Two Fantastic Recipes!

So, there has been a definite lack of good recipes on this blog lately . . . Sorry! Last night we enjoyed a great dinner with two of my staple recipes. The first is Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo--a favorite weight watchers recipe, and Oven Roasted Broccoli, courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Network (I love him!). These two recipes make for a fantastic 11-point dinner.

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo Serves: 4 Points: 9

6 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed with a knife

1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, washed, patted dry

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1 sprays cooking spray

1/2 cup canned chicken broth ( I always use extra)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt, Greek-style (I use ricotta cheese, GY is kind of hard to find)

1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta

8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fettuccini

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup parsley, fresh, flat-leaf, finely chopped, divided

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Rub garlic over chicken; reserve garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper and rub in seasonings with your hands; set aside.

Off heat, coat skillet with cooking spray and then set over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden, flipping once, about 5 minutes per side.

In a small bowl, combine broth, heavy cream and yogurt; pour over chicken and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon to incorporate seasonings. Simmer chicken gently, turning once, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Remove chicken from cream sauce and set aside. Add Parmesan cheese to cream sauce and mix until well combined. Add cooked pasta and 3 tablespoons of parsley; toss well. Serve pasta topped with chicken and rest of parsley. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 2/3 cup of pasta/sauce per serving.

*I have only ever doubled this recipe (Ben wants leftovers!), but I only use 1 1/2 lbs of chicken instead of two. I always use a lot more chicken broth than it calls for, usually adding more after I put the sauce on the pasta.


Oven Roasted Broccoli Serves: 6 Points: 2

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

*Panko bread crumbs can be found at Asian markets if they're not in your grocery store. Here in Bellevue you can get them at the Asian market on 370 next to No Frills and the Salvation Army (I can't remember the name of it!). They're a must for this recipe.

This broccoli recipe is truly fantastic . . . I could eat the whole recipe myself, no problem. Alton Brown actually hates broccoli generally, but he loves it this way. It's a great recipe to try on someone who doesn't usually like broccoli.

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Make Sense

Going into the weigh-in yesterday, I wasn't feeling optimistic. This last week was Ben's birthday, which means there was ice cream and cake in the house. We also had pizza one night and I had a serious run-in with the candy jar. I had prepared myself for a gain, but I was just hoping to stay the same.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I got on the scale and saw a loss of 1.8 lbs! I couldn't believe it! I ate chocolate, pizza, cake, ice cream, and all kinds of other things AND I exercised several hours less than last week, and I still got a loss. Explain that one!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the loss . . . I'm just surprised! It's really nice to know that I can go through things like birthday celebrations and still lose. It's all about being aware. That piece of cake was much smaller than it would have been had I not been paying attention. This plan is definitely something that I can do forever . . . that's nice to know.

What the #!@#@$!!??

I don't really want to post this week. What a downer. I worked so hard this week . . . I even did double workouts on three days for a total of 66 activity points and when I got on that scale this morning I had gained .2 lbs. Huh??

I can't believe it. It got me so down I didn't even have the heart to participate in the meeting. I just sat there like a lump. After the meeting I got up to walk out and Nancy said hi and asked if I was okay. Great. Does that ever happen to anyone else? When you're barely keeping it together and someone asks you if you're okay? What happens? You start to bawl like a five-year-old! Which is just what I did. Thank goodness most of the people had left!

I explained what had happened and she empathized with me. We had a nice talk (even though I was blubbering the whole time!) and she reminded me to look at the big picture and remember all the off-scale successes I have had. Here are a few:

1. I've been going to meetings faithfully since February 16 . . . longer than any other time when I joined before, and it's the first time I haven't changed diet plans every two weeks hoping to make me lose faster.
2. I've lost 3 (almost 4) dress sizes.
3. I've lost more than 10 inches off my waist.
4. I've gone from gasping for air when running to running for 22 minutes without stopping to walk (hopefully it will be longer this week!).
5. I'm losing my double chin!
6. I feel better.
7. I look better.
8. I have lost 38.2 pounds!!
   

In the car on the way home from the meeting I wiped my tears and resolved that I will not give up. I JUST WON'T GIVE UP!

This journey isn't just about losing weight, it's about eating right, exercising, just plain taking care of myself and my body, and it's about teaching my kids to do the same. Who cares if I didn't lose this week? I'm looking at the big picture and from there I look pretty darn good!

Vacation . . . SUCCESS!!

For the first time . . . EVER . . . I came home from vacation feeling good about myself! That is quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself. Every other "vacation" I've ever taken in my life (including those 9-month vacations called "pregnancy") has turned into a food free-for-all with me elbowing the senior citizens out of the way in the all-you-can-eat buffet line.

I cannot tell you how good it feels to know that I continued to take care of my health while we were gone. I posted about my first weigh-in in Utah . . . lost 1.6 lbs. Last Friday wasn't as successful and I saw a gain of 1.4 lbs. Today I was up another .8 lbs. That's a total gain of .6 lbs . . . which I think is pretty awesome, considering two whole weeks of barbecues, eating out and 4 days on the road!

Here's what I did:

I went into it scared; I had lots of good food choices in the car; I journaled all but two days; I exercised as much as I could (took my Tae-bo DVD's with me); I ate what I wanted when I wanted it in healthy portions; I enjoyed my favorite restaurants that are only in Utah; and I remained flexible, compensating for restaurant meals with lighter meals before and after. IT WAS AWESOME!

I'm just so glad that I stayed with it. My old self would have given up two hours into the road trip when the snacks started calling my name. I was back at my meeting this morning and it was good to see the familiar faces and to see my awesome leader, Nancy. We talked about perseverance today, what a great topic! I'm so glad I persevered through the vacation and I'm ready for the week ahead. Go out there and make yourself a great week!

Persistence

I weighed in yesterday at the Weight Watchers in Provo . . . I didn't stay for the meeting, but I knew it wouldn't be the same as "my" meeting at home, so I don't feel bad about that. I am happy to report that even after the road trip, I still lost 1.6 lbs!! I was so happy . . . the feeling you get after a good weigh-in is just amazing. There's just something about hanging in there even when it's hard and proving to yourself that you can do it week after week. It's the best feeling in the world.

I know that this week will be a huge challenge. We already had Panda Express (I had to do it, they don't even have it in Nebraska!) and pizza (my personal food enemy) yesterday. I'm still within my points and I worked out hard yesterday and again this morning, so that will help. There are family parties tonight and tomorrow afternoon. Parties, with all the food just laying there calling to me are another huge pit fall for me. I'll have to enlist my husband to help me resist the temptations.

While we're here we're staying in my best friend's parents house (they're on a mission at a girls camp so they only come home once a week) and there's this saying on the wall downstairs:

"That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased."

Ain't that the truth?? Each person has incalculable potential and power to change their own life and the lives of others, and hanging in there when things get tough is a huge part of that.

Everyone have a great week . . . I definitely plan to!

Road Trip!

Okay, so we're on our way to Utah. Road Trips are definitely hazardous when you're trying to eat well! My idea of a road trip growing up was being able to spend crazy amounts of money on nuts, beef jerky, gummy worms and every other snack I usually didn't allow myself and to eat them with reckless abandon for 12 hours straight. That's not exactly conducive to maintaining a healthy weight!

We tried to be good about food in the car. We let the kids each pick a treat (Spiderman fruit snacks and Yogos) and we packed granola bars, peanuts, crackers, V-8, a cooler with grapes, carrots, sliced cheese, bananas, yogurt and lots of water. Considering how the day could have gone had I just let myself go, I did very well. I wrote everything down until the evening, when we went to Outback Steakhouse. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and got broccoli instead of fries. I could have asked for no cheese, but come on . . . this is vacation! There have to be some indulgences!

I don't have high hopes for the weigh-in this Friday (I'm planning to attend a meeting in Utah), but I hope that I don't see a gain. It's near impossible to get in a workout when you're trying to travel almost 1,000 miles in two days with three kids, but hopefully I'll be able to make up for that once we get there. We're planning to go hiking at least two days and I'm sure we'll be walking around a few malls. I also brought all my Tae-Bo DVD's and I'm sure I'll do that more than once.

So, after day one, things are going well. I just have to keep reminding myself that vacation is not an excuse to let go of all the good habits I have learned, and that indulging in food that I want in the moment will NOT help me feel better in the long run.

Time for bed . . . Tomorrow, Utah here we come!

Oh, Guilt...

Who hasn't had to deal with guilt at one time or another? It's everywhere... regret for past actions, guilt for wronging another, for not being better at something... MOMMY GUILT, anyone? Man, I REALLY hate guilt. And, I am guilty (no pun intended =) ) of letting it overwhelm me at times.

One source of guilt that I am trying to eradicate from my life is food guilt. It's a vicious cycle . . . you want the food, you eat the food (too much of the food!), you feel TERRIBLE after eating the food, you feel like a failure, you say what's the use . . . you want the food, you eat the food . . . and on and on until you end up overweight and on the couch with another bowl of said food. Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but really . . . guilt is no fun, and it's a slippery slope that leads to a definite loss of self-worth.

That said, I'm dealing this morning with a case of food guilt. My husband came home from his deployment on Saturday afternoon. He had requested a favorite meal, topped off with chocolate cheesecake. On Saturday night I did soooo well! I was so proud of myself, I had the smallest sliver of cheesecake (still 5 1/2 points!), and I was satisfied. Sunday was a different story! Somehow, the cheesecake overcame me and I ate two . . . yes, TWO . . . pieces of that darn cake. Almost immediately afterward I was so furious at myself, and I felt so disgusting. I really, really wished that I could make myself throw up. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I'm not sure at the moment) even if I really want to throw up, I can't make myself, no matter what I stick down my throat. So, this morning I'm dealing with the "food hangover", and with the thought that we're leaving on vacation on Wednesday and I used up more than half of my weekly points allowance on that dumb cheesecake.

There is a voice from crash diets of the past whispering in my ear that I can make up for it today by eating very little and working out a lot . . . but what will that solve? I'll just be hungry and cranky, and that doesn't make anyone feel better. On the other shoulder, the Weight Watchers voice of sensibility is whispering, "Just stay on plan today . . . drink all your water, exercise, eat well, and forget about the stupid cheesecake." I think that's a better plan.

TGIF!!!

I love Fridays! I look forward to Friday all week, and not because it's the weekend, but because it's my meeting day! It's just a great feeling knowing that I have stayed on plan all week long, that I feel good, that I look good, and that I'll probably have a loss. It's even better to know that if I don't have a loss, it's not the end of the world . . . that I'll just have to wait until next week.

Good news today: I lost 1.4 lbs! I was very happy, but I'm kind of amazed that going to the meetings each week is becoming about more than the numbers on the scale. I go to weigh in, of course, but also just to feel the camaraderie of people who understand. It's always great to feel that you are among friends.

Today we talked about lots of food ideas; I learned that Thomas's makes a 1-pt english muffin (I'm definitely going to find those!), and that Panera bread has a great Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad for only 3 points! I guess I'll have to give Panera a try since I've never been there.

We talked about "detours", and how weight-loss is like a road trip. You sometimes have to veer from the original plan, but if you follow the signs and keep on going, you'll eventually reach the same destination. Quite an ironic topic for me, since we're going on vacation next Wednesday. A road trip to Utah . . . I have been quite nervous about it, but I'm gaining confidence. I know that I can make good choices, and I know that I'll be able to have treats too! It's great to have a lifestyle that is so flexible. I'll be attending the next two meetings in Utah, I hope they're as motivating as the ones here.

P.S. My husband gets home from his deployment tomorrow... Woo-hoo!

I Have the Power

It will come as no surprise to others on a weight-loss journey that this is not my first time trying to lose weight... in fact, it's not the second or third or even fourth time. I can't even remember a time when losing weight wasn't on my mind. There have been good diets and bad diets, fast ones and slow ones. I've even tried Weight Watchers countless times before, but this time, there is one fundamental difference: I realize that I am powerful. I know that I have the power to change my life.

There have been periods of time in my life when I did not have this belief, some of them pretty extended periods. When I was younger, I was pretty much unaware of the power I had to change, so I didn't really explore it. When I was in college, I was aware that people could change, but I didn't believe that I was one of them. I have so many memories of times when others have taken my power from me... and I let them do it! One time in grade school a boy walked up to me, stopped and looked me up and down and then said, "You're fat." Just like that. Completely matter of factly, he summed my entire being up in those two words. And that is what I became.

I remember other comments, even from well-intentioned friends or family members. My dad once told me that I needed to just accept that I was overweight ("big-boned", he said, as if that's any less insulting than fat!) and be happy with the way I was. I know he was just trying to help, but he took my power away because I believed him, and I thought I could never change. Another time, after losing more than 20 pounds, in line at a fast-food restaurant a friend jested with me about always ordering salads... and what did I do? I quit the diet. I let her take my power and I gave up on believing in myself. I remember every single comment, every look, every time I ever felt different because I was fat. I remember longing to be one of the "skinny girls", just wanting to be able to trade clothes with a friend, or to be able to wear the cute clothes that only came in smaller sizes.

Time after time, I tried, really tried to lose weight . . . but without actually believing that I could do it. Lots of times I kept it a secret, knowing that if I failed, no one would have to know. I would go on crazy diets that promised a pound a day . . . I even tried prescription diet pills. Those things worked, but they were all only a temporary fix. For many years, remembering these things made me feel worse, but now they help to remind me how far I've come, and they strengthen my will to change, to become more than just the fat girl.

This time it's different. I'm following the plan, taking it slow, one day at a time. My losses each week aren't big, and deep down I'm glad . . . because it's teaching me patience, a virtue which I definitely lack. It's also helping me to make this way of eating habit, and not just something I do for a few months. I'm sick of the roller coaster, and this time when I joined Weight Watchers, I knew it wasn't just for a one-day ticket into the weight-loss amusement park. This is life . . . there will be french fries, and birthday cake, and KFC on the 4th of July. With this plan, I am fully equipped to handle whatever "life" throws my way.

I'm going to win this weight loss game . . . I think of how it will feel to reach my goal weight almost every day. Every day that I stay on plan, I build up my power reserve. Every time that I turn down or pass by a food that I know isn't going to work for me, I get stronger. Every time that I opt to eat the french fries, or the cake or the ice cream, when I know I have the points, I feel absolutely empowered!

No one can take my power away unless I let them. This is my life, and I have the power to change.

Who Doesn't Love Pancakes?

Oh, pancakes... the ultimate in comfort breakfast. I love them, the kids love them. Do weight watchers love them? Um, not so much. Pancakes with all the trimmings at a restaurant can set you back quite a few points... probably more than you get for the whole day. Fortunately, there are ways to make great pancakes! We tried gingerbread pancakes a few months back and they've become a staple, (so, so, so yummy, I promise to share the recipe soon!), so yesterday (Sunday) morning, the kids were all for trying a new pancake recipe.

These are delicious! I think what I love best about these is that you don't need anything but a little bit of spread/butter/whatever you use on top. No dealing with the points or mess of syrup.

Chunky Apple Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup chunky applesauce

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine egg, oil, milk, and applesauce; stir with a whisk until blended. Add to flour mixture, and stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
   
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Yield: 8 pancakes, 2 points each.

I always double the batch when I make pancakes, then you can eat them later for snacks (the kids eat them cold, right out of the fridge) or for breakfast on another day. They also freeze really well. I just use the toaster to warm them up, then spread light butter on top and voilà! a very tasty breakfast!

This was our first time making this recipe, and they were a big hit with me and Eli. Carli wasn't too impressed with the apple chunks, so about two-thirds of the way through the batter, I chopped up a banana (chopped, not smashed) and added that in. That worked like a charm! I think she believed that the apples were gone, and I didn't try to change her mind. I loved the added banana . . . they tasted like banana bread! So next time, I will just add banana from the beginning. I also promised that we will eat them with sliced bananas and strawberries and whipped cream.

Anyone want to join us??

It could have been so much worse

Well, I made it through last night-- but not without a battle. Not five minutes after I finished the post, Eli came and asked me if we could make cookies. Seems the demon was calling out to him as well. And with those five words, "Can we make cookies please", all my resolve came crashing down.

I tried to be real about it. I knew the craving was real, but I knew I was on the edge emotionally and that the smallest thing was going to send me diving to the bottom of the bowl, not just swimming around the edges. I looked up a Weight Watchers recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and we got started. I knew that even if things went horribly wrong, I couldn't eat more than 24 points . . . that's the entire recipe!

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 1 large egg white(s)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

• In a medium bowl, cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white; mix thoroughly to combine.
  
• In a small bowl, mix together flour and baking soda; stir into batter. Add chocolate chips to batter; stir to distribute evenly throughout.
  
• Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto one or two large nonstick baking sheets, leaving a small amount of space between each cookie. Bake cookies until golden around edges, about 4 to 6 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving, 1 point.
  

These little cookies are actually really good... the dough was tasty too. I ate 14 points worth of dough... I really don't care about them after they're cooked. It was more than I wanted to eat, but I didn't have to feel guilty about it, because I had the points and I wrote it down. So I ate broccoli and chocolate chip cookies for dinner . . . So what??

Score: Me--1, Cookie Dough Demon--Zero

(P.S. Thanks to my friend Heather for the kind comment. Heather is a fellow weight watcher who has lost more than 40 lbs! Awesome!!)

It's getting a little heavy

This load I'm carrying, I mean. I'm really sick of being the only parent. Being alone and taking care of three kids all day every day is wearing on me. I've been doing pretty well, in fact, my husband comes home from his deployment a week from today, but right now I feel like I'm about to have a breakdown. There has been a lot of screaming in the house today... me screaming, Carli screaming, Sammy screaming. It's starting to wear on my nerves. I am feeling lots of emotions and right now I want to drown them in a big bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough!

Deep down (deep, deep, down) I know that chocolate chip cookie dough will do nothing for me, in fact, it'll probably leave me pretty mad later, but right now I really want it. I'm trying really hard to fight the impulse to just eat anything and everything right now. I do really well during the week, but on the weekends, I just feel like letting go... especially when I'm tired and frustrated and very lonely. I just want Ben home now.

Right now it's only 6 pm and I just can't wait to put the kids in bed. Sounds terrible, but if you have kids, you understand. The evening seems endless, and I just need some peace.

I also have another worry on my mind. My back... it's acting up again. I have a herniated disk, which they've been treating with steroid epidurals. The first one was during my pregnancy, last July, and it lasted for 6 months. They basically inject steroids around the herniated disk and it alleviates the swelling and pressure and takes the pain away. The second one was in February, and it's lasted until now. I was really hoping to make it all the way through the deployment, but it doesn't look like that will happen. It's been hurting during the night and seizing up at times during the day. Eventually, if it goes too long, I won't be able to walk. Stress management is not my forté and thinking about arranging a babysitter for the procedure and someone to go with me, not to mention making it through all the days until I actually get it scheduled is just about more than I can take right now.

Thanks for listening to my rant. This blogging thing is turning out to be pretty therapeutic. I can't hear the cookie dough calling to me so loudly now, it's more like a whisper. Hopefully it will just fade out until I can't hear it anymore. Wish me luck. =)