Category: Week 06

Week 6: Weigh-in / Recap

Weigh-in

I lost 3 pounds! We have a physician’s scale (the one where you have to move the bars until the bubble is in the middle of the level), and I checked it twice just to be sure. I’m elated, and a little surprised, but I’ll take it!

Recap

Water: plenty of water all week
Exercise: not much this week, except for a walk and some housework
Fruits / Veggies: a little light some days, but I did have some with most meals
Points / Portions: I did well on staying within my Points and having reasonable portions most meals/days. Even when I wasn’t sure exactly how many Points something was (leftover chicken pesto pizza, stuffed chicken), I decided on portions accordingly (one slice of pizza in a salad, half of a large stuffed chicken breast). I used some of my extra Flex Points for the week (sundae, chocolates, wine and snack night), but even kept these in check (half of a small sundae, one bite of chocolate, one glass of wine and mostly low-Point snacks).
Planning: we had takeout a couple of times, but I found items that worked within my Points for the day/week. I balanced out lighter lunches with slightly more Points for dinner or snack. I also like that I used up leftovers in new dishes.

A different kind of week in some ways, but it all worked out!

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 7

Breakfast: Cheerios™, Dried Blueberries, Milk, Water

This is a popular breakfast this week!

Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Apple, Carrot, Water, Truffle

Same turkey wrap as yesterday, with extra apple and carrot on the side (and the last half of a truffle from Mother’s Day!).

Dinner: Stuffed Chicken, Broccoli, Water, Chocolate

I wanted to use up the last of the apple chutney from the apple-brie toasts from Mother’s Day, and I thought it might be a good stuffing for chicken.

Using a small (paring) knife, cut into the thick part of a boneless, skinless, chicken breast from the side, cutting to but not through the other side. Trying to keep the knife in roughly the same place, cut around inside the chicken, forming a pocket. When you are done, there should be a small-ish opening in the side, a lot of room for stuffing inside, and no holes poking through the other side. (I think I made my opening in the side a little too big, but it still worked.) You could also pound the chicken thin, put filling on top (not right up to the edges), roll it, and secure it with toothpicks.
Stuff the chicken with your filling (I used the leftover apple chutney, but any filling would work). Place chicken in baking dish (I was making four chicken breasts, so I used a 9×13 dish).
Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. I also covered my chicken with Dijon mustard and breadcrumbs (I had a heel of bread I needed to use up, but a little panko would have worked even better), and I put a little bit of white wine in the bottom of the dish. These were flavors I thought would go well with the apple – but if you are using a different filling, you may want to use other condiments/liquids.
I found a stuffed chicken recipe that said to bake it at 375 for 45 minutes. Mine took more like an hour and 15 minutes, and I turned up the heat to 400 for the last 15 minutes. Cut into the chicken if you need to – look for no pink, and clear juices running out.

The chicken breasts were pretty big, so I only had half of one, which was plenty. The spiced apple, mustard, and white wine worked well together with the chicken. The breadcrumbs weren’t as crunchy as I would have liked – this is where panko would have helped.

I served it with broccoli – microwaved in the bag and then mixed with salt, pepper, and 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I had a Ferrero Rocher chocolate for dessert.

Snack: Apricots, Gingersnaps, Water

They had some red apricots at the store that were vivid and slightly soft. My daughter loved them, and I had three apricots and two gingersnaps for my snack.

Exercise: 0 Minutes

What else can I say about this?

How Did I Do?

Water, four fruits/veggies, and good portions. I’m not sure how many Points the chicken was, but I only had half of one. No exercise again – maybe tomorrow.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 6

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Water

Same breakfast as Day 2.

Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Water, Chocolate Granola Bar

Turkey wrap with carrots and apple in it and on the side.

Whole wheat tortilla, light mayo (1/2 tablespoon or less), country Dijon, reduced fat cheese slice, turkey, shredded carrot (peel off the skin and then just keep on peeling), and apple slices.

I also had a Kashi^® Chocolate Almond Sea Salt granola bar for a treat.

Dinner: Burrito Bowl, Orange, Water, Red Vine

We got Chipotle for dinner. This time, I got a burrito bowl with steak, cauliflower rice, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, fajita veggies, and romaine lettuce. No super spicy salsa this time, and I thought it was delicious.

I’m glad I added the corn salsa, because the sweetness of the corn added something extra. I also had a small orange, and a Red Vine for dessert. (Somewhere between lunch and dinner, I also had half a chocolate truffle.)

Snack: Trail Mix

I wasn’t hugely hungry, but I wanted a little something and had a few Points left, so I decided to have a few tablespoons of NUT-rition trail mix.

Exercise: 0 Minutes

Argh!

How Did I Do?

No exercise again, but food-wise, this was a great day: on-target for Points/portions, more than five kinds of fruits and veggies, and plenty of water. It was also nice to have three actual meals instead of a grab-and-go snack lunch.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 5

Breakfast: Cheerios™, Dried Blueberries, Milk, Water

Same breakfast as yesterday; still haven’t gotten to the store to get more fresh fruit.

Lunch: Granola Bar, Water

Not exactly the same thing I had yesterday, but I’m having déjà vu – another lunch that’s really just a snack that I grabbed.

Dinner: Pizza Salad, Water, Truffle

Same as my lunch on Day 1 to use up the last of the leftover pizza, with a couple of modifications:

Romaine lettuce base
One slice toasted chicken pesto pizza, cubed (in other words: pizza croutons)
Grape tomatoes, halved
Chopped low-fat mozzarella string cheese
Balsamic vinegar and a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

The string cheese and olive oil added more Points this time, but it balanced out with my meager lunch. I also had half of a chocolate truffle.

I also had two Red Vines a little later.

Snack: Pretzels, Popcorn, Wine, M&Ms, Water

We had a visitor from out of town stop by, and although I didn’t have any Points left, I decided to use more of my Flex Points for the week. I had one glass of wine, and put out some low-Point snacks (pretzels, low-fat popcorn) and one treat (M&Ms).

Exercise: 0 Minutes

Having trouble getting this started up again!

How Did I Do?

Food-wise, I did okay until snack time, but I limited myself to one glass of wine, and put out low-Point snacks to help the extra fit within my Flex Points for the week. Not enough fruits and veggies, and no exercise, but at least I drank water!

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 4

Breakfast: Cheerios™, Dried Blueberries, Milk, Water

I didn’t really have any fresh fruit to put in my serving size of cereal, so I added a tablespoon of dried blueberries instead (along with 3/4 cup 2% milk).

Lunch: Apple, Water

Not really a meal, but it was what I grabbed on my way out the door.

Dinner: Hot Dog, Onion Rings, Water, Sundae

My daughter did really well on her test at school, so she got to choose what we had for dinner. She picked Freddy’s. I looked at the nutritional info on their web site and found the best options, which were still more Points than I usually spend on dinner, but luckily, I hadn’t used many Points yet, so it worked out. Plus, if I went over my daily allowance, any extra could use up some of my Flex Points for the week.

They also had low-carb options in which you could get any menu item wrapped in lettuce, but I didn’t think that would be very satisfying for me. I chose a Chicago dog and split an order of onion rings with my husband (and my daughter had one or two). That brought me to my daily Points limit, but I also split a small sundae with my husband – we were celebrating, and I didn’t want to lessen the celebration.

Snack: Veggies, Dip, Water

Carrots, tomatoes, and low-fat dip helped to balance out dinner.

Exercise: ??

I did exercise, I just don’t know for exactly how long. We brought our dinner to the park, and after the kids played on the playground, we walked for awhile, maybe about a mile.

How Did I Do?

Good on water (I brought some with me to the park), and exercise. A little light on fruits and veggies, and definitely not a healthy dinner, but overall, I balanced the day out the best that I could.

The thing I feel best about is that we celebrated my daughter in the way that she wanted. I didn’t say, “I can’t eat that” or “I’ll bring something else” – I just celebrated. I planned out what I could have before we got to the drive-thru, and I stuck with that, and even though I had less in quantity than I normally would have, it didn’t feel like less. It was a great day.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 3

Every time I write “Week 6,” I have conflicted feelings. Basically a glass half full or half empty scenario:

It’s been almost 6 weeks!

Half empty: it’s been so long; will I ever reach my goal?
Half full: wow, I’ve been doing great keeping this up for so long!

I’ve lost 6 pounds!

Half empty: I’m not even halfway to my goal
Half full: my stomach is shrinking, I’m feeling good, and I’m closer to my first 10-pound milestone

It’s been awhile since I’ve had this much weight to lose. It’s going to take some time, but I have to try to stay positive.

Brunch: Waffles, Yogurt, Grapes, Water

Kashi^® blueberry waffles are back! I almost did butter and syrup this time, but then decided to dip them in yogurt instead, with some grapes on the side.

Last time I went to the store, I got some new yogurts to try that have less than 10 grams of sugar, with no artificial sweeteners. Not many options, but one that I got to try was the Chobani^® less sugar Greek yogurt (peach). It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love it either. I’m not sure if it’s just that I have to get used to less-sweet yogurt (you know, when you can actually taste the yogurt), or if I just haven’t found the right one yet. Dipping the waffles helped.

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers, Water, Truffle

This time I ate all the peppers, but no side. All cut up, those two stuffed pepper halves filled my plate!

I actually thought these were more flavorful the second time around, but I would still add seasonings and/or hot sauce if I make them again.

I had half a truffle for dessert. Also, somewhere between brunch and dinner, I had a Red Vine.

Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese Stick, Apple, Pickles, Apple Brie Toast, Lemon Square Bite

Wow, when I type it all out like that, it seems like I had way too much. Or a food version of 12 Days of Christmas (6 Snacks of Nighttime?):

6 Triscuits with salsa
4 apple slices
Several pickle slices
2 apple brie toasts
1 reduced-fat cheese stick
And a bite of lemon square from Mother’s Day!

But, number-wise, it all worked out since I only had two low-Point meals today. Bonus: it was the last of the Mother’s Day treats (or at least the non-candy ones), and it used up the rest of the toasts and cheese from the apple brie toasts (maybe I’ll have to stuff some chicken with the rest of the apple chutney).

Exercise: 0 Minutes

Nope, still nothing. But, I did do a bunch of housework, so at least I was active?

How Did I Do?

Light on fruits/veggies and exercise again, but on target for water and Points/portions. My monster snack was more like a snack dinner, so maybe dinner was actually lunch, and brunch was really breakfast? In any case, it all worked out, and I’m still feeling okay about this week.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 2

Breakfast: Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal, Water

Another classic – 1/2 cup quick oats, pinch of salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than one cup 2% milk microwaved for 90 seconds and mixed with half of an apple (peeled and chopped).

Lunch: Hummus, Triscuits, Carrots, Granola Bar, Water

Snack lunch! Dinner wasn’t too far away, but I needed something. I had 1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus, six Triscuits, and then carrots to scoop up the rest of the hummus. I also had a Kashi^® chocolate almond sea salt granola bar.

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers, Pineapple, Water, Truffle

The serving size for these Jasmine Rice-Stuffed Peppers is big – two stuffed pepper halves (and they are really stuffed), and they weren’t that many Points. I could not eat all of it, so I saved the rest for my snack later. I did half of a chocolate truffle though.

I’ve made these before, and they weren’t bad, but I remembered them being more flavorful. You sauté onions with garlic and jalapeno, then add the rice and toast that a bit before adding broth to cook the rice. Then you add the rice to a mixture of lean ground beef and ground turkey, pepper, egg, parmesan, and tomato sauce, and that’s the stuffing for your peppers (with more tomato sauce and parmesan on top).

I think next time I might add more seasonings and/or hot sauce. Or I might brown the meat, increase and sauté the veggies, and just throw it all together in a pan. Or switch up the flavors and do an Asian stuffed pepper.

Yeah, I’ll have to revisit this one.

Snack: Leftovers, Red Vine, Water

I had the rest of my peppers and pineapple, plus a Red Vine (left over from…you guessed it – Mother’s Day).

Exercise: 0 Minutes

Yup, didn’t quite make myself start this up again.

How Did I Do?

Another good day for my new beginning. Water and portions on target. Not as many fruits and veggies as usual, and no exercise, but still, I feel good about today.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.

Week 6: Day 1

Okay, ready to push the restart button!

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Banana, Orange, Water

I had peanut butter toast on Week 1: Day 1, so I thought it was fitting to have it again today. I topped a slice of whole wheat toast with one tablespoon of natural peanut butter and half a banana (sliced). I also had a mandarin orange.

Lunch: Pizza Salad, Water

No, not pizza AND salad – pizza salad! I still had leftover chicken pesto pizza from last night, which my kids won’t eat, so it was either throw it out or eat it (and I don’t like to waste food). I heated up a slice, cut it up, and mixed it with lettuce, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Not bad!

Dinner: Lentil Soup, Grapes, Water, Truffle

Amy’s lentil soup was a simple, filling dinner, especially with some grapes on the side. I also had half of a giant chocolate truffle (okay, so I guess not ALL of the Mother’s Day treats are gone yet). The kids had their leftover pizza.

Snack: Water

No snack this time. If you’re not hungry, why snack?

Exercise: 0 Minutes

Well, I had hoped to restart exercise too, but this is what happens when I haven’t exercised for awhile. I just need to make myself do it, but I didn’t.

How Did I Do?

Solid day to restart my weight loss. Water, five fruits and veggies, Points/portions on target – not bad! I didn’t exercise, but I’ll get there.

No regrets.

*Note: I am using tools from the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, because that’s what I have. So, the Points values that I am using may differ from the current program.