I'm still here!

Sorry it's been so long since I updated. We went out of town for an event my husband was part of and for some reason the computer I had access to blocked Blogger so I wasn't able to post.

Things have been going really well- this past week I lost 3.2lbs to bring my total to 40lbs! I'm so excited to be getting my next Nutribear. Since my son was born, I have lost 65lbs.

I've had to do a lot of flexing this past week as well since I was out of town and doing a lot of eating at restaurants. I'm especially proud of the 3.2lb loss this week as a result because I made conscious decisions to eat well while I was out- and I still enjoyed my meals!

We ate at one truly wonderful restaurant. It's easy to find when you go out that to get your meal without all the fatty extras, you have to ask for substitutions and witholdings, and it gets annoying. I don't really mind and restaurants are happy to do it, but it's so nice to go out to eat and just be able to order a meal and know it's going to be healthy and delicious without any changes at all. If you find yourself in the Thornhill area of Ontario, definitely make a stop at Shoom Shoom. I went with a group of people and I was actually able to enjoy a healthy meal with appetizers, entree, and dessert! We started with an order of warm whole wheat pita bread served with baba ganoush and hummus, then a large green salad. Their salad dressing is fat free, and it's a very thick, flavourful basil vinaigrette. For my entree I chose grilled rainbow trout fillet with steamed vegetables and for dessert I had their all fruit smoothie. It was a wonderful meal and I would love to eat there even if I wasn't trying to lose weight!

I've got some ideas in mind for new recipes, so check back soon!

What was your favourite meal?

One of the dishes that contributed to my weight gain was the delicious spinach dip appetizers that are served at a variety of restaurants. Mmm... gobs of melted cheese with just enough spinach for flavour, served with nachos or deep fried pita points or some other calorie-laden concoction. I'm definitely a carb and cheese addict so this was right up my alley. I decided to try and find a way to make something similar but NS friendly. At first, it seemed almost impossible!

Cream of Broccoli Soup (Lunch):


I started by adding 2 squares of Laughing Cow Cheese light to the soup mix, and then pouring slightly less than the usual amount of hot water into the cup and covering it and letting it stand. In the meantime, I thawed 3 cubes of frozen diced spinach and microwaved them with a little garlic. When the soup was ready (it's much thicker than usual with the LC cheese and the reduced water), I stirred in the spinach and put it in the microwave. If you have a carb serving, now's the time to grab some Guiltless Gourmet Garlic & Herb pita chips and enjoy the dip with them. If not, pick up a Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast and spoon some dip on top (sprinkle with a tiny bit of shredded cheese) and then heat. The rest of the dip is delicious over steamed asparagus, green beans, or broccoli. Just like the Flame Broiled Beef Patty, the Grilled Chicken Breast can be used as a protein serving in conjunction with another entree if you don't add the carb. Of course, you can always use your own serving of grilled chicken breast as long as it meets the dairy/protein requirements of 100 calories or less, 3g of fat or less, 7g of protein or more.

I really enjoyed this dip- it definitely satiated my craving for something fatty and cheesy. And believe me, when you're coming off a zero loss week, sometimes all you want to do is stuff your face, stupid as that is.


Chicken A La King (Lunch):


Sorry about the terrible picture- I must have moved the camera while I was taking it. This is a discontinued Nutrisystem lunch item that I thought was pretty good. It is chicken and noodles in a creamy sauce. It wasn't anything special but I enjoyed it and would eat it again. I have 4 left I think but I probably won't be seeking it out like other discontinued items such as the Beef Tacos and Microwave Chocolate Cake.


Mushroom Risotto (Dinner):


For the past week, I've been switching up my lunches and dinners to try and get my metabolism moving again. So this gave me a protein to use with my dinner, so I decided to have the risotto with extra cremini mushrooms as a side dish instead of an entree. I ate one of the salmon burgers I mentioned in my previous post with my dinner carb serving along with it. Boy, was I stuffed after lunch! This meal had 44 grams of protein and you really noticed it. I had a hard time coming up with words to describe the risotto. It is zesty but not spicy, and very yummy. My husband tasted it and he described it as rich, flavourful, and very satisfying. I'll be ordering it again. I think you'll have to try this one for yourself to see if you like it- it's very unique. I know what you're thinking; usually unique means bad, tactfully. But that really isn't the case here!

If you're hungry and you know it...

Occasionally I've been having trouble with being hungry again. I know it's not helping that I'm not getting enough sleep, because when I'm tired, my body has stronger urges to eat so I have enough energy to make it through the day. I also saw an article in Men's Health that said people gained 55% more weight in their abdomen when they got fewer than six hours of sleep at night. I'll really be happy when my son starts to sleep through the night! He'll do it when he's ready but I hope it will be soon.

So, to alleviate my hunger pangs, I started thinking of more creative ways to use my dairy/protein servings. I miss soups, which are usually very high in fat and sodium, so I found a way to make one of my favourites NS friendly. Nutrisystem has several Asian inspired entrees, and this would be a perfect appetizer to go along with one or just as a yummy snack during the day.


Egg Drop Soup (Powerfuel):


2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 egg
1 chopped green onion
1 tsp cornstarch blended with cold water until smooth
1 drop dark soy sauce (optional)

Heat the chicken broth until boiling on the stove, then stir in the cornstarch and allow soup to thicken. Crack your egg in a bowl and stir gently with a fork but no need to blend. Pour the egg into the broth and stir. Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for a few minutes before pouring it into a bowl and topping with green onions. If desired, add a tiny bit of dark soy sauce- that stuff is powerful so you really don't need much! This counts as a Powerfuel plus free foods. It is packed with protein and low calorie so it will definitely curb those hunger pangs, not to mention being so quick and easy to make.

Orange Chicken Breast with Vegetables & Rice (Dinner):


The soup was delicious as an appetizer for this meal, but I wasn't really a big fan of the orange chicken. Unlike most NS rice entrees, though, there was lots of it in this meal which was nice. I just didn't really care for the sauce. It was filling and edible but not one of my favourite meals.


Fettuccine Alfredo (Lunch):


With all the other yummy lunches out there, I've been kind of avoiding the 9 fettuccine alfredos I have sitting in my cupboard. I really liked this at first but I've found so many meals I like better that this one had kind of fallen by the wayside. Today I tried a recipe I found on the NS boards to jazz it up a bit and I think I'll be eating it a little more often again! It's not very photogenic but it sure tastes good!

Beef Stroganoff:

1 pkg Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pkg Flame Broiled Beef Patty
low sodium beef broth (to fill line)
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
cremini mushrooms, chopped
onions, chopped
garlic to taste
chives to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil the beef broth and use it instead of water to make the Fettuccine Alfredo; cover and set aside. Rehydrate the Flame Broiled Beef Patty (I used the remaining broth for this as well) and set aside. Spray a pan with PAM and fry the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender. Dice the Beef Patty into little pieces and add to the vegetable pan. Pour in the sour cream and stir in the chives (I use freeze dried). Add the Fettuccine Alfredo and stir until blended; allow to thicken. If desired, top with a little Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

I'll admit that I used to really love Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. Salty, fatty, but quick and delicious. This meal doesn't have quite the same flavour as the boxed one, but it has a delicious flavour all its own. I really enjoyed it.

*sigh*

No loss this week. I'm not sleeping very well and have been stressed out with some family stuff, so I don't know if that affected things. The worst part is, I haven't even cheated! You'd think at least if I have to go through the crushing disappointment of not losing anything, that I'd have gotten to do something to enjoy it, eh?

I hope I haven't plateaued already because I still have a long way to go. I'll just have to start changing things up and getting more exercise in- I refuse to allow this to derail me.

I started off today by switching my lunch and dinners, as recommended by the Nutrisystem counselors. I am not really sure how it helps, but it doesn't hurt to try it. I've also decided to give up one of my additional carb servings daily and see if that helps.

I was at the grocery store yesterday, and I found a fantastic option for a dairy/protein, one that is definitely worth saving my extra carb serving for! I picked up a box of Compliments Balance Wild Salmon Burgers- 120 calories, 3g of fat, and a whopping 21g of protein. It is slightly over the stats for a dairy/protein (capped at 100 calories with minimum 7g of protein) but I think the additional protein more than makes up for it. So for lunch today I had my dinner entree (the Lasagna, yum!), and for dinner I am going to have the salmon burger and Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes with steamed asparagus and green beans. I'm looking forward to it!

Hopefully I can break through this quickly- it gets disheartening to work so hard and feel like it's all for nothing. Funny how the Daily Dose tends to have such appropriate things for me at just the right time... it gives me hope that other people have walked the same path and gotten caught at similar times. And if they can get through it, so can I.

The last of the cherries!

I finally made it through the last of the cherries (of course, it helped that I enjoyed the cheesecake so much that I made another one for dessert tonight!).

I saw this recipe and decided to give it a try. I'm not a big fan of oatmeal but I believe in trying everything once. After all, you never know, right?

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal (Breakfast):


Stuffed Oatcakes

1 pkg Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1/4 tsp baking powder

2oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp sugarfree syrup

In a small bowl mix the oatmeal and the water. Cook in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, add in egg beaters and baking powder and combine. Heat a non stick skillet and spray with cooking spray. Use the batter to make 2 pancakes about the same size. While they are cooking mix together the cream cheese and the syrup. Place one oat cake on your plate and top with cream cheese mixture, followed by the next oat cake. Drizzle with additional syrup or fruit if desired.

Honestly- this was not one of my favourite breakfasts. It wasn't bad- just not to my taste. I prefer the more pastry-like sweet breakfasts. I do think this would work well as a savory breakfast, though. Instead of the cream cheese, add a slice of fat free cheese, an egg, and maybe a piece of veggie sausage so it's almost like the McDonalds McGriddle. I may have to try that next time!

Cherry Overload!

Well, I had to get through that can of sugarfree cherry pie filling I opened, right? So cherry everything it is until then! I am really enjoying my experimentations with it though- so far everything's been really yummy!

This recipe is very similar to the Blueberry Ricotta Danish I posted about before, using the Blueberry Pancake Mix, but modified so you can enjoy chocolate with your cherries. The inspiration is from the NS boards.

Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (Breakfast):


Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake Bun

1 pkg Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix
1 oz fat free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp + 2tsp Splenda
1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 c buttermilk
2-3 tbsp SF cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve casserole dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 tsp of the dry pancake mix, 2 tsp Splenda and 1/4 tsp vanilla. In another small bowl, stir together the pancake mix, buttermilk, and remaining Splenda and vanilla. Pour the batter into the casserole dish. Drop the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter, then top with pie filling. Bake until done (about 20-25 minutes) Let cool before eating.

I liked this but preferred the danish with ricotta cheese as opposed to cream cheese. I found that it kept the bun moist and light while this was a little drier. I would consider making some kind of sauce (perhaps thickening a Da Vinci or Torani vanilla or chocolate syrup?) and drizzling it on top.


This dessert isn't quite the real thing, but it's close enough that you can definitely close your eyes and pretend. It's also in a big enough serving that I actually felt like a glutton for eating it all, but low calorie enough that you can enjoy every bite guilt free.

Flex Meals (Dessert):

The guidelines for a flex dessert are:

Dessert

1 Dairy Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving

NY Style Cheesecake


1 large graham cracker, crushed into crumbs
2 oz fat free cream cheese
2 tbsp light ricotta cheese
1 tbsp vanilla Greek yogurt
2 1/2 tbsp Splenda
1 1/2 tbsp Egg Beaters
1/2 tsp lemon juice or vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp of fruit or sugarfree pie filling
1-2 tbsp fat free whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together cheeses, yogurt, Splenda, juice/extract and Egg Beaters and stir until well blended. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray (I used a mini silicone loaf pan). Add in the graham cracker crumbs and shake around to coat bottom of dish. Pour cheesecake filling into dish and put the dish into a larger oven safe dish and add water about half way up the side of the mini pan in the larger dish to create a water bath. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes, then turn off toaster oven or oven and let it sit in the oven for 10 minutes. I put mine in the fridge to let it set while I had dinner, and then topped with the cherry filling and whipped cream.

I honestly thought when I looked at the recipe on the NS boards that this was going to taste like crap. I mean, I couldn't even imagine that this would produce something even similar to that rich, cheesecake flavour that I love. I fully expected to be pitching it and choosing a different dessert!

Boy, was I ever pleasantly surprised. The texture is perfect and the flavour is very close. Does it have that heavy taste? No, it's not quite as dense, but as long as you aren't eating it right after eating a piece of the good stuff (and who does that?), I think you'll find this a delicious substitute!

Cinco de Mayo!

OK, so I'm a few weeks late! I love Mexican food and I've been trying to find as many ways as possible to enjoy it while on NS (if anyone at Nutrisystem Headquarters is reading- bring back the Beef Tacos!!!!). I read about a great way to adapt the veggie fajita into a delicious Mexican dinner.

Vegetable Fajita (Dinner):


Make it into Mexican lasagna, of course!


1 pkg vegetable fajita
chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes
8 oz water
garlic powder, pepper, chili powder, and cumin (to taste)
1 tbsp green chilis
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce
1 tortilla
1/2 cup cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
chopped green onions and tomatoes for garnish

In a pan, saute chopped onions, bell peppers, 8 oz water, fajita mix, spices, and chilis until thickened. Add enchilada sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cut tortilla in six equal triangles, then start layering into lasagna, alternating tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and fajita mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and garnish with sour cream, diced tomatoes, and green onions.

This is SO filling and delicious. I was stuffed by the time I finished the bowl. The best part is, since everyone gets to add a carb with the veggie fajita, anyone can enjoy this recipe. I happen to be one of those nuts who like the fajita just the way it is, but it is definitely improved when served like this!

Flex Meals (Breakfast):

Here are the stats for a breakfast on your own:

Breakfast

1 Dairy Serving
1 Lean Protein Serving
1 Fruit Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving

I got this recipe idea off the NS boards, and while it's not very photogenic- it's delicious! It does require some prep time though so unless you're lucky enough to be on maternity leave like I am, you might want to save it for a weekend treat.

Cherry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast Bowl


2 pieces of low calorie wheat bread
2 oz fat free cream cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Splenda
1/4 cup + 1 tsp Egg Beaters
1/4 cup fat free milk

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Splenda
1/3 c sugar free cherry pie filling

Spray a single serving casserole dish with PAM spray. In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with lemon juice, 1 tbsp Splenda, and 1 tsp Egg Beaters. Set it aside. In another small bowl mix together 1/4 cup Egg Beaters, milk, vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of Splenda. In the casserole dish, break up one slice of bread into small chunks. Top it with the cream cheese mixture. Add the cherry pie filling, then the next slice of bread, also broken into chunks. Pour the egg mixture on top and press the bread down well to make sure all the egg mixture soaks up into it. Spray the top with some cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven before you devour it!

Will someone please tell me how it is possible to eat such yummy things for breakfast and still lose weight? Bueller?


And here's another review of a tasty NS dessert item. Don't forget that chocolate melts during the summer so if you want to order some of these, do it soon!

Thin Mint Crisp Bar (Dessert):


Yum! This is basically a chocolate granola bar with mint flavouring drizzled with chocolate. I do like the Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar better but that's because I prefer just plain chocolate. I do enjoy this for a change of pace though- definitely give it a try if you like mint.