11.5 only 8.5 to go

When I started Weight Watchers a month ago, I decided that I would buy a new purse when I lost 20 pounds... well, as of today I have lost 11.5!!!  ONLY 8.5 TO GO !!!

I am thinking this is the purse I want...

 

However, I don't think Dooney & Bourke sells them anymore :(   Hopefully I can find it somewhere else, or maybe another zebra purse.

My Healthy Choice post gets a comment from someone on behalf of HC !!

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my confusion with a Healthy Choice meal I had with a mix up on the WW points.  Well, it seems that Healthy Choice read my post {I was shocked since I don't think I have much traffic to my blog}.
Here is the comment they left,

So sorry about the confusion with the packaging! Our nutritionist checked and the correct Weight Watchers amount *IS* 6 points. The team is working to correct the packaging, so thanks for pointing that out. I saw that you didn’t enjoy the Asian Potstickers, so I hope you'll try another one of our frozen meals. You can go to http://www.healthychoice.com/news-special-offers/ to download a $1 off coupon for any two frozen entrées. – Gena, on behalf of Healthy Choice

Again, I am shocked and pleased to know that they keep an eye out for problems with their product.  

Olive Garden + Weight Watchers

There is an Olive Garden just around the corner from my office.  Today I decided to look at the nutritional value of the items on their menu so I can choose what to order with a little more knowledge and stay within my point range.

Below is a list of the items I found with less than 250 calories.

Dish		Points
Breadstick (w/ garlic-butter spread)		3
Pasta e Fagioli		2
Chicken & Gnocchi		5
Minestrone		1
Zuppa Toscana		3
Garden Fresh Salad  ( without dressing)		2
Childrens Spaghetti with Tomato sauce		4

Some of my (old) favorites:

Dish		Points
Pizza (w/ cheese & sauce only)		20
Tour of Italy		34
Pork Milanese		37
Chicken Alfredo		35
Grilled Shrimp Caprese		21

WOW -- there are some HIGH calorie items on the menu !!!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia = 4pts

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

4 points

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tilapia fillets (about 1lb)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400.  In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 - 12 minutes.  Serve fish with the lemon wedges.

Serves : 4

Lasagna Roll-Ups = 4 pts

Lasagna Roll-Ups

4 POINTS per serving   Ingredients: 8 lasagna noodles 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup non-fat ricotta cheese 1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese 1/2 pkg. Mori Nu Lite Tofu 2 cups no-fat, low-sodium spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu Lite) 1/4 cup non-fat mozzarella cheese Instructions: Cook lasagna noodles 10 minutes or according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. Drain, lay out on a clean cloth towel. Combine tofu and cheeses. Place equal amounts on each lasagna noodle, spreading out as evenly as possible. Roll up jellyroll style. Place roll-ups in baking dish, seam side down. Top each roll with 2 tablespoons sauce. Bake covered for 30 minutes. (Temp not specified) Note: These may be frozen before baking, omitting sauce until ready to bake. Makes 4 servings 4 POINTS per serving Nutrition Facts Calories: 172, Fat: 1.4g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Fiber: 2 gm, Sodium: 411 mg, Protein: 9g Exchange: 1 very lean meat, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 1/2 starch) Source: Heart Healthy Website

South of the Border Casserole = 7pts

South Of The Border Casserole

7 POINTS per serving   Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1 pound 95% lean ground beef 3/4 cup diced onion 3/4 cup diced sweet green pepper 2 seeded, fresh jalapeno peppers, minced (use rubber gloves) 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes 2 cups nonfat sour cream 1 tablespoon clover honey 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 ounces uncooked penne or macaroni pasta Instructions: Add the olive oil to a 5 quart nonstick saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the edge of a spatula, until it has lost its pink color. Drain any fat from the pan. Add the onions and green pepper, cooking until softened. Stir in the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, sour cream, honey, chili powder and salt. Add the pasta. Stir, cover, lower the heat and gently simmer until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir every five minutes, to keep the pasta from sticking to the saucepan bottom. Yield: 6 servings 7 POINTS per serving Nutritional information per serving: 373 calories, 4.8 g fat, 24.8 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, Fiber 2 g, 52 mgs cholesterol, 845 mgs sodium. Adapted from: "Lean and Lovin' It - Exceptionally Delicious Recipes for Low-Fat Living and Permanent Weight Loss" by Don Mauer

Crock Pot Hamburger Casserole = 5 pts

Hamburger Casserole Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients:
16 oz. extra lean gr. beef (or turkey)
2 cups sliced raw potatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (I used frozen)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas –thawed
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn – thawed
1 10 oz. can healthy Request Tomato Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 can mushrooms
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
In large skillet brown meat, onion & celery mixture and mushrooms. In slow cooker – sprayed with a butter flavored spray (or a non-stick cooking spray), combine meat mixture, potatoes, carrots, peas, and corn. Stir in tomato soup, water, parsley flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Serving = 1 cup
Each serving = 5 Weight Watchers Points

Weight Watcher Tips

I have been on WW for a couple of weeks now and here are some tips I have learned.

• Use a snack size ziplock bag and put snacks in them with points written on them.
• Try to use the points calculator and nutrition information for the resturant you are going to before you go so you know what to order.
• Don't get too upset if you go over your points for a day, you have your extra weekly points.  This has been big for me since I just started.
• Write points on all your food in your pantry.  This way, when you are looking for something to make, you can easily see how many points they are.
• If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, download the WW app - it is great !
• If you find recipes, use the nutritional information on it to figure the points, and write the points on the recipe.

RECIPE: Taco Soup 1pt

Oh my gosh !  I got this recipe from www.chubbiechica.com .  I wasn't sure how good it would be being only 1 pt.  But WOW, it was really good and I loved it !!!!  I was full after 1 1/2 servings!

Taco Soup
Serves 6 @ 1 pt.

Ingredients:
14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes
14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes with chilis
14.5 ounce canned Mexican corn with chilis
15.5 ounce can black beans
15.5 ounce can red kidney beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch salad dressing mix (dry)

Prep:
Saute onion with vegetable oil cooking spray. When softened, combine all other ingredients and cook until heated through.  Serving size is 1 cup!
And yes - eat more than 1 cup.  Maybe 2 ....ok, go for 3!

Chipotle Lunch

Me and the kids went to Chipotle for lunch Saturday while we were out shopping.  Since I started WW, I had to really think about what I was going to order.You can get Chipotle's Nutrition Information here. 

So, I ordered the Chicken Burrito Bowl.  I only ate half of it and my points were 5 !  Not too bad.

Taco Bell's Fresco Menu + Weight Watchers

I decided to start keeping a list of "low" point items from some of the Fast Food places so I can choose what to eat better.

Below is a list of menu items from their new Fresco menu.  I figured points based on the Nutrition Guide on their website. 

Fresco Crunchy Taco = 3 pts.
Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco = 3 pts
Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco = 3 pts
Fresco Soft Taco - Beef = 4 pts
Fresco Burrito Supreme Steak = 6 pts
Fresco Burrito Supreme Chicken = 7 pts
Fresco Bean Burrito = 7 pts

WW Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Weight Watchers Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
1 chicken whole, no skin, cut up
2 medium Carrots — peeled and chopped
1/2 cup onion — peeled and chopped
2 Stalks celery — coarsely chopped
2 1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon parsley
3/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon Poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 Bay leaf
2 qt Water
2 1/2 cups egg noodles
Directions:
Place the first 4 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker in the order listed. Combine salt and the next 6 ingredients; sprinkle over vegetables. Add 6 cups water; cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Remove chicken and bay leaf; add remaining 2 cups water. Stir in noodles and cook, covered, on high setting for 20 minutes. Meanwhile remove bones from chicken and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Add to slow cooker, stir to mix. Cook for 15 minutes on high setting, covered or until noodles are tender. Makes 3 1/4 quarts.
Serves 10
Each Serving = 1 Weight Watchers Point

WW Day#3

Yesterday I went and got groceries, I bought alot of the WW brand things, cause it was easy.  However with my snacks.  I usually just eat what I buy for the kids.

I got home and figured the points for each of the items and wrote it on the package.  Today, I got the snack size ziplock bags and wrote the name of the snack and Points on the outside.  Then, with the help of my kids, counted out a serving and put it in the ziplock bag.  I did that for all of my snacks.  I put them all in a gallon size bag to take to work and put in my desk. 

Now, while I am at work and want a snack, I will have them and know exactly how many points they are !

Weight Watchers

Well, after alot of thought, I decided to start weight watchers !  I have heard a lot of good things about it and some friends who have had success !  I am really hoping it helps !  :)

I am doing the online version of it and I was thrilled when I saw there is an App for my iPhone!!

Of course, tonight we are going to dinner at The Cotton Patch Cafe and wouldn't you know, they don't have a the nutritional information for their foods :(  So, I am going to have to take a wild wild guess !

Wish me luck on my new adventure to loose weight !