Live It, Don't Diet

Positive self-talking

2007-06-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

Ever hear the phrase "What you see is what you get"? Well, that's only part of the picture. It's also true that what you say is what you get. Our words help build our attitude, and the Positive Self-Talking Tool can help you learn how to use words that will keep you motivated and make you feel and perform better.

Use positive self-talking if:

You eat because of low self-esteem.
You constantly beat yourself up or blame yourself when you go "off-course."
You're discouraged because you've suffered a setback.
You are put down by friends or family.
You're overwhelmed by a challenge or obstacle.

When Jim Needed Positive Self-Talking
Jim follows Weight Watchers and still has 175 pounds to lose before he makes it to his weight goal. It's taken Jim three months to lose 20 pounds*. No one has noticed any changes in his appearance, the way he moves or his clothes. Also, his rate of loss is slowing down, and he's figured out that it could take as long as two years to lose the weight his doctor has recommended.
* Results not typical

How Jim Did It (And How You Can Do It, Too)
Let's look at the kinds of things Jim was telling himself before he began to use Positive Self-Talking. Think about what set of attitudes Jim is fostering by saying these things to himself:

What's the use? This could take forever.
I've tried this before and wasn't able to do it. Why do I think it will be different this time?
I've lost 20 pounds and nobody has noticed — not even me. I'd rather be eating the way I used to. Why can't I be like everyone else? Why do I have to have this problem?

Now let's look at some positive statements Jim can say to himself:

I need to do this to have the kind of life I want. And I want to do it. It doesn't matter how long it takes. In two years I can be thinner or still carry all this weight — it will take two years either way.
It will be different this time. I'm a capable and determined person when my sights are set on a goal. Look at my successful business — nobody thought I'd get that off the ground.
Losing 20 pounds represents a major step in the right direction. I've done a wonderful thing. At some point soon I'll begin to feel the difference. If people notice, good. If they don't, I will.

Once Jim learns to recognize negative self-talking and turn it into Positive Self-Talking, he'll find it much easier to stay motivated and keep his eyes on his goal.

As Andrew Matthews, author of Being Happy (Price Stern Sloan, 1990), says: "The words that we use are always filtering into our subconscious mind and becoming a part of our character and makeup. They tell [us and] others how serious and committed we are to getting results."

Can you think of negative statements that you tend to make to yourself? How can you turn those into Positive Self-Talking?

Winning Outcomes

2007-06-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Knowing what you really want is especially important when you're losing weight. Setting goals and determining what the outcome of your actions should be—the Winning Outcome—is a necessary first step toward making it happen.

Make it a point to develop your own Winning Outcome early in your weight-loss journey. Use our tips below to get started. Then review your Winning Outcome periodically to see if your goals have changed in any way; you can edit it at any time.

Create your own Winning Outcome
Start by asking yourself what you want—really want. Then briefly describe this goal in the Winning Outcome box below. Remember to keep your Winning Outcome:

Positive: "I will get to my weight goal," not "I won't be heavy anymore."

Within your control: "I will achieve my weight goal by making healthy food choices" not "I will achieve my goal when my partner stops buying me candy."

Specific: "I will achieve my weight goal by following my plan and keeping track of the food I eat."

A good fit with your life: Ask yourself: Does my Winning Outcome fit my life or the way I want it to be?

Remember, Winning Outcomes don't have to be weight related. I set my goal this year to finish running the Lakefront Marathon under 4 hours. Your Winning Outcomes could be long term or even just specific for the hour, day, week or month.

New Endings to Old Message

2007-05-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

We sometimes can get caught in a rut of thinking that there's only one possible ending because it's been true so often in the past. If you don't get stuck in what you already think is true, you'll be free to create new endings.

When asked to finish these proverbs, a group of 6 year olds gave the following answers.

Don't change horses....until they stop running
Strike while the...bug is close.
Don't bite the hand that....looks dirty.
A penny saved is...not much
Two's company, three's....the Muketeers.

I'm sure you recognized the popular proverbs but knew very different endings. The great thing about this example is that the 6 year olds, didn't know what the endings were. They used their current life experiences, imaginations, and creativity to come up with them. While we have years behind us, to teach us the "correct" endings, we need to use this example as a way to see how when we are stuck in what we already think is true, it can sometimes be difficult to see new endings.

Does this sound familiar? I haven't weighed 165 pounds since high school, why would I be able to do that now? The only way to be at a healthy weight is to take pills, or exercise on this fangled device.

Behaviors can begin changes for us that will help for a lifetime. Behaviors have to change deep within the core of who we are, we have to change our beliefs. We have to unlearn what we have learned (thanks Yoda.) Messages from family, friends, and society can influence our beliefs and in turn have an effect on our weight loss.

Oh..all of my family are big people (so, that's ok that I'm big too.) All of these kinds of thoughts could affect our motivation, and our self confidence. Especially if we let these thoughts turn into truths that we strongly believe in. The longer we've held on to a belief, the longer or harder it may take to change.

Use what you have learned from others trying to lose weight. Use what you have heard at your meetings or from your leaders that will help you change your beliefs. Take one behavior and work on that, and little by little you can change what you believe and then what you ultimately are able to accomplish.

I never thought I would be able to run a mile. In grade school when we would all have to participate in the Presidential Fitness test, I dreaded the evil Mile run. For me, it was like the 10ft run and mile walk. I could never finish anything close to that, while all of the athletic boys trotted to the finish line in 10minutes. Now...after I've lost all the weight, I can do just about anything. Cracking off 5 miles in the morning in 50 minutes is nothing. In fact, I've taken it the next step and signed up for a marathon. Talk about getting rid of limiting beliefs.

Keeping it off

2007-04-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Long-term weight maintenance is possible for everyone. That's almost one of the first beliefs that should become your weight watchers mantra (the first being that you believe you deserve the weight-loss.) Because without believing that this will work for the rest of your life, you're more likely to believe that this is only temporary. It cannot be and should not be temporary, that's why it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

In order for this to work you should remember to eat wisely, be active and regularly attend the meeting. If you're like me, I knew that I wouldn't keep true to attending the meeting, so I decided to get hired by Weight Watchers and become a leader. This way, I'm accountable to a lot more than just myself.

Try and think about what has lasted for a long time in your life and ask yourself what helped to make it endure. Was it persistence, paying attention to it and giving priority? Think about what has made it last and if there is any correlation to how you can make the weight loss last.

For some people it is difficult to keep the weight off long term, but long-term weight maintenance is possible and you are worth it. Weight Watchers Lifetime Members report that they have maintained an average of 87% of their weight loss two years after completing the maintenance phase, and 72% of Lifetime Members maintained a 5% or greater weight loss after two years.

Remember too that for every 1 lb of weight loss it's 3lbs of pressure relived from your knees. ;)

Strategies for successful weight maintenance will not stray far from what you are doing right now. Eat wisely, make movement a part of your life, stay connected to support systems (like blogs), maintain a positive outlook, adjust behaviors (you should examine your successes and slip ups), track your weight and attend meetings. Combining all of these strategies are the basic tools you need to keep the weight off for good.

All too often I see members lose the weight, only to stop attending meetings and then rejoin once they put it all back on. It's the members who have really embraced the lifestyle and continue to come to meetings once a month who I find are the most successful. For them, it's the coming to the meetings and holding themselves accountable to others and themselves that ultimately allow them to keep the weight off long term.

Smart Snacking

2007-04-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

Although overeating between meals might have contributed to our being overweight, snacking can actually be very valuable during weight loss. Smart snacking is part of eating wisely on the TurnAround(r) program.

There are some benefits to snacking: Curbs hunger between meals, prevents subsequent overeating, and you get to enjoy your favorite foods. When snacking it's in your best weight-loss interest to identify:
- When you tend to snack
- Where you tend to snack
- What you snack on

Ask yourself those questions and determine what is and is not working out for you. Half the time we aren't even thinking about this stuff, and rather we're just doing it. Sure we try for the carrots or celery sticks, but sometimes they just don't cut it. That's why we have to think about What we snack on. What are we getting from it. When I snack on a handful of M&M's, it's because I love chocolate and need a sugar fix.

What we need to concentrate on is focusing on those snacks with low energy density. We should look to the foods that don't have a lot of calories per serving. That means for the same weight potato chips versus grapes, the grapes have the lower energy density. Ultimately they should be more satisfying. Giving snacks a nutritional priority will also help. Look to your Week1 books for those suggestions, but I bet you can think of plenty of them.

The decisions will be up to us what snacks to have, and we have to decide that we're worth it and deserve the weight loss.

The Red Meat Cheat Sheet

2007-04-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Article By: Jeffery Lindenmuth Print Email

What’s in those delicious 3 ounces of lean beef, on average?

51% of your daily value of protein*
Important for building muscles, organs and bones

38% of your daily value of zinc*
Helps maintain your immune system and heal wounds

37% of your daily value of Vitamin B12*
Produces red blood cells and helps maintain your nervous system

14% of your daily value of iron*
Especially important for red blood cell production and carrying oxygen to blood cells and tissues, such as your muscles

* Based on a 2,000 calorie diet. You Got Game?

Aside from the novelty of throwing a nice moose steak on the barbie, game meats—both wild and farm-raised—are generally lower in fat than traditional beef. Based on 3 oz. servings, just the meat (not the bread or fixings).

Meat POINTS values
Bison (Buffalo) 3
Venison Steak 3
Elk Tenderloin 2.5
Sometimes, a big salad and another breast of chicken just won't cut it. Sometimes, you need meat. Red meat. A sirloin strip or filet mignon. These tips will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about beef—and then some.

Start with portion size.
You want a 3-ounce serving of red meat, about the size of a deck of cards. Yes, that's way smaller than the 12- and 16-ounce slabs the local steakhouse serves. Which is why their regular patrons can't see their feet.

See the fat, lose the fat.
If you can't trim away the excess fat with your knife, it's the wrong cut for you. That means choosing top sirloin steak over ribeye, or any meat that's described as "marbled" (which is a euphemism for, "the fat's mixed inside the meat"). For example, 3 ounces of filet mignon has 7 POINTS values but if you can cut away a lot of visible fat, that drops to 4 POINTS values.

The De-greasing of America
Beef is about 20 percent leaner than it was in the early 1990s, according to the National Cattlemen's Association.

How lean is "lean?"
Beef can only legally be called "lean" if it has less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3-ounce serving.

Kinder Cuts
There are more than two dozen kinds of beef that qualify as lean or extra lean according to labeling definitions by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lean cuts to look for at the market or a restaurant are listed at the top of the page. All are 3-ounce servings.

Glazed and Confused
Tell the waiter you want your steak without butter glazing. Line chefs pour butter on it right before serving to give it that glistening look of still-sizzling meat.

Supporting Roles
Ordering side dishes in restaurants are dicey because most restaurants saute their vegetables in oil or butter. To save POINTS values, your best bets are a large baked potato without butter for 3 POINTS values and steamed vegetables with a POINTS value of 0.

Holiday Success

2007-04-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

In order to survive the holiday and the all of the temptations that surround, you need to first recognize the challenges that will come. After that, develop some strategies for over coming those challenges.

In the past have you ever felt the only meal you could 'do' on a holiday was celery, carrots and water with lemon? This kind of restrictive thinking most likely caused you not to be successful with that holiday, or even future ones. Perhaps, even causing you to make those decisions that you knew where not helpful to your weight loss effort. Eating wisely on every special occasion may give you the upper hand you need to get through the meal.

Ask yourself, what is going to be challenging for me this holiday? Foods available only once a year? Pressure to eat? Portion control? Knowing how to count traditional foods? Preparing lighter alternatives? What ever the challenge, the key to getting through is to have a strategy or plan to meet these challenges head on. After all without a plan how can you possible succeed in the long term?

After you've focused on one (remember you don't have to conquer every scenario at once) formulate the plan or strategy to cope. It could be to look up the points of foods before hand, focus on core foods (even on flex), save on weekly points, plan ahead for favorite dishes, use Weight Watchers cookbooks for great recipes. Try to focus on the occasion and people.

Imagine that the holiday meal is already over and you've handled it without abandoning their weight-loss efforts. Remember to eat wisely and face the challenges with a plan that makes sense for you and is something you can and WILL do. You can handle holidays and lose weight all at the same time.

Feed the Need

2007-03-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

One of the most common "positive intentions" behind overeating is trying to manage uncomfortable feelings.

I think all of us from time to time, eat not to necessarily to satisfy hunger, but rather to satisfy an emotional need. However we all know too, the consequences of living under that kind of eating habits. There have been plenty of times I know I either feel frustrated (because I didn't plan for something) or aloof, and I don't necessarily care what I eat.

While all of these are understandable, and even to an extent acceptable, it cannot be that for as a long term strategy for weight loss. If we always succumb to our emotions and satisfy the needs we have with food, in the long term we won't be successful. Imagine for a second if we only ate because we were hungry.

What would your weight loss or journey be like?

While emotional eating may not be the best solution, it's normal for someone to want to eat when feeling bored, stressed, anxious, or depressed. It's important to be aware of the feelings that trigger eating, so you'll be better able to find healthier ways to manage the feelings. You may have heard that there is a positive intention behind every behavior. One of the most common positive intentions behind emotional eating is trying to avoid or put off dealing with uncomfortable feelings.

Eating sometimes has a calming effect on your mood and mental function. While using food for comfort might cover a problem temporarily, it doesn't solve the problem. Trying to use food to solve a problem or salve an emotion is like trying to fill a bottomless pit: No matter how much you shovel in, you never fill the hole.

Use a Weight Watchers Tool for Living, Reframing to discover the "need" behind the "feed," and then fill the hole with something other than food. Try to do the following:

1. When you feel: 2. You may really be hungry for: 3. Better Ways to get Number 2

Insecure Confidence **Insert your solution here***

Sad, depressed Happiness

Worried, anxious Calm, control

Bored Stimulation

Frustrated More in control

Hurt Healing

Trapped Freedom

Overlooked Respect

Lonely Connect with others Use a blog

Uncomfortable feelings don't have to lead to overeating. Success comes from facing the feelings and discovering better ways to manage them. Using Reframing to nurture your REAL needs can keep emotional eating to a minimum.

Change in thinking

2007-02-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

This week was great. I got up the mornings I planned on and went running, my longest being 6 miles. For the week I ran about 32 miles which is really nice. I also for some reason changed my way of thinking. I have begun to psych myself up for passing food and making better choices. It's odd to think that someone teaching Weight Watchers is still making better choices.

I will usually get to my goal and then go off program. The key here is that I don't make the best choices when I go off program. Well for this week I went off program, but I didn't do all the things I used to do. I cut out putting peanut butter in my treats and doctoring them up all sorts of ways. I would eat the butts of bread just because they were left. I would stop by the person offering M&M's and I would do all sorts of things that weren't great choices for me. I stopped that this past week and because of it, I lost 2lbs. Back down to 165 (with my clothes on.) It feels great.

Week felt good, but gain says otherwise

2007-02-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

So, I knew the week was a little off. So it would seem that a 2lb gain would reflect that. My little experiment will show that I have to keep track but to a certain extent. I will keep track on line with my points and work outs. I know very well that I've been a little over indulgent in the past week. I haven't really been trying to maintain and I've paid for it. However, I think this week I can stop doing the things I know are not conducive for a weight loss.

However, I still woke up and ran 4.8 miles. So, not all is bad. At least I have that win.

Good week and start of a good week

2007-02-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last week worked out well. I woke up at 4:55 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and yes, Saturday. I ran for about 50 minutes every day, 60 minutes on Saturday (long run day.) For the most part in 50 minutes my treadmill says I got about 4.5 miles. I think it's a little off, but whatever. It's all just temporary until I can run outside again. Not to mention when our kitchen starts to get remodeled, the room I workout in will either become a tempory kitchen or new room for the boys.

I started this week off good and ran again this morning for 4.5 miles. I have not been keeping track of what I've been eating, but I think that my work out routine is keeping me in check. I'll have to watch that when/if I slow down or change my schedule. We'll see how everything turns out tomorrow when I weigh-in.

Another relatively good week.

2007-02-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

I managed to skip only two days worth of running. The morning thing worked out, but last night I ran after the boys went to bed. I think I really enjoy running more at night, then I do in the morning. However, I really think that I'll enjoy it better running at lunch once the weather warms up.

Good week

2007-02-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it would seem my week was just fine. I am able to not track, but to keep up on my running is key.

Last night, I did go for 30 minutes and I managed to squeak out 3.2 miles. For the week I managed to run 22 miles on the treadmill. Pretty good I think. I was wearing heavier clothes today, so I expected my weigh in to be high. However, it was 164.2, just .2 above my goal and down .4 from the week before. It would seem that I'm still making good choices.

Good Weekend

2007-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's !#$en cold here in Wisconsin.

And the best intentions seem great when your up and you have all of your wits about you. While I did run when the boys went down, I did NOT get up at 5am to go running. It was a good run on Friday and I ran a good pace for about 45 minutes. I got about 4.8 miles on the treadmill.

Saturday, not only did I not run in the morning, I didn't run at all. It was my choice, but my calves were tight and sore. We had gone for massages yesterday too and my muscles were worked over so hard it hurt too.

I made up for the rest today, when I ran a slower pace, by about 30 seconds, to run for 65 minutes. That pace took me to 5.8 miles. I don't know exactly what I think about treadmill running. I can definitely run farther and faster outside than I can indoors. Not sure about that one. Incidentally, I'm looking to purchase a Nike+ ipod and sports gear. This thing looks pretty cool if you haven't seen one.

Going ok

2007-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I didn't work out on Wednesday. It just wasn't in the cards. With how work went, I didn't get to run during lunch. And I knew very well that I wouldn't be motivated after my Weight Watchers meeting (it's over with at 7:45) to run at home. I just sucked it up and accepted that.

Thursday I had an awesome run. I was able to keep my 8:30 pace and run 5 miles in about 40 minutes.

Today all of the treadmills were busy at lunch and I didn't feel like riding a bike. Tonight when the boys go down is when I'll run on the treadmill. That should feel good. Tomorrow I'm thinking of waking up early (5am) and running before the boys get up. The weekends seem better when I get my runs over with first thing in the morning. Plus I've already accomplished so much if that's the first thing I do.

Something new.

2007-01-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

I know this might seem weird, but I'm trying something new.

As you know, for November and December I was pretty much off program. And even though I started to train for a marathon ( and I was running a lot) I gained about 8 pounds. As of yesterday, I'm down to 164.6, which is only .6 above my goal. I think that when I started running I was already way above my goal and I just hadn't noticed.

I'm going to not keep track this week, but continue to maintain my workout schedule. I want to see if now that I'm at my goal weight (close enough) is my training enough to keep me in check if I don't track? I think it is, but I will see. This will be my work out schedule for the week.

Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 4 miles
Thursday - Run 4 miles
Friday - Run 4 miles
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Run 6 miles
Monday - Cross train
Tuesday - Rest / weigh in.

2007-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some ideas of foods that may help you get through the day or make your day more enjoyable. Most of these won't cost you too many points and can help to enhance a meal. I especially enjoy Pitas for chips and pizza. Boca burgers are only a point and very good when topped with some cheese.

1. "Quaker Oats Low-Fat Chewy Granola Bars. They've got the size and taste of a regular candy bar. Peanut butter and chocolate are the best!"

2. "Fat-Free Cool Whip with anything! I could kiss the person that invented it!"

3. "Pitas! I can't live without them; they have so many uses. Make pita chips or slice them into two layers and toast them for two tostada shells!"

4. "Ground turkey breast! The meal possibilities are endless! Whether it's sloppy joes, turkey tacos, spaghetti sauce, turkey loaf or turkey burgers…I can find a million ways to make it."

5. "Hormel Turkey Pepperoni—great for making pita pizzas. This has kept me from calling Pizza Hut many nights."

6. "Vegetable Quesadillas. I eat them all the time with fat-free sour cream; they are so filling."

7. "GUM! Chewing sugarless gum has saved me many a day when I wanted to eat, eat, eat."

8. "Folgers Cafe Latte Caramel Groove—it tastes so good."

9. "Grape tomatoes—great for guilt-free snacking."

10. "Tomato juice with horseradish and hot sauce—just like having a Bloody Mary. I like to drink it while making dinner."

11. "A Boca Burger, Wonder Light Bun and Velveeta Light Cheese. They make a low-calorie cheeseburger I can't live without!"

12. "Diet Root Beer. Add a scoop of light vanilla ice cream and have a root beer float."

13. "Pirate's Booty (snack food by Robert's American Gourmet). I wish this goody wasn't so popular because my supermarket constantly runs out of it."

14. "Sweet potatoes sliced into strips and "fried" in a pan with Pam nonstick cooking spray. Yum!"

15. "Splenda! I use it in coffee, desserts, cinnamon toast…anything! It's wonderful."

16. "Nonfat chocolate pudding with just a dollop of light or nonfat whipped cream…so creamy it should be illegal."

Brian M. Espinosa
Rockwell Automation
SSC Change Coordinator
(414-382-2669)

Test Post

2007-01-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

Posting from email test.

Tuesday - 24 points 35 flex

2006-12-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

I weighed in and managed to lose a pound which is good. I'm glad it's going in that direction to 167.8.

I had skim milk in my coffee and a latte (small) - 2 points for the milk
Ham sandwich - 3 points
1 tbs FF French Dressing - 1 point
carrots - 0 points
2 apples - 0 points
whole bag of popcorn - 2 points.
1/4 bagel - 2 points
Sleeve of fruities - 1 point

Now, I haven't eaten all of that yet, but I will and going into dinner I'll have 13 points left. We're having Garden Vegetable soup and Tuna Melts so I should be ok.

Tuesday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-12-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

I know I didn't post for Sunday night and truthfully, I don't remember the names of everything I ate, but it was fish based and delicious.

I won't weigh in until lunch, but this weeks starts a new week, and hopefully I'm down. Here's my breakfast.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

Sunday - 28 points 27.5 flex

2006-12-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, tonight we're going out for a fancy dinner, and I'm just going to wipe all my points. I don't know what I'll be having but my brother is taking us out with a bunch of other people. We're going to one of his high-end restaurants he works for. I'll post what I have, but here is my day so far.

2 eggs - 4points
2 slices wheat toast - 2 points
Ham sandwich - 3 point

Did I mentioned we made Christmas cookies? We didn't skimp on the ingrediants either, and I managed to have 2.5 cookies during the day. We froze the rest so neither one of us would be tempted. Those are 2 points apiece, so 5 points.

Saturday - 23 points 34 flex

2006-12-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, before the bachelor party, I decided to eat some more, because I was hungry after that run. I had a ham sandwich and 2 pieces of toast with a ton of water. That was 5 points, which brought me down to 18 points.

Dinner was a long way away so I thought by eating first my appetite would be curbed. We got down to the bachelor party and I went to Wendy's with the guys. I got an Ultimate Chicken grill combo with small fries. I hoped that was the best choice, and now that I look it up, I think it was.
7.5 points for the sandwich and 10 points for the fries. I'm left with .5 for the night. But here's the thing. Since I was driving I only had two beers the whole night and one coke. That's about 6.5 points I have to dip into flex. 27.5 left for Sunday.

Saturday - 28 points 34 flex

2006-12-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

Today was an easier day. Although, I hurt a little still from manuvering the snow blower. I should really learn to use it and not have it use me. It did the job awesomely.

Today I had to plan because I'm going out for a bachelor party. Dinner isn't planned which can be good and not good. I won't be drinking too much since I'll be driving, still, in anticipation, I ran.

Oatmeal - 2 points
2 slices of toast - 2 points
1 wheat wrap - 1 point
2slice pork loain - 2 point
1/4c cheese - 2 points
carrots - 0 points
apple - 0 points
water
30min run - +4

So, going into dinner and the party, I'm sitting at 23 points yet for the day. Yeah..I think I'll be ok. Still, it's better I make good choices now instead of just throwing it to chance.

Friday Snowday - 28 points 34 flex

2006-12-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I was at home today during the 12inches of snow that dumped on our fine city. I had whole day to eat normally, work, and snow blow. While I did blow snow for over a couple hours and handled a 75 pound machine, it didn't count as activity points.

Slice of wheat toast - 1 point
110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

1 wheat wrap - 1 point
1 serving pretzels - 2 points
1/2 pork loin - 2 points
1/4 cup Mozz Cheese - 2 points

1 Chicken Breast - 2 points
1 serving of French Fries - 3 points
Corn - 0 points
Skim Milk - 2 points

It would seem I have used 19 points and have some more left. However, I'm not sure I'm that hungry. I think I'll have some peanut butter and brownies.

Dinner - 17 points 34 flex

2006-11-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

I was on my own, but that doesn't mean I have to be bad.

I had 5 pieces of toast (I know that's a lot) but I wanted to and it was only 5 points. I had three eggs for 6 points. That's only 11 freaking points. That just blows my mind. I did have 2 animal crackers and the boys fed me some of their mac and cheese. I'm not going to eat the rest of my points and just call it even. It's not that important since I worked out.

Thursday - 28 points 34 flex

2006-11-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

I'm on my own for tonight with the boys.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

30m Stationary Bike ride - +3 points
Small salad
-Craisen's - 1 point
-2tb Blue Cheese - 3 points
Ham Sandwich - 3 points
Carrots - 0 points
Pear - 0 points

Going into the afternoon I have 17 points without the activity. I don't think I'm going to use the activity points today, but we'll see.

Wednesday 14 points 34 flex

2006-11-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

Here went dinner.

2oz Whole Wheat Spaghetti - 2 points
Chhix Patty - 4 points
Spaghetti Sauce - 0 points
Garlic Bread - 2 points
Skim Milk - 2 points
Green Beans - 0 points
2 pieces of bread - 2 points

The other points I didn't use, and I did, it was small enough to be miscellaneous. It was a good running day.

Wednesday - 18 points 34 flex

2006-11-29T12:51:00.000-08:00

It turns out, I did end up eating that sandwich for three points. I also has a sucker, that was 1 point. I didn't eat the whole thing, but still counted the whole point.

I have 14 left for the day. Tonight it's wheat spaghetti with fake chicken patties. It should be about a 10 point dinner. If I decide not to eat more, I don't have to use my activity points.

Wednesday - 24 points 34 flex

2006-11-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to run outside, it was raining. But I did get to do a 5k inside.

30min run - +4
Big salad - 0
Bacon - 3 points
1/4 mixed nuts - 5 points (more reasonable)
2tbs FF French Dressing - 1 point
1/4 craisens - 1 point

After all that I have 18 points. I have a sandwich leftover, however, I think I'll save that for just before I leave for home.

Wednesday - 28 points 34 flex

2006-11-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

As it turns out, I forgot to add my milk last night to points. I had a 2 point brownies with 2 points of icecream and 1 chocolate mini. That was 5 points, and I only had four to work with. I took one from flex.

Today is the last mild day in November we're going to have. It's 60 degrees outside and I'm definately going running.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

Dinner - 18 points 35 flex

2006-11-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

I had a whole sleeve of Fruities for 1 point. After I got home, there was some miscellaneous grahm crackers and animal crackers for 3 points. Dinner was some pork tenderloin and left over mashed potatos from Thanksgiving. The pork was slow cooked.

4oz Pork - 3 points
1/2c mashed potatoes - 3 points
steamed veggies - 0 points
grahm crackers - 3 points
fruties - 1 point

For a night time snack, since I have 8 points left. I'm having a serving of Weight Watchers ceral for two points. We'll see what else I have to make up the points.

New week, new weight

2006-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Dang, well, I'm not sure what I did, but according to the scale, I'm up 1.8 (168.8). I was on track and doing very well. I did earn a lot of activity points. I think that I'll just have to keep track of this and chalk it up as a fluke.

Here's the day so far.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
Ham sandwich - 3 points
carrots - 0 points
2tbs blue cheese dressing - 3 points
Apple - 0 points

So far, 10 points 18 left for day.

Dinner - 17 points 12 flex

2006-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Yep, we hat pita pizzas. There was some Texas Toast along with some bean. The Texas Toast was store bought garlic bread.

Garlic Bread - 5.5
Pita Pizza - 5 points
Water - 0 points
Beans - 0 points

I'm going to go to the bar with some friends for the Packer game. With 7 and 12 points left, I should be ok for a beer or two.

Lunch - 24 points 12 flex

2006-11-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

30m High Intense Workout +4point

Turkey Sandwich - 4 points
Pretzles - 4 points
Carrots - 0 points
2tb Blue Cheese - 3 points
Apple - 0 points
Pear - 0 points

Left for dinner = 17
I think we're havin Pita Pizzas.

Monday - 28 points 12 flex

2006-11-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g of Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

It's very mild out and I plan on running outside. Should be fun.

After dinner fun - 6 points 13 flex

2006-11-27T06:05:00.000-08:00

62g Ice Cream - 2 points
No Pudge Brownie - 2 points
3 Chocolate Minis - 3 points

That's 7 points, so I dip into flex for 1. Mmmm...man that was tasty.

Lunch/Dinner - 26 points 13 flex

2006-11-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

I had lunch with my dad. It consisted of a ham sanwich, with some nice deli lean ham and wheat rolls. Pretzles and an apple with some beer. The boys and I had a good time. Dinner was left overs with some of the last of the dinner rolls.

Ham sandwich - 3 points
Preztles - 2 points
Beer - 3 points
water - 0 points

Jumbalaya - 4 points
2 dinner rolls - 4 points
Skim Milk - 2 point
Green Beans - 0 point
Micellaneous little boy stuff - 4 points

I have 6 points left for the day. I'm actually not feeling that well. I wonder if that Turkey sausage was bad.

Sunday - 28 points 13 flex

2006-11-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
2 pieces of toast - 2 points

30 min run - +4 points
lots of water

Lunch and dinner - 26 points left

Saturday - 15 points 13 flex

2006-11-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

Dinner was left overs. I had the jumbalaya with two of the rolls like I planned. Skim milk and green beans capped off a great dinner. We hiked it downtown for the Christmas decorations and walked around the downtown park. Not enough for some activity points, but still a nice little walk.

Jumbalaya - 5 points
2 rolls - 6 points
Skim Milk - 2 points

13 points, so I'm left with 2 for the evening. We'll be putting up the Christmas tree, and afterwards, I'll calm down with a bit of two point snack or something.

Saturday - 28 points 13 flex

2006-11-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

Day was going to be normal, as normal can be.

110g FF yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
1 piece of toast - 1 point

Lunch
Ham sanwich - 3 points
15g Smart Food - 1.5 points
Water
1/4c Spinach and pine nut salad - 3
Fruit - 0 points

I got 15 points left for dinner wich is left overs. However, my mother-in law's awesome rolls are part of that leftover. I think I'll have 2.

Friday - 19 points 13 flex

2006-11-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

We got to the concert way early and everyone didn't want to stop for dinner. Which is good, so I made a sandwich and brought some 2 point snacks. However, I did go to a bar before the concert and partook in a black and tan as well as a lite beer. I didn't think it would hurt too much. I didn't have anything at the concert nor at the after concert McD's, unless you count a diet coke, which I won't.

Sandwich - 3 points
2 2 point snacks - 4 points
black and tan - 3 points
lite beer - 2 points
Hmmm...well...without the work out, I have 3 points left. I might just have to leave them on the table, since I wasn't hungry when I got home at 1am.

Lunch and zoo

2006-11-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

As planned I had a 3 points sandwich for lunch as well as 3 points of smart food. I also managed to eat some of the boys leftover noodles, which I'll charge 3 points for.

After taking into account running and what I had for breakfast, I have 16 points plus 13 flex. I hope I can hit a Subway since I know the point values for those things. If I have have to hit McD's, then I think I'll have the Asian Salad w/ Grilled chicken for 5.5 with the dressing, low fat for 2 points.

Friday - 28 points 13 flex

2006-11-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Going ok so far. I have the boys today while Andi goes shopping. Since it's so nice, we'll be heading to the zoo. During their nap this morning, I managed to squeak in a run on the treadmill. Should help to off-set that cinnamon roll I had.

Cinnamon roll - 7 points
30m run - +4 points
pear - 0 points
grapes - 0 points
tons of water

Lunch will be a simple sandwich, with maybe some smart food. I'm going to a concert tonight, and I imagine that we'll be fast fooding it for dinner. Long live the "D."

That way after all is said and done, I'll have about 19 points left for dinner if I have 3 points worth of smart food and a 3 point sandwich. I'll scout out McD's for some food in my point range.

Thanksgiving - 28 points 32 flex

2006-11-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, the day started out with a little excitement that I won't go into, but long story short I didn't go running. We started out with our traditional holiday breakfast, Pilsbury Cinnamon Rolls. Mmmm they are dang tasty. And 7 points to boot. However, I did have a piece of fruit and coffee, and that's it. Only one. Best news is that I stuck to my plan and I didn't deviate, except for one area. Instead of two beers, I had one beer and a small glass of wine, which in the long run saves me 1 point. Here's the day.

Cinnamon Roll - 7 points
Apple - 0 points
Beer - 3 points
Turkey Leg (no skin) - 14 points
1/2c Mashed Potatos - 2 points
1/2c Stuffing - 4 points
2 dinner rolls - 6 points
Glass of Wine - 2 points
Peach Pie - 9 points

Total = 47 points.

Cool I have 13 points left in flex. That's nice, because then I'm not forced to run to get extra. I can run on my own terms.

Dinner - 17 points 32 flex

2006-11-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

Short and sweet right now.

Chili Alaska - 4 points
2 Texas Toast - 6 points
skim milk - 2 points

5 points left. I may have to leave these as I nipped some of the boys food when they were feeding me toast and bits of their noodles.

Wednesday - 24 points 32 flex

2006-11-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

This will be a trying couple of days. I managed to sneak away from work and meet my family at the zoo for lunch. I did eat at my desk and it was very easy this time to pass up the nuts, since they seem to be my downfall. Also, my wife reminded me that Green Bean cassarole is my family's meal, not hers, so most likely it won't be there. That's fine by me, I can now plan on using that 5 points for something else. Here's the breakdown for today.

110g FF yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
Big Freakin Salad - 0 points
2tbs FF French Dressing - 1 point (yup, passed up the blue cheese)
1 slice of french bread - 2 points
2 Honey Mustard Pretzel Thins (WW) - 4 points

Going into dinner, I'll have 17 points to use. Perhaps I'll have a beer with dinner tonight. Not sure what I'll do. We're having chili left over.

Tuesday - 7 points 35 flex

2006-11-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

Not necesarily a good way to start out the week for Thanksgiving. However I have a plan for Thanksgiving, which is important. Here is what I will do.

Run when the boys go down for a nap.

Lunch will be small sandwich so I'm not ravenous at 2 when we eat.

Turkey Leg - 14 points (no skin)
1/2 cup mashed potatos - 2 points
2 dinner rolls - 6 points
2 beers - 6 points
1/2 cup stuffing - 4 points
Green Bean Cass - 5 points
Slice of apple pie - 9 points
All together thats - 46 points, which is doable in a day.

As for tonight?
Chili - 6 points
Toast - 2 points
Milk - 2 points

I had to dip 3 points into flex. That means any extra I need to eat on Fridy or Saturday or Sunday is going to be from activity.

Day so far - 24 points 35 flex

2006-11-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

I should have stayed away from the nuts. I had to make my own salad today and I couldn't stay away from the nuts. Dang they taste good.

2/3 cup nuts - 14 points OUCH
Big arse salad - 0 points
2tbs Blue Cheese dressing - 3 points

That leaves me with 7 points for dinner. We're having chili, and I should be ok. I'm not too plesased that I'll most likely have to dip into points, but oh well.

Tuesday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-11-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, since being on track again, I've managed to lose 2lbs. I weighed in at 167 today and that is nice. The boys are feeling bad and have been up all night. I didn't get much in the way of sleep. Good thing we've already made dinner.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

Stop with the hectic day already

2006-11-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, many meetings on the spur of the moment. I didn't get/want to go running, and since I ran twice over the weekend, I figured this time was ok to miss. Heck, I don't even think I'll miss this week if I don't run.

Lunch
Ham sandwich - 3 points
2 2-point bags - 4
2 tbs bleu cheese dressing - 3 points

Going into dinner, I have 12 points and 21 flex.

Dinner was one of our favorite standby's. Pita pizzas.
This was a 6 point pizza. We opted for the good cheese instead of Fat Free. With the milk and garlic bread, I'm at 2 points left for the day. Perhaps, I'll call it even after eating 2 pieces of chocolate.

Sounds good to me.

2006-11-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

18 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

By Melissa Sperl | 12/9/2005

Hoping to shed some pounds during the holidays? No matter how motivated you are, 'tis probably not the season to make drastic changes to your routine. With all the lists you're making and checking twice, you barely have time to breathe, let alone think about adding a weight-loss or fitness plan to your to-dos.

But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep long-term health goals in mind in the months ahead, even if there's no time yet to really start on them.

If you ignore those goals altogether, says Karen Miller-Kovach, Chief Scientist for Weight Watchers International, they may be much harder to address — mentally and physically — in the new year. "The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by Thanksgiving may seem like a hill, but the 18 pounds you'll face on January 1 (from overdoing it during December) will feel like a mountain," she says.

Have a Healthy Holiday!
So your first step toward good holiday health: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge. And the second is to always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life. Even in the hectic weeks ahead, there are steps you can take that will make it easier for you to tackle your weight-loss goals in the New Year.

Challenge yourself to use these easy tricks:

Always eat a healthy dinner before you go to a holiday party.
"Don't go to a party wearing spacious clothes," suggests Josh Fink, MD, owner of Prescriptions For Fitness, a personal training studio in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Wear something slim-fitting, or pull your belt one notch tighter than it should be — you will be much less likely to overeat.
Bring "safe," healthy foods to potlucks.
At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites, put them on a napkin (try to avoid large plates, which you're likely to want to fill up), and then walk away.
If there are fruits and veggies, load your plate with them first. Then find room for smaller portions of the high-calorie mains.
Watch out for craving binges, says Leslie Fink, MS, RD, nutritionist for WeightWatchers.com, which are times when you feel guilty for overeating, then figure you might as well just eat as much as you can while you're at it. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day.
On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two and don't indulge every night, says Fink. And choose wisely — a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories.
If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free ones, like flavored seltzer. Asking for wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer, is a great way to limit the impact of the liquor.
Drink extra water to help flush out the extra sodium you consume during rich meals, says Fink.
No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on.
If baked goods are your holiday weakness, consider hosting a cookie party: Everybody brings one batch of his or her favorite cookies, plus the recipe, and shares. This way, you and your family get a variety without having to bake loads. (For extra credit, challenge your guests to bring low-fat or low-calorie cookies.)
Store healthy snacks at the front of your fridge and pantry, and go for them before you treat yourself to the splurge stuff.
Just say "no" to holiday-colored, packaged candies and cakes! So what if they're red and green or blue and white — with all the homemade goodies hanging around, you don't need them.
Streamline your grocery shopping with lists of the ingredients you'll need for a week's worth of quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute convenience and fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around.
Park as far away from stores and malls as you can, so you're forced to get in those extra minutes of walking.
Online shopping is a great time saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), and increasing your cardio by that much for the week.
On heavy-eating weeks, compensate for the extra food with more weight or resistance training. "It will increase the metabolic rate of the muscle tissue," says Fink. That means your body will be better prepared to handle the extra calories.
Add health-related gifts to your wish list this year — they could help make for a slimmer, healthier new year!

Monday - 28 points 21 flex

2006-11-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

These days are kind of funny. The day before weigh-in I don't feel I have to be all that special or on top of my game. Especially when I have 21 points left in flex.

110g FF Yogurt - 1 points
48g Nutty Nuggets - 4 points
2 pieces whole wheat toast - 2 points

Sunday - 18.5 points 21 flex

2006-11-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Dinner was good. It was some Turkey Kielbasa with Zataran's Jumbalaya. With some home made garlic bread and milk, dinner came to be 9 points. I actually measured out the sausage and rice mixture, so I knew the points.

At 9.5, I decided to splurge a litt and enjoy a brownie with some peanut butter. The good stuff too, not fat freet.
No-Pudge Brownie - 2 points
2tbs Peanut butter - 5 points

I'm left with two points, but because those were activity points, it's ok to leave.

Sunday - 28 points 21 flex

2006-11-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

So far here's been the day.

Instant oatmeal - 2 points
2 pieces whole wheat toast - 2 points
pine apple - 0 points
coffee - 0 points

Pear - 0 points
pine apple - 0 points (it was on sale and the boys love it)
30 min run - +4 (yep ran again this weekend)

Quesadilla - 3 points (made with one point wrap)
15g Smart Food Low Fat - 1.5
Pretzles - 2 points
Miscellaneaus chocolate - 3points (my wife was making chocolate dip stuff)

With the run, I'm sitting at 18.5 points. I drank a ton of water too. Should be good for the day.

Party was a success

2006-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, here's what I had.

2 servings tortilla chips - 6 points
3 taquitos - 4.5
1 serving fruit - 0 points
2 slices thin crust veggie pizza - 12 points
3 mini pigs in a blanket - 5 points
3 diet soda's - 0
cake - 5 points

I did good I think. There wasn't any veggies, but I got the fruit. I didn't have any beer and I placed myself away from the food for most of the night. It was in a separate room from all the playing and fun, and that helped out a lot. Also, the boys ended up eating a lot of my stuff. I was going to have more of the mini pigs in a blanket, but then I saw the box they came from, 500 cal, 37 fat, 1 fibre for 8! Holry Crap!

I'm glad I stopped when I did. I'm also glad I limited myself to one piece of cake, even though it was sooooo good. By my calculations, I consumed 32.5 points. So, I had 18.5 left for the day, which means I have to dip into flex by 14 points. That's pretty good. I'm left with 21 flex points.

I think I'll run tomorrow too.

Saturday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-11-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, the day is going to be hectic and we're almost ready to go for a birthday party the boys are going to. Here is my day so far.

16g of Nutty Nuggets - 1 point
110 FF Yogurt - 1 point
2 pieces whole wheat toast - 2 points
1 serving kettle chips - 3 points
1/2 serving LowFat Smart Food popcorn - 1.5
Tuna fish wrap with 1/4 cheese - 5 points
30 minute run on treadmill - + 4points
Counting the run I have 18.5 points left with 35 for the party.

Plan for the party - no beer, only diet soda.
1 piece of birthday cake, 2-3 servings of chips. veggies.
burger, or something they're having for dinner. I'll let you know how it goes.

Friday - 24 points 35 flex

2006-11-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

I ended up not running, but going out with my friend. We went to Friday's Front Row and I had the Lo-Phat Chicken salad. There couldn't have been more than on chick breast cut up on the whole thing. It was all cabbage and carrots and shredded lettuce with a low-fat clientro lime vinagrette. I don't know what the points are, but it couldn't have been more than 10.

Dinner was at the mall when we went to get the boys hair cut. I had a Subway Turkey wrap, with the cheese and chips. 8 points for the whole thing.

I had one or two of the boys cookies, and some popcorn as a late night snack. All in all, I know I didn't eat all of points, and this may become a problem, but we'll see. I still didn't have to dip into flex which is good. I have a party tomorrow night.

Friday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-11-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

This is going to be another busy day.

Breakfast
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
110g FF Yogurt - 1 point
Miscellaneaous raisens - 1 point
This was funny, I had the boys this morning to watch and they kept feeding me raisens. Not sure how many I had, but I decided to write it down.

Thursday - 7 (12) points 35 flex

2006-11-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

Dinner was a little less hectic than the last couple of nights.

2 Eggs - 4 points
3 pieces of toast - 3 points
1 glass of skim milk - 2 points

I'm not feeling that hungry. So, I'll call it even since I'd be at 9 points. I think I'll run tomorrow too. Should be fun.

Thursday - 24 points 35 flex

2006-11-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

I did it. I ran outside at lunch in 40 degree weather. It wasn't too bad. I even walked for a minute as part of my strategy. Aftwards, for lunch I had a big ass salad with a whole bunch of stuff. I didn't know the exact amounts so I had to estimate.

Run - +4 points
Lettuce - 0
Spinach - 0
Celery - 0
Carrots - 0
Onions - 0 (here comes the bad stuff)
Bacon bits - 3 points
1/3 cup crasisens - 2 points
1/2 cup sesame sticks - 9 points (yummy)
2tbs FF French Dressing - 1 point
Slice of French Bread - 2 points

That's 17 points for dinner, bringing me down to 7. However, if I add my run in that's 12 points left for dinner.

Thursday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-11-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

This is kind of hard. I had a bag of 2 point snacks to try and make up with the difference. I was left with one point. I think that I'm going to start counting fruit and appropriate veggies. That will help with getting the points down.

Breakfast
110g FF Yogurt - 1 points
48g of Nutty Nuggets - 3 points

I plan on running today. In fact, I plan on running outside. I know I don't like running in the cold (it's 40 here) but then I can ensure that I get to run. Time and time again I've gone to the work out room and all of the equipment is being used. I have insulated pants, long sleeve shirt and gloves. We'll see.

Wow...another hectic day - 24 points 35 flex

2006-11-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

That was my points left over from breakfast. Everything was so bad with production problems and people handling tickets, that I decided I didn't want to run. I didn't pig out either and stayed on plan. Thursday I will run for sure.

Ham sandwich - 3points
Carrots - 1point
2tbs Blue Cheese - 3points
Apple - 1point (it was big)
Water - 0
16 flex...now on to dinner

2oz tortilla chips - 6 points
2/3cup soy grillers - 1 point
1/2 shredded cheddar - 4 points
Lettuce - 0
Tomatoes - 0
Skim Milk - 2 points
Dam...even counting the fruit that's still 3 points left.

Dam...what should I do. Perhaps a brownie?

Wednesday - 28 points 35 flex

2006-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today started with an early morning call from work. I'm thinking that I'm still going to run, I just hope I'm not too tired to do so.

Breakfast - 4 points
110g FF Yogurt and 48g of Nutty Nuggets.

Storyboarding...writting down is the key

2006-11-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

Your first step is to determine what goal you'd like to achieve over the next seven weeks or couple of days. For example, say you want to continue losing 1 to 2 pounds a week. It might sound tough with all your social commitments. But with a concrete plan, you can be celebrating weight-loss success at the New Year!

So now that you have a goal, start Storyboarding your plan. Be realistic, think about the challenges you'll face during the holidays, and come up with solutions that worked for you in the past. Here's a sample of what your Storyboard might look like:

Step 1: Keep up your fitness routine by blocking out time each week for the gym, a walk or an exercise class. Try to go at least as often as you did before the holidays.

Step 2: Prepare extra stews, soups and casseroles to freeze and re-heat when a busy night has left you without time to prepare a healthy dinner.

Step 3: Keep a close eye on your weekly POINTS® Allowance. If you know you'll be indulging at a party, be sure to plan accordingly earlier in the week.

Step 4: Prepare some kind ways to say "no" to friends and relatives who try to get you to eat more holiday goodies than your plan allows for.

Step 5: Highlight your usual weekly meeting on the calendar and be sure to attend. If you must miss, have a back-up meeting at the ready.

Step 6: Revisit these steps each week and make revisions as needed to accommodate for specific weekly challenges.

Storyboarding a schedule of to-dos is a great way to keep your weight-loss plan in high gear. You might also want to draw these steps out on a poster board and place it somewhere it can serve as a gentle reminder that you need to take time for yourself. And don't be afraid to mark up your daily planner with daily goals (like drinking six 8-ounce glasses of water) and motivating words.

Rest of the day

2006-11-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

This new plan of mine is great. Too bad my day was so hectic, I couldn't really post until late into the night. I had a great meeting and we talked about storyboarding.

I'll post some steps about storyboarding in a little bit. Here's the break down of my day, after breakfast.

25 points 35 flex
Lunch
Ham sandwich - 3points
Carrots - 0points
2tbs Blue Cheese dressing - 3points
Apple - 0 points
Water - 0 points

Snack
2 point ranch twists

Dinner
10oz of meatloaf - 10 points (leftovers)
2/3cup prepared mashed potatoes - 3 points
skim milk - 2 points

Dang...that's 2 points left. What the heck am I going to do? I'm still feeling full from dinner. We ate that late because of the boys swim class. I could make that up with some ice cream. Wow, this new plan is kind of cool, but I'll have to really put it through the ringer.

Did I mention that I'm back on track?

2006-11-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

Most likely I have not. I've been so off track that I've managed to gain 5lbs. I'm sitting at 169 which is very very bad for me.

With my new goal of finishing the Milwaukee Marathon next year, and my committment to work out consistently, I have also resolved to stay on program for at least a year. I know that is going to be difficult, but I must. As long I can maintain my weight, the running should be easier.

This is also an opportune time to try the new program that I will be debuting on December 10th. This new program isn't too dramatic, however, it takes into account all of our uniqueness. Based on my sex, age, current weight, height and job, my new daily point target for Flex is 28! Can you believe that! I'll let you know all about that once I can debut. However, I want to ensure that this really works before I introduce it to my members.

28 points 35 flex
Breakfast - 110g FF yogurt 1 point
- 32g Nutty Nugget 2 points

All Hallows Eve

2006-10-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat

By Leslie Fink, MS, RD | 10/31/2006

Most kids consider Halloween to be the best holiday all year: You knock on a stranger's door and get free candy in return. But for some adults, Halloween is a nightmare. How do you resist eating the treats you bought to give out to the kids? And how do you keep your hands out of the leftovers afterward — not to mention the stash your children may have lugged home?

First things first. Keep in mind that you can buy yourself candy any time of the year. There's no need to load up on Hershey's Kisses on October 31st when you can enjoy five Kisses (POINTS® value = 3) whenever your heart desires. Second, remember that eating a little bit of candy on Halloween doesn't make a person overweight — it's constant overeating that can pile on the pounds. So don't assume you can't enjoy even a single treat, especially since deprivation is a dieting tactic that often backfires.

Slimming Tricks
Still concerned that you won't be able to refrain from gobbling up treats between knocks at the door? Simply buy and give away candy that you're not particularly fond of. If you've never met a candy you don't like, be more generous with your treats. When the influx of ghosts and goblins starts to dwindle, hand out several out to each child, and give the late-night knockers a handful or two.

As for your children's candy collections, think about hiding them away to be enjoyed gradually over time. Childhood obesity is becoming a major problem, so it's never too early to teach your kids healthy eating habits. Encourage them to eat a few pieces of their favorite candy once they've sorted through their loot (emphasize moderation, not deprivation), then put a third of the remainder in a plastic container. Cover it up and store it on a high shelf (out of sight, out of mind), then let them enjoy a piece every once in a while. Consider donating the remaining candy to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen (that's 66 percent fewer temptations in the house!).

Slimming Treats
We searched the shelves for the best candy values out there. Miniatures are a great deal in terms of portion control, while chewy candies turn out to be a big mouthful bargain and hard candies and lollipops score high for long-lasting satisfaction. And the winners are…

ITEM	SERVING SIZE	POINTS VALUE
Caramel Apple Pop	1 pop	1
Charm's Blow Pop	1 pop	1
Hershey's Assorted Miniature Candies	1 piece	1
Twizzler's Cherry Nibs	27 pieces	3
Hershey's Caramel-filled Kisses	5 pieces	2.5
Hershey's Gummi Bears	1 package (40g)	2
Hershey's TasteTations Butterscotch, Caramel or Chocolate Hard Candy	3 candies	1
Junior Mints	16 pieces	3
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats	1 bar	2
Nestle Baby Ruth	1 fun size	2
Nestle Butterfinger	1 fun size	2
Nestle Crunch	2 fun sizes	2.5
Nestle Mini Chewy SweeTarts	23 pieces	1
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup	1 piece	2
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops	1 regular	1
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Rolls	12 small	3
York Bites Candy	15 pieces	3
York Peppermint Pattie	1 package (42g)	3

Go grain, one of the 8 good health habits

2006-10-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

By Martin Booe | 10/20/2006

For most of us, the subject of grains begins and ends with rice, beans and lentils. All are good options and good for you. But don't overlook other varieties of grains that may seem exotic to us Americans but that are nutritious, adaptable, easy, and most of all, delicious. Barley, kasha, couscous, bulgur, buckwheat, polenta and — most exotic of all — quinoa, can add verve and variety to your diet, whether served as side dishes, salads, or main courses. And if you are on the Core Plan®, you should know that they are all Core Foods too. Most are available at your local health food store, if not your supermarket.

Though bulgur and couscous seem as different as night and day, they're both derived from wheat. Bulgur — wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and crushed— is most familiar in the form of tabouli.

It can be cooked in liquid such as chicken stock, or by soaking it in boiling water. Add chopped herbs such as parsley or mint, or even diced bell peppers. Toss with sautéed onions, garlic and mushrooms for a tasty pilaf with a delightfully nutty, chewy texture.

Couscous, a staple of North African cuisine, is a granular form of semolina, and it is easy to prepare. Add hot water or broth, then let steam for a few minutes. Couscous, with its slightly sweet flavor and woody aroma, combines nicely with meat and minced fish, particularly salmon.

Barley, especially the pearl variety, is easy to find in most groceries. It's hard to say why it's so unjustly neglected. It has a pasta-like consistency and absorbs sauces well, such as pesto. It is easy to cook, requiring a mere 30 minutes on the stove.

A final note on wheat: if you're making pancakes, make them from buckwheat. More nutrition, more fiber, and more flavor.

Polenta, a staple of northern Italy, is mush made from cornmeal and it's the ultimate comfort food. Serve it as a mush, or turn it onto a baking sheet, cut into squares and bake, then top with low-fat marinara sauce.

Lastly, perhaps the most exciting addition to our personal grain silos is quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, indigenous to South America. Loaded with protein and iron, quinoa is not really a grain, but the seed of a plant in the spinach family. Its flavor is mildly sweet and earthy, and it cooks in only 15 minutes. Rinse it before cooking. Cooked in broth, it makes a great side dish, and mixed with raisins, fennel and onions, it can substitute for bread crumbs in poultry stuffing.

Friday - 22 points 27 flex

2006-10-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here we go for the day.

Breakfast was a little high today, 4 points, but that's ok. I ended up with full serving of Nutty Nuggets but the sam FF yogurt.

I was a little disappointed with my lunch, because I had thought I brought chili but it turned out to be the left over pulled pork. Without some supporting bread (not to mention it was two servings) it just wasn't what I wanted. I opted for the salad bar.

Salad - 0 points, various mixed greens
1/4 cup mixed nuts - 5 points
2tb blue cheese dressing - 3 points
1/4 cup craisens - 1 point
slice of bread - 1 point

That leaves me with 10 point for lunch, or 8 points left for dinner. We did have a plan for dinner but that fell through after we decided to go shopping. Instead I ran to the store, got a hair cut and picked up some sushi. Paired with some Edamame (soybeans) I managed to have a great dinner for the rest of my 8 points. Take that Japan!

I think that I'll have some brownies or ice cream for dessert.

Dinner - 3 points 33 flex

2006-10-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Dinner was indeed left overs. I had the left over noodle dish for 5 points, a piece of garlic bread for 2 and milk for 2. There was some cauliflower there too, but that's zero. All together, I had to dip 6 points in flex.

That's not so bad. I'll try and get a good post with recipe later tonight.

Thursday - 22points 33 flex

2006-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Breakfast - 1 point of FF yogurt and 2 points of Nutty Nuggets to bring me at 19 points left.

During a meeting I had a cookie for 3 points.

Lunch - BLT on wheat with FF mayo.
3 bacon - 3 points
2 bread - 2 points
French Fries - 8 points (damn, they were good too.)

That leaves me 3 points for dinner which will be leftovers and I think I'll have to dip into flex.

Wednesday - Lunch and Dinner

2006-10-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

I know I've been bad at keeping this up to date and I'm sure I'll pay for it on the scale, but here is everything that I remember from yesterday.

Meatloaf - 3 points (no gravy or topping)
Smashed potatoes - 2 points (no butter)
Roll - 2 points
Water
Small Salad
2tbs FF French - 1 point

That left with 9 points for dinner. That wasn't bad, because dinner is already planned out. Thai style noodle salad with Shrimp. This one was a little putzy to make, but thanks to my wife it was done expertly.

1 serving noodles - 5 points
skim milk - 2 points
toast - 2 points

ice cream - 2 points

Ok, so I dip 2 points into my flex, no biggie.

Wednesday - 22 points 35 flex

2006-10-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

Ran out of yogurt, but I managed to buy some here at work.
2 points for Lite, 2 points for 2 tbs of granola. I'm not sure on the exact type of granola, but it was a predefine portion and most granola is only 6 points for 1/2 cup (fatty granola that is.) I also had a banana on the way to work for 1 point. Yes, banana's I do count, the high fat and startch content warrants it, but I could be persuaded to leave it out.

That leaves me with 17 points for the rest of the day. My transition to indoor running isn't going so good. I'm lacking the motivation to run on the treadmill. Hopefully it's not raining at lunch and I can go outside. I'll let you know.

The weekend and new week

2006-10-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

It would seem I'm not as good as I thought I was with updating this blog. The weekend was a wash with everything I ate. I didn't have a lot of bad stuff and most of it would have worked just fine into the program. We even had a stop at Qdoba, where I had burrito bol instead of a gigantic burrito.

Yesterday started a new week and new weigh in for me. The weight was 165.6, which is within 2lbs of my goal weight, and that makes me happy.

Breakfast - 110g FF yogurt and 16g of Nutty nuggest - 2 points
Lunch - Ham sandwich 3 points
carrots and two apples
2 tbs of FF french dressing - 1 point
Dinner - 2 cups of Pork and Fenel slow cooker 8 points
Skim milk - 2 points

Ice cream and No-Pudge brownie for 4 points and I'm right on track.

Friday - 22 points 18 flex

2006-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know that my weekend will be pretty normal and therefore pretty tame. Breakfast was not normal because we've run out of FF yogurt. So I had a muffin, for 5 points and with my coffee, that was fine.

Lunch was provided for us by the company and consisted of a hamburger. Now, I'm not exactly sure what the size of the beef patty was, but I'll say 7 points, with 5 points for the fries that I had with that. I had plenty of water!!

For dinner, it was simple. Left overs for about 8 points with the milk. That brings me to 22 points and I may dip into flex for the dessert.

This weekend will be hectic, but it should be ok. I probally won't be updating until Monday, but I will try my best.

Thursday dinner - 7 points 28 flex

2006-10-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

For dinner we had our standard Pita Pizza's. With a 4 point pita, 0 point sauce, 0 point onion, 0 point sauce and 2 point cheese, the total only comes to 6 points. I had some milk for 2 and green bean. Oh, yeah, also had some garlic bread for 2 points. All that together is 10 points, so I had to dip 3 into flex. Pretty good.

I managed to get some ice cream and muffin for a dessert later on. The muffin is 5 and ice cream is 2 points. For the day I dipped a total of 10 points in flex. Not bad at all.

Lunch - 20 points 28 flex

2006-10-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Leftover asian noodles and apple, with a ton of water. 8 points for the noodles brings me down to 12 points for dinner. I had another muffin for 5 points, bringing me down to 7 points. That will be fine since we're having pita pizzas for dinner. Those generally run only about 5-6point, and with milk, I should ok on points, maybe 1 or 2 from flex.

Thursday - 22 points 28 flex

2006-10-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Breakfast was simple and the same as before, 16g of Nutty Nuggets, and 110g of FF yogurt for two points for breakfast.

Dinner - 12 points 35 flex

2006-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

For dinner, we had this awesome dish from one of our cook books. Asian noodles with peanut sauce. This actually contains 1/3cup of peanut butter. Man was this good. One of cup was only 8 points, and that's a lot of stuff.

1 cup Asian Noodles - 8 points
Egg Roll - 4 points
Skim Milk - 2 points
Crandberry Applesauce muffin - 5points for a snack. I made these with fresh cranberries.

Overall I had to dip 7 points into flex, which is ok.

Lunch - 15 points 35 flex

2006-10-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Standard 3 point ham sandwich. Add some carrots, two apples and some FF french dressing and it's a low point lunch.

12 points left for dinner.

Wednesday - 22 points 35 flex

2006-10-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Breakfast - 110g of FF Yogurt, 48g of Nutty Nuggets - 4 points

Small, skinny mocha - 3 points.

That's 15 points left for lunch and dinner. Lunch will be low points, as I only have a sandwich and dinner, again, is already planned.

What dinner?

2006-10-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, dinner was planned, but I'm going to need to pick up the points somewhere. Today was tiny tots swim class, and we had planned on a slow cooker dinner. Sure it's a little bit of prep work the night before, but with the slow cooker, we know it's done before we even get home.

We had sides planned, but they didn't work out. Dinner was from page 144 of the Slow Good WW cook book, pulled pork sandwhiches. 6 points for each sandwich and I had one. Then we had to get everything and everybody packed up for swimming. Andi and I planned on eating dinner more after we got back. We still haven't and it's 9pm.

I'm going to have 3points of Nutty Nuggets, 1 point of FF yogurt and at least 2 pieces of toast. That will bring me to 0 for the day. How about that for a plan.

Tomorrow I will post the meeting topic for today as well as the discussion.

Lunch - 19 points 35 flex

2006-10-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

Lunch was good and fulfilling. My standard large salad. I had 1/4cup of mixed nuts, because I like mixed nuts, with craisens and 2tbs of FF French Dressing

Huge Salad - 0 points (got my veggies in)
1/4cup nuts - 5 points
dressing - 1 point
craisent - 1 point

I'm left with 12 points for the night. I should be all right, I have dinner already planned.

New Week - Not too sick, back on track

2006-10-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

I weighed in at a whopping 166, which is only 2lb's above my goal. Not bad ( I was also fully dressed.) I'm done feeling sorry for myself and back on track.

Breakfast - 110g of FF yogurt for 1 point and 32g of Nutty Nuggets for 2 points, which means my points are down to 19.

I'll update after the WW meeting.

The week in reivew and yet to come

2006-10-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

For the rest of the week I can't be too sure that I'm going to keep score of what I am eating. Holy crap this is going to be a bad week. I really haven't been too bad. We've still planned out our meals and I have still been measuring out my breakfast. Last night we had tuna noodle cassarole and I measure out a cup of it. Part of what is good, is that when I am sick I'm not always that hungry enough to eat alot. With some milk and such, it's not been soooo bad. Of course, I have had ice cream (because it feels good on the throat) and because it's tasty. And...there might have been some peanut butter on the ice cream too. I can't be to sure. I may have test it again to be sure. ;)

Tuesday - Still sick and new week

2006-10-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, I stayed home from work today and cancelled the WW meeting. I actually weighed myself at home and I came in for the week at 161.2. If you can imagine that's a 5lb drop from the previous week. I must have just had an off week last week. It was wierd.

For Tuesday, I had a full breakfast, that means 48g of nutty nuggets and 110g of FF yogurt for 4 points. Lunch was two pieces of toast and left over chili (hopefully to clear the nose) for 4 points. Dinner was a little tough because we had Tiny Tots swimming with the boys. It was such a harrowing experience I needed some comfort, and that turned into a Double Cheeseburger from McDonalds. That was 11 points, with the soup we had, Onion and Cabbage with Turkey Keilbasa, comes to 22 points for the night. Then I had some ice cream for an additional 2 points taken from flex.

Man, this cold is going to be brutal.

Follow up from the Weekend - It's been a while

2006-10-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I'm sick. My boys gave me the cold they had last week and I got it on the weekend. While that doesn't affect my eating habits per se, it does affect my decisions to eat well or within the alloted points for the day and flex points for the week. Comfort food always seems to be in the right type of food to eat, doesn't it?

Well, Friday for lunch I went for Mexican and it would seem I can't resist good Mexican food. I had Chicken Mole Tamales, mmmm-mmmm. Man, that's good stuff. 6 points apiece! With non-fat refried beans and rice, I'm sure I'm sitting somewhere at 18 points at lunch. And would you know it, I can't remember what I had for dinner. Crap, that's why writing down is so important. If I remember correctly, I had a chicken sandwhich with left over vegetable chowder. Not so bad really.

Saturday was the doozy (so will Sunday) as I helped a friend move. You know what that means, pizza and beer. Only I didn't have any beer, odd I know, and opted for water. That was good, however, I had about 6 slices of supreme pizza from pizza hut. If I calculate right, that's about 42 points. Ummm...did I mention that I had a normal breakfast and lunch too. Also, I was in no mood to run or work out or anything. I know this week is going to be bad, so I won't be expecting a loss.

Oh yeah, forgot about Sunday...normal breakfast and lunch with a splattering of pizza and breadsticks for dinner with a little bit of home made apple pie. I'm sure that was only like 1000000000 points.

Today, I still don't feel that great, and I managed to eat a normal breakfast for 4 points and small lunch for 3 points. Dinner will be Pita Pizzas for 5 points. I'm just not feeling up to being bad.

Friday - 22 points 35 flex

2006-09-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, this one had to be low. Only two points, with 16g of Nutty Nuggets and 110g of FF yogurt. There's going to be some tubby food later at La Fuente. I'm going to try my best and make the best desicions.

Dinner - 10 points 35 flex

2006-09-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Back to our chili roots. Basically, all we did was put together a whole bunch of stuff for chili and added our own spices.

1 1/2 pound 95% lean/5% fat raw ground beef
14 oz Morningstar Farms Frozen Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles
28 oz stewed tomatoes
14 oz canned pinto beans
14 oz canned kidney beans
2/3 cup onion(s)
1 medium green pepper(s)

Cut everything up, brown the meat (not the morningstar) put it all in the croc pot, put it on low for the whole day and viola. You have chili. This recipe that we have calls for caribou meat and reindeer sausage, but good old fasion ground beef works well. 10 1cup servings will yeild approximately 6 points. Pretty good.

With two pieces of bread, and milk, I get to 10 points. On the button. Thank you very much.

Thursday - 22 points 35 flex

2006-09-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Breakfast - 4 point yogurt and nutty nugget.
Lunch - 1 point chowder, 3point salad dressing, 1 point craisens, 1point bacon, 2 point bread. With water and apple, I count what is left as 10points. I already know that we're having some classic Weight Watchers chili for dinner. In general our chili is very low points and combined with some crusty bread should be pretty good.

Wednesday - 18 points 35 flex

2006-09-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

I ended up running just like I planned, which wiped out my breakfast. For lunch I had some left over chowder for 2 points, a piece of bread for 2 points, and a small salad. On the salad I had some beautifully good blue cheese for 3 points. Some nuts for 5 points. Ooooo...that might hurt. From my calculations, that comes out to, 12 points. So, for the night, I have 10 left.

Dinner came really easy. I had a real hamburger 3 (preformed) bun 2, french fries (baked) 3 and some grilled zucchini. Top it off with some milk and I'm even for the day. Bam! Ok, that was uncalled for, but still worth it since I didn't have to dip into flex. I also played some kickball, but I don't call that any significant form of excercise.

Wednesday - 22 points 35 flex

2006-09-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

While I know that I need to save on points, since I can't carry over any, and I know lunch will be lite and dinner too, I had a full serving of Nutty Nuggets with my yogurt. That's four points. I think I'll go running today too.

Dinner - 12 points 35 flex

2006-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Pita Pizza's for dinner. I love that stuff. 4 points for the pitas, 0 for sauce, 0 for the mushrooms, 0 for the fake meat, 2 points for the cheese. I had skim milk for 2 points, and hamburger bun garlic bread for 2 points. For dinner that's 10 points. I also had a whole sleeve of Passion Fruit Fruities. That's 1 point. To help with hunger, I split a bag of popcorn with my wife. No flex. I know that I have to save my flex because this weekend is going to be tough.

I'm helping my best friend move, and I already know that pizza and beer will be served. Also, we're getting together with our cousins on Sunday for dinner, which will be pizza. I'm going to try and get a run in on either Saturday or Sunday to help with that. I need to save all of my points though.

New Week - 22 points 35 flex

2006-09-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I should have known better. My weight came in at a whopping 167.4, which is a 3.6 gain. Where the !@#$ did that come from? I must have had a really, really, REALLY bad week. Back on the wagon. Man...that was a really bad week. Woooo.

Tuesday - 22 points, 35 flex

Breakfast
48g Nutty Nuggets - 3 points
Raisens - 1 point
110g FF Yogurt - 1 point

Lunch
Big freakin salad - 0 points
1oz of chips - 3 points
3tbs FF French Dressing - 2 points

Looks like for dinner I'll be at 12 points, which is very managable.

The weekend, do I tell you everything I ate?

2006-09-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

I wondered this whole weekend whether or not to tell you all what I ate. Should I mention everything with the point values, knowing very well I'm way beyond my flex allotment for the week? I decided to compromise. I would try and remember everything I ate, and if you want to, you can calculate the points for everything. A highschool friend was in town for a wedding and so my family did a lot of stuff with his family, and there was a lot of food and care-free attitude all around.

Two good things from this weekend.
1 - I did get a 3.5 mile run in on Saturday before it rained.
2 - Sunday was spent at the zoo walking around/running after little boys.

Here's everything I remember eating. It's not in any particular order, but, you get the idea.

Normal breakfast of nutty nuggets and FF yogurt.
Toast
Pears
Apples
Applebutter
Home made jame
Topper's Pizza (2 pieces)
Topper's Bread Stix (like 4-5 pieces)
Pepperchinos
Skim Milk
Ham sanwhich
Tortilla Chips with Salsa
Hamburger
French Fries
Ice Cream (in a cup, single scoop)
Ice Cream with extra peanut butter and Amish Friendship bread
Ice Cream with extra peanut butter (yup, had it a couple of times)
2 slices of left over pizza
1 - cousin's ham and cheese sub.

I'm sure I'll pay for it tomorrow at the scale.

For dinner tonight

2006-09-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is what my family and I will be having for dinner. Slow cookers are great for meals to prepare ahead of time.

Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

Ingredients

2 cup potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot(s), diced
1 cup leek(s), chopped, white part only
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked barley, pearl
1 piece bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz cooked Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 fl oz fat-free creamer, such as fat-free half-and-half

Instructions

In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, chicken broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and Canadian bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender.
Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half and heat through uncovered, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Thursday - 22 points 22 flex

2006-09-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Breakfast
2 points (FF Yogurt and Nutty Nuggets)
4 points Amish Bread. Tasty little sweet bread

Lunch
9 points - Left over rice and chinese. Hey, there was a lot of left over. See when you measure out the food, instead of just eating it, you can get a lot of it for low points.

Dinner
Bacon Egg Wrap
3 points for 1.5 eggs
2 points for 2 bacon
1 point for wrap
skim milk 2 points

Dessert - amish bread 2 points and 68g of ice cream 3.

Yes, I do measure out everything. It helps to control the portions and make me feel good about myself. So, by calculating everything I see 28 points, that means 6 comes from flex. I also had a slice of cold pizza for a snack. That was 6 points, so 12 points from flex. That will leave me with 10 for the weekend. I should be ok. We do have family and friends in from Hawaii, but that shouldn't be too bad. I'll get a run in one of the days.

Wenesday - 22 points 29 flex

2006-09-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

4 point breakfast
48g of Nutty Nuggets and 110 of FF Yogurt

9 point lunch Chinese Food (left over from like three days ago)
1 cup rice
1 cup pork and veggies
Salad
3 pts for dressing
3 pts for nuts
1 pt for craisens

4 mile run - get four points back. (So far I'm at 6 points left.)

Dinner
Chicken Cacciatore - 6 points
Milk - 2 points
Garlic Bread - 2 points

Ice cream - 3 point

At the end of the day, I dip 7 points into my flex.

8 Good Health Habits

2006-09-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

Remember to work in the eight good health habits as you eat your points during the day and the week. While not critical to the plan, they will enhance and make you more successful when losing weight and making choices.

1. Protein - try to work in some protein during the day. Lean meats and fish are the best. Protein typically keeps you fuller for longer, but will be higher in point values.
2. Make it whole grains - whole grains are better for digestion and keeping your innards healthy. Again, whole grains will typically take longer to digest and be lower in point values because of the high fiber.
3. Water - get in 6-8 servings of water a day. One of the servings can be milk, and you can get another from caffeine-free coffee or tea.
4. Healthy Oils - there are, believe it or not, healthy oils you should try to work into your daily eating. Olive, and Canola oil are examples.
5. Fruits and Vegetables - Try and get in five servings of fruits and veggies. Most veggies are free, and you know my view on fruits.
6. 2 Milk - try and get in two servings of milk. This can be from milk, yogurt, cheese, and even ice cream. Granted there's a lot of points, but ice cream will count.
7. Limit sugar and booze - I think this is pretty self explanatory
8. Take a multi vitamin to supplement your intake that you might be missing.

New week - New Day - New Session

2006-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday began a new session and a new week for me. After my morning coffee and break I decided to brave the scale and hop on.

Weight - 163.8

Woohoo, .2 under goal. And a 2lb loss for the week. That's pretty nice and I'd like to say that I'm pretty happy about that.

We started a new session of Weight Watchers at work today (yesterday) and we got a good group of people. This will be the first session that my blog is making it a centerpiece. I will try and post my daily intake as well as meeting discussions here.

Breakfast - 22 points 35 flex
16g nutty nuggets - 1 points
110g FF yogurt - 1 point

Lunch - 20 points 35 flex
1 cup rice - 4 points
1 cup schezuan chicken - 5 points
Water, water, water

Dinner - 11 points 35 flex
1 cup Hamburger helper made with fake meat - 4 points.
This is an excellant point. We had planned on a friendly Pita Pizza for dinner, but realized we were out of pitas, and the Weight Watchers Chicken Catchattori (sp?) would take over an hour to prepare. It's always handy to have some bags of Morning Star Veggie Crumblers and Hamburger Helper on hand. You can cut the point values of a much of it in half by just using the fake meat.
Skim Milk - 2 points
Garlic Bread - 2 points
Corn on the cob - 1 point

After dinner, that brings me down to 2 points of flex left.

Other items to note.
2 miller lites - 4 points
2 two point bars - 4 points (what? I was hungry)

All of that leads me to dip into my flex for 6 points.