Feelin' Chalky

Saturday, April 17, 2010

I'm a Loser!

I actually used that title because I had that song playing in my head...anyone know who sang it?  OK...no...not Beck...The Beatles!  ;) I guess the title fits what I am going for anyway though, right?  In fact, I think it's GOOD to be a loser in my case!

That brings me to week 9!  Wow...has it been that long already?  This week, I lost 4 pounds!  That brings my total to 26.4!  "Cel-e-brate good times, come on!"  ;)  I have been thinking about what I have been doing - the good and bad - so far in this journey to healthy living and here is what I came up with:

Good
I am eating AT LEAST 3 servings of fruits and veggies everyday - really!
Most of my grains are whole grains...I eat very little "white" foods (white bread, white rice, pasta, potatoes - I do eat and love sweet potatoes though)
As a family our consumption of processed food has decreased dramatically (I would guess we are about 75% raw/fresh and 25% processed)
I eat out less and plan ahead when I do
I cook more and enjoy cooking more!
I track like a crazy person - I take time to enter recipes in and try to be very honest and accurate
I drink water or Vitamin Water Zero - that's it - pop is gone forever and I am not a big coffee drinker, so that doesn't really bother me - I will have a Starbucks one of these days though!  I do like tea, but have been too lazy to make it!
I use measuring cups and spoons, my food scale, and my points calculator EVERY day (I am slightly obsessive - in a good way)

Bad
I still love chocolate and my one guilty pleasure is Snickers Ice Cream Bars (they are in the freezer right now).  However, I used to want to eat three at a time...now I cut them in half and give the other half to my hubby.  And...I only indulge in them once a week.
I am not exercising as much as I want to be - no excuse - just haven't made that a priority or habit yet  :(
I still pick at my kids' food (sometimes I don't even realize I do it) - I'll eat a goldfish here and an animal cracker there, but I do track it and try my best to account for those "extra" points
I ate M&Ms the other day...but I only ate 4...

The worst thing in my fridge right now?  Hmmm...probably all of the full-fat cheeses.  I have a confession...I love cheese and I am pretty picky when it comes to what I like.  I do not like fat-free cheeses and really I would rather "spend" the extra points and use a little less of a cheese that I love rather than a lot of a cheese that tastes like cardboard.  Same with yogurt and such.  I cannot stand aspartame, so I hate the light yogurts that are out there...but I love yogurt...I just have to control how much I eat of it and make sure I account for the points.  You all know what my fav yogurt is, I don't even have to go there.  ;)

My friend Kristin gave me a recipe the other day that my whole family LOVED (did I say loved?).  I want to share it with everyone.  It has veggies, whole grains, lean meat and healthy oils in it...and it tastes fantastic!  :)  My hubby ate squash, people!

Kristin's Turkey Quinoa Casserole

1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 T olive oil
5-6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 c. acorn squash, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (or dried sage)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (I used stock b/c I like it better)
1 c. quinoa, rinsed
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
6 oz. reduced-fat Monterey-Jack cheese, shredded (I used mild cheddar)

To cook the acorn squash: Cut in half, scoop out seeds, and place cut-side down onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a skillet, saute onion in olive oil on med-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.  Add mushrooms, squash, and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add turkey, breaking it into small pieces as it browns, about 3-5 minutes.  Add poultry seasoning, s&p, stock, and quinoa, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Transfer ingredients from pan into a 9X9 casserole dish.  Mix in parsley and half of cheese.  Sprinkle remaining 3 ounces of cheese on top of casserole.  Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.  I cut this into 6 servings and each serving is 8 points.  YUM!

2 comments:

  1. That's fantastic! Your progress is great! Keep up the good work.

    In regards to your post --

    As far as the bad... the cheese and the yogurts and such... don't feel bad for having standards! As with anything in WW, you can have it -- it's just about portions; but for me, it's really about state of mind. I don't deprive myself of anything I want, I just try the healthy version first. (Case in point: buffalo wings. Love them, they are horrible for you, so I make a buffalo chicken salad and it curbs my cravings!) If the healthy version doesn't work, give in to the real thing... just make it right for you. Eat a big salad and a small portion of, say, pizza. Or fill up on a healthy dinner, so when it's dessert time you only have room for half a piece of pie. It really works, and then you don't ever get that feeling of deprivation.

    Also, let me tell you, as you progress through your journey, exercise will become clutch. At least it has for me. I stuck to my POINTS this week as usual, but I exercised every day. (In the beginning I walked at a slow pace (2mph!), but I'm up to jogging now.) And today's WI? 3.4 lost--even after doing this since July 2009! That's a total of 105 lbs GONE FOREVER with WW and the plan. I don't even think about it; exercise is a must. I give myself 1 day off a week, but otherwise, I wake up thinking about when to fit in that day's half hour. Like you, I have an obsessive personality as well.

    Sorry that rambled on, I hope my advice helps!

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  2. Thanks, Kristen! I hope that I can say 105 pounds gone forever by next year...that is SO awesome! I agree with you...exercise is essential...not just for weight loss but for health in general! :) Way to go for that! I walked a mile today with one of my very best friends and I walked earlier in the week with another one of my very best friends...so much more fun when you have someone to talk to! I am psyched to do the 5K for the walk-it challenge...in fact, I may do 2 this summer! :) Thanks for your encouragement! Keep up the amazing work!

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