Weight Watcher/Weight Loss Thread February 2013

[Meganator]

Valerie - please PM me your mailing address, and I'll give you my address (or you can do Paypal if you prefer...) to mail a check. I know it isn't much, and if I just had one, I wouldn't even ask you to pay the minor postage. But I'm doing this with several books, and over time $3 here and there adds up. I should be able to make it to the P.O. this week (you can't use Media Mail postage without actually going up to the counter ).

[EmptyNestMom]

It's been two weeks since I weighed in officially...been to Las Vegas and then last week I was tired and all I wanted to do was eat...salty and sweet things...when I weighed myself this morning at home I am up one pound...while I would prefer to be down a pound I think I am fortunate that it isn't more...so I am back on track and am tracking and must not be so tired as my food cravings have gone away for the most part...so I expect to see a loss next week.

On another note...can you believe how fast time is flying by???? 1/6th of the year will be history come Friday morning!!!

I finally updated the WW program on my iPod and really like it! They sure have improved since I first add checked it out and nothing seemed to work...now if it was an iPhone and I could update anywhere it would be even nicer...maybe next year I can make that happen...

Have a good rest of the week! I really do enjoy being a part of this group! It is helpful to have input and support from you all...and I hope that at times I am able to support you!

[EmptyNestMom]

I just came across this recipe and thought it looked good enought to try and good enough to share...it can be found on LaaLoosh Blog

Spaghetti Squash and Cheese
Ingredients
•1 medium sized spaghetti squash, cooked
•1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I plan on using a corn starch for this as my DD is gluten intolerant)
•1 tbsp light butter
•1 cup extra sharp reduced fat cheddar cheese
•1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
•1 cup fat free milk
•1 cup fat free chicken broth
•1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
•Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a medium sized casserole dish with non-fat cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt butter and then whisk in flour. Reduce heat to medium, and stir constantly. Then pour in the milk and chicken broth and raise heat to medium high. Continue to whisk constantly until mixture begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Once sauce is thickened, remove from heat and stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is completely melted. Season cheese sauce with salt and pepper.
5. In a large bowl, place cooked spaghetti squash strands in it, and pour cheese sauce over top. Stir in Greek yogurt. Then pour into casserole dish and bake in oven for about 20 minutes, until squash is heated through and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 1 cup
Each serving = Estimated at WW 4 Points +
PER SERVING: 158 calories; 6g fat; 16g carbohydrates; 9g protein; 2.5g fiber

(LaaLoosh Blog)

[dcollier]

Hello everyone! I've been extremely busy so I haven't been online lately. I lost .2 last Thursday night. I was so hoping for more, but I'm constantly reminding myself that I'm not moving much these days. Also, I didn't wear my "WW" outfit -- it was simply too cold. I normally wear very lightweight yoga pants and I thin tee shirt, but with snow and ice and bitter cold, I just had to dress warmer. And jeans alone are heavy. So maybe next week I'll show a better loss. I dying to hit that 70 pound mark!

Valerie, I do take "editorial license" a good part of the time. I've weighed and measured and calculated for so long, that I've got a pretty good idea about most foods and portions and measurements. And I also give WW the benefit of the doubt. If I think something is between 2 and 3 points, I'll record it as 3. So I think it all comes out in the wash. I think you're extremely diligent about what you're eating, so I would trust yourself. I'd sure bet on you.

Pam, I think a 1 pound gain isn't much considering. And it will probably come back off this week.

Kay, it sounds to me that you're one of the planning professionals on this BB! Enjoy your dinner out. What you're going eat sounds wonderful.

Cafe Latte, have a great trip! I'm said it before, and I'll say it againg -- I'm envious. I've only been to Maui once, but that was one of the top vacations in my life, without a doubt.

I'm doing amazing well. I've slowed down, I'm not "twisting" at all (something we normally do a million times a day without realizing it) which has cut my pain in half, and I'm at least able to do light cleaning not to mention I'm back in the kitchen. I'm well aware that I won't get better (just the opposite), and I know I have to have this surgery. I just need a little more time for lots of reasons. My DH had a total knee replacement 2-1/2 years ago, and although he needs the other one replaced, that first surgery changed his life. It's a mental thing with me right now, plus my mother plays into this, but I'll get there. And I so appreciate all the positive thoughts and encouragement I'm getting from all of you.

It's cold and wet and pretty awful here. And the wind is ridiculous. And we're supposed to have highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 20s for a full week. I cannot wait for spring! I got my Burpee catalog yesterday and started getting excited about our garden.

Denise

[Valerie226]

thank you ralph...

Meganator.. I PM'd you my address. I have no problem paying for postage.... you don't want to be "out" money on the deal! Please send me yours or else put it on the package and I'll reimburse you when I get the book.

That sounds like a great dinner out... and very conservative calorie -wise. does key lime pie count as a fruit?? ( I was goiung to put a smiley face there but for some reason I can't put them into posts anymore)

Just clothing or hydration can easily make a pound difference... I was amazed at how much my jeans weighed.
I guess if you always wear jeans than it's a non-issue, but if you usually wear something lighter weight, it could be a shock and make you feel like you made no progress.

We did a hike 2 days ago, not even a big one but that's due to the season. can't believe the WW activity tracker doesn't include hiking except for "hiking cross country", whatever that is. anyway, almost 4 hours and of course uphill, and then back down. It was cold and wet to start, and always carry a pack with gear for weather changes and problems, but steep uphill carrying 20 lbs burns way more calories than just walking on the flat. so I made my own WW category for that, and then also for the mountain biking we did yesterday. we did about 2 hours, and then did a short hike after, only a mile or two.

I was very very hungry during and after the hike. did I say very? I ate a red pepper and some hummus and a little bite of good cheese with some rice crackers, half an orange but that's not enough. I have some home made "bars" I usually use, but 1 bar calculated out to 6 points. they contain way better ingredients than OTC packaged bars. I need to eat something like that, or find a good substitute. there are people who can eat things like jerky, but I'm not one of them. it needs to be packable, not too heavy, not messy, and provide carbs with a little fat. Ideas?
We get a lot of rain and gray weather here, but it's edging into spring with some flowers blooming and things budding out. we've done a lot of our garden prep already.

[Cafe Latte]

LakeMartinGirl - how was you anniversary dinner? Did you order as planned? Hope you had a good time!

EmptyNestMom - up 1 lb isn't bad. I'm sure this next week will be better.

Val - the recipe builder is frustrating. I try not to use it and prefer manually adding up pts or using the nutrition info where possible. Do you use the scanner app? I do all the time because the pts between brands can be very different. For instance, there are whole wheat english muffins that are 2 pts, and some as high as 5 pts. Same with breads and other foods.

Thanks to those who posted recipes. I'll have to try them when I get back from Maui. I am so looking forward to it especially since we got about 5-6" of snow yesterday. According to the weather channel, it's between 79 and 81 in the next 10 days, and lows are 66-68. I'm fine with that.

[Cafe Latte]

I was very very hungry during and after the hike. did I say very? I ate a red pepper and some hummus and a little bite of good cheese with some rice crackers, half an orange but that's not enough. I have some home made "bars" I usually use, but 1 bar calculated out to 6 points. they contain way better ingredients than OTC packaged bars. I need to eat something like that, or find a good substitute. there are people who can eat things like jerky, but I'm not one of them. it needs to be packable, not too heavy, not messy, and provide carbs with a little fat. Ideas?

I'm not a fan of a lot of bars, but I have heard that Lara bars (not Luna bars) are supposed to be good and all natural. Have you tried those? They may still be high in pts but that's okay when you aren't eating any preservatives.

I like Wasa crisp bread for 1 pt, added with some ham slices (Boar's Head black forest ham is 1 pt for 2 oz) or even turkey or cheese slices.


ETA - here's the site for Lara Bars
http://www.larabar.com

[MNGirlTX]

I'm not happy with the recipe builder. I tried to enter a tofu dish and the right quantities of ingredients are not in there. 3 oz of tofu? geez, if it's a 14.5 oz standard package of tofu .... that should be an "ingredient", just like the can of beans I complained about before. I took the short cut version and entered fat, protein,fiber, carbs, and got 7 points. close enough. apparently "recipe builder" is not designed for cooking more than a single serving. who cooks like that? a lot of my recipes have those numbers included, so I will likely do that from now on. too cumbersome entering the recipe.

I ate about half the cauliflower. by the time it's roasted it's not all that big anymore. I only ended up with 23 points, so if the cauliflower had a few, that should still be good. I like the 'misc" idea. that covers not disregarding things just because it's too hard to figure out.

Valerie - You can change the amount of tofu on the recipe builder. When you click on it, the points calculator pops up and asks you to select an amount for the recipe. I changed it to 14.5 ounces (which for regular, firm tofu, is 8 points).

[Valerie226]

Thanks.. I don't like Lara bars. I DO like Luna bars and occasionally eat one after intense excercise, not something I'd use as a non-exercise snack. sometimes halfway through a bike ride, or at the end, I am so hungry I absolutely have to eat. sometimes I take a piece of whole wheat toast with 1 TB of PB. Lara bars taste sticky and unbaked to me, raw. My bars have good nutritious ingredients, no preservatives. peanut butter, peanuts, dried figs, honey, oats, bran, dried cranberries, ww flour. they aren't sweet or fatty ... DH calls them Milkbones.... and because of the nuts and peanut butter for fat, one of these bars is satisfying "lasts" a long time. but still 6 points. maybe if I'm doing long endurance activities, I won't worry so much. Still, 6 points was a wake up call. I know my issues are related to portion size and not eating junk, so I'm not trying to give myself a pass on everything.

I'll look at recipe builder again... the tofu recipe had nutrition numbers with it. I followed the recipe closely, maybe gave up too easily on the planner. it got too complicated with bread crumbs, jarred tomato sauce,small amounts of parm and mozzarella etc. and then divided into 4-6 servings . too many ingredients to calculate differing amounts off different packages. I don't have much patience with that.

I haven't used the scanner.... the brand of bread/buns I eat are listed. I forgot to get some wasa bread.... I like it. I also like the Blue Diamond crackers. I have a relative who's gluten intolerant and discovered these crackers making something she could eat.

[Cafe Latte]

I haven't used the scanner.... the brand of bread/buns I eat are listed. I forgot to get some wasa bread.... I like it. I also like the Blue Diamond crackers. I have a relative who's gluten intolerant and discovered these crackers making something she could eat.

The thing about the scanner (or the iphone one anyway) is that even if the food isn't listed, you can add it so it's there for you the next time you eat it. I scan everything and use it a lot since 99% of my tracking is done on the phone and not computer.

I haven't had the Lara bar, so wasn't familiar with their texture. I think that as active you are, 6 pts probably isn't many considering you are needing to fuel your body and are earning AP. It is a wake up call to see how the pts add up quickly too.

[LakeMartinGal]

My dinner out was good -- the key lime pie was great!! I did order as planned, but 'tasted' some of DH's food, too. That, plus eating out 3 nights in a row, and not getting enough fruit had me gaining 1 lb today! But, this is a work in progress, and I'm learning! I am not discouraged, but rather I'm examining my food diary for the week, and seeing where I could/should have been more vigilant!

Today is a new day, and I will get to next Wednesday with 30 daily points left over!!! Even though we're traveling this weekend, I'm taking breakfast/lunch and fruit with me! I will conquer this!!!

Camp stew was one of the meals out -- I had no idea how to count it, as the cook is a Paula Dean-style cook! Fortunately, there was fruit...

The other night was a turkey dinner at a friends... I ate potatoes and a biscuit (really bad!!!), and turkey, a tiny bit of gravy, vegetables, and a thimble of cranberry sauce... and a half slice of chocolate cake... and wine! <sigh> I like white wine, but that's 5 points that I can easily forego, except for once a month or so.

[Valerie226]

I bought an assortment of lara bars from Costco, thought I'd really like them. No.... tasted 'raw' to me.

I know exercising a lot should give me license (and need) for more calories. I've done at least 10 hours of serious exercise already this week. it's a double edged sword...exercise burns calories and builds muscle,. but it makes you hungry.

[Cafe Latte]

And then my MIL passed away this morning. we were expecting it but it's still stressful and difficult with the complicated not-for-pleasure travel stuff.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Even if expected, it's never easy. My thoughts and prayers to your family.

[Valerie226]

Thank you... everyone really worked hard and worked together to support her but it was time. It is almost a relief, it's been such a long process. she lived a good long life but a second bout with cancer was too much for her. a lovely woman, best MIL anyone could have.

Cafe latte, it was sad in one big way. she never got appropriate screening, wouldn't do it, so her first bout with cancer is what wore her out. it was colon cancer, and would have been found early if she'd only do the colonoscopy we tried and tried her to get. very bad family history. she waited until it was painful, and then it was a much bigger procedure. and then she got another cancer. so maybe no difference in the long run. but who knows?

[dcollier]

Valerie, so sorry to hear about your MIL. I can relate to it being almost a relief. I lost my Dad 10 years ago, and the last two weeks of his life I was praying for God to take him. It was so tough. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Denise

[Valerie226]

thank you for your kind thoughts. Please do the smart thing and get( you and your partner) a screening colonoscopy when the time comes, or if you have symptoms. We really believe she would have survived a lot longer if she hadn't been exhausted from her bout with colon cancer.
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Bought some Wasa bread today. I know I like it, just haven't had it in a long time.

So tell me what you think.... I did a repeat of Shepherd's Pie last night. It has 6 cups of broccoli, 3 carrots, 1 bell pepper, onion, cup of frozen spinach, 3 tomatoes. all free, right? 1 TB of olive oil to cook vegies in, and 4 cups of mashed potatoes on top. it makes 6-8 servings. the potatoes ( instant) have 3 points in a half cup total of about 4 cups for the dish. when I put it in recipe maker, I got 8 points. I don't believe it's possible. tiny bit of olive oil per serving and about 1/2 cup potatoes? I know WW does not make potatoes "free" but I thought this would be a 3-4 point dinner. am I over looking something.

[Cafe Latte]

So tell me what you think.... I did a repeat of Shepherd's Pie last night. It has 6 cups of broccoli, 3 carrots, 1 bell pepper, onion, cup of frozen spinach, 3 tomatoes. all free, right? 1 TB of olive oil to cook vegies in, and 4 cups of mashed potatoes on top. it makes 6-8 servings. the potatoes ( instant) have 3 points in a half cup total of about 4 cups for the dish. when I put it in recipe maker, I got 8 points. I don't believe it's possible. tiny bit of olive oil per serving and about 1/2 cup potatoes? I know WW does not make potatoes "free" but I thought this would be a 3-4 point dinner. am I over looking something.

Val, I am assuming you put the 0 pt veggies in the recipe builder. Even though they are 0 pts, the recipe builder does not know that and calculates pts on all the items based on nutritional value. Just put the 0 pt items in the recipe builder and see what you get that way. I've seen this discussed on some WW group discussions. I always leave 0 pt items out of the recipe builder for this reason. Hope that helps.

Val, safe travels, assuming you are heading out for MIL's funeral. Have a great week everyone! I'll check in when I get back.

[Valerie226]

Yes, I entered the vegies. I didn't enter the bay leaf or 1/2 tsp of basil. this makes no sense to me.

I weighed this morning and no loss. still exactly the same . yesterday was a light exercise day but it was the only day I didn't get at least an hour in. I'm disappointed. I've been working hard, eating, tracking. I still am hungry a lot, especially at night if I wake up and in the morning. but this is not new, I'm always hungry a lot.

I'm using the google chrome browser for this site and it's less annoying. my keyboard directional keys work. what is it with IE and this site?none of my keyboard keys work to move around.

ETA I guess Istill can't use smilies, only got text in place of on what browser do you all use?

I need to see a change soon. I will change lunch to a large salad or plate of steamed vegies with a chunk of some kind of protein, chicken or fish. I went back and looked at my first week and don't see any differences. I'm floating between 26-30 points each day, but i'm ignoring any points from activity or special weekly points. I was so optimistic that first week. this is a real blow.

Cafe latte, I downloaded the ww barcode scanner and am running around the kitchen learning how to use it. it works well but no surprises so far. I also downloaded the points calculator since we will be traveling next week and I'll see if I can keep track this way. I'm unsure whether I'll be able to use these with contact lenses in. they screw up my close vision. we will only have the phone, not taking a laptop.