Some of My Favorite Foods:)

Several friends have asked me what I eat on a day to day basis. I have promised to blog about my menus and favorite foods. Today I am going to list some of my very favorite foods and their point values:) I may or may not get to my menus, depending how long Hayden Lee naps for this afternoon:)

A list of items I ALWAYS have on hand:

*Trader Joe's Veggie Sticks-Potato snacks (50 sticks=3 points)
*low fat Trisquits (7=2 points)
*low fat soups like Trader Joe's buttermilk squash or low point broth soups from Target
*cooked fresh broccoli or cooked frozen Brussels sprouts or any other veggies with nothing added to them. I have a container of cooked veggies in my fridge at all times. I add these to my soups and/or snack on them when I am hungry and have little or no points left for the day. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are zero point foods:)
*Fresh fruits and veggies. (Most raw veggies are zero points and most fruits are one point per cup)
*low fat mozzarella cheeses sticks (1=1 point)
*Trader Joe's Edamame hummus (2 Tbsp=2 points) . Good with fresh vegetables and/or low fat Trisquits
*Trader Joe's low fat Tzatziki creamy garlic cucumber dip (2 Tbsp=1 point). I love this with my Garden burger in the morning or on Trisqits)...ladies, I do not eat more than a serving and a half of Trisuits a day, even though it may seem like it from this blog post!
*Vegan veggy burgers. It doesn't matter what brand. (I have found that if they are 1.5 grams of fat or less they are one point per burger)
*Arnold's Sandwich Thins. These are found in the bread isle. They are like a bun, only less fluffy. I toast both sides together on one side of the toaster and have that with my veggy burger EVERY DAY for breakfast. The burger cooks for 4 minutes each side and is great with mustard (zero points) or the above mentioned Tzatziki dip. (1 sandwich thin =1 point)
*herbal teas are great. They help me get in my water and I love the taste of them with one added fake sugar. I love the peppermint or any of the berries.
*Weight Watchers frozen Latte Bars (1=1 point) I have one of these each night after the kids head to bed, otherwise they are so yummy they want to eat the whole thing!
*Original Fiber One Cereal (1/2 cup=zero points)
*Dannon Fit and Light yogurt (1 serving=1 point)
*Fiber One bars. I LOVE the Oats and Chocolate flavor. DO NOT EAT MORE THAN ONE! (one bar=2 points)

These are my All time favorites. I always start my day the same...with coffee and my veggie burger on a sandwich thin. 2 points.

Lunch is 1 serving of soup, veggies added to it. 50 veggy fries and 7 Trisqits. 6 points.

Snacks(vary): Yogurt with one cup of fruit and Original Fiber One cereal(2 points), 7 Trisuits and a cheese stick (3 points), hummus and carrots (2 points), banana (2 points), ect.

Dinner varies, but always around 6-10 points. We have Subway sandwiches once a week:) Our favorite is the 6 inch chicken breast on whole wheat with white American cheese and ALL the vegetables. We top it with the Sweet Onion sauce. eight points. This is awesome with a cup of grapes:)

That's it for now. I will go through my weekly plan tonight or tomorrow sometime so you can get an idea of how I plan the week in advance, which is working out really well for me! Thanks for reading. If you have any ideas for me, I would LOVE to hear them. Just respond here:)

Edited to add, down to 170 lbs today:) down six from the last time I posted:)

Yikes, last week was BAD!

So, as I promised Kim, I would also blog about the not so On Program weeks and last week was one of them. I took a break from exercising and eating right:( I couldn't exercise due to a very sore knee (I think from lifting too many weights during lunges) and added insult to injury by not paying attention to what I was eating. Well I was paying attention, but not in a good way! I was craving peanut butter and marshmallow cream and eating it like it was going out of style. I was also over indulging in "lite" peanut butter and chocolate ice cream! Lite meaning only 12 grams of fat per serving. I wish I was only treating myself to a serving! I ate so much one night that I had to replenish it the next day before Logan would notice! Not that he would ever care or say anything! He is the most supportive person I know.

I was so sad last week. Not exercising really affects me. I need the endorphins I get from exercising. I need them almost everyday. I am proud of myself for taking a break to let my knee heal, but it wasn't easy and I felt quite down:( I want to run the half marathon in March and think I can, but if I have to walk it, I will.

Yesterday I woke up and decided I would be On Program for the entire week. My eating week starts on Saturday because I usually go to my Weight Watchers meetings on Saturdays. It's not that I always start over on Saturdays. Sometimes I start over on a Monday or Tuesday. I just do best when I start fresh with my counting on a Saturday. I planned my entire day and stuck to it. Today I woke up and planned our family dinners for the entire week and wrote the points in my points journal. When I don't have a plan, I plan to fail (complements of Jillian). So I planned my week. I feel armed and reading to get back on track. I can do this.

I was able to run on Saturday and ran 3.96 miles. My knee did NOT hurt while I was running. I almost cried on the treadmill I was so happy to be running. I was alittle sore walking afterwards and iced my knee when I got home from the YMCA. It felt alright most of the time I worked and then I iced it again before bed. This morning it was perfect. No more pain. I gave myself a rest day. Tomorrow, I will run again:)

I was 176 pounds this morning, which is three pounds less than two days ago. I fluctuate. A LOT.

So there you have it. My crappy week in a nutshell!

The highlight of my week? Being welcomed back to the YMCA by Tiffany:) Wowza, that was awesome! If you are reading this Tiffany, those few words meant the world to me.

Edited to add an email I just sent to a friend which says it all:

I tried getting under 200 pounds for years, so I totally understand the frustration you are feeling. You just need to string a lot of days together and get through it. If you eat candy, start again with the next meal. Try not to have any of your trigger foods at home. I still have problems with trigger foods and probably will forever, which sucks, but it is what it is. I hate having to worry about it, but I have to. Ugh. I don't know if it helps to tell you I too struggle, but I do. The good thing though is I feel positive and excited to be back at it again. AND I am so proud of myself when I eat clean. I will have a good week. I have to, I cannot have another week like last week.