Yesterday I discovered a new way to diet. Skip dinner because you are stuck in Armageddon style traffic! I live in Arlington, VA and I work in Tyson's Corner, VA. The total length from door to door is something like 8.6 miles. Even on a normal evening commute it can take upwards of 45 minutes to make it home, but yesterday it was a unprecedented 6 hours. I left work at 5 and got home at 10:45.
I realized once I got home that even though I may have lost a few years off of my life due to a series of tiny heart attacks that happened while I was dodging stranded cars, spinning my tires, trying to avoid getting stuck, and moving an average of 20 feet in 4 hours, that not once on my trip home did I realize that I skipped dinner. (there isn't a McDonalds on the Dulles Toll Road Connector and 66). Talk about a diet!! Who needs to weight watchers to lose weight when you can be so stressed that you don't get hungry!!
The crazy part is I am normally someone who gets stressed and eats eats eats. So the fact that I didn't get hungry is kind of amazing. Now if I had a bag of chips in car, who knows what could have happened! Anyone who has read enough about dieting knows that it is NOT wise to skip meals while on a diet. Skipping meals slows your metabolism and can actually cause you to gain weight. BUT I am trying to look at the one bright spot in my horrific experience in hoping that maybe it might reflect a few less ounces on the scale tomorrow :)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Day 4 Restaurant Week
This week is Restaurant Week in Alexandria, VA. During Restaurant Week many restaurants that are normally more expensive offer three course menus for $35. I usually like to take this as a chance to try places that have I have never tried before and to try places that are generally out of my Tuesday Night price range (That's another thing I try to do: go earlier in the week when it's less busy. It was just the roomie and I going so we didn't need a romantic candle lit dinner on a Saturday night... Tuesday will do just fine :)
Our D.C. Restaurant Week adventure last week to SeaCatch in Georgetown was so delish and successful that we decided to go for seafood in Old Town too. After scouring menu's online for a couple of hours (another thing I find fun... I need a life, I know...) we finally decided on The Wharf. I saved all of my extra points this week so that I could feast on She Crab Soup, Filet Mignon, Crab Imperial Stuffed Shrimp, and Creme Brulee with berries. Definitely sounds worth the splurge!
As any diet veteran knows, eating out is one of the hardest parts of dieting. There are a few simple rules I have learned to follow. If you know you are going out to eat later in the week, make sure you save enough of your extra points so that you can enjoy yourself. No one wants to eat a salad with fat free dressing when you can eat that at home anytime you want. ALWAYS look up the menu to the restaurant online if you can. This will give you a chance to plan your points as well. Also, if it is a chain restaurant many times the nutrition information is posted online and you can even calculate your points before you go. Obviously unexpected meals out will come up (sometimes you just need that impromptu Happy Hour or your boss decides to take you to lunch.... and you CAN'T turn that down!), but if you can control ahead of time what you are ordering by reviewing the menu, you should.
Now, I am sure you know that the easiest way to save points and calories while eating out is to skip the bread basket. I am actually pretty good at this if I put my mind to it! This subject brings me to dinner tonight at The Wharf. We sit and I order my diet coke and she crab soup. The soup comes out almost immediately and tastes delicious. So far so good. Well it took 50 minutes to get the steak and shrimp and in that meantime I was so hungry I ended up eating 2 slices of the bread. I had saved 15 points from my daily allowance as well so by the time dinner time came I was starving. My stomach just couldn't wait 50 minutes! Because of this bread indulgence I only allowed myself to eat about 1/2 of my creme brulee to make up for the points... which let me tell you was a thousand times better than the bread. Yet another reason to pass on the bread plate. Lesson Learned.
So. Would I recommend the Wharf? Well the soup was delicious and so was the food when it finally arrived. However, anything probably would have been tasty at that point. On top of that my roommate and I were the only people in the place under the age of 60, so unless I am taking my grandma out for some early bird specials, I probably won't be going back!
On the plus side? I still have a few extra points left to spare :)
Our D.C. Restaurant Week adventure last week to SeaCatch in Georgetown was so delish and successful that we decided to go for seafood in Old Town too. After scouring menu's online for a couple of hours (another thing I find fun... I need a life, I know...) we finally decided on The Wharf. I saved all of my extra points this week so that I could feast on She Crab Soup, Filet Mignon, Crab Imperial Stuffed Shrimp, and Creme Brulee with berries. Definitely sounds worth the splurge!
As any diet veteran knows, eating out is one of the hardest parts of dieting. There are a few simple rules I have learned to follow. If you know you are going out to eat later in the week, make sure you save enough of your extra points so that you can enjoy yourself. No one wants to eat a salad with fat free dressing when you can eat that at home anytime you want. ALWAYS look up the menu to the restaurant online if you can. This will give you a chance to plan your points as well. Also, if it is a chain restaurant many times the nutrition information is posted online and you can even calculate your points before you go. Obviously unexpected meals out will come up (sometimes you just need that impromptu Happy Hour or your boss decides to take you to lunch.... and you CAN'T turn that down!), but if you can control ahead of time what you are ordering by reviewing the menu, you should.
Now, I am sure you know that the easiest way to save points and calories while eating out is to skip the bread basket. I am actually pretty good at this if I put my mind to it! This subject brings me to dinner tonight at The Wharf. We sit and I order my diet coke and she crab soup. The soup comes out almost immediately and tastes delicious. So far so good. Well it took 50 minutes to get the steak and shrimp and in that meantime I was so hungry I ended up eating 2 slices of the bread. I had saved 15 points from my daily allowance as well so by the time dinner time came I was starving. My stomach just couldn't wait 50 minutes! Because of this bread indulgence I only allowed myself to eat about 1/2 of my creme brulee to make up for the points... which let me tell you was a thousand times better than the bread. Yet another reason to pass on the bread plate. Lesson Learned.
So. Would I recommend the Wharf? Well the soup was delicious and so was the food when it finally arrived. However, anything probably would have been tasty at that point. On top of that my roommate and I were the only people in the place under the age of 60, so unless I am taking my grandma out for some early bird specials, I probably won't be going back!
On the plus side? I still have a few extra points left to spare :)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Day 2 Sunday Dinner
Hello All! Sunday evening is often the worst night of the week for me because dreaded Monday looms ahead. You can always make Sundays a little better by making a delicious comforting Sunday dinner. A crock-pot meal is always nice on 24 degree days as well! Before I share the recipe, I want brag about myself for just a sec.
Going to the gym is hard enough, especially when you are out of shape. BUT going to the gym when it's 19 degrees outside??? Ummm, almost impossible! BUT, I got my butt out of the house this morning and went to a 45 minute spinning class. I was SHOCKED when I got home and logged my workout in weight watchers.com and found out that a 45 minute workout earned me 9 extra points to use this week! 9 POINTS! If I can drag myself 4 days this week I could easily rack up 25-30 extra points!
Looks like Happy Hour may be a possibility after all :)
For all you dieters out there (or even non-dieters) who can seem to work out regularly, I have some advice that seems to be working for me. Set a goal of how many days you want to work out. My goal is 4 days a week. I wrote each of these days on the calendar in my kitchen. If I don't go on one of my pre-planned days, my room mate has permission to make me feel really really Guilty! IT WORKS! It seems weird, but it's kind of embarrassing when you tell someone you are going to the gym then don't. Plus it helps when that person is allowed to tell you that you look like crap! So to all you couch potatoes out there, write down the days you want to go to the gym and tell your husband, room mate, boyfriend, wife, girlfriend, son, or daughter to hold you accountable!
Onto my DELICIOUS recipe makeover! I have revitalized this recipe from full fatness to skinny masterpiece :) I don't really have a name for this recipe so I have named this Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken
First the before: 4 Servings @ 13 points each
1/2 stick butter
1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning
1 pound Chicken Breasts
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 oz block Cream Cheese
And the AFTER: 8 points per serving
1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning
1 pound chicken breast
1 can 98% reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 8oz block Light 1/3 fat cream cheese
hot sauce to taste
2 cups frozen broccoli
First, I omitted the butter. You don't need it. Second, I subbed in light soup and cream cheese. I also added a few splashes of hot sauce to give it a bit of a kick. Lastly, to up the fullness factor, but for zero points, I added the broccoli. Volia!! I served over a cup of cooked egg noodles, which adds 5 points and brings the meal total to 13 points..... Not bad for a creamy pasta dish AND a Sunday Dinner!
And now for the directions: Place chicken, italian seasoning, and soup in crock pot on low heat. Cook for 3 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Add Cream Cheese to crock pot and stir. Cook about 2 1/2 more hours on low. Add broccoli and hot sauce. Cook for additional 30 minutes, or until veg is heated through. Serve over noodles and ENJOY :)
I'm off to have a delicious desert of sugar free jello and plan my meals for tomorrow. Happy Dieting!
Going to the gym is hard enough, especially when you are out of shape. BUT going to the gym when it's 19 degrees outside??? Ummm, almost impossible! BUT, I got my butt out of the house this morning and went to a 45 minute spinning class. I was SHOCKED when I got home and logged my workout in weight watchers.com and found out that a 45 minute workout earned me 9 extra points to use this week! 9 POINTS! If I can drag myself 4 days this week I could easily rack up 25-30 extra points!
Looks like Happy Hour may be a possibility after all :)
For all you dieters out there (or even non-dieters) who can seem to work out regularly, I have some advice that seems to be working for me. Set a goal of how many days you want to work out. My goal is 4 days a week. I wrote each of these days on the calendar in my kitchen. If I don't go on one of my pre-planned days, my room mate has permission to make me feel really really Guilty! IT WORKS! It seems weird, but it's kind of embarrassing when you tell someone you are going to the gym then don't. Plus it helps when that person is allowed to tell you that you look like crap! So to all you couch potatoes out there, write down the days you want to go to the gym and tell your husband, room mate, boyfriend, wife, girlfriend, son, or daughter to hold you accountable!
Onto my DELICIOUS recipe makeover! I have revitalized this recipe from full fatness to skinny masterpiece :) I don't really have a name for this recipe so I have named this Creamy Crock-Pot Chicken
First the before: 4 Servings @ 13 points each
1/2 stick butter
1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning
1 pound Chicken Breasts
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 oz block Cream Cheese
And the AFTER: 8 points per serving
1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning
1 pound chicken breast
1 can 98% reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 8oz block Light 1/3 fat cream cheese
hot sauce to taste
2 cups frozen broccoli
First, I omitted the butter. You don't need it. Second, I subbed in light soup and cream cheese. I also added a few splashes of hot sauce to give it a bit of a kick. Lastly, to up the fullness factor, but for zero points, I added the broccoli. Volia!! I served over a cup of cooked egg noodles, which adds 5 points and brings the meal total to 13 points..... Not bad for a creamy pasta dish AND a Sunday Dinner!
And now for the directions: Place chicken, italian seasoning, and soup in crock pot on low heat. Cook for 3 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Add Cream Cheese to crock pot and stir. Cook about 2 1/2 more hours on low. Add broccoli and hot sauce. Cook for additional 30 minutes, or until veg is heated through. Serve over noodles and ENJOY :)
I'm off to have a delicious desert of sugar free jello and plan my meals for tomorrow. Happy Dieting!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Day 1 Points Plus
Today I begin a new adventure in dieting and blogging. Since graduating college five years ago I have constantly been on and off of a diet. I even successfully lost 50 pounds on weight watchers. I also successfully gained half of it back. So today I want to share with you my experience in what I hope is my last need to diet, EVER. Well, realistically until I have children at least! AND that is so far in the future that this weight loss should last me a few years.
Today as I begin my new journey in weight loss, I am giving the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program a try. As a mentioned, I have previously been successful on the old Weight Watchers regular points system of measuring Calories vs Fat vs Fiber. Sooooo I have been quite the skeptic since WW released the Points Plus program in November of last year. (First of all, who releases a new diet program the week after Thanksgiving?? Talk about unrealistic expectations!) This new system measures Fat vs Carbs vs Protein vs Fiber.
I have been very cynical about starting this new program for a few reasons. First of all, I was pretty much such a pro at the old program that I could look at a food and instantly tell you how many points it was. This new system through everything for a major loop. Weight Watchers had become a way of life, so the thought of having to re-learn points on everything was just not appealing to me. Looking back I have just been to lazy to learn the new program. The key to being successful on a diet is successful planning and I have just been to darn lazy to think about planning for the new program. This morning I actually took the time to label EVERYTHING in my cabinets and fridge with the new points to get started.
My second cynicism about this new program is that it looks like it's become a low carb way of dieting! Essentially if something is high in carbs you are punished with a higher point value. I guess the one thing i haven't mentioned is that you do get more points per day than on the old program to help make up for this.... but that's not the point! Finally my biggest peeve with the new program is that I feel like they took something that was sooo simple, and made it more complicated, hence making the program harder to stick with.
So, I sit here tonight at the end of my first day only having gone over by one point. I consider this quite the success considering I went to a baby shower today in which there was both cupcakes and wine! (Another sore spot, wine went from 2 points to 4!!) Since I feel I should end my first blog today on a positive note, one plus of the new program is that all Fruits are FREE! I am going to go back to watching tv and eating my blackberries and sugar free jello, because they are both zero points and hope that my diet and blogging skills improve over the next few months :)
Today as I begin my new journey in weight loss, I am giving the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program a try. As a mentioned, I have previously been successful on the old Weight Watchers regular points system of measuring Calories vs Fat vs Fiber. Sooooo I have been quite the skeptic since WW released the Points Plus program in November of last year. (First of all, who releases a new diet program the week after Thanksgiving?? Talk about unrealistic expectations!) This new system measures Fat vs Carbs vs Protein vs Fiber.
I have been very cynical about starting this new program for a few reasons. First of all, I was pretty much such a pro at the old program that I could look at a food and instantly tell you how many points it was. This new system through everything for a major loop. Weight Watchers had become a way of life, so the thought of having to re-learn points on everything was just not appealing to me. Looking back I have just been to lazy to learn the new program. The key to being successful on a diet is successful planning and I have just been to darn lazy to think about planning for the new program. This morning I actually took the time to label EVERYTHING in my cabinets and fridge with the new points to get started.
My second cynicism about this new program is that it looks like it's become a low carb way of dieting! Essentially if something is high in carbs you are punished with a higher point value. I guess the one thing i haven't mentioned is that you do get more points per day than on the old program to help make up for this.... but that's not the point! Finally my biggest peeve with the new program is that I feel like they took something that was sooo simple, and made it more complicated, hence making the program harder to stick with.
So, I sit here tonight at the end of my first day only having gone over by one point. I consider this quite the success considering I went to a baby shower today in which there was both cupcakes and wine! (Another sore spot, wine went from 2 points to 4!!) Since I feel I should end my first blog today on a positive note, one plus of the new program is that all Fruits are FREE! I am going to go back to watching tv and eating my blackberries and sugar free jello, because they are both zero points and hope that my diet and blogging skills improve over the next few months :)
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