Wednesday, August 24, 2011

MIA

So sorry that I have been missing in action. Life is crazy and something usually ends up taking a back seat. Right now it has been this poor blog and my Weight Watchers. I am hoping that as the craziness of summer wraps up at work, that I can get back to a good routine and back to losing weight again.

On the bright side it is my birthday is weekend and I get to go to Toronto to see my family. I have to work for most of it, I am on course, but at least I will get to see my family on that night. I am going to try my very best to be more consistent with posting and cooking, which I haven't been, after this crazy week is over. :)


Saturday, July 23, 2011

Stuck in Park

That explains how I feel right now. Stuck. I can say that I am not doing much to get myself out of park. I am stressed out. A lot of stuff is building up and it is hard to deal with it all. I am feeling kind of blue too. Matt is still not feeling his best, so I am spending a lot of time doing things on my own. I am not always my best motivator. I KNOW what I need to do, but it is just a matter of getting myself to do it.

I have not been cooking that much this week either. I did however make meatloaf from the Kraft Canada site, which is a recipe I have made before. It is really good and simple to make. What I did different is to cook it in a 12 tin muffin tray, making 12 mini meatloafs. This is actually what I ate for dinner a night this week, as Matt was not feeling good enough to eat much. It was a good way to portion control the meatloaf. I will definitely be doing this again, but next time I will freeze a few of them for quick dinners.

Weight loss wise I have lost 1.8 of the 2.6 pounds I gained. I have been trying my best to keep my hands busy, which has been helping to stop me from snacking at night. I have new obsession, hairband and bow making. I don't have any children but it I keep going I may have enough to go in a craft sale. Lol! I started making them for a friend's little girl and I cannot stop, once I have some finished I will post some picture.

I have a Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie that I want to try, but I need to get a few more ingredients first. Once I make them I will be sure to post a recipe review.
~Eryn

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Friday weigh in results and an eye opener

Hello everyone!

Well I have posted about my lack of enthusiasm about tracking, and I did track for a few days and then I slacked off (yes- again). The results of this are a 2.4 lbs weight gain. BOO! But totally my own doing. I have tracked for 2 days consistently this new Weight Watchers week. Not much, but a start.

This is hopefully the wake up I need to get my butt back in gear. I have walked almost every day last week, like good long walks, not short little walks. I have been trying again. I am uncomfortable at this weight and I am smaller than I have been in a few years, not that I small by any means (yet). I want to be healthier so starting a family is easier. I want to have more energy for work and be a good role model for my preschool and kindergarten children. I want to weigh less than my boyfriend. I want to wear shorts and feel ok about it. These are some of the reasons I want to lose this weight. It feel like it is a curse that I have carried my whole life, something I want to be free of.

I am going to try my best to cook everyday this week. Something I haven't really done since Matt has been sick. I am going to go through the freezer and pantry and try to use some of what we have, as money is tight right now. I need to find some budget friendly meals. Anyone know of any websites or recipes for these? Let me know your favorite!

~Eryn :)

Friday, July 1, 2011

Weigh in and a summer treat

Happy Canada Day!

It's a long weekend for me, which is much needed. Work has been busy, as kids are out of school and in care full time so we have more children thrown into our daycare mix. On the plus side beach days start soon, so it's nice to get the children out of the centre for a day.

Weight Watcher's wise I weighed in this morning and was down 0.8lbs. I am happy with that, as I gained last week and I didn't track this week at all. I needed a break and I took it. I started tracking again today. I also started walking more consistently, as I had not been really walking at all. This coming week I would like to get 40 Activity Points, and not eat them. I really want to reach my 2nd 10% weight goal.

I went for dinner at my father in law's tonight and I wanted to make a dessert that didn't cost me like a million Points +. I remembered a dessert that was featured on the Biggest Loser, and it was Jell-O mixed with Cool Whip. Since it is Canada and everything is closed, I looked through the cupboards and I had tons of Jell-O and no Cool Whip, but I had Dream Whip. So I searched
Kraft Canada and found a recipe that I could tweak. It was called "Fruity Mousse Cups." I changed the fruit cocktail to frozen strawberries, as my father in law is allergic to cherries and I didn't feel like killing him, LOL. I also changed the Cool Whip to Dream Whip as that is what I had. It was yummy and point friendly.

Strawberry Mousse Cups
Source: Inspired by: Kraft Canada
Serving: 4
Size of Serving: 1/4 of serving dish Points+: 4
Calories: 140.9 • Fat: 1.9g • Protien: 2.4g • Carbs: 31.9g
Fibre: 1.1g

  • 1 Package Strwberry Jell-O
  • 1 Package Dream Whip made according to package directions or 1 cup Cool Whip
  • 1 ½ cups Fresh or Frozen (defrosted) Strawberries
  • ¾ boiling water (for Jell-O)
  • 2 Cups Ice (for Jell-O)

First make the Dream Whip according to the package directions and set aside to set (if you have Cool Whip skip this step- obviously).

Defrost the strawberries if you are using frozen and drain if there is excess water. If strawberries are whole, chop them into pieces. Place them into the bottom of the dish you are using. A 8X8 square dish or a similar size round dish.

Next make the Jell-O. Boil ¾ cup water and mix with the Jell-O powder. Stir 2 minutes or until powder is dissolved. Next add 2 cups ice and stir until Jell-O starts to set, 3-5 minutes. Remove any left over ice cubes.

Add 1 cup Dream Whip (or ¾ Cool Whip) into Jell-O. Gently stir until mixed. Pour mixture on top of strawberries. Chill until set. Spread remaining Dream Whip on top of the Mousse or top with remaining ¼ cup Cool Whip if that is what you are using.

***This was SO good!! Definitely a nice treat for a hot summer day. Everyone enjoyed it and said it was a make again dessert. It would be good with all kinds of different fruit/ Jell-O combinations.

Enjoy!

~Eryn

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Checking In

Hey all!

I have been having a "non tracking week" this week. It was TOM for me (sorry if that is too much info) so I have been feeling awful. I didn't really exercise and I just ate until I was satisfied. That is a new thing for me. Usually I over indulge till I am nauseous. But I went out with friends to a sports bar and get onions rings and only ate like 4 of the entire order. I was pretty proud of myself. I also had Chinese food last night and did the same thing. When I was full I stopped.

Since it was that time of the month, I was up the 0.4lbs I lost last week. But I gain anywhere from 0.5 to 5lbs of water weight usually, so I was ok with that. I am hoping to be down that and more at my next weigh in on Friday. I am getting back to tracking so I can get back to losing.

I didn't cook much this week so I have no new recipes to share. I am hoping to cook more this week. Hope everyone has a great week.
~Eryn

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Weigh In results and some other stuff

At my weigh in this Friday I was down 0.4lbs. Not much I know, but not a gain either. After a week of stress, Matt being sick, no grocery shopping and just eating what we had in the house, we were too poor to buy much this week other then milk when we needed it. But we survived and are doing a big shop tomorrow to stock up on everything.

It's Father's Day today, so happy Father's Day to my dad's and all the other dad's out there. And to my Matt, who is not a father yet, but is a great dog father to our fur babies.

I don't have a full blown recipe for you all today, but I have a great way for you to add flavor to chicken. I think it works best with chicken with the skin on still, but if you marinated skinless chicken it would be awesome. You just take the packaged powder fajita seasoning, whatever brand you like, and either brush the chicken with a little water or oil. Then sprinkle the fajita seasoning on the chicken. I didn't use a whole package, what was left over I mixed with a little water and Matt basted it on as the chicken cooked. We BBQ it and had it with Spanish rice and salad. It was yummy!

I will post a new recipe soon. I am headed over to Skinny Taste to see what is new and delicious!
~Eryn

P.S. I added a new ticker to the top to act as a motivation and quick reference. I am kind of excited about it, as it took a few tries for me to get it centred, lol!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Catching up and two favorite recipes

Hello, it's been awhile. I had a small gain two weigh ins ago. Last week I had a better week and lost 1.4 pounds, bringing me down to the smallest I have been in years; not that I am anywhere near goal yet, but baby steps, right?

Matt has been sick, money and been tight and stress has caught up with me. I have been trying not to let it get to me. I have been trying not to eat my feelings, but it's hard. I am hoping that I am not going to have a huge gain this week. I am hoping for a stay the same kinda week or a small loss.

Since I have not shared any recipes as I promised, I have two for you. They are both from my Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook.

Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice
Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Serving: 4
Size of Serving: 1 3/4 cups Points+: 7
Calories: 282 • Fat: 7g • Protien: 20g • Carbs: 34g
Fibre: 5g

What You Need
  • 1/2 pound ground skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tsp canola oil
  • 2 large eggs, lighlty beaten
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 6 scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths
  • 2 tsp minced peeled ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups cold cooked long grain brown or white rice
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Make It
Spray a nonstick wok or deep large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles in a pan. Add chicken and stir-fry until cooked. Transfer to medium bowl; stir in broth and teriyaki sauce.

Add 1 tsp oil to wok. Add eggs and stir-fry until set, breaking eggs up as they cook. Add to chicken in bowl.

Add remaining 1 tsp oil to wok. Add carrots, bell pepper, scallions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry until tender, about 5 mins. Stir in rice and peas; stir-fry until rice begins to brown. Return chicken-egg mixture to wok; cook until heated through.

** I love this rice. It is so good. Even Matt likes it and asks me to make it for him often. Definitely helps with Chinese food cravings.

Yogurt Biscuits
Source: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Serving: 16
Size of Serving: 1 biscuit Points+: 2
Calories: 64 • Fat: 0g • Protien: 2g • Carbs: 13g
Fibre: 0g

What You Need
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Make It
Stir together 1 cup of flour and the yogurt in a large bowl until blended and very smooth; sprinkle with sugar. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place. (80-85F) at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Whisk together remaining 1 cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir into yogurt mixture until well blended.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface; pat into 6X8 inch rectangle. With pizza cutter or long, thin knife, cut dough lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip into 4 pieces (making 16 pieces). Place biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 10 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 400F. Bake until golden brown, about 10 mins longer. Transfer to wire rack, serve warm.

** This is another recipe that I have to double because Matt loves it so much, he will hint when he wants them, "ummm....we're out of biscuits, just so ya know." LOL!

As always enjoy. Send me some losing vibes for my weigh in tomorrow!
~Eryn