Week 8 Weigh In

I am once again late posting my weekly weigh in. I have been really busy lately with life in general. But, I am still trying to watch what I eat and continue to make lifestyle changes to my eating habits.

When I stepped on the scales this time I was really pleased to see a two pound loss. That brings my total weight loss to eighteen pounds in eight weeks. Thats just over two pounds per week so I am quite happy with the progress. Its nice to see some real results that mean something and this week I had one of those moments.

I looked over at the section of my closet where the clothes I had 'outgrown' were and decided to try on some to see if I was getting close to being able to wear them again. I was elated to find two pairs of pants I could wear comfortably and a shirt. I didn't try them all on so I may have some others I could wear too. That felt really good especially since the pants I have been wearing to work of late have been really tough to keep from falling down to my ankles.

Hopefully, for those that are following along with your own journeys, you are having success also.

Hostess 100 Calorie Strawberry Cakes

Hostess has a new flavor of 100 calorie snack packs and it is wonderful. The new flavor is Strawberry. That brings to six the number of flavors from Hostess. The other new flavor is the old Hostess standby the Twinkie. The other flavors are chocolate, carrot cake, cinnamon coffee cake and banana muffin.

Each pack contains three small cakes with cream filling and cream cheese icing. I love just about anything cream cheese and these things are great too. The only reason you wouldn't like these would be if you didn't like strawberry cake.

These are one of my favorite 1 Point Snacks.

Week 7 Weigh In

This week was a bit more of a struggle to maintain the plan. Well, to be honest I didn't follow the plan very well at all. I had two nights where I ate high calorie high fat meals and I only actually counted points one whole day for the week. I still watched what I ate and made mental notes of point values but I did not write them down and make sure I did not exceed my limit.

With that said I did have some successes as I continued to decline the office donuts and breakfast sandwiches that seem to show up all the time. I also resisted the urge to eat the birthday cheesecake I was offered. That one was tough, I love cheesecake.

When I stepped on the scales I was expecting to see a gain but much to my surprise I had a one pound loss. That was a real boost to my attitude. What I took away from the weigh in was that even though I had a couple of bad dinners and didn't count everything that went in my mouth I still had some success. One of my long term goals is to change my eating habits to the point that most everything I eat is a better choice than I use to make. An example is that I probably ate high calorie high fat cheeseburgers two or three times a week for lunch. In their place now I eat low fat sandwiches, pasta or other foods much lower in calories and fat. I still crave the ultimate cheeseburger now and again but hopefully I can limit those cheeseburgers to once or twice a month instead of multiple times a week.

For the seven weeks I have been dieting I now have a total weight loss of 16 pounds. In my previous dieting experiences I have seen more weight loss in the first seven weeks but this time I am trying to change my eating habits for long term success. I am not focusing so much on losing the weight but more on making better choices that I can stick with for the rest of my life. Hopefully I will succeed this time.

If you are on a weight loss journey too I want to wish you success. Not luck, because this is one of the hardest things a person can attempt to do. Successful weight loss is a lot of work no matter what method you choose to use.

Healthy Choice Sweet Bourbon Steak

I love just about anything that says it is bourbon flavored. So, when I saw this Healthy Choice meal in the grocery freezer I had to give it a try. Healthy Choice describes it this way: our seasoned beef strips are seasoned with sweet bourbon sauce, crafted with with brown sugar, molasses, and Kentuckey bourbon whiskey. Oh Yeah!! Kentucky bourbon whiskey and brown sugar, yum yum.

Seriously though just how was this meal you may be wondering. It was surprising in two different areas. The first surprise was not a good surprise, the sauce had a wierd twang to it. It did not remind me of bourbon or brown sugar, I have no idea how to describe the taste. The good surprise was that the beef was really tender. Shockingly tender.

The meal comes with a peach crisp, probably my favorite Healthy Choice dessert and a serving of garlic mashed potatoes with a broccoli and carrot medley. I wonder if I got an out of date package. The potatoes in no way resembled garlic mashed potatoes. I swear they were just plain old mashed potatoes. The broccoli and carrot medley was adequate as usual.

I will give this one another try just to see if I did have an old one and the sauce is better and the garlic mashed potatoes have any garlic flavor to them.

Calories 330
Fat 7 Grams
Fiber 5 Grams
Weight Watchers Points 6

Weigh In for Weeks Five and Six

I was pretty busy last week and just never sat down to update my blog with last weeks weigh in. So, I am lumping it together with this weeks weigh in. This was one of the tougher weeks I have had since I began dieting again. I didn't count every point every day and I fought urges for high calorie, high fat foods all week. But, for the most part I was able to stay close to plan. A couple of nights I think I went over on points with a late night snack of pretzels one night and animal crackers on another.

When I stepped on the scales today it showed a loss of three pounds since my last post. That brings my total weight loss to 15 pounds in Six Weeks. Just over two pounds a week which is right about where I want to be.

If you are dieting too I wish you success on your journey.

Week 4 Weigh In

This past week I wasn't able to stay within my points everyday. On Saturday I was about five over but way short on my water and Super Sunday I didn't count points but at least what I ate was leaner than normal food. Monday was my wife's Birthday so we went out for dinner. I was half good and half bad. I had the Key West Chicken and Shrimp from Cheddars. So, grilled chicken and shrimp good, mashed potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole bad.

What did that mean to my moment on the scale this week......... I flatlined. No gain and no loss. That leaves me at a total weight loss so far of 12 pounds. I have to buckle back down this week and count those points and drink all my water. I know I reap what I sow when it comes to dieting. If I work hard and follow my plan I lose weight. If I ignore the plan and eat aimlessly I don't lose weight.

Here to a better week and I wish success for those that are on the weight loss path with me.

Smart Ones Traditional Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Yesterday we tried the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Traditional Lasagna with Meat Sauce. Some of the copy from the box describes it as five layers of decadence with tender lasagna pasta, rich ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. I would not use the word decadent but it was a satisfying meal.

This might be the best frozen lasagna that I have tried even considering it is produced for those of us trying to loose weight. Sometimes frozen meals that are prepared in the microwave end up with burnt edges, hard pasta, mushy ingredients but this one came out very nice. If you had of taken it out of the tray and placed it on a plate you could have passed it off as if you made it yourself. I have had better home cooked lasagna but I was freezer to comfy chair with my remote in just over ten minutes.

This one gets a big thumbs up from me and I know just what I want to use my Smart Ones coupons on now. Here are the stats for my fellow point watchers, 300 Calories, 6 Grams of Fat, 6 Grams of Fiber and only 6 Points. By the way you can visit the Smart Ones site to get coupons for some great savings coupons.

Healthy Choice Country Breaded Chicken

I tried a new entree from the Healthy Choice family of frozen
meals today. It was the Healthy Choice Country Breaded
Chicken. This meal featured two white meat chicken strips,
mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies and a cherry dessert.
The pertinent nutritional information is 9 grams of fat,
370 calories and 6 grams of fiber.
Weight Watchers points equal 7

I prepared this meal as per the instructions on the box. The vegetable medley was okay.
The chicken actually tasted pretty good it was just a bit soggy from the gravy. They
could have left the gravy out and I would have enjoyed it more. The mashed potatoes
came out as one mass. I tried to use the little dab of gravy to soften them up but it didn't
help much. The cherry dessert with vanilla crisp was missing the crisp. It tasted good but
I missed the crunch.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

Week 3 Weigh In

This was a much better week in terms on staying on track than last week. I even managed to go walking one day which is pretty unusual for me this time of year. We were also out of diet soft drinks in the house for a few days so I even did better than normal getting my water in. The one pound gain I had last week was a downer going into the week but I managed to produce some momentum that I feel pretty good about.

When I stepped on the scales this evening I was really surprised by the number I saw. So much so that I checked it six times and each time it read the same. I had lost SEVEN pounds for the week. Wow! What a surprise, I was expecting a three or four pound loss not seven. To say I am happy is an understatement.

I know that a three week weight loss of 12 Pounds does not a successful diet make but it is a really nice start. It gives me hope and momentum to continue instead of taking the easy way out and making up excuses to go back to old habits. I still have plenty of work to do especially in expanding my diet. Right now it is pretty much the same from day to day which will get old soon. I have been working on finding some new foods and recipes to diversify my meals.

I came up with a quick little dish this week that is a nice change of pace and easy to do. It is nothing too elaborate its just a serving of white rice with some cocktail shrimp I lightly marinated in teryaki sauce. The first time I made it I used one of those new steamer bags of rice and some veggies.

90 Calorie Great Value Blueberry Cereal Bar

I am always on the lookout for new snack ideas and the other day I found a great one in the cereal aisle. I was in my local Walmart buying groceries and doing a lot of label reading when I discovered a box of 90 Calorie Great Value Blueberry Cereal Bars. They were nearly a dollar cheaper than the name brands on the shelf so that immediately caught my eye. I put a box in my cart and continued on my way.

I have to say I was not expecting much as I haven't found very much in the generic diet food section that was very good. These however are an exception. They are delicious. They are really sweet and tasty. I have been using them as a candy bar substitute. Plus, they are only 1 Point Per Bar, yahoo!

So far I have been to two of the three Walmarts near me and blueberry is the only flavor I have found. I did find a strawberry flavor on the Walmart website so hopefully they will make their way to my local stores. The pertinent nutritional information breaks down this way, 90 Calories 1.5 Fat Grams and 3 Grams of fiber for a total of 1 Weight Watchers Points.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

Week 2 Weigh In

This past week was a pretty good week and I had momentum going into the weekend. It was going to be an unusual weekend so I was a bit apprehensive about my diet. I did a pre weigh in check on Saturday and I showed a two pound loss. That felt good knowing that the next day and a half would be tough.

Saturday afternoon had me the family Cookie Monster preparing cookies for the teenagers that would decend on our home after their Winter Formal that night. I did okay I only eight one while I was baking. But that didn't hold as the night of no sleep continued to the daylight hours of Sunday.

Sunday morning I had more than my share of cinamon rolls and pigs in a blanket. I finally crashed after breakfast and woke up Sunday afternoon. I didn't feel like cooking so I just ate some of the pigs that were left over. I had resigned to the fact that Sunday would be a day of not stressing about counting points but resolving that Monday morning I would be back on track. I decided to have Pizza for dinner since I was already over on points for the day. I figured it was much better to eat something like Pizza now than blow a good day.

Anyway, Monday I was back on track. I had oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and for dinner my wife made some baked fish. As for the weigh in on Monday night I showed a one pound gain from the week before. It was disappointing but I did go nuts this weekend. I am looking forward to a better week.

Week 1 Weigh In

Boo Ya!!! Lets get right to the good part...... I lost SIX Pounds this week. I was feeling really good about this first weigh in but I was really only expecting about four pounds. That feels pretty good right about now. Today was a beast at work so this is a nice way to finish the day.

I know a one week weight loss does not a successful diet make, but it does feel good. I only had two really tough days this past week, but I was able to stay within my allowed points. I was able to get my water in everyday also. I truly believe that water is one of the keys to a successful diet.

Okay, its a new week so I have to stay focused on the prize. I have two glasses of water to get in tonight so I am just a bit behind schedule there. Even though it was a good day at work I didn't give in to the stress of the day and just grab a cheeseburger. Its little victories that help keep me going.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

Buckling Down and Getting Serious Again

Being someone that has battled a weight issue practically all my life I have reached that point again where I have decided to take action yet again. I am at the heaviest I have ever been and in the worst shape of my life. The last few months have been really tough, even simple things seem to just wear me out.

So, that begs the question just what am I going to do about it? Well, for me I have had the most success using the Weight Watchers program although I have never been to a meeting. I have followed their point systems with good results and I know it works for me. I can stay on a diet when I set my mind to it and when I don't have to completely give up a type of food completely.

For example if I had to give up bread or sweets totally I would never stay on a diet. The great thing about the point system from Weight Watchers is that I can work in those kinds of foods in moderation. Right now I can have 28-35 points but I try to stay at 30. If I want a big ole yeast roll or a piece of pie I just have to make sure I stay within my points for the day. With the point system I have the flexibility to eat almost anything as long as I stay within my number.

I started counting points again last Monday and so far things have been going well. I am looking forward to weighing in tomorrow evening. I am handling the weigh in differently this time around as I am going to weigh in the evening before I eat dinner. I used to always weigh in the morning before I ate anything. I think weighing in before dinner will help remind me of my goal and hopefully be an encouragement. My toughest times are at night and of course on the weekends.

I'll have an update after tomorrows weigh in.

Nabisco 100 Calorie Honey Maid Cheesecake Delight Bars

The selection for the 100 Calorie Pack snack food grows every time I make a trip to the grocery store. I am not complaining though as many of the varieties are very good. A few days ago I saw a new snack sitting on the shelf at Wally World. The packaging contained one of those magical words that makes me want to eat it all, Cheesecake.

This wonderful little snack from Nabisco is called the Honey Maid Delight Bars Cheesecake flavor. It is very tasty. There is a slight twang to it from the cheesecake but it is a flavor that I actually like. The first one that my wife tried she didn't like it, but now she is almost as big a fan of these little goodies as I am.

Here are the essential stats for those of you counting points.

Serving Size= 1 Bar

Calories= 100

Fat Grams= 3

Fiber= 3

Weight Watchers Points= 2