & Garlic cheese
2 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat Herb & Garlic cream cheese
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
diced green onion
garlic
1oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended (but not liquid!). Spoon into the mushrooms and top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is gooey and enjoy!
This counts as lunch + veggies + dairy/protein + free food, minus the carb. I am betting you won't miss it though- I couldn't eat another bite after finishing the mushrooms. Enjoy that carb serving elsewhere in your day- I had it with my afternoon snack to make a sandwich with my sliced chicken. Yum!
Here's a dinner recipe that I got from the Nutrisystem Recipe Club. I had some doubt about it at first- I've never been crazy about eggplant and the Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes but I figured in the spirit of Salad Free Week I would give them a try! I did make a couple of modifications- here is the recipe the way I prepared it. It's fairly labour intensive but worth trying!
Meatloaf & Tomato Sauce with Mashed Potatoes (Dinner):
Eggplant Rollatini:
1 pkg Nutrisystem Meatloaf & Tomato Sauce with Mashed Potatoes
7 thin slices of eggplant
4 tbsp ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Aylmer Accents Chili Tomatoes
diced onion
sprinkle of mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
chives
Take the eggplant, cut off the top and bottom, and attempt to cut it into thin slices. Realize that the first few chunks you've hacked off are way too thick. Set them aside and try again. Start cutting a slice and then notice it is so thin that it falls apart. Swear, hope you'll have enough eggplant, and try again. Eventually we hope you'll have seven reasonable slices of eggplant, although in my case they were definitely not uniform in size and some parts got crispy from being overcooked and some parts were really thick and mushy.
Anyway- take your eggplant slices and put them on a baking tray that's been sprayed with PAM. Arrange the slices in a single row on the tray and spray the tops and add Italian seasoning. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 depending on how thick your slices are, then set aside and allow to cool.
Open the Meatloaf entree and scoop out the meat and mashed potatoes and place in a bowl- try to leave as much of the sauce as possible in the tray. Add the ricotta cheese and chives and mash with a fork until smooth. Spoon the filling on top of the eggplant slices and roll them up.
Spoon a little tomato juice into a glass baking dish and arrange the eggplant rolls seam side down in the dish. Top with the remaining meatloaf sauce, onions, and tomatoes. Add the cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is all gooey and melty.
I had to take the photo in the pan because I was sure I couldn't scoop them onto my plate and have them look as pretty! Believe it or not, that is ONE serving. It's an enormous amount of food- much more so than you get in the little tray! I was stuffed when I finished eating and surprisingly, I really enjoyed the meal.
Flex Meals (Lunch):
I've really been enjoying portabello mushrooms lately. They are so rich and hearty and you can stuff them with just about anything and they'll taste delicious. It's also refreshingly simple!
Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms:
3 large portabello mushrooms, insides scooped out
4oz chopped lobster meat (or crab if you prefer)
1 wedge light Laughing Cow Herb & Garlic cheese
2 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat Herb & Garlic cream cheese
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
diced green onion
garlic
1oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended (but not liquid!). Spoon into the mushrooms and top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is gooey and enjoy!
This counts as lunch + veggies + dairy/protein + free food, minus the carb. I am betting you won't miss it though- I couldn't eat another bite after finishing the mushrooms. Enjoy that carb serving elsewhere in your day- I had it with my afternoon snack to make a sandwich with my sliced chicken. Yum!
Motivation
All along, I've been resisting exercise. I hate exercise. I get tired and sweaty and out of breath. Well, I don't really hate exercise. I always feel great after I do it but every single time I have to force myself to get started. What I've been doing since the weather is nice is taking my son for a 1-2 hour walk every day. That's a start, but it's not really what I should be doing. I have a perfectly good elliptical machine in my basement, after all!
Today I set a goal for myself- 5 days a week, I am going to go on the elliptical after I walk my son. The walk can be my warmup! I'm not sure how long I can keep it up but I am going to try. And true to form- I did feel great afterwards. This is good for me- I just have to keep doing it.
Another thing I wanted to share with you is, if you've been losing weight and your clothes don't fit- BUY NEW CLOTHES. I was wearing clothes that were practically falling off because I didn't want to spend the money on new things since I still have a lot more weight to lose.
Like I said in my weigh in post, I did buy myself two pairs of jeans on the weekend. For the first time, I don't feel like a fatty when I'm walking around. I feel like I look good. I feel like I can celebrate my accomplishments. It was such a positive experience for me to wear clothes that fit again that it was worth every penny I spent, even if I only wear them for a few months (I hope!). So do it- reward yourself. Buy something nice and flattering that makes you feel good about yourself- you've earned it.
Today I set a goal for myself- 5 days a week, I am going to go on the elliptical after I walk my son. The walk can be my warmup! I'm not sure how long I can keep it up but I am going to try. And true to form- I did feel great afterwards. This is good for me- I just have to keep doing it.
Another thing I wanted to share with you is, if you've been losing weight and your clothes don't fit- BUY NEW CLOTHES. I was wearing clothes that were practically falling off because I didn't want to spend the money on new things since I still have a lot more weight to lose.
Like I said in my weigh in post, I did buy myself two pairs of jeans on the weekend. For the first time, I don't feel like a fatty when I'm walking around. I feel like I look good. I feel like I can celebrate my accomplishments. It was such a positive experience for me to wear clothes that fit again that it was worth every penny I spent, even if I only wear them for a few months (I hope!). So do it- reward yourself. Buy something nice and flattering that makes you feel good about yourself- you've earned it.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Who else isn't a veggie lover?
Come on now, raise your hands! I can't be the only one. For me, salad is the thing I usually don't enjoy. Salad is diet food, right? Who wants to eat diet food? Every once in a while, a nice salad will hit the spot but it's definitely not something I want to eat every day. It can get frustrating when I read on the Nutrisystem boards and everyone just says, Oh, have a salad. Well, what if you don't WANT salad?
There are other ways to eat vegetables that taste surprisingly good- I promise! I'm going to try and devote some time over the next few weeks to sharing my favourite ways to prepare vegetables that are so yummy, you will actually want to eat them!
Flex Meals (Dinner):
Turkey Florentine Meatballs with Spaghetti:
I used to make these meatballs all the time, and the recipe only required a slight modification to make it an NS-friendly dinner swap.
4oz lean ground turkey
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
chopped green onion and spinach
mashed garlic
Italian seasonings
1 carb serving worth of pasta
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Mix all the meatball ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Prepare the pasta as directed, drain, and put on plate. Heat up pasta sauce and add sauce and meatballs. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
This is a surprisingly large serving and I really enjoyed this meal. I also conquered my desire for seconds when I'm not actually hungry, which I'm sure added up to a lot of weight in the past! I only made one serving of pasta but a huge batch of meatballs and I did resist the urge to go back for more- I really didn't need them. It definitely hit the spot for a nice Italian pasta meal (and good as the NS sauce is- mine is better!)
Meatball Sub:
Oh, I used to love these before I started Nutrisystem, except I'd use the giant sub buns and serve it with French fries. I was a little nervous that I'd still be hungry after eating this since it's so much less than I was used to, but I was honestly stuffed afterwards, and very satisfied! It's so nice to be able to eat my old favourites.
1 small whole wheat hot dog bun
3 turkey meatballs (from recipe above- I made them all 1oz size for easy calculation- yes, I did weigh each one before cooking!)
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 oz shredded cheese
chopped onions and green peppers
Warm the meatballs and tomato sauce, and pour them onto the split hot dog roll. Top with veggies and cheese, and bake in the oven until crispy. Yum!
On the side, I made one of my go-to Italian side dishes- baked tomatoes and onions. I chopped up a tomato and a few slices of onion into little pieces and poured 1 tbsp Italian dressing over top (you really don't need any more!). I also stirred in a little garlic powder and Italian herbs and baked them along with the sandwich. So yummy! I've also made this recipe with 1 tsp olive oil instead of the dressing for variety when I have a fat serving to spare.
Vegetable Ideas:
Portabello Mushroom Pizzas
If you like pizza, you have to run out and buy yourself some portabello mushroom caps because it is amazing. I still can't believe it's legal, but it is!
Scoop out the centres of the mushrooms and place them on a baking tray. Top with low sodium pizza sauce (or plain crushed tomatoes), turkey pepperoni, your favourite veggies (I wouldn't add more mushroom though!) and shredded cheese. Bake them for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and gooey. Be careful when you scoop them up with a spatula because the mushrooms get very soft and the toppings will really slide around if you're not careful!
If you use 1/2 oz cheese and 1/2 serving of pepperoni, this counts as veggies and a Powerfuel serving. How can you beat pizza for a snack? If you do want it as a lunch entree though, remember to add a SmartCarb elsewhere to your day since this recipe does not have one.
There are other ways to eat vegetables that taste surprisingly good- I promise! I'm going to try and devote some time over the next few weeks to sharing my favourite ways to prepare vegetables that are so yummy, you will actually want to eat them!
Flex Meals (Dinner):
Turkey Florentine Meatballs with Spaghetti:
I used to make these meatballs all the time, and the recipe only required a slight modification to make it an NS-friendly dinner swap.
4oz lean ground turkey
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
chopped green onion and spinach
mashed garlic
Italian seasonings
1 carb serving worth of pasta
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Mix all the meatball ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Prepare the pasta as directed, drain, and put on plate. Heat up pasta sauce and add sauce and meatballs. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
This is a surprisingly large serving and I really enjoyed this meal. I also conquered my desire for seconds when I'm not actually hungry, which I'm sure added up to a lot of weight in the past! I only made one serving of pasta but a huge batch of meatballs and I did resist the urge to go back for more- I really didn't need them. It definitely hit the spot for a nice Italian pasta meal (and good as the NS sauce is- mine is better!)
Meatball Sub:
Oh, I used to love these before I started Nutrisystem, except I'd use the giant sub buns and serve it with French fries. I was a little nervous that I'd still be hungry after eating this since it's so much less than I was used to, but I was honestly stuffed afterwards, and very satisfied! It's so nice to be able to eat my old favourites.
1 small whole wheat hot dog bun
3 turkey meatballs (from recipe above- I made them all 1oz size for easy calculation- yes, I did weigh each one before cooking!)
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 oz shredded cheese
chopped onions and green peppers
Warm the meatballs and tomato sauce, and pour them onto the split hot dog roll. Top with veggies and cheese, and bake in the oven until crispy. Yum!
On the side, I made one of my go-to Italian side dishes- baked tomatoes and onions. I chopped up a tomato and a few slices of onion into little pieces and poured 1 tbsp Italian dressing over top (you really don't need any more!). I also stirred in a little garlic powder and Italian herbs and baked them along with the sandwich. So yummy! I've also made this recipe with 1 tsp olive oil instead of the dressing for variety when I have a fat serving to spare.
Vegetable Ideas:
Portabello Mushroom Pizzas
If you like pizza, you have to run out and buy yourself some portabello mushroom caps because it is amazing. I still can't believe it's legal, but it is!
Scoop out the centres of the mushrooms and place them on a baking tray. Top with low sodium pizza sauce (or plain crushed tomatoes), turkey pepperoni, your favourite veggies (I wouldn't add more mushroom though!) and shredded cheese. Bake them for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and gooey. Be careful when you scoop them up with a spatula because the mushrooms get very soft and the toppings will really slide around if you're not careful!
If you use 1/2 oz cheese and 1/2 serving of pepperoni, this counts as veggies and a Powerfuel serving. How can you beat pizza for a snack? If you do want it as a lunch entree though, remember to add a SmartCarb elsewhere to your day since this recipe does not have one.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Half a Year
I still have hopes of reaching my mini goal of 70lbs lost by October 2nd. This week certainly helped! I lost 3.4lbs to bring my total to 56.4! I just got my violet Nutribear in the mail and I'm more than halfway to my next one!
It's been 26 weeks since I started Nutrisystem- half a year. It really doesn't feel like it's been that long. I'm not sick of the food and I'm still enjoying coming up with new and creative ways to eat it. I thought that I'd get frustrated even ordering off the larger US menu, but I haven't (although I am still really hoping to find a way to try the Select frozen entrees and have emailed Nutrisystem about it).
I know I still have a lot of weight left to lose, but I finally feel like it's time to celebrate how far I've come. I've lost nearly 60lbs in half a year. If I had done nothing, I would be that much heavier (maybe more!). I think my son is heavy when I carry him around and he is only 21 lbs- how would I like to carry around three of him all the time???
I also had a Non Scale Victory on the weekend. My mom and I went to one of those little Japanese fast food places for lunch, and I was dying to have white rice with my meal. I love steamed sticky rice. I figured, eh, it's been 26 weeks, I can have white carbs just once. But then when I got there and ordered, I couldn't do it. I knew they had brown rice and I realized that I didn't want white rice enough to actually order it. I think the idea of it was better than actually having it. I ordered my meal with extra vegetables and a half serving of brown rice and I still left most of it. I felt really good after lunch!
Yesterday, I went to the store and bought myself new jeans that fit. You can't imagine how great it felt to put them on instead of wearing my old baggy ones!
Please lift your glass (of water- gotta get that in especially in the summer!) in a toast to how far we've all come- celebrate yourself, because you've earned it.
It's been 26 weeks since I started Nutrisystem- half a year. It really doesn't feel like it's been that long. I'm not sick of the food and I'm still enjoying coming up with new and creative ways to eat it. I thought that I'd get frustrated even ordering off the larger US menu, but I haven't (although I am still really hoping to find a way to try the Select frozen entrees and have emailed Nutrisystem about it).
I know I still have a lot of weight left to lose, but I finally feel like it's time to celebrate how far I've come. I've lost nearly 60lbs in half a year. If I had done nothing, I would be that much heavier (maybe more!). I think my son is heavy when I carry him around and he is only 21 lbs- how would I like to carry around three of him all the time???
I also had a Non Scale Victory on the weekend. My mom and I went to one of those little Japanese fast food places for lunch, and I was dying to have white rice with my meal. I love steamed sticky rice. I figured, eh, it's been 26 weeks, I can have white carbs just once. But then when I got there and ordered, I couldn't do it. I knew they had brown rice and I realized that I didn't want white rice enough to actually order it. I think the idea of it was better than actually having it. I ordered my meal with extra vegetables and a half serving of brown rice and I still left most of it. I felt really good after lunch!
Yesterday, I went to the store and bought myself new jeans that fit. You can't imagine how great it felt to put them on instead of wearing my old baggy ones!
Please lift your glass (of water- gotta get that in especially in the summer!) in a toast to how far we've all come- celebrate yourself, because you've earned it.
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