New veggie find!

In the past I have struggled to get all of my fruit & veggie servings in. I am happy to say that over the past year it has gotten easier and I have tried a lot of new things. Some of my favorites have been mango, passionfruit, acorn squash, broccolini, escarole, and (raw) cauliflower.

My latest obsession is this:


Trader Joe's breaded eggplant cutlet is so delicious, you won't even know you are getting a vegetable serving! Since they are breaded, the nutritional info is higher than a plain vegetable, but I think it's worth it. 3 oz is 170 calories, 9g fat, and 1g of fiber. This equates to 4 WW points. However, I find that I do not need a full serving to be satisfied. The box says there are 5 servings, and I will have gotten 7 or so out of it, so I am having more like 2oz at a time.

My favorite way to have this is to bake it in the oven, and then add it over some whole wheat pasta, broccoli, a tsp of olive oil and some garlic and parmesan cheese.

What fruits/veggies have you discovered this year?

WW Results

January 2008 - December 5, 2009: -96.6

12/12/09: 153.0
Change: -1.4
Total: -98.0

17.0 to goal!

2 weeks in the right direction, I'm determined to make that 3!

Work it out

Monday- 55 min spin class

Tuesday- 5 min stepmill warm up; 40 min squats/lunges/dumbells/push-ups/planks; 20 min treadmill intervals (1.90 miles)

Wednesday- 55 min spin class

Thursday- 40 min treadmill intervals (4.00 miles)

Friday- 15 min treadmill (1.60 miles); 40 min squats/lunges/dumbells/kettlebells/push-ups/planks

Thursday I walked more than normal during my intervals but went faster for the portions I was running so I still maintained a 6.0 mph pace...of the 40 min about 28 was running and 12 was walking. Not bad!

Oh boy....

I just dug up this picture I forgot existed (which is too bad because it was taken when I was seeing one of my best childhood friends for the first or second time in YEARS!)....it's the closest before picture I have. The picture was taken in January 2008...I think I may have lost 2-3 lbs by that point, putting me around 248:

Nothing flattering about that photo. Even though I am not at my goal yet and have been hovering around the same weight for almost 6 months now, that picture reminds me of how far I have come. Here's a more recent photo from August 2009:

Glo Bars

I remember when Angela from Oh She Glows started making Glo Bars and picturing them on her website. Then she launched Glo Bakery, but only shipped to Canada (where she lives). After lusting after the Glo Bars for months and seeing my friends get some at the Healthy Living Summit this summer, she got approved to ship to the US so of course I had to order some ASAP!
I got one of the variety packs that included Present (cranberry pumpkin); Empower (chocolate coffee); Revive (chocolate peanut butter); Classic (peanut butter); and Renew (high protein peanut butter).

These bars definately lived up to the hype. While I like them all, Present is my favorite flavor!

These bars taste SO FRESH. The ingredients list is very short and recognizable, which is another plus. While on the higher side in calories (about 210-280) they are filled with such good-for-you stuff (flax, hemp, oats, peanut butter, etc), I don't care.

One of the kind of funny things I noticed is that my iced coffee doesn't taste funny if I drink it after eating a Glo Bar (which it has a tendency to do with other bars...like CLIF or Kashi Go Lean Crunchy ones)...I think it has something to do with the short list of ingredients! Some things are just worth it...I know I'm not getting a bar filled with artificial flavors/additives.

Angela has specials all the time for discounts on certain flavors or variety packs if you don't know which kind to try. The minimum purchase is 10 bars, and you get discounts the more you buy. (10% off if you buy 20; 15% for 30, etc) Shipping is on the pricey side (which I understand, for me it was international and it's a perishable product), it was about $15, so the discounts really help!

I can't wait to try some of the other flavors, like Refresh (chocolate mint!) and may even be inspired enough to try making my own homemade granola bars!

Delicious snack!

I was trying to use up things I had in the house and I whipped up this amazing snack today:

3/4 cup 0% greek yogurt
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 packet Equal (or sweetener of choice)
1/4 cup granola
1/4 cup pomegranate

Mix together the first three ingredients then top with the last two. Enjoy!

I can't find my camera cord or I would have taken a picture! This was so good! It has a little of everything....fruit, dairy, protein, carbs, and fat! If you use Equal it comes out to 4 points!

WW Results

January 2008 - November 2009: -95.2

12/5/09: 154.4
Change: -1.4
Total: -96.6

18.4 to goal!

It was great to be back at my usual Saturday WW meeting after a few months off.

I think I need to keep the goal countdown clear in the front of my head. I will use it as my mantra during weak moments!

Work it out

Saturday- 15 min treadmill hill walk (0.95 miles); 30 min squats/lunges/dumbells/push-ups/planks

Monday- 50 min spin class

Tuesday- 5 min treadmill warm up (0.30 miles); 30 min squats/lunges/dumbells/push-ups/planks; 30 min treadmill (3.20 miles)

Wednesday- 55 min spin class

Thursday- 20 min stepmill; 60 min Inside/Out class

Friday- 5 mile run (55 min)

Inside/Out class was so cool! We started with 15 min of arm work with 3-5 lb dumbells. Now, I usually use 10-12.5lb dumbells for arm work; but this whole class is based on the Lotte Burke method which is low weight/high reps. Next we did 30 min of leg/glute work at a ballet barre. Wow is all I can say...my muscles were on fire! We finished up with 15 min of abs. Needless to say, I am feeling it today. I will definately be keeping this class in my routine!

Kate Moss

So have you heard the quote Kate Moss is getting trouble for from all corners of the media?

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

I guess coming from someone who makes a living having to be thin, this could be taken the wrong way, but honestly I don't get it. In fact, it is strikingly similar to a popular quote going around Weight Watchers meetings and on their message boards, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

This website takes their interpretation of Kate's quote a little too far I think, suggesting that "I guess starving does feel good for her." Nowhere did Kate say anything about starving.

It's an interesting double standard whereby overweight people can get away with using a quote like this as a mantra, whereas as soon as a supermodel says it, it's a no-no.

Thoughts?

Has it really been a week?

I can't believe I haven't posted in a week!

Ever since my grandma died about four years ago we haven't had a Thanksgiving tradition. We used to go up to her house in Massachusetts and gather with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mom's side of the family.

The past few years we have done something different each year - my parent's cooked it once, I cooked it once, we went to some other local family's house once, and this year we went out!

It's funny - none of my family actually ate turkey. I had steak with mashed potatoes, and green beans. Since the only meal that came with stuffing was turkey, we asked for a side of it to share. We also split bread pudding for dessert. It was not a low calorie meal! But I enjoyed and tracked every bite.

After spending the holiday in upstate CT., my family went to Boston for the weekend, which despite so-so weather, was a fun time! I am going back there again this weekend.

I have been keeping up tracking points. I am still frustrated by going over (not just by 1 or 2, more like 5 or 10) every day, but it's not like I am binging on chips or going back to old behaviors. Some of my favorite things just tend to be high in points - peanut and almond butter for example. Nothing is better than a sliced apple with nut butter - but it sets you back 5 points!

I have been good about getting to spin (2-3x week for the past two weeks) and am getting back in the groove. I can tell my quads are getting stronger again, which should help with my running.

I am looking forward to WW Saturday.

Work it out

Sunday- 10 min stepmill; 30 min squats/lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Monday- 55 min spin class

Tuesday- 30 min treadmill (3.10 miles); 30 min kettlebells/push-ups/planks

Wednesday- 55 min spin class

Thursday- 3 mile run (35 min)

It felt so good to get back to spin!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

WI

Well I'm back. I never really said anything on here (strange) but I stopped going to WW in September. I felt like I just needed a break and was sick of seeing how far over my points I was going each day - despite eating healthy.

I knew after the last couple weeks of going back and forth on the scale and with my eating that I needed to, and was ready to go back.

On my little hiatus I saw every number on scale from 152.6 all the way to 159.8. I was not surprised to end up right in the middle today when I went to a meeting and got on the scale.

I am so glad I caught this and decided to go back after gaining 10 lbs back rather than waiting until it was 75+ lbs again, like last time. I am starting over and starting fresh. I don't want to forget about the 95.2 lbs I've lost, I just want to really focus on getting these last pounds off!

11/25/09: 155.8

19.8 lbs to goal. I can do this.

I hope everyone has an excellent Thanksgiving!

Ice Cream Review...and a winner!

Ok so I posted my first giveaway last week and had 9 comments to enter!

I will keep you all in suspense and write my review first, and then announce a winner at the end of this post! =)

As I wrote before, I think the person who gave me the coupons found me by my Tweet about finding high fructose corn syrup in Skinny Cow products. Well...WW products aren't completely immune to that ingredient, but here is a handy list of WW products that do and don't contain corn syrup:

No Corn Syrup

• Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

• English Toffee Crunch Ice Cream Bar

• Chocolate Fudge Brownie Premium Ice Cream Cups

• Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cone

• Giant Mint Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cone

• Giant Vanilla Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cone

Corn Syrup

• Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar (corn syrup)

• Giant Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar (corn syrup)

• Giant Vanilla Fudge Sundae Cup (corn syrup)

• Cookies & Cream Premium Ice Cream Cups (corn syrup)

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Premium Ice Cream Cups (corn syrup)

• Peanut Butter Delight Premium Ice Cream Cups (corn syrup)

(you may want to double check the labels; I didn't check every one of those at the grocery store!)

I got the Giant Mint Fudge Sundae Cones, which are 2 points each. What I love most about these is the mint flavor - it can be hard to find portion controlled flavored ice cream...seems that chococlate and vanilla are the most popular flavors. I can't say this filled me up (didn't expect it to!) but it satisfied my sweet tooth craving nicely and only cost 2 points!

I enjoy the WW ice creams overall but can't eat them day after day after day; I like to change it up. I'll definitely be buying these again....when they go on sale!

At my Stop & Shop they are typically $4.99/box.

And now the moment you've all been waiting for...the winner! I used a random number generator (random.org) to pick a winner and it was #5. The 5th comment was from none other than TJ from TJ's Test Kitchen! Email me (kar06 at optonline dot net) your address and I'll get the coupon on the way...be sure to hurry, the coupon expires on 12/31!

***Just want to say that I did not get paid or anything for this review. I received a coupon for myself and another to do a giveaway with and that's it. I've gotten offers for giveaways in the past but never did them because they were all for crazy weight loss pills or products which I don't believe it!***

Work it out

Sunday- 10 min stepmill; 25 min squats/lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Monday- 40 min treadmill intervals (3.75 miles)

Tuesday- 30 min stepmill; 30 min squats/lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Wednesday- 3 mile run (35 min)

Thursday- 20 min treadmill run (2.10 miles); 30 min squats/lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Friday- 50 min treadmill run (5.15 miles)

Probably not the best idea to run 3 days in a row. Halfway through my run Friday my left knee started to hurt. I really need to get back to spin...

I scream, you scream....for a giveaway!

Oh...and we all scream for ice cream!

Seriously, who doesn't love ice cream!?! I know it's been my go-to dessert for much of my weight loss process. I usually buy lowfat ice cream and have become a big fan of Skinny Cow flying saucers and the Weight Watchers ice cream products. Instant portion control which is key because really...when serving yourself from a pint or half gallon, who measures a half cup? (typical serving size.)

In the past few months I have really tried to eat more unprocessed foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies, etc. I have not however, given up dessert. Many times now I reach for dark chocolate, my current favorite is Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry squares which I discovered on my trip to San Fran.

Anyways, awhile back I tweeted about my disgust of finding out there is high fructose corn syrup in the Skinny Cow flying saucers...hence my movement towards dark chocolate.

I didn't think much of it but a few weeks ago someone from a marketing/promo company that represents WW ice cream stumbled upon my old Tweet and emailed me a list of WW products that don't have HFCS and an offer to send me a coupon for a free product. I accepted and asked for two coupons so I could give one away on my blog!

That's right...my first giveaway! About time, right?

Leave me a comment by Sunday November 22, 2009 with your favorite dessert and I'll pick a winner Monday!

Stay tuned to read a review of the WW ice cream product I used my coupon on!

Strength training

I have really kicked up the strength training this year and am definately seeing the results.

(I have biceps!!!)

Anyways, my work out posts on Friday are kind of summarized, so I thought I'd go into a little more detail with what I actually do...

3 sets of 10 push-ups (not on knees)

2-3 1 minute elbow planks

3 sets of 8 lateral raises w/ 7.5 lb dumbells

3 sets of 12 bicep curls with 12.5 lb dumbells

3 sets of 12 tricep kickbacks with 7.5 lb dumbells

3 sets of 15 (per leg) standing glute kickbacks

3 sets of 20 tactical lunges with a 8-10 kg kettlebell; OR 3 sets of 12 lunges per leg with 7.5 lb dumbells

3 sets of 12 squats with a 8-10 kg kettlebell

I usually do super sets...doing sets of two exercises back to back until I've finished 3 sets of each.

I still really need to add more core/ab stuff. I may try doing side planks soon. I keep hearing about how crunches really don't do much and are bad for your back so I'm not looking to incorporate those.

I really never liked strength training until this year. I think it helped to have a personal trainer for a few sessions to get familiarized with the moves and equipment. It's worth the investment. After being done with the trainer (6 sessions) I felt much more confident and felt like I knew what I was doing over in the scary weights section of the gym!

Do you like strength training?

Time to bring my A game!

While tracking calories the last few weeks (not so much on vacation/business travel) I noticed something interesting.

Despite upping my breakfast and lunch calories in efforts to feel less hungry throughout the day (which has worked), I still am eating a big dinner....and I like it. This leaves me with a few options. I can:

-focus on eating smaller dinners
-eat less snacks in the afternoon
-cut back on breakfast and lunch again

I think I am going to do a combination of 2 and 3. I am not going to go back to trying to eat as little as possible in the morning, but there are some things that are adding no nutritional value to my mornings that I can cut back on.

If I cut back on iced coffee, I would not only save about 75 calories the way I like it with Equal & cream, I would save about $2.50/day.

In the afternoon I am trying to make sure at least one, and maybe 2 of my snacks are fruits & veggies. I have discovered a few new fruits and veggies I love this year, so this would be a good opportunity to work them in!

I think I'll make my target calories as follows:

Breakfast- 250
Lunch- 400
Snacks- 300
Dinner- 500
Dessert- 150

That's 1,600 calories which is right what I have been aiming for lately. It's all about realizing what will work best for you. I like to use a lot of my calories later in the day.

How do you split up meals?

Work it out

Saturday- 15 min stepmill; 30 min lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Sunday- 40 min treadmill (4.25 miles)

Monday- 10 min treadmill (0.60 miles); 25 min squats/lunges/dumbells/push-ups/abs

Wednesday- 40 min treadmill intervals (4.05 miles)

Thursday- 15 min elliptical; 25 min squats/lunges/dumbells/abs/push-ups

Friday- 3 mile run (35 min)

I am very happy with how this week went workout-wise. I do need to get back to spin at some point, I haven't been in weeks! I should have time for it this coming week!

On the Road Again - Day 4

Breakfast-

Grande iced gingerbread latte (skim)
Cranberry Orange Nut Bread CLIF bar

Lunch-

6'' ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, oil & vinegar on wheat

Apple slices

1.75 oz spicy chipolte Sun Chips

Snacks-
Trader Joe's apple blueberry fiberful bar

1 serv cashew granola clusters

String cheese
Banana

Dinner-

4 gyoza potstickers
2 spring rolls
Pad See Ew with Tofu
Chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting

OMG that CLIF bar this morning was amazing! New favorite flavor...and it's seasonal. Gonna have to find more when I get home. I am searching high and low for the Iced Gingerbread ones too, to no avail.

Not going to pretend my dinner was healthy but I was loving the broccoli in my Pad See Ew!

It's helped me tracking food on here this week, sorry if it's boring to read!

Looking forward to coming home tomorrow!

On the Road Again - Day 3

Breakfast:

Grande iced caramel macchiato (skim)
Banana nut bread CLIF bar

Lunch:

6'' ham, american, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, oil & vinegar on wheat

Apple slices
1.75 oz spicy chipolte Sun Chips

Snacks:

Trader Joe's mixed fruit fiberful bar

1 serv. Nature Valley cashew clusters

String cheese

Dinner:
Flight of salad - baby spinach with peppers & goat cheese; iceberg wedge with tomatoes & blue cheese; artichoke, mushroom, & peppers with italian
Flight of meat - Kobe beef with mushroom risotto; grilled chicken stuffed with herbs & cheese with yukon mashed potatoes, dijon crusted veal tenderloin with yukon mashed potatoes
Lemon with tart lemon buttercream cupcake

*Swoon* over the cupcake. Dinner was so fun...everything on the menu was in "flights" ie small plates and you could mix and match as you pleased!

My coworker arrived today so I was happy to have some company at dinner!