Tag: snack lunch

Weight Maintenance Month 12: Week 2

It is the first week of summer vacation and I really want to be done, but I did pretty well balancing family activities with losing weight last week, so I’ll try again this week and see how it goes.

Day 1

Lunch: Roast Beef Sandwich, Apple, Water
My dad brought over Arby’s for a special last day of school lunch, so I had a roast beef sandwich with some Arby’s Sauce and half of an apple.
Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
I hadn’t had breakfast and was hungry later, so I had a bowl of Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits with 1% milk (I would have added fruit, but there wasn’t any left).
Dinner: BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Coleslaw, Grapes, Water, Ice Cream Sandwich Square
Leftover Crockpot BBQ Chicken from last week on a toasted whole wheat bun and topped with leftover coleslaw, with grapes on the side and the last ice cream sandwich square from last week for dessert.
Snack: Veggies, Dip, Triscuit, Grapes, Fruit Bar, Water
I figured a light snack would be best, but I was also pretty hungry, so I had sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes with low-fat veggie dip, 1 reduced-fat Triscuit, grapes, and a That’s It Fruit Bar.

Day 2

Breakfast: Doughnut, Banana, Water
My husband got doughnuts for the first day of summer vacation, so I had one glazed blueberry doughnut and half of a banana.
Lunch: Chili Dog, Root Beer
Family lunch at the local chili dog place near us – chili dog with cheese, pickles, and mustard, and root beer.
Dinner: Festival Food
There’s a summer festival with music, art, and lots of food booths that I love, and I wasn’t going to miss out. I started light with a grilled shrimp skewer, and some garlic bread and lemonade that I shared with my family. I had a couple of bites of an elote cup that my husband got. Then I had some Jamaican curry and rice that I planned on sharing, but my husband ended up getting something else, so I ended up eating all of it. Then my daughter wanted to try a boba smoothie, but then didn’t really like it and my older daughter and husband had their own already, so I ended up drinking that. And then when we got home I kind of went completely off the rails and had some snacks. I knew this was going to be my “cheat” day, but yikes! I’ll just have to try to do really well the rest of the week.

Day 3

Breakfast: Pepperoni Pizza, Water
Not really breakfast, but my first “meal” of the day – I brought my daughter to a birthday party and had 1 slice of pizza.
Lunch: Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water
All backwards today – “lunch” was Chocolate Cheerios™, sliced banana, and 1% milk.
Dinner: Turkey Sandwich, Water, Brownie
Light dinner – turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread, light mayo, whole grain mustard, reduced-fat cheese slice, turkey, and shredded carrot. We got a brownie from the local chocolatier and I cut it into 4 portions for all of us to share for dessert.

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
1/2 cup Grape-Nuts^®, sliced banana, blueberries, and 1% milk.
Snack: Banana, Water
I had a late breakfast and just needed something to tide me over until dinner, so I had the other half of the banana from breakfast.
Dinner: Pizza, Apple, Water
We were dropping the kids off to camp with my parents, and they invited us to have pizza with them. I had 1 slice of supreme pizza, and an apple that I brought.
Snack: Popcorn, Peaches, Fruit Bar, Water
Low-fat popcorn, canned peaches, and a That’s It fruit bar.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits; no fruit because we were out!
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Apple, Water
Just something to tide me over – a package of peanut butter crackers and an apple.
Dinner: Chicken, Carrots, Rice, Green Beans, Water, Truffle
The last of the leftover Chicken and Carrots with Wine Sauce, brown rice, and canned green beans, with a chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Tomatoes, Pickles, Fruit Bar, Triscuit, Water
Grape tomatoes with low-fat veggie dip, 1 reduced-fat Triscuit, pickles, and a That’s It fruit bar.

Day 6

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Same as Day 5.
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Apple, Water
Same as Day 5; this time eaten at my daughter’s softball game.
Dinner: Veggie Wrap, Sweet Potato Fries, Water, Truffle
We ended up going out to dinner with my father-in-law after the game. I chose a veggie wrap, which may not have been too bad, but then I also had sweet potato fries…and a chocolate truffle when I got home.

How Did I Do?

Only 6 days this week – I weighed myself a day early since I knew I was going to an event with food and drinks the next day. I am very unsure about this week. I had a lot of unexpected splurges – Arby’s, doughnut, chili dog, festival food, pizza, and a veggie wrap with sweet potato fries at a restaurant. I did my best to fit most of them into my Points for that day and/or balance them out – I only had one roast beef sandwich and had an apple on the side, only one doughnut with a banana, one chili dog with no chips, and only one slice of pizza. But, I overate at the festival (and after the festival), and probably ate too much the last night. The rest of the meals were fine – plenty of water, fruits, and veggies, and correct portions. When I was hungry at night, I loaded up on fruits and veggies and low-Point snacks.

How will it all add up in the end? We’ll see! It was a good first week of summer vacation though.

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.

Weight Maintenance Month 11: Week 2

Day 1

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Blueberries, Water
Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits with blueberries and 2% milk.
Lunch: Salmon Salad, Triscuits, Carrots, Water, Tootsie Roll
Lemon Salmon Salad (only ate half) with 6 reduced-fat Triscuits, some carrots, and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread, Water, Chocolate
Lazy Lasagna (actually less than a serving size because I cut it into more than 9 pieces), 1 small piece of garlic bread, salad (lettuce, grape tomatoes, shredded carrot, less than 2 Tbsp. light Ranch), and a Ferrero Rocher chocolate for dessert.
Snack: Orange, Fruit Bar, Water
1 orange, and a blueberry That’s It Mini Fruit Bar.

Day 2

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Mango, Water
1/2 cup quick oats mixed with salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than 1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 90 seconds, stirred, microwaved for another 30 seconds, and then I stirred in some peeled, chopped honey mango.
Lunch: Salmon Salad, Triscuits, Orange, Water
Same lunch as Day 1, but with an orange instead of carrots, and no dessert.
Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore, Green Bean Casserole, Jell-O Salad, Grapes, Water, Brownie, Ice Cream
We had dinner at my mother-in-law’s house. There were some snacks beforehand, but I stuck to grapes. I tried to keep portions small for the meal (less than 1 cup of pasta with sauce, 1 chicken thigh, and 1/4 – 1/3 cup of casserole and salad), and then had a brownie and a small scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Strawberries, Milk, Water
Chocolate Cheerios™ with sliced banana, strawberries, and 2% milk.
Lunch: Burrito, Orange, Water, Tootsie Roll
Amy’s Organic Black Bean Burrito (microwaved frozen burrito), an orange, and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Chili, Corn Muffin, Melon, Water
1 cup of leftover chili, a corn muffin, and some cantaloupe.
Other: Hot Dog, Water
We went to a hockey game; I ate dinner beforehand so I didn’t have any of the food there (I figure I can get it any time we go to a hockey game), but then my daughter snagged one of the hot dogs they shoot from a cannon, and she only wanted half, so I ate the other half.
Snack: Fruit Bar, Water
I probably should have skipped any snack or only had fruit since I had the hot dog, but I know the That’s It Mini Fruit Bars are only 1 Point and I really wanted one.

Day 4

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Banana, Pear, Water
1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted and topped with 1/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter and sliced banana. Also had a pear.
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Apple, Water
Half of a turkey sandwich (whole wheat bread, light mayo, whole grain mustard, reduced-fat cheese slice, turkey, sliced pickles) and an apple.
Dinner: Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad, Water, Tootsie Roll
Same dinner as Day 1, except I had lite Catalina dressing on the salad this time, and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Carrots, Dip, Triscuit, Grapes, Water
Carrots and 1 reduced-fat Triscuit (yes, 1) with low-fat veggie dip, and also some grapes.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Strawberries, Water
Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits with strawberries and 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Apple, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert. Also an apple.
Dinner: Chicken Salad Wrap, Carrots, Potatoes, Water, Chocolate
Chicken salad (1 Tbsp. light mayo, country Dijon, 4.5-oz. can chicken breast drained, 7 dried cherries, 7 lightly salted almonds) on a whole wheat tortilla, plus canned carrots (did 2 cans drained and microwaved with 1 Tbsp. butter spread, but only had about 1/2 – 3/4 cup), roasted potatoes (tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted at 400, tossing occasionally), and a chocolate covered cherry for dessert.
Snack: Fruit Bar, Cheez-Its^®, Water
A That’s It Mini Fruit Bar and 5 reduced-fat Cheez-Its.

Day 6

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Banana, Blueberries, Water
Grape-Nuts^® (1/2 cup) with 2% milk, sliced banana (half of a banana), and some blueberries.
Lunch: Soup, Toast, Water
Half of a can of Campbell’s^® Chunky^® Savory Vegetable Soup with some soup toast (whole wheat bread spread with 1 – 2 tsp. olive oil and toasted).
Snack: Melon, Orange, Water
A few pieces of cantaloupe and an orange.
Dinner: Stir-Fry, Rice, Melon, Water, Cupcake
Chicken Stir-Fry served over about 1/2 cup of jasmine rice, with some honeydew melon on the side and half of a cupcake for dessert. I used a little over a pound of chicken, but also lots of veggies – half of a large onion, half of a bag of broccoli, 3 bell peppers, half a bag of sugar snap peas, and part of a bag of shredded carrot. This time I just seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, but still added ginger, garlic, and soy sauce.

Day 7

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
Same breakfast as Day 2, but with chopped apple (half of an apple) instead of mango.
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Apple, Water
Same lunch as Day 4, but with only half of an apple.
Dinner: Stir-Fry, Rice, Melon, Water, Cupcake
Same dinner as Day 6.

How Did I Do?

I think I did pretty well this week. I drank plenty of water, ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, and watched my portions. The only extra Points I had were probably at dinner at my mother-in-law’s, the half of a hot dog at the hockey game, and the cupcakes, but none of those were big portions. I skipped nighttime snacks or kept it light.

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.

Weight Maintenance Month 11: Week 1

Day 1

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits with half of a banana (sliced), blueberries, and 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Mango, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert. Also a few slices of honey mango.
Dinner: Picadillo, Rice, Broccoli, Water, Cupcake
Approximately 1/2 cup jasmine rice, some picadillo (more than 1/2 cup, but less than 1 cup), and some broccoli microwaved in the bag and tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Half of a cupcake for dessert.
Snack: Apple, Water
Half of a sliced apple.

Day 2

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Same breakfast as yesterday.
Snack: Banana
Needed something to tide me over, so I had the other half of the banana from breakfast.
Lunch: Soup, Water
A can of Amy’s^® Quinoa, Kale & Red Lentil soup.
Dinner: Picadillo, Rice, Squash, Water, Cupcake
Same dinner as Day 1, but with spaghetti squash instead of broccoli.
Snack: Orange, Water, Hard Seltzer
A mandarin orange, plus a hard seltzer with friends (luckily only 100 calories!).

Day 3

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
1/2 cup quick oats mixed with salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than 1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 90 seconds, stirred, microwaved for another 30 seconds, and then I stirred in some peeled, chopped apple.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Grapes, Water
Whole wheat tortilla, light mayo (1 Tbsp. or less), whole grain mustard, 1 slice reduced-fat cheese, turkey, lettuce, tomato, plus some grapes on the side.
Dinner: Chicken Sandwich, Carrots, Water, Cupcake
Wendy’s grilled chicken sandwich with some baby carrots, and half of a cupcake for dessert.

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Cheerios™ with sliced banana, blueberries, and 2% milk.
Lunch: PB&J, Apple, Water
Half of a PB&J sandwich (whole wheat bread, less than 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter, 1-2 tsp. jelly) and an apple.
Dinner: Chili, Corn Muffin, Water, Water, Cupcake
1 cup Nonstop, No-Chop Chili, a Cornmeal-Cheddar Muffin, and half of a cupcake for dessert.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Island Vanilla biscuits and 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Apple, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert. Also apple slices.
Dinner: Chili, Corn Muffin, Water, Tootsie Roll
Same dinner as Day 4, except with a midgee tootsie roll instead of half of a cupcake.
Snack: Grapes, Water

Day 6

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Grape-Nuts^® (1/2 cup) with 1/2 cup 2% milk, sliced banana (half of a banana), and some blueberries.
Lunch / Dinner: Pork Tacos, Water, Cream Puff
I had a late breakfast, and then we went out for my mother-in-law’s birthday for dinner. I got 3 pork tacos, which were much bigger than I thought they would be, and also topped with coleslaw. I probably shouldn’t have eaten all of them, but I thought they wouldn’t reheat well because of the coleslaw, so I finished them off. I also had a cream puff for dessert.

Day 7

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Same breakfast as Day 4.
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Apple, Water
1 package of peanut butter crackers and an apple.
Dinner: Picadillo, Rice, Spaghetti Squash, Water, Tootsie Roll
The last of the leftover picadillo and rice (even less than I had before), rounded out with a whole bunch of leftover spaghetti squash with salt and pepper. A midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Grapes, Orange, Water
A few green grapes and an orange.

How Did I Do?

I think I did pretty well, but I did overeat for dinner on Day 6. I also had cupcakes for a fair portion of the week, but I only ate half of one each day and either skipped my nighttime snack or only had fruit, and I’ve lost weight doing that before. I drank plenty of water and ate lots of fruits and veggies. I watched my portions and made good choices (except for that one dinner). I didn’t exercise, but I was doing some lifting and toting one day, and walked quite a bit another. So, overall, I think I did pretty well, but we’ll see!

No regrets.

Weight Maintenance Month 9/10: Week 4

Well, I wish I was done already, but I’m going to try to keep going.

Day 1

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Nature’s Path Blueberry Cinnamon Flax and skim milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Apple, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert. Also half of an apple.
Dinner: Quesadilla, Orange, Water, Chocolate
Leftover chicken and veggies from last week’s fajitas, plus some low-fat cheese on a whole wheat tortilla. An orange on the side and half of a Chunky candy bar for dessert.
Snack: Twizzlers, Goldfish® Pretzels, Nuts, Water
I kind of went off the rails – did I have even more than this? I don’t even know. Not a great way to end the first day of a new week, but I’ll start again tomorrow.

Day 2

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
1/2 cup quick oats mixed with salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than 1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 90 seconds, stirred, microwaved for another 30 seconds, and then I stirred in some peeled, chopped apple.
Lunch: Granola Bar, Yogurt, Water
“Snack lunch” – Nature Valley™ Fruit & Nut granola bar and an Activia^® black cherry yogurt.
Dinner: Stir-Fry, Rice, Pineapple, Water, Chocolate
Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Cashew Rice (1/2 cup rice and 1 cup pork and vegetables) with some fresh pineapple and a chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Water
No snack, just water.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Cheerios™ with sliced banana (half of a banana), blueberries, and skim milk.
Lunch: Soup, Water
1 can Amy’s Organic low-fat Vegetable Barley Soup.
Dinner: Stir-Fry, Rice, Pineapple, Water, Chocolate
Same dinner as Day 2, with a chocolate orange peel instead of a chocolate truffle.
Snack: None
Bed.

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water
Nature’s Path Blueberry Cinnamon Flax with sliced banana (half of a banana) and skim milk.
Lunch: PB&J, Pear, Water
Half of a sandwich – 1 slice whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter (less than 1 Tbsp.), and strawberry jam (even less than the peanut butter). Pear on the side.
Dinner: Beef Stew, Egg Noodles, Salad, Water, Chocolate
1 cup of Beef with Spice Cocoa Gravy, 1/2 cup of egg noodles, salad (lettuce, carrot, tomato) with a light drizzle of lite Catalina dressing, and a chocolate orange peel for dessert.
Snack: None
Bed.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water
Same breakfast as Day 4, but with 2% milk instead of skim.
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Orange, Water
2 slices whole wheat bread with less than 1 Tbsp. light mayo, whole grain mustard, turkey, and lettuce. Mandarin orange on the side.
Dinner: Beef Stew, Egg Noodles, Banana, Water
Leftovers from Day 4; I had mixed the noodles and beef / gravy together to store in the fridge (didn’t want the noodles to dry out), so I couldn’t measure separately, but I tried not to have too much. I also had the other half of banana from breakfast.
Snack: Strawberries, Chocolate, Water
Since I didn’t have a treat earlier, I had a chocolate orange peel and some strawberries later.

Day 6

Breakfast: Cereal, Berries, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with blackberries, strawberries, and 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Apple, Water
Same lunch as Day 1.
Dinner: Beef Stew, Egg Noodles, Salad, Water, Chocolate
Leftovers again, plus salad (lettuce, carrots, tomato) with lite Catalina dressing and a chocolate orange peel for dessert.
Snack: Orange, Water
Navel orange.

Day 7

Breakfast: Muffin, Bacon, Fruit, Water
1 Pear and Walnut Muffin, 2 slices of center cut bacon cooked in the oven, and fruit (grapes and blackberries).
Lunch: Granola Bar, Yogurt, Water
“Snack lunch” – Nature Valley™ Fruit & Nut granola bar and an Activia^® black cherry yogurt.
Dinner: Falafel, Salad, Grapes, Water, Cupcake
Falafel Pita with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing, grapes, and a salad that I made with the rest of the cucumber and lemon juice from making the yogurt dressing, some halved grape tomatoes that I had, some of the red onion that I didn’t use in the recipe, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Half of a cupcake for dessert.
Snack: Water
With the cupcake, I figured I was good for the day.

How Did I Do?

I think (hope) I did well. I drank plenty of water. I ate lots of fruits and veggies – some with almost every meal and snack. I made light dinners throughout the week. I didn’t measure and count everything, but I did measure when I needed to for dinner servings, and I think I did pretty well on the rest (after a few weeks of measuring, you kind of get the idea of how much to have when you’re having the same breakfasts and lunches all the time). I went kind of crazy on my nighttime snack on Day 1, but then I didn’t have a snack most nights the rest of the week. I’m hoping my small chocolate after-dinner treats were okay throughout the week, and then there was half of a cupcake for dessert on the last night. There was also the first dinner of the week, which used up the rest of my fajita chicken and vegetable leftovers, but I put it on a whole wheat quesadilla with some low-fat cheese and only had an orange with it (and a chocolate for dessert), so hopefully that was okay too. I made a special breakfast on the last day, but I know that was the right amount of Points.

Again, I think I did pretty well, but we’ll see what the scale says 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.

Weight Maintenance Month 9/10: Week 2

I had one day of indulgence for a family gathering, and now it’s right back to it!

Day 1

Brunch: Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water
1 cup of Chocolate Cheerios™ with sliced banana (half of a banana) and 2/3 cup skim milk.
Dinner: Soup, Bread, Melon, Water, Tootsie Roll
The last of the leftover Mushroom-Barley Soup from last week, a slice of toasted Asiago-Pepper bread, some honeydew melon and cantaloupe, and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese Stick, Grapes, Goldfish® Grahams, Water
Since I only had 2 meals, I had enough Points for a big nighttime snack: 6 reduced-fat Triscuits with salsa, a low-fat cheese stick, grapes, and a small bag of the Goldfish graham crackers.

Day 2

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Strawberries, Water
Serving size (1.25 cups) of Cascadian Farm Honey Vanilla Crunch cereal with sliced strawberries and a combination of skim and 2% milk (I was at the end of the skim).
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Apple, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert, plus some apple slices.
Dinner: Pork, Rice, Carrots, Water, Tootsie Roll
Last of the leftover Roasted Pork (3 oz. this time), brown rice (1/2 cup), and canned carrots from last week, plus a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Veggies and Dip, Water
Veggies (carrots, broccoli, grape tomatoes) and low-fat veggie dip.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal, Blackberries, Milk, Water
Serving size (31 biscuits) of Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with blackberries and 3/4 cup 2% milk.
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Orange, Water
One package of RITZ peanut butter crackers (6 cracker sandwiches) and a mandarin orange. I had a late breakfast and I just needed something to tide me over until dinner.
Dinner: Hot Dog, Baked Beans, Broccoli, Water, Tootsie Roll
One hot dog (Applegate brand) on a bun with some sautéed veggies (diced red pepper, onion, and garlic cooked at medium heat in a nonstick skillet with cooking spray) and mustard on top. Canned vegetarian baked beans microwaved with half a Tbsp. of spreadable butter (for the whole can – I only had 1/4 cup), broccoli microwaved in the bag and tossed with 1 Tbsp. olive oil (for the whole bag) and salt / pepper, and a midgee Tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Popcorn, Apple, Water
Low-fat popcorn and half of an apple.

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Banana, Strawberry, Water
Grape-Nuts^® (1/2 cup) with 1/2 cup 2% milk, sliced banana (half of a banana), and a chopped strawberry.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Pear, Water, Tootsie Roll, Taffy
Turkey wrap (whole wheat tortilla, turkey lunchmeat, and warmed up peppers and onions from Day 3 dinner) and a pear. I splurged and had two pieces of candy for dessert – a midgee tootsie roll and a piece of taffy.
Dinner: Chicken, Carrots, Green Beans, Bread & Butter, Water, Truffle
Chicken and Carrots with Wine Sauce (1 piece of chicken, 1/3 cup carrots and garlic, and a little sauce), microwaved canned green beans, and a 1-oz. slice of French bread with a little spreadable butter on it. A chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Water
I didn’t have any Points left (I may have even gone over a little), so just water.

Day 5

Brunch: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
1/2 cup quick oats mixed with salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than 1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 90 seconds, stirred, microwaved for another 30 seconds, and then I stirred in some peeled, chopped apple.
Dinner: Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Salad, Water, Tootsie Roll
Mini Meat Loaves (1 mini loaf), serving size of boxed scalloped potatoes (2/3 cup), and salad (lettuce, carrots, tomato) with 2 Tbsps. light Catalina dressing. A midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Chips, Orange, Water
Since I only had 2 meals, I had enough Points left for a small bag of SunChips and a mandarin orange.

Day 6

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Banana, Water
1 slice whole wheat toast spread with 1/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter and topped with sliced banana (half of a banana).
Lunch: Soup, Water, Chocolate
A can of Amy’s^® Quinoa, Kale & Red Lentil soup and a chocolate-covered cherry for dessert.
Dinner: Chicken, Carrots, Broccoli, Water, Tootsie Roll
Leftovers from Day 4; still only 1 piece of chicken, but this time more carrots and garlic. Broccoli from Day 3 on the side and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese, Grapes, Water
Surprisingly, I still had Points left for a pretty big nighttime snack: 6 reduced-fat Triscuits with salsa, a reduced-fat cheese stick, and grapes.

Day 7

Brunch: BLT, Orange, Water
The kids had French toast and bacon; my husband and I had BLTs: 2 slices whole wheat toast spread with 1/2 Tbsp. of light mayo on each side and topped with 3 slices center-cut bacon, a big slice of tomato, and lettuce. A mandarin orange on the side.
Dinner: Macaroni Casserole, Squash, Water, Chocolate
Macaroni-and-Cheese Casserole (1 cup) with roasted squash on the side and half of a Chunky candy bar for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese, Apple, Water
Another big nighttime snack since I only had two meals – same as yesterday, but with apple slices instead of grapes.

How Did I Do?

Honestly, I’m not sure how I’m going to do this week. I did count and measure and kept to my Points (maybe only a couple over one or two days), but I had that free day between last week and this week, I’m kind of bloated, and even though I think I got a good amount of water, I’m not sure that I got as much as I should have every day (sometimes I would think, “I don’t think I’ve had water in a while,” and then downed a glass). I got plenty of fruits and veggies. I had a lot of late breakfasts that resulted in no lunch and bigger nighttime snacks (so basically I had three meals, but at weird times). I stuck to my meal plan for the week, including a nice family breakfast on the weekend, even though there were some days when I really wanted to be done.

It was a good week, but I’m not feeling as confident this week for some reason. We’ll see!

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.

Weight Maintenance Month 6/7: Week 4

Week 4!? This is taking longer than my other check-ins, but it was also more weight to lose to begin with since I skipped a check-in. Just to make sure I’m really eating the right amount of food (and to get this over with as quickly as possible), I’m going to go back to counting Points and measuring serving sizes again.

Day 1

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk. I counted out 31 biscuits and measured 1/2 cup milk and realized that I’ve probably been having slightly more than a serving size.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Apple, Water, Tootsie Roll
Whole wheat tortilla, spinach, turkey (I used the scale to measure serving size), reduced-fat cheese slice, and leftover sautéed veggies that I used as a hot dog topping on Day 7 last week. Half of an apple on the side and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Watermelon, Water, Truffle
Two Diner Meat Loaf “Muffins,” about 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, about 1 cup watermelon, and a chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Veggies, Dip, Water
Broccoli, carrots, and grape tomatoes dipped in low-fat veggie dip.

Day 1 Check-in: Even though I would normally think of this as a solid weigh-loss day, I was over on Points. According to the Weight Watchers^® program circa 2007, I should be having 19 Points per day. Breakfast was 5, lunch was 6, meatloaf was 6, watermelon was 1, and my nighttime snack was 1 – that’s 19 without counting the mashed potatoes or the truffle. I probably should have had only one meatloaf muffin, which would have put me right around 19. I figured the truffle was part of my Flex Points for the week (35 extra points you have every week that you can use or not use), but now the mashed potatoes are too.

Day 2

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
1/2 cup quick oats mixed with salt, cinnamon, and slightly less than 1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 90 seconds, stirred, microwaved for another 30 seconds, and then I stirred in some peeled, chopped apple. I always measure the oats and milk for this anyway, so it was just how I always make it.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Apple, Water, Tootsie Roll
Same wrap / lunch as Day 1, except with no cheese on the wrap.
Dinner: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Water, Cookie
Leftovers from Day 1, except I only had one meatloaf “muffin” and canned, microwaved green beans instead of watermelon (the watermelon was gone). Same amount of mashed potatoes. My husband brought home cookies, but luckily they included nutritional information, so I knew I could have half of one and still stay within my Points for the day.
Snack: Fruit, Water
Didn’t have the Points left for much else, so I just had cherries and grapes.

Day 2 Check-in: This time I only went 1 Point over for the day. Breakfast was 6, lunch was 5, dinner was 5 plus mashed potatoes (which were probably around 3), and snack was 1. Skipping the cheese on my wrap, having less meatloaf, 0 Point green beans as a side, and only having half of a cookie all helped.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Banana, Water
Nature’s Path Blueberry Cinnamon Flax with sliced banana (half of a banana) and 2% milk. I measured both the cereal and the milk.
Lunch: Soup, Toast, Water
1 can Amy’s Organic low-fat Vegetable Barley Soup with soup toast (whole wheat bread spread with 1 tsp. olive oil and toasted).
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Broccoli Slaw, Water, Cookie
About 1/2 cup each of Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken and jasmine rice, and then I filled the rest of my plate with broccoli slaw. Half of a cookie for dessert again.
Snack: Popcorn, Apple, Water
I didn’t really have any Points left, but I was hungry, so I had less than half of a bag of low-fat microwave popcorn (I tried to keep it to around 1 cup) and half of an apple.

Day 3 Check-in: Only 1 Point over again. Breakfast was 6, lunch was 4, dinner was 9 with dessert, and snack was 1.

Day 4

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Banana, Water
Whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter and half of a banana sliced over the top.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Banana, Water, Tootsie Roll
Same wrap as Day 2. The other half of the banana from breakfast on the side and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Broccoli Slaw, Water, Cookie
Same dinner as last night.
Snack: None
Bed early, so no snack.

Day 4 Check-in: This time I was one Point under; I saved 1 Point for a nighttime snack, but then went to bed early. Breakfast was 5, lunch was 4, and dinner was 9.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk. Counted and measured again.
Lunch: Granola Bar, Banana, Water
Snack lunch – Nature Valley™ Fruit & Nut granola bar and half of a banana.
Dinner: Chili, Cornmeal Muffin, Water, Truffle
Nonstop, No-Chop Chili and a Cornmeal-Cheddar Muffin, with a truffle for dessert.
Snack: None
Bed early, so no snack.

Day 5 Check-in: I was right around 19, but maybe a little over. Breakfast was 5 Points and lunch was 4. Dinner was probably 8, but I may have mistakenly measured a little over a cup of chili. Not sure how much the truffle was, but I think probably 3 or less. I also used extra-lean ground beef in the chili instead of ground round, but used low-fat buttermilk in the muffins instead of fat-free, so that may have made a difference too (although hopefully it balanced out).

Day 6

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apple, Water
Same breakfast as Day 2.
Lunch: PB&J, Grapes, Water
1 slice whole wheat bread with 1/2 Tbsp. each of natural peanut butter and grape jelly. Grapes on the side.
Dinner: Chili, Cornmeal Muffin, Water, Truffle
Same dinner as last night, but this time I measured exactly 1 cup of chili (also added a little water before reheating). I also warmed up the muffins a little in the microwave.
Snack: None
Another early night.

Day 6 Check-in: Right around 19 again. Breakfast was 6, lunch was 4, dinner was 8, and the truffle was 3 or less.

Day 7

Breakfast: Cereal, Banana, Milk, Water
1 cup of Special K^® Red Berries with sliced banana (1/2 of a banana) and 1/2 cup 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Wrap, Apple, Water, Tootsie Roll
Whole wheat tortilla spread with 1/2 Tbsp. light mayo and country Dijon, topped with 1 reduced-fat cheese slice, turkey lunchmeat (serving size), spinach, and sliced apple (1/4 apple). Another 1/4 apple on the side and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Broccoli Slaw, Watermelon, Water, Truffle
Same dinner as Day 3, except less broccoli slaw and some watermelon too. A chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Water
I didn’t really have any Points left.

Day 7 Check-in: Another “around 19” day – 5 Points for breakfast, 6 for lunch, and 7 or 8 for dinner, plus a truffle.

How Did I Do?

This week was kind of an eye-opener. My portion sizes for some things had slid a bit in the wrong direction, and most of the time, even though I had reasonable, healthy meals, I didn’t really have any Points left for a nighttime snack, especially if I had a dessert (even a small bite). I kept to right around 19 Points per day, and even if I was 1 or 2 Points over most days, those extra Points all combined were still well under my 35 extra Flex Points for the week. Also, I drank water, had plenty of fruits and vegetables, and planned my meals out for the week. No exercise, but I think I should do well 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.

Weight Maintenance Month 6/7: Week 3

Day 1

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Veggie Dip, Grapes, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese dipped in low-fat veggie dip, grapes, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert.
Dinner: Chicken Sausage, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Water, Cookie
Leftovers from Day 6 last week, plus a Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese Stick, Grapes, Orange, Water
6 reduced-fat Triscuits with salsa, a reduced-fat cheese stick, grapes, and a mandarin orange.

Day 2

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Blueberries, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk and blueberries.
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Apple, Water, Tootsie Roll
Two slices whole wheat bread, light mayo, country Dijon, reduced-fat cheese slice, turkey, shredded carrot, sliced apple (1/4 apple). 1/4 apple on the side and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
“Snack”: Ice Cream
The kids had a half day, so we walked around downtown to see ArtPrize, and then had ice cream afterward. I could have skipped it, but it was something fun we were doing as a family.
Dinner: Pasta, Garlic Bread, Watermelon, Water
Leftover Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce from Day 7 last week, this time with some torn up spinach mixed in. Served with watermelon and garlic bread (half of a hot dog bun thinly spread with spreadable butter, sprinkled with garlic powder, and toasted). No dessert since I had ice cream earlier.
Snack: Popcorn, Cherries, Water
I thought about skipping a snack to balance out the ice cream from earlier, but I was hungry. So, just a light snack: low-fat microwaved popcorn and some fresh cherries.

Day 3

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk.
Lunch: Tuna Sandwich, Orange, Water, Cookie
Tuna salad (2 Tbsps. relish, 1 Tbsp. light mayo, 5 oz. can of tuna in water, drained) on two slices of whole wheat bread, with a mandarin orange on the side and a Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie for dessert.
Dinner: Soup, Bread, Water, Chocolate Cherries
Thukpa (Tibetan vegetable noodle soup) with a small piece of toasted sourdough and two chocolate covered dried cherries for dessert.
Snack: None
Bed early, so no snack.

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Blueberries, Banana, Water
Cheerios™ with a sliced up half of a banana, blueberries, and 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Veggie Dip, Apple, Water
Crackers, meat, and cheese dipped in low-fat veggie dip, half of an apple, and the tiny candy bar included for dessert.
Dinner: Soup, Bread, Water, Rum Ball
Same dinner as Day 3, except with a rum ball for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese Stick, Grapes, Water
Same snack as Day 1, but with no orange.

Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Banana, Blueberries, Water
Grape-Nuts^® (1/2 cup) with 2% milk, sliced banana (half of a banana), and blueberries.
Lunch: Soup, Toast, Water, Tootsie Roll
Leftover thukpa with no noodles added, soup toast (whole wheat bread lightly spread with olive oil and toasted), and a midgee tootsie roll for dessert.
Dinner: Pork Tacos, Rice, Pineapple, Water, Rum Ball
Two Cumin-Crusted Pork Soft Tacos, about 1/2 cup of yellow rice, fresh pineapple, and a rum ball for dessert.
Snack: None
Didn’t do our usual nighttime routine, so no snack.

Day 6

Breakfast: Cereal, Blueberries, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with blueberries and 2% milk.
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Banana, Water
One package of RITZ peanut butter crackers (6 cracker sandwiches) and half of a banana. More of a snack, but it’s what sounded good and one package was a lunch’s worth of Points.
Dinner: Pork Tacos, Grapes, Water, Chocolate
Two leftover pork tacos, this time with flour tortillas (the corn ones were gone). Grapes on the side and a chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: Triscuits, Salsa, Cheese Stick, Apple, Water
Same snack as Day 4, but with apple slices.

Day 7

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Water
Kashi^® Cinnamon Harvest biscuits with 2% milk.
Lunch: Turkey Armour^® LunchMakers^®, Veggie Dip, Apple, Water
Same lunch as Day 4.
Dinner: Hot Dog, Baked Beans, Carrots, Water, Chocolate
One hot dog (Applegate brand) on a bun with some sautéed veggies (diced orange and red pepper, onion, and garlic cooked at medium heat in a nonstick skillet with cooking spray) and mustard on top. Canned vegetarian baked beans microwaved with a little bit of spreadable butter, microwaved canned carrots, and a chocolate truffle for dessert.
Snack: None
Just water.

How Did I Do?

I tried to do better than last week, and I think I did. I kept drinking water, kept eating and adding fruits and vegetables, and kept trying to eat smaller / “right-sized” portions. No exercise, and there were some treats (ice cream, small desserts after dinner), but less than last week. I planned and made dinners all week, and I skipped nighttime snacks more than once.

I’m feeling pretty good about this week, but I was feeling good about last week and didn’t lose any weight, so we’ll see what happens.

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 8: Day 7

Not sure how this week is going to go – a bunch of exercise early in the week, and then nothing for the rest of the week. Good on food/portions most days, but ate whatever on Memorial Day and had extra Points here and there.

We’ll see what happens tomorrow – nothing to do but try to stay on track today!

Breakfast: Cereal, Milk, Mango, Water

Serving size of Total cereal, with 3/4 cup 2% milk and chopped ataulfo mango.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever had mango in cereal before, but I definitely will again. This was amazingly good.

Lunch: Yogurt, Granola Bar, Apple, Water

Snack lunch: black cherry Activia^® yogurt, KIND oats and honey granola bar, and half of an apple.

Dinner: Chicken Sausage, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Water, Chunky Square

Same dinner from Week 3: Day 6, but this time I cut the sweet potatoes into fry-like shapes, and sprinkled/tossed them with some garlic powder after they came out of the oven.

The kids love the al fresco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage, and my older daughter also had more sweet potatoes. They tolerate the broccoli. All in all, a family-friendly dinner that I can feel good about.

This time I had half of a Chunky for dessert (so, technically two squares).

Snack: Water

No snack again.

Exercise: 0 Minutes

No exercise again.

How Did I Do?

Not a bad way to end the week. Plenty of water and good portions, but only four fruits/veggies and no exercise. What will the scale say tomorrow? Not sure, but…

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 7: Day 4

Breakfast: Egg Scramble, Toast, Water

My daughter dubbed this “food with eggs in it,” which wasn’t too far off – I think the eggs were outnumbered.

Do your chopping: 3 slices Canadian bacon, mushrooms, spinach, garlic (mince this one)
Spray nonstick pan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 2 egg whites, and a splash of milk (maybe 1 – 2 tablespoons)
Add Canadian bacon to pan and cook and stir until lightly browned
Add mushrooms and cook and stir until they release their juices and shrink, and the liquid evaporates
Add spinach and cook and stir until wilted
Add garlic and cook and stir 1 minute
Add egg mixture and cook and stir until eggs are cooked.
At any point, turn the heat down if needed

Even with a slice of whole wheat toast spread with 1/4 tablespoon butter, this was a low-Point breakfast. It’s also very customizable – add any veggies or greens you want. You could also skip the meat, or choose a different meat, but the Canadian bacon is very lean (basically lean ham, not really bacon at all). You could also add a little cheese, or some herbs or spices. Really, this could have so many variations.

Lunch: Granola Bar, Yogurt, Water

Snack lunch. This time I tried siggi’s black cherry yogurt (under 10 grams of sugar) and had a KIND oats and honey granola bar (also under 10 grams of sugar).

The yogurt wasn’t bad, but I again had the feeling that maybe I just don’t like the actual flavor of yogurt. But, the granola bar added some more sweetness, which helped. My husband said adding fruit might help too – maybe next time.

I like the flavor of these granola bars (sweet with a little coconut), and that they have so many types of grains: oats, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa.

Dinner: Thai Red Curry, Rice, Spring Roll, Orange Chicken, Water, Chocolate

I hadn’t gotten to the store, and we decided Thai sounded good. My husband and I split a red curry with chicken, which I had over rice. It came with spring rolls, so I had one of those too. And then the kids’ orange chicken looked good, so I had a taste…and then maybe one or two more tastes.

The thing about Thai food is, I love it so much and it is always so good that I don’t want to stop eating. Probably not the best choice while losing weight, but it was delicious, and I figured we didn’t have any other plans for the week, so this would be my splurge to use some flex Points.

I also had a couple of squares of dark chocolate for dessert.

Snack: Cheez-Its^®, M&Ms

And then the splurge continued: reduced-fat Cheez-Its (not sure how many – definitely too many) and M&Ms.

That’s the thing about splurges – sometimes they kind of splurge all over the place.

Exercise: Weeding

Not sure how long I weeded, but I was probably active for at least an hour or two.

How Did I Do?

I started out okay, but then things got a little out of hand. I did get enough water, I was active, and there were plenty of veggies in my scramble and curry. I should be okay as long as I do well the rest of the 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 3: Day 7

Last day before weigh-in! I think I did pretty well this week, but what about the dinner at my parents? The small squares of ice cream sandwich and brownie and chocolate throughout the week? The two days without exercise? Logically, I know I have figured this all out on paper already and it should be fine. But there’s always that little bit of doubt until I step on the scale.

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Milk, Apple, Water

Back to oatmeal:

1/2 cup quick oats
Less than a grinder turn of salt (a tiny pinch)
Cinnamon
Slightly less than a cup of 2% milk
Microwave for 90 seconds
Add peeled, chopped half of an apple
Other ideas: cardamom or pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. each of butter and brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. each of maple syrup and nuts, other fresh fruit (berries, peaches, mango, banana, papaya, pomegranate seeds…)

Lunch: Granola Bar, Yogurt, Apple, Water

Another quick “snack lunch,” although this time I had an Oikos^® key lime yogurt and a Special K^® Red Berries Chewy Snack Bar with my half an apple. The yogurt had even more sugar than my usual Activia^® (which already has more than I want), but it also had more actual yogurt in the container. Maybe next time I go to the store I should look for some new yogurt options with less than 10 grams of sugar.

Dinner: Chicken Tamale Casserole, Salad, Water, Chocolate

Another family favorite, but this time I don’t have to adjust anything because it’s already a Cooking Light recipe: chicken tamale casserole. It has a cornbread pudding base flavored with cumin, cayenne, and green chilies. You top that with shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, and cheese (recipe here). The recipe says to pour the enchilada sauce over the partially baked cornbread mixture before you add the chicken, but I add the chicken first and then pour because I don’t want the chicken to dry out too much.

One serving is about how many Points I usually spend on an entire dinner, so I just served it with some lettuce and tomato. I also had fresh pineapple on the table, but I saved mine for a snack later. I did have a chocolate though (Ferrero Rocher).

Snack: Pretzels, Pineapple, Water

Tonight’s snack was 14 mini pretzel sticks and the fresh pineapple I didn’t have with my dinner, while watching T.V. We like to have a nighttime snack after the kids go to bed, but your snack might be during the day, or you might just add a tiny bit more to your meals, or have small treats that fit within your Points/calories for the day, or maybe have drinks other than water instead. You do you.

Exercise: 30 Minutes

Mini trampoline day again; it’s good to end the week with exercise, especially after I skipped a couple of days.

How Did I Do?

Only four kinds of fruits and veggies, but I did well on portions, drank water (and then drank more water), and exercised. Can’t wait to get on the scale tomorrow and blast those doubts away.

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.