This Week’s Weigh In

Tonight’s raffle winner is Laura J!  Laura, I’ve e-mailed you for prize selection.

I weighed in at 147.4 Wednesday morning, which caught me off guard.  Even after going over my points allowance last week, I was back down to my lowest weight so far since joining Weight Watchers.  Sufficed to say, I was pleased!

When I went grocery shopping last weekend at Trader Joe’s I noticed that they had boxes of wine, one red and one white.  The red happened to be a shiraz, my favorite!  I’ve been thinking about saving money lately, so it made perfect sense to buy the equivalent of four bottles of wine for ten dollars.  However, this week I have been drinking more weeknight wine than normal just because it’s sitting there on the counter, so it’s not the best bargain for my points budget.  I continue to do battle with red wine…but, if you’re looking for a decent, cheap option, it’s a good one.  Here’s a review from someone who knows much more about wine than I do.

Wednesday, 9/26/12

breakfast – smoothie (mango, banana, almond milk, Vega One, rolled oats, kale)
AM snack – apple, 6 walnuts, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Lebanese Sleek (whole wheat couscous, chard, kidney beans)
PM snack – lentil Crunchy Curls
dinner (at a bar watching the A’s game) – veggie sandwich (grilled eggplant and zucchini, cucumber, avocado, tomato chutney on rye), sweet potato fries with ketchup, 16 oz beer, 12 oz light beer, 6 oz red wine

exercise – walked 30 minutes

daily points used:  26
activity points earned:  1
activity points used:  11
weekly points used:  8

Thursday, 9/27/12

breakfast – Clif Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel bar, banana
AM snack – 2 plums, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – salad (lettuce, carrot, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, wheat berries, edamame, chickpeas, corn, roasted tofu, sesame dressing)
PM snack – banana ginger energy bar
dinner – Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger in a whole wheat pita with mustard and pickle, vegetable blender juice (bell peppers, cucumber, kale, jalapeno, lime juice)
after dinner – 8 oz red wine, half a cinnamon roll

exercise – ran 45 minutes, walked 30 minutes

daily points used:  26
activity points earned:  10
weekly points used:  13

before

after

Friday, 9/28/12

breakfast – smoothie (mango, kiwi, banana, almond milk, Vega One, rolled oats, kale)
AM snack – 12 almonds, coffee with hazelnut coconut creamer
lunch – Lebanese Sleek
PM snack – lentil Crunchy Curls
dinner – tempeh, green bean and mushrooms stir fry with brown rice, 12 oz MGD 64
after dinner – 10 oz red wine, whole grian pretzel sticks

exercise – walked 30 minutes

daily points used:  26
activity points earned:  1
weekly points used:  14

This stir fry was one of the better ones I’ve made.  I simmered the tempeh then marinated it in a mixture of black bean sauce, tamari, 1/2 tsp agave nectar, rice wine vinegar and sriracha, with water to thin, which was whisked with arrowroot powder to form a sauce at the end of cooking.

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Weight Update

My posts have been pretty running-centric lately, which makes sense since I feel like running has been taking up all my free time!  I haven’t really talked about my weight loss (or lack thereof) or cooking lately, so I figure I owe an update.

My Weigh In Log has been updated.

Here’s the past 24 weeks.  Kind of looks like a roller coaster, yes?  I’ve had some great weeks and significant losses, and some not-so-great weeks that resulted in gains.  I’ve kind of been bouncing around between 148 and 152 for a long while now.  I could make excuses and say that I’ve been busy (I have) and that other things have gotten in my way, but the truth is that I’ve become a bit lazy with my eating.  I’ve fallen prey to my nemeses, salty snacks and red wine, way too often lately and it shows.  Having lost about 25 pounds since I started Weight Watchers, I feel pretty happy about where I am and am kind of enjoying being this size for now.  The bouncing about has been a bit frustrating, but it does accurately reflect my efforts, and these past few weeks I’ve been waiting to kind of naturally come back to re-commitment and full effort, eating-wise.  You can see that I had a good result last week, a 3.6 pound lost to put me at 148 pounds, but I have a feeling I’m going to gain a bit this week, so the struggle continues.

Training for my next half marathon (which I’ll post about really soon) is still taking up a lot of my after work hours, so meals have been of the fast-cooking or no-cooking variety.

Corn tortilla quesadillas with red onion, zucchini, squash and Daiya Pepperjack shreds, cabbage and carrot slaw with hemp oil and lime juice.

Potato, black eyed pea & squash soup with corn broth and fresh dill.  My original plan was to just include fresh corn in the soup, then I thought I might be able to puree the corn and give the soup a creamy “chowder” feel without adding any milk-type product.  Worked like a charm!  I didn’t even have to add any water to the corn in the Vitamix, it pureed beautifully on its own.

Blackened seitan salad with Cusabi Dressing.  I adapted a cusabi recipe I found online, using reduced-fat Vegenaise and plain soy yogurt, and sadly, it wasn’t great.  Either my wasabi is old, or I just didn’t get the proportions right.  Luckily, the blackened seitan was fantastic.  I used the blackened seasoning mix from Appetite for Reduction, and just roasted the seitan with a bit of spray oil until it was hot and a little crunchy on the edges.

Clean-out-the-fridge tofu scramble with leftover grilled potatoes.  The tofu included shallot, mushrooms, tomato, broccoli, shredded carrot, and alfalfa sprouts.

Potato and black bean skillet with vegan ground beef, squash, greens, and cheesy green chile sauce.  I seasoned the dish with cumin, dried cilantro, and oregano, and it was actually creamier than it looks.  At the end I added a sauce made from thinned vegan cream cheese and green chiles, which made it really tasty.

Dave and I made a giant pot of minestrone one Sunday evening when he wanted soup.  It had carrot, celery, zucchini, white beans, kidney beans, green peas, kale, and quinoa pasta shells.  We based it off of this recipe and added fun stuff like fresh basil and red pepper flakes.

Kale salad two ways!  First, with creamy hemp-red bell pepper dressing (which was really delicious on its own), shredded carrot and red cabbage, and black lentils…canned lentils, the ultimate busy person’s shortcut.  Second, with tahini dressing, shredded carrot and red cabbage, edamame and sesame seeds.  I love shredded red cabbage in kale salad so much, I don’t think I’ll ever make it without!

Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Chowder from Vegan on the Cheap, with avocado, lime, Way Better sprouted blue corn chips (which I love), and steamed broccoli.

So soups, salads, scrambles and skillets have been the way lately.  It’s a big bonus whenever I can throw everything in one pot or pan!

I’ve decided to stop posting my entire daily menu for every single day because it was taking up way too much time, but I’ll definitely still be posting food and a daily menu here and there.  Hopefully I’ve posted enough already that someone looking to find out what kind of vegan food you can eat on WW can get some good ideas!

A Good Weigh In

After almost two months of hanging around in the low 150’s, I finally got my eating under control last week and had a good weigh in!

Totals for 6/13/12 – 6/19/12

Daily points used:  196/196
Weekly points used:  46/49
Activity points earned:  31
Activity points used:  31
Points left on the table:  3

The key really is to just stay within the allotted points each week.  If only it was as easy to do as it is to say!  The weekends are usually where I give in.  Saturday we were out of the house from 9AM to 9PM – we left early to tailgate, then went to the A’s game, then headed to a barbecue at a friend’s house.  It was a long day, and as designated driver I only had three beers all day – one at the tailgate, one at the game, and one at the barbecue.  I also chose relatively healthy food at the tailgate and the barbecue – grilled buffalo tofu and celery sticks, stuffed zucchini, grilled banana, bean tacos with hot sauce and shredded cabbage.  It was a long, exhausting and fun day.

Sunday I was only scheduled for a five mile run (it’s still funny to me to say “only” for anything higher than two or three miles), so I didn’t earn a whole lot of activity points, but I seemed to naturally eat healthily.  I LOVE those days when it’s easy to eat healthily.  It certainly helps to have a stocked fridge…makes it easier to pass on calling for Chinese food.

Anyway, to get to the point, I weighed in at 149.5 on Wednesday, 4.5 pounds down from the week before.  Now I have to stay determined to not jump back up into the 150’s.  To help me move in the right direction, I joined Run with Jess’ Marathon Weight Loss Challenge.  I don’t quite have 26.2 less to lose (nor do I think I could lose that much by September anyway), so my goal is to lose a half marathon, 13.1 pounds.  You weigh in each Monday for a chance to win prizes, and there is a very supportive and fun Facebook group.  Registration closes on June 25th, so there’s still time to sign up if you’re interested!

Wednesday, 6/13/12

breakfast – mango, banana dates, almond milk, chocolate hemp protein powder, carob powder, 1 Tbs ground flac, wheatgrass powder, maca powder
AM snack – applesauce, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – Thai Veggie Burger on romaine with pineapple and sriracha-Vegenaise, roasted broccoli, roasted potatoes with onion & red bell pepper
PM snack – limon frozen fruit bar, nectarine
dinner – salad (romaine, bell pepper, mushrooms, bac’uns bits, 1 tsp hemp oil & balsamic vinegar), pizza in a cup (pizza crust, pizza sauce, mushrooms, peppers, cheesy sauce), 12 oz light beer, 6 oz red wine

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 minutes), walked 10 minutes)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  6
activity points used:  14

Pizza in a cup, tutorial here

Thursday, 6/14/12

breakfast – smoothie (pineapple, banana, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, 1 Tbs ground flax, spinach)
AM snack – applesauce, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, light champagne vinaigrette), pizza in a cup
PM snack – Persian cucumbers with 1 1/2 oz hummus
dinner – Thai veggie burger on rye bread with pineapple, lettuce, sriracha-reduced fat vegenaise, dill pickles, 10 oz red wine

exercise – Wii Fit rhythm boxing, hula hoop, advanced step, squats and lunges, Biggest Loser Wii yoga

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  3
activity points used:  12

Friday, 6/15/12

breakfast – smoothie (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, 1 Tbs ground flax, spinach)
AM snack – plum, nectarine, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – giant salad (romaine, chickpeas, edamame, wheatberries, carrots, corn, tomato, sesame dressing)
PM snack – cucumber with 1 1/2 oz hummus
dinner – salad (romaine, shredded carrot, bac’uns bits, Goddess dressing), pizza in a cup
after dinner – banana, 2 slices rye bread, 16 oz red wine

exercise – walked 20 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  1
activity points used:  5
weekly points used:  17

Saturday, 6/16/12

breakfast – smoothie (peach, banana, 1 Tbs ground flax, almond milk, spinach), coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch @ tailgate – buffalo tofu, celery sticks, Moroccan zucchini stuffed with couscous, dried apricot & toasted pine nuts, potato-mushroom skewers, grilled bread with grilled banana, 24 oz beer
dinner – two tacos (corn tortilla, pinto beans, avocado, hot sauce and shredded cabbage), 12 oz beer
after – 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  22

Sunday, 6/17/12

breakfast – grits with 1 tsp hemp oil and nutritional yeast, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
pre-run snack – banana
post-run – 1 cup coconut water
lunch – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, carrot sticks, peach
PM snack – cherries
dinner – Leahey Gardens macaroni & cheese with spinach, 12 oz red wine

exercise – ran five miles (60 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  12
weekly points used:  6

I do love a Tofurky and hummus sandwich.

Monday, 6/18/12

breakfast – smoothie (peach, banana, 1 Tbs ground flax, almond milk, Plant Fusion protein powder, chlorella)
AM snack – cherries, 12 almonds, coffee with vanilla coconut creamer
lunch – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, carrot sticks
PM snack – 2 plums
PM snack 2 – chocolate sacha inchi blueberry energy bar
dinner – fried quinoa with tofu, edamame, carrot, mushroom, celery, zucchini, bok choy & sesame seeds

exercise – 50 minutes Afro-Belly Boogie (belly dancing)

daily points used:  28
activity points earned: 4

fried quinoa with tofu, edamame & veggies

Tuesday, 6/19/12

breakfast – smoothie (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, 1 Tbs ground flax, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, carob powder, 1 Tbs chocolate hazelnut butter, spinach)
AM snack – 1/2 honeydew
lunch – fried quinoa with tofu, edamame, carrot, mushroom, celery, zucchini, bok choy & sesame seeds, dark chocolate with blueberries & almonds
PM snack – mini sweet peppers
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – Tofurky slices on rye bread with hummus, mustard, dill pickle and baby greens, neapolitan mini frozen dessert bar

exercise – ran 2 miles (24 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5
weekly points used:  1

Weigh Ins and Workout Woes

The weekend after the 10K, I ran three miles out at the marina.  I’m used to feeling a little discomfort on the outside of my left hip, but during that run I felt some pain in the front, around my hip flexor.  It was only there for a few minutes before it went away, but it was enough pain in a new place to be noticeable.  The next day, I went to a TurboKick class, which I was very excited about.  I loved the high intensity class, but started feeling the same pain about ten minutes in.  After the class my hip was very sore, and I was having some sharp radiating pain as well, to the extent that I had a hard time falling asleep that night.  I went on WebMD’s symptom checker (which is a lot better than it used to be), and self-diagnosed that I probably had tendonitis or bursitis.  Either way, I needed to rest my leg, which was sad news considering it was supposed to be my “fun” exercise time in between 10K and half marathon training.

I laid off exercise for four whole days, then went on an easy two and a half mile run to test the waters.  There was some definite discomfort in my hip, but no pain during or after the run.  I was out of town for the next few days, and didn’t get to run again until last Thursday.  There was just a little bit of discomfort and no residual pain, so I’m taking it as a good sign!  I’m stretching and icing and rolling and doing all the things you’re supposed to do to keep your muscles and tendons happy, so I’m hoping that going into the start of my running plan in two weeks, it won’t be a problem.  There are still a few activities I want to do before going back to lots of running – cycling class, BodyPump and tennis, to name a few.

Totals for 2/22/12 – 2/28/12

Daily points used:  195/196
Weekly points used:  49/49
Activity points earned:  22
Activity points used:  20
Points left on the table:  3

Staying within my points limit really worked.  On February 29th I weighed in at 153.8, down 1.4 pounds from the previous week.  That weekend though, I went out of town for five days which threw a little wrench in the works.  I flew to central Florida on Friday, first to visit my family and attend my sister-in-law’s baby shower.  Then I went south to Miami Beach for two days and nights at a work-related conference.  I actually didn’t track my food during the trip, mostly because I was just too busy.  I meant to track from memory upon getting home, but I was tired, then I was lazy, and it never happened.  I’m quite certain I went over my points limit, I just don’t know how much.

I actually ate really well during my trip.  Mom takes care of me when I visit, stocking soy milk, Earth Balance, fruits, veggies, hummus and Tofurky.  She even made me overnight oats for breakfast!  The conference was at a pretty swanky hotel that put really nice food out for the buffets.  There was usually enough to fill my plate, including a salad at every meal, and I only had to ask for a special meal twice when there wasn’t quite enough.

Upon returning, I weighed in at 154.4, up .6 pounds from the week before.  I was honestly pretty happy that I only gained .6 pounds after five days away from home.  My goal for this last week was to stay within my points limit and get back down to where I was the week before.

Totals for 3/7/12 – 3/13/12

Daily points used:  193/196
Weekly points used:  53/49
Activity points earned:  20
Activity points used:  20
Points left on the table:  -1

Close but no cigar, but…I weighed in at 150.3, down4.1 pounds!  I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I’m not going to argue.  I guess sometimes your body is just ready to drop some weight.

Wednesday, 3/7/12

breakfast – grits with nutritional yeast
lunch – quinoa tortilla soup (leek, jalapeno, carrot, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, corn tortilla strips, radish, plain soy yogurt, hot sauce)
snack – smoothie (banana, strawberries, kiwi, hemp protein powder, almond milk)
dinner – Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, salad (spinach, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, dried cherries)
after dinner – 3/4 cup peanut butter puffins, 10 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  10

quinoa tortilla soup, made from what I could find in the kitchen

Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, from Appetite for Reduction

Thursday, 3/8/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter and blueberry preserves
AM snack – strawberries, a pear, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Pasta con Broccoli with chickpeas, salad (spinach, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, dried cherries)
PM snack – 8 walnuts with 1 Tbs raisins
dinner – three medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple & red pepper flakes
after dinner – 12 oz MGD 64, 12 oz light beer

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 minutes), walked 10 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  9
activity points earned:  6

Friday, 3/9/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter with roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – pear, banana, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – three medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple, bacon flavored chips & red pepper flakes
PM snack – carrot & celery sticks, two dill pickles
dinner at the Vegan Happy Hour potluck – small portions pasta & potato salad, tamale with 2 Tbs guacamole & hot sauce, 4 tortilla chips, seitan cha siu bao, bbq tofu, one slice bread with cashew cheese, berries with cashew cream, mini cinnamon roll, dark & stormy cake ball, Oreo truffle, 16 oz beer, 12 oz light beer, 12 oz MGD 64

exercise – walked 50 minutes

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  30
activity points earned:  3

Saturday, 3/10/12

breakfast – raw apple pie oatmeal
AM snack – banana, coffee with almond milk
AM snack 2 – 9 pcs veggie sushi
lunch – two medium slices pizza with zucchini, pineapple, bacon flavored chips & red pepper flakes
dinner – bbq tofu, grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms with white wine & herbs, grilled potatoes with poblano
after dinner – 18 oz red wine, 2 oz pretzels

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  20
non-existent points used:  2

Raw Apple Pie Oatmeal – recipe here

Sunday, 3/11/12

breakfast – raw apple pie oatmeal
AM snack – orange, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs & Ye’abesha Gomen
PM snack – smoothie (banana, strawberries, spinach, Vega One, a date)
dinner – Pasta con Broccoli with Chickpeas, salad (lettuce, carrot, celery, bacon flavored chips. fat-free balsamic vinaigrette)
after dinner – 1 oz spelt pretzels

exercise – 50 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
non-existent points used:  2
activity points earned:  4

Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs & Ye-abesha Gomen, recipes from Appetite for Reduction

Monday, 3/12/12

breakfast – grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms with white wine & herbs, grilled potatoes with poblano
AM snack – apple, coffee with vanilla soy creamer
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye-abesha Gomen, salad (lettuce, carrot, celery, bacon flavored chips, goddess dressing)
PM snack – plain soy yogurt with strawberries
dinner – grits with refried beans, salsa & pickled jalapeno, steamed broccoli with nutritional yeast

exercise – ran 2.5 miles (30 min), walked 12 minutes

daily points used:  26
activity points earned:  6

Grits and refried beans, quickest dinner ever!

Tuesday, 3/13/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each almond butter with roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – strawberries, orange Emergen-C, coffee with almond milk
lunch – grits with refried beans, salsa & pickled jalapeno, steamed broccoli with nutritional yeast
PM snack – peanut butter puffins
PM snack 2 – apple, decaf soy latte
dinner – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye’abesha Gomen
dessert – warm banana pudding (banana, arrowroot, almond milk, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, one small Biscoff cookie)

exercise – walked 20 minutes

daily points used:  27
activity points earned:  1

Wednesday, 3/14/12

breakfast – half an English muffin with 1 Tbs each roasted flax & blueberry preserves
AM snack – apple, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Ethiopian Millet, Mushroom Tibs, Ye’abesha Gomen, sunflower seeds
PM snack – 8 walnuts, 1 Tbs raisins
dinner – seitan philly on a roll with peppers & onions, french fries with 2 Tbs ketchup, 32 oz beer, 12 oz light beer

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  27

Thursday, 3/15/12

breakfast – peanut butter puffins with almond milk
AM snack – strawberries, coffee with almond milk
lunch – Candle Cafe Tofu Spinach Ravioli frozen entree, salad (spinach, fat-free balsamic vinaigrette)
PM snack – strawberry coconut Greek yogurt
PM snack 2 – 2 dates
dinner – Kidney Bean & Sweet Potato Jamba Stew
dessert – banana with 2 tsp chocolate hazelnut butter

exercise – 60 minutes BodyPump, 10 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  1
activity points earned:  5

Kidney Bean & Sweet Potato Jamba Stew, adapted from Appetite for Reduction

Weigh In Wednesday & Workout Plan

I successfully completed the 10K on Saturday!  I’ll do a full race report very soon.

Totals for 2/15/12 – 2/21/12

Daily points used:  194/196
Weekly points used:  62/49
Activity points earned:  37
Activity points used:  37
Points left on the table:  -11

I weighed in this morning at 155.2, down .9 pounds from last week.  It’s my lowest weight since starting Weight Watchers!  I’m really happy that I’ve re-focused my efforts and busted past the up-and-down wackiness that’s been plaguing me since the holidays.

I had what might be called a binge on Saturday, but it was somewhat planned.  After the 10K I had plans to attend a going-away lunch at Souley Vegan, then to a bar in San Francisco to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and then on to his house to continue the celebration with a mini beerfest.  To prepare, I used as few weekly points as possible through Friday, and saved up my activity points.  On Saturday, not only did I drink a bunch of “real” beer (I usually only drink light), I also had TWO desserts.  I rarely ever have any dessert, much less two in one day.  The first, peach cobbler, was on a whim after lunch, and I was pretty sure I had room for it within my points.  The second was on even more of a whim when we passed by a gelato shop in the city which had TWELVE KINDS of vegan gelato.  It would be wrong not to try some, right?  So…I tried three kinds…and they were fantastic.  Even with all the beer and sugar, I lost this week, which proves that one “bad” day won’t necessarily ruin a good week.

Speaking of good, my dinner tonight was really good – a healthy take on a taco salad.

I’m kind of weird, and I like to use both ranch and salsa as dressing on my taco salads; I toss the lettuce and veggies with the ranch so that it’s evenly distributed, then put the salsa on top so you get salsa in some bites and not in others.  Call me crazy, but I think it’s really good.  For the quicky lowfat ranch dressing, I combined 1 Tbs Reduced Fat Vegenaise, 2 Tbs plain soy yogurt, a splash of lemon juice, pinches of salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar and parsley, and a generous amount of dried dill.  It doesn’t taste exactly like ranch, of course, but it’s a great simulation, and the creamy dressing is only one PointsPlus.  For a crispy topping, I cut two small corn tortillas into strips, sprayed them with oil and sprinkled on a bit of salt, then baked at 400F for 10 minutes.

Workout plan for this week:

Wednesday – 45 minutes elliptical
Thursday – 30 minute walk during lunch
Friday – yoga
Saturday – run 3 miles
Sunday – rest
Monday – Turbo Kick class
Tuesday – BodyPump class

Saturday, 2/18/12

breakfast – sprouted grains English muffin w/ 1 Tbs almond butter w/ roasted flaxseeds, coffee w/ soy milk
post-run snack – 1/2 oz pretzels, half a banana, 2 orange wedges
lunch – “toasty burger” (wheat bun w/ southern fried tofu, bbq tofu, vegan mayo, lettuce, tomato & pickles), mustard greens, mac ‘n cheese, 16 oz beer, peach cobbler
afternoon – 22 oz beer, medium gelato
evening – veggie chili, 28 oz beer, 4 oz pretzels

exercise – ran 10K (76 minutes)

daily points used:  28
weekly points used:  29
activity points earned:  14
activity points used:  29

Sunday, 2/19/12

breakfast – sesame seed sprouted wheat bagel w/ 2 Tbs better than cream cheese
lunch – Kung Pao tofu & steamed broccoli over brown rice
PM snack – 2 apples
dinner – Kung Pao tofu & steamed broccoli over brown rice, 16 oz red wine

daily points used:  28
activity points used:  8
non-existent points used:  13

Monday, 2/20/12

breakfast – Poached Tofu over Glass Noodles, green curry roasted broccoli & carrots
lunch – peanut butter & strawberry jam sandwich on Ezekiel sesame bread, banana
dinner – 2 breaded vegan fish fillets w/ 1 Tbs ketchup, brown rice pilaf (shallot, shredded carrots, fennel, parsley & spinach)
after dinner snack – orange

exercise – 2 hours 25 minutes hiking

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  10

Tuesday, 2/21/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, frozen strawberries, kiwi, hemp protein powder, 2 Tbs oats, almond milk)
AM snack – apple, pear, coffee w/ hazelnut soy creamer
lunch – salad (butter lettuce, bell pepper, 3/4 cup pinto beans, 1/4 cup corn, green onion, cilantro, lowfat ranch, salsa)
PM snack – 3/4 oz almonds, 1 Tbs raisins
PM snack 2 – 1/2 serving everything crackers
dinner – Spicy Green Tomatillo & Avocado Smoothie, Jicama Slaw, Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread

exercise – one hour Afro-Belly Boogie class

daily points used:  27
activity points earned:  4

recipes from The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen

Wednesday, 2/22/12

breakfast – smoothie (banana, frozen raspberries, sprouted chia powder, 1 Tbs cocoa powder, hemp protein powder, Amazing Garss chocolate superfood, wheatgrass powder)
AM snack – apple, pear, coffee w/ hazelnut soy creamer
lunch – Spicy Green Tomatillo & Avocado Smoothie, Jicama Slaw, Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread
PM snack – one serving everything crackers
dinner – salad (butter lettuce, bell pepper, 3/4 cup pinto beans, 1/4 cup corn, green onion, pickled jalapeno, lowfat ranch, salsa, corn tortilla strips)

exercise – 45 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  27
activity points earned:  4

Totals and Weigh In

So that nausea and weakness I felt Monday night?  It wasn’t low blood sugar, it was food poisoning or a stomach virus or some other horrible thing.  Soon after going to bed my tummy decided that everything must go, and so it did throughout the night.  I stayed home from work Tuesday and couldn’t eat or do much of anything – I held down 10 saltines, some spaghetti with Earth Balance and a few cups of Gatorade.  I went back to work Wednesday but still took it very easy eating-wise, as I wasn’t very hungry or sure what I could handle.  I was almost back to normal today.

First, here are my totals from last week.

Totals for 11/9/11 – 11/15/11

Daily points used:  193/203
Weekly points used:  128/49
Activity points earned:  21
Activity points used:  21
Points left on the table:  -69

The only, very small, tiny good part about getting sick is that I lost weight despite going way over my points.  I weighed in at 158.7, 1.7 pounds down from last week.  I was empty and dehydrated at that point, so I guess it wasn’t a surprise.  Perhaps  after I get back into the swing of things I’ll even out for a bit.  Even for someone who’s trying to lose weight, four pounds in two weeks seems like a bit much.  But yay, I’m in the 150’s!

Wednesday, 11/16/11

breakfast – spelt English muffin with 1 tsp peanut butter
AM snack – banana, 8 oz gatorade, lemon tea
lunch/PM snack – 12 oz smoky split pea soup, 5 saltines
dinner – eggplant wrap with spicy tahini sauce

daily points used:  26

Thursday, 11/17/11

breakfast – 3/4 cup cereal squares with 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
AM snack – apple, mint tea, orange Emergen-C
lunch – 2 cups lentil vegetable soup, 10 saltines
dinner – spaghetti squash with mushroom-dill sauce, apple, radish, celery & pomegranate salad with mustard vinaigrette
snack – 2 oz Tings

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  3

Weigh In Thursday

I weighed in yesterday morning at 160.4, down 2.5 pounds from the week before.  I’m almost in the 150’s!  That’s pretty exciting.  I’m starting to have to evaluate my wardrobe for what is becoming too loose, or what I’ll have to replace soon.

I’m thinking a bit about exercise and cooking too, and how I can fit them both into my schedule without taking up too much of my time.  I’m thinking I may have to concede that I need to plan quick meals for weeknights, rather than cooking sessions which inevitably get pushed back because I’m too tired or hungry after working all day then exercising.  I may also try a workout calendar, to plan ahead and make sure I’m getting in exercise almost every day.

I’m also planning to ramp up my running a bit.  I’m going to run another 5K in a few weeks, and will probably sign up for a 10K sometime in January or February.  My ultimate goal right now is the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in July.

Speaking of running, I need a new playlist badly.  I’ve been listening to the same playlist of punk and pop punk since I began running, so now I’m looking for upbeat pop/rock.  Any suggestions?

Wednesday, 11/9/11

breakfast – spelt English muffin with 1 Tbs peanut butter
AM snack – grapes, coffee with coconut creamer
lunch – deep dish greens casserole with millet amaranth crust, banana
PM snack – 6 oz lemon soy yogurt
dinner – polenta rancheros with 1/4 an avocado, cherry tomatoes, salsa and nutritional yeast

exercise – 45 minutes elliptical

daily points used:  28
activity points earned:  5

Thursday, 11/10/11

breakfast – polenta rancheros with 1/4 an avocado and salsa
AM snack – grapes, coffee with coconut creamer
lunch – 1 1/3 cups edamame in the pods, 6 pcs cucumber roll, 6 pcs shiitake mushroom roll
PM snack – banana
dinner – Tamarind BBQ Tempeh & Sweet Potatoes, boiled cabbage
after dinner – 12 oz red wine. 2 servings spelt pretzels

exercise – 20 minutes walking, 24 minutes yoga

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  16
activity points earned:  3

Weigh In Wednesday

No MoFo post tonight.  Dave came down with some sort of flu last night, so I’m trying to stay unstressed and get to bed early in an attempt not to catch whatever he has.

I weighed in this morning at 162.2, down 2.3 pounds from last week.  That makes over ten pounds lost since I started!  I wasn’t expecting a good loss this week considering I went over my points by 42 (more than a whole day’s worth of points, for reference).  I have a few theories:

– I walked a lot while we were out of town this weekend but didn’t count it toward activity points because it was just to get around, so that probably ate up a bit of the excess calories.
– I got a real professional massage on Saturday, and considering how many knots the masseuse worked out of my back, there may have been some extra weight hiding in ’em!
– My body may have just been ready to let go of some weight.  Weight loss works in mysterious ways, and after wavering for a few weeks it may have just been time to lose a few pounds.

Wednesday, 10/26/11

breakfast – toasted Daiya cheddar sandwich on multigrain oat bread
AM snack – grapes, a pear, coffee with vanilla soy creamer, orange Emergen-C
lunch – Fines Herbes & Dijon Crusted Tofu with Braised Leeks & Pea Puree, 1 cup mashed potatoes made with almond milk
PM snack – 1/4 cup cashew, almond & cranberry trek mix
dinner – garam masala roasted delicata squash rings, salad (romaine, arugula, shredded carrot, spicy roasted chickpeas, roasted radishes, bacon flavored chips, Sanctuary dressing)
dessert – warm pumpkin pudding (canned pumpkin, unsweetened almond milk, 2 tsp blackstrap molasses, vanilla, spices, arrowroot)

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  1

Weigh In…Friday?

I didn’t get to do my usual Wednesday Weigh In post.  We went straight to a baseball game after work on Wednesday, and yesterday as soon as I was done running, showering and eating it was tv time.  Now that Fall tv programming is back on, it kind of rules a large portion of my evenings.

Anyway, the good news is that I weighed in at 163.6, 3.2 pounds down from last week!  I passed my initial goal to lose 5%, and my goal has now been reset to 156.1, or 10% lost.  After such a big loss I’ll be happy just to maintain this week.

Wednesday, 9/21/11

breakfast – All-In-One Scramble
AM snack – half a cantaloupe, coffee with coconut creamer
lunch – Chilled Chickpea, Tomatillo and Avocado Soup, Green & Yellow Beans with Garlic and Herbs
dinner – burrito, 16 tortilla chips with salsa, 4 french fries, 24 oz light beer

exercise – 30 minutes walking

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  16
activity points earned:  2

Thursday, 9/22/11

breakfast – All-In-One Scramble
AM snack – half a cantaloupe, coffee with coconut creamer
lunch – stir-fried tofu & eggplant, garlic broccoli, brown rice
PM snack – 1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt with strawberries and 1 Tbs slivered almonds
dinner – smoothie (banana, strawberries, spinach, hemp protein powder, coconut drink, chia powder), 8 oz red wine

exercise – Couch to 5K Week 9 Day 2 (30 minutes running, 10 minutes walking)

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  6
activity points earned:  7

Friday, 9/23/11

breakfast – grits with Vegan Gourmet cheddar and bacon chips
AM snack – pear, coffee with coconut creamer
lunch – salad with 1/2 tsp vinaigrette, hummus sandwich on ciabatta with roasted red onions and red pepper, pickle, fruit salad
PM snack – 1/4 cup wasabi wow snack mix
dinner – salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, jalapeno, fat free red wine vinaigrette), chickpea crepe with Atar Allecha (Ethiopian split peas) and Gomen (collard greens), 8 oz red wine

daily points used:  29
weekly points used:  8

I totally balked on making this dinner.  I cooked the split peas Monday night to get ready to cook the whole meal Tuesday, but after I ran Tuesday I was too tired and hungry to cook.  Same thing happened last night, and by that time I was worried the split peas might have started to turn.  So, I cooked more split peas last night and finally made the meal tonight.  It was worth the wait.

Free Lunch

The annual staff appreciation lunch at work was today.  I e-mailed the coordinator last week to see if I could participate, and she said we were getting burritos from Chipotle and that she would make sure there was a vegan choice.  So, I was very surprised to find that we were actually having hot dogs and cupcakes!  Planning ahead is one way that I navigate events and eating out, and I was fully prepared for the burrito.  I like to visualize myself handling the situation well, and I had planned to take a burrito and bypass the chips or any other accompaniments.  However, lunch ended up being delicious and less points, so it was win-win.

Thursday, 8/18/11

breakfast – smoothie (banana, strawberries, kiwi, hemp protein powder, almond milk, Liquid Sunshine vitamin D supplement)
AM snack – grapes, coffee with hazelnut soy creamer
lunch – Field Roast Italian Sausage on french bread with ketchup, mustard, relish and sauerkraut, green salad, half a sweet potato cupcake with cream cheese frosting
PM snack – 1/4 cup trek mix with raisins and chocolate
dinner – Milanese tomato soup, gooey grilled cheez on whole wheat bread, 8 oz red wine

Exercise – Couch to 5K Week 5 Day 2 (16 minutes running, 15 minutes walking)

Daily points used:  29
Weekly points used:  11
Activity points earned:  4

Milanese Tomato Soup from The Great American Detox Diet, Gooey Grilled Cheez from The Uncheese Cookbook

Success of the day:  I shared a cupcake with a coworker rather than eating a whole one.