Cold Weather Favourites

I find when there's snow on the ground, I crave hot soups and stews. They're hearty and take some of the chill out of you. I've always enjoyed good Asian soups, which are generally filling enough to be a full meal.

Nutrisystem does have some Asian style entrees but I've found them not to be to my taste. They're generally a little on the bland side, which I suppose is necessary not to offend some palates, but Asian food is supposed to be flavourful and tangy. I find that when I'm having a craving for a nice hot noodle soup, making a flex dinner is the way to go.

This soup is a little time consuming to make, but despite being low calorie, it's rich in taste. I got the recipe from The Biggest Loser Cookbook, which has a lot of great recipes. Not all of them fit into the Nutrisystem program but so far I like all the ones I've tried that do!

Flex Meals (Dinner):

Asian Meatball Soup:



Soup:
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
5 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 oz dry pasta
1/3 cup bamboo shoots
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp chili paste (or to taste)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
chopped fresh mint leaves, to taste (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro, to taste (optional)

Meatballs:
12oz extra lean ground pork
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
2 tbsp minced shredded carrot
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg white
1 tsp sesame oil

In a medium pot, pour the broth, ginger, green onions, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. In a bowl, combine the pork, water chestnuts, carrot, onion, green onion, sesame oil, and egg white. Shape the mixture into small meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I made 36 meatballs out of this amount. Boil the pasta according to instructions and set aside. Remove the ginger from the soup and discard. Turn the heat back to high and add the bamboo shoots, lime juice, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, chili paste, and meatballs. Divide the pasta into 4 soup bowls and ladle 1/4 of the soup into each bowl; top with the bean sprouts and chopped herbs if desired.

I used dark soy sauce so my broth looks very dark- if you use regular soy sauce it will have a more photogenic appeal!

This counts as a dinner entree, vegetable, and a fat serving. Each serving (may vary depending on your ingredients) contains 303 calories, 34g protein, 21g carbs, and 9g fat. It will definitely warm you up on a cold day (especially if you add a little more chili paste!).

Mmm... Chocolate...

One thing I love about Nutrisystem is the availability of chocolate. I can have chocolate for 3 meals a day, if I want to (now, if only they'll produce a chocolate bar for dinner!), and it's pretty darn good chocolate in my opinion.

I also really like the flexibility, because if NS doesn't make something that I want, odds are pretty good that I can come up with a reasonable facsimile myself using one of their entrees as a base.

One of my favourite desserts is Chocolate Lava Cake. That might be a little hard to make in a shelf stable format, but fortunately it's pretty easy to make it on your own!


Nutrichocolates (Dessert):



1/2 pkg Nutrisystem Microwave Chocolate Cake Mix
1/2 pkg Nutrisystem Nutrichocolates
fruit & whipped topping for garnish, if desired

Pour half the cake mix into a bowl and add water. I find that the cake tastes better and I like the texture when I use slightly more than the suggested amount of water and just cook it a little longer. When the batter is well mixed, pour it into a small dish sprayed with PAM. Place 1/2 pkg of Nutrichocolates in the centre of the cake and cover with a little batter. Microwave for about 1:30 or until done. Turn the cake over onto a plate and add garnish. Serve warm.

This isn't quite as gooey and melty as traditional lava cake, but it definitely got rid of the craving for me! It has a rich, chocolatey taste that feels decadent.

Now, I'm aware that the Nutrisystem Microwave Chocolate Cake is discontinued so it may be a little hard for you to find, unless you get lucky on eBay or Craigslist. However, there is a great substitute made by Wonderslim that is definitely worth trying. You prepare it the same way so it should be a good substitute.

Since you're combining two desserts, you only get to use half of each item so that it still counts as one dessert entree. I highly recommend not making two at once unless you've got a friend to eat the other one, because this is so good it's pretty hard to stop at just one!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

New Year's Resolutions

Well, another year is coming to an end. Where did 2010 go? It feels like just a few short weeks ago that I had a little baby who couldn't even roll over, and now I have a toddler who chatters away!

I was also still wearing maternity clothes then. Just for the heck of it, I put on some of them the other day. It was a real confidence booster to see them just hanging off me. I know the number on the scale has changed, but when I don't think of myself differently (I still see myself as fat and my body doesn't look that changed to me, even if it does to everyone else), it's nice to have a reminder.

So as usual at this time of year, a frequent topic of conversation is New Year's resolutions. I'll be the odd one out I suppose by saying that I don't really believe in them. Honestly, I've never kept one for longer than a few weeks and I don't know anyone else who has, either. It feels to me like New Year's Resolutions are an excuse to pretend that you want to change something you aren't really ready to change. If you were really ready to change it, you wouldn't need to wait for an arbitrary day- you'd just DO it.

What were you thinking of resolving this year? Is it something you really want to do, or is it just a gesture you're not ready to make a commitment for yet? Why not start today? If you really want to do it, you will. You can do anything you put your mind to, so go ahead and get started!

Mental Breakthrough

I'm trying to look at this as a positive event but I'm still having a hard time dealing with it, I guess. Way back in April, I wrote a post that was inspired by the Biggest Loser, because Jillian insisted that there is something psychological behind everyone who is as overweight as I was.

At the time, I did a lot of thinking and I just couldn't come up with a reason for myself. I figured that I was probably just lazy and accustomed to convenience food, and that I had little willpower and if I liked something I continued to eat long past the point where I should stop. Those things were true, but they aren't the whole reason. I guess I figured that I was just plain fat, with nothing screwing up my head. I was wrong.

I know it's not just the convenience food issue now, because nothing is more convenient than Nutrisystem. If I'm hungry, all I have to do is open a package and I've got a meal. Maybe it's not quite as good as it could be if I fixed it up, but most of them by far are still pretty darn good for packaged food.

Then today, I finally got it. I don't even really like writing it so I don't know how people can bring themselves to deal with their issues on TV. Writing this post has been difficult but I wanted to share it with you in case it helps someone else.

I've read about people who comfort themselves with food- they're unhappy, so they self medicate with things they like. I had considered this but eventually dismissed it because it used to be that when I was upset, I just wouldn't eat at all until my blood sugar dropped and I started to feel very sick and then I'd just end up grabbing whatever was handy. That seemed pretty far from grabbing a bag of cookies to cheer myself up.

I'd been feeling a little down lately- maybe it's holiday blues or whatnot. I've just been stressed and a little overwhelmed trying to handle everything on my own, and not being able to get out because of the weather hasn't helped. So today my thoughts again turned to ordering in some junk food. After I put my son to bed, I sat down to really think about why. It's certainly less convenient than Nutrisystem, definitely more expensive, and I always feel horrible afterwards. Then I thought about the occasions I've written about here where I had difficulty staying on track, and it just hit me- I'm not medicating myself, I'm punishing myself. Part of me wants me to fail, and to feel bad about myself.

I guess most of us have that little devil on our shoulder, but I am not going to let him win. I don't deserve to feel bad, and I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I've said it before- the only person stopping me from becoming the person I want to be is myself, and I'm in control of that.

Knowledge is power. I have a feeling that it's going to be a lot easier to resist those urges next time they appear!

Woohoo!

Well, Christmas has come and gone for another year- I hope you all had a lovely holiday. My family has all left and my husband's out of town so it's just me and my son for the next few days.

My holiday week got a lot nicer when I got on the scale this morning- I officially lost 6.4lbs this week! I know that once this water weight drops I'll be back to my usual 1.5lbs or so per week, but for now, I'm going to enjoy it. All I did was get right back on the program once I got home- no extra effort or heroics and the weight I gained on the cruise is just melting off.

This week's weigh in is really helping get me motivated again- I know that I can do this and I can't wait to get my next Nutribear!

Disclosure: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem Canada is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post.

Happy Holidays!

I wanted to wish all of you a very happy holiday season, whatever you celebrate at this time of year. Best wishes to you and your families.

I had a lovely Christmas. My mother and her husband came last night and stayed over for a visit. Traditionally, we celebrate Christmas early morning on the 25th and then have a big breakfast of blueberry pancakes, hot Italian sausages, and orange juice. I had made a promise to myself to be on track for today, but I wasn't going to miss my traditional breakfast! Of course, I didn't have to. I made myself a pouch of Nutrisystem Blueberry Pancake Mix and added 1/2 serving of blueberries to them and had some sugarfree maple syrup with them. I also cooked a dairy/protein serving of turkey sausage and had a glass of orange juice. I find most juices are too sweet for my taste but if you add a little water, not only does it taste better but it stretches farther for the same calories.

Then I had a normal NS lunch- I put the Chicken Salad on a Flatout wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions, and saved my extra protein serving for dinner. We had a traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixings- turkey breast, mashed potatoes (made with fat free milk and margarine), mashed plain sweet potatoes, garlicky green beans, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. We tend not to add much to our side dishes except for seasoning, so it's OK to indulge in my green beans! I kept myself to a small portion of mashed potatoes and stuffing, and for dessert I made my cheesecake recipe. I thought about making apple crisp but I just love cheesecake!

So it's been a good day and I feel like despite enjoying a holiday meal, I stayed pretty close to where I wanted to be foodwise. And I still got to enjoy time with my family and a yummy meal without feeling bloated!

Again- happy holidays and I hope Santa brought you something special this year! Even if he didn't- YOU brought yourself something special. Confidence, determination, and the willingness to make a change. Those are gifts worth treasuring.

Holiday Temptations

So far, it's been pretty easy to avoid holiday temptations this year since we missed most of Christmas party season while we were on the cruise, and I'm the one cooking and I don't plan on doing any baking or anything like that! Besides- I made a commitment to get back on track and nothing is going to keep me from it, Christmas or no Christmas. Whatever decision you make for yourself personally over the holidays, just remember that tomorrow is a new day and it can be whatever you want it to be.

I've been weighing myself daily since I got back from the cruise just to keep an eye on how my loss has progressing. I am happy to see that a lot of what I gained was just sodium retention, so it's coming off pretty quickly. That makes me no longer regret enjoying my trip! It was definitely worth it because I do want this to be a lifestyle change and not a diet, and that means that I have to be reasonable.

Of course, now that I'm not on the ship, I have to make my own fabulous desserts! I just wish I could pick up the phone and call room service instead! I did make a delicious dessert a few days ago but I forgot to put the memory card in my camera when I took the photo, so I'll have to make it again to share with you. It was delicious!

I also have some interesting news to share with you all. I've been asked to become a part of Nutrisystem's Blogger Program- in fact, I'm the first member of Nutrisystem Canada's program. My agreement with Nutrisystem requires me to continue writing feedback about my experiences with the program, and they have agreed to provide me with 5 months' of meals at no cost.

Over the past ten months while I was independent, you all saw me write honestly about my thoughts on the program, whether they were good or bad. I will continue to do so while I am a Nutrisystem Blogger because I want this blog to be a resource for people thinking about trying the program so that they can see what they actually get, as well as a support system for those of you who are already following the program. Not to mention a support system for me- hearing from all of you really helps keep me going when I struggle with my motivation or when I'm just having a bad day.

I promise to keep going- even when times are tough, if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, we'll get where we want to be. And I'll keep writing from along the way.

I'm Home!

We had a wonderful trip, although it was a little shocking to the system to leave sunny Caribbean beaches for snow! It was definitely a great way to relax and skip the pre-Christmas insanity, though.

OK, I'm just trying to delay things a bit. The food on the cruise was wonderful- very rich French cuisine, and I had an all inclusive drinks package, which I definitely made the most of. I ate less than I would have a year ago (but probably drank more, honestly) but still enjoyed every bite. At the time, I would have told you that it was absolutely worth it.

I gained 11.6lbs. Now that I'm home, it feels frustrating that the pounds could return that quickly. Do I wish that I didn't have to re-lose the same pounds? 100%. And I'll regret every minute of that time that is wasted when I could be closer to my goal. I wonder now if I could have enjoyed myself as much on the trip without going quite so hog wild, but I don't really know the answer.

But as I've said elsewhere in my blog, you can't change the past, only the future. I had a great time on my trip so I'm just going to accept the consequences and move on. I promise you all that I'll be right back on track and I will lose the weight that I want to. I know that I can do it, and I will. So stay tuned for updates!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Well, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Florida. My son and I are both still under the weather so I hope the flight isn't too painful for him, poor little guy. He's never flown before so I'm not sure how he's going to handle it. I guess we'll see and hopefully he'll sleep.

At least I can go away proud that I had another good weighin- I lost another 1.6lbs this week! I've been very busy getting ready for the trip and taking care of my son so I haven't had much time to exercise beyond walking with him, so when I get home I want to be right back on track. In my one month challenge with my friend, I lost 7.6lbs- nothing special but certainly a respectable total for this stage of my weight loss. Now my goal is not to gain all that back while I'm on my trip! Like I said before, my plan is to start the day with a healthy breakfast and then we'll see how it goes. I don't plan to deny myself things because this IS a lifestyle change and not a diet, but on the other hand, I want to make sure that if I indulge, that it's worth it to me. I don't want to eat something just because it's there and then regret it next time I step on the scale!

But no matter what happens on the cruise, when I get home I'll be right back on program. I'm finally starting to like what I see when I look in the mirror, and feel like I have more energy. Nothing I could ever eat or drink is worth going back to the way I was at my starting weight.

Hope you all enjoy your pre holiday season, and I'll be back in a few weeks!

New Ideas

What new items would you like to see Nutrisystem offer? There have been comments online that we will have some new items soon, and I'm looking forward to seeing what gets released! Choices are always good (although I will miss some of the items that have been discontinued along the way). I've asked for the Beef Tacos to be brought back, and I'd love to see some new lunches especially since I find the selection the weakest there (well, after 44 weeks anyway; it didn't start to bother me until recently and I just choose to flex lunch more often to stay content and on track). I am hoping for a cream of mushroom soup as well- a yummy quick meal but also great for cooking with if you're so inclined.

Please share your ideas with Nutrisystem on this thread. If you don't have an account at Nutrisystem.com, you can sign up for one free. The Nutrisystem website is a great resource- you can track your weight and your calories (if you wish- it's not necessary on this program if you don't want to), read tips on weight loss and motivation every day on the Daily Dose, and chat with other Nutrisystem clients on the message boards. You can also make neat things like a weight graph or tickers to watch your progress. I definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't done so already!

My son and I are both feeling under the weather, so I'm trying to stick to quick meals that aren't hard on my stomach. Things like the Chicken Noodle Soup and Homestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy have been a big help with staying on program when I'm too tired to do anything but heat and eat!