ode to produce...

yeah.. so.. i didn't go to the farmer's market last weekend since i decided to stay up until 6am. (not a rare occurence for me since i'm usually still at work at that time). however.. i woke up at 1pm and was mad at myself for missing it.. only to find that - WOOHOO - i get my monthly produce delivery this week!! i'm so excited. i use a company called 'planet organics' that delivers all around the bay area, but if you look, i highly suggest trying to find a produce delivery or food co-op in your area. co-ops tend to be cheaper since they send you whatever they have available that week, and you tell them how many people you want produce for. unfortunately, there aren't any near me. so i go with the delivery service that allows you to customize your 'box' with whatever as long as it's $32 minimum. it's a little pricey, but i only have it delivered once a month, and i make sure to log in and fill my box with stuff i know i'll use.

so i'm looking forward to my delivery on wednesday.. but until then i'll survive on frozen fruits and veggies. not that there's anything WRONG with that.

and while we're on the topic of frozen produce.. if you do find yourself looking at a bunch of browning bananas or squash that's getting soft by the second.. don't think twice about freezing them. right now, in my freezer i have:

apples
bananas
peaches
strawberries
grapes
zucchini
summer squash
wax beans
broccoli
cauliflower
carrots

all of these were at one point fresh, and as i saw they were about to turn, i chopped them up, and put them in labelled ziploc freezer bags. i can't tell you how much money i've saved.. i just hate throwing stuff away! some of the fruit i eat frozen or use in smoothies, and the veggies i add straight to the saute pan or microwave them with a little seasoning. just today i made a totally awesome dinner with some frozen produce:

zucchini
red onion
red bell pepper
cremini mushrooms (these were fresh)

spray veggies with olive oil cooking spray and toss with salt and pepper. preheat grill, throw veggies onto a grill pan, and cook along with whatever meat you're having that day (for me it was lean pork chops marinated in chaka's mmm sauce. i made some brown rice cooked in low sodium, fat-free chicken broth, and had a delicious dinner that my bf called 'a keeper'. hahaha.

so go forth, and eat your veggies!

week 2 back on track

yes, that's accurate.. i updated my weight graph and i gained back almost 20 pounds in 6 months. disgusting.. i know. part of me really really really wants to change that graph so that it starts with my restart date from a couple weeks ago.. but the other part of me knows that seeing it is a good reality check.

on the plus side.. i saw my roomie from college and her sister today (shaden and sara) and they both said that i look like i've lost weight.. i think i'm one of those lucky people who carries their weight really well.

this has been a roller coaster of a week for me. for the most part i did okay.. i was sick last week around WI, some sort of stomach bug.. and didn't feel right all weekend. i had some crazy breakdown on monday and ate an entire sleeve of oreos. gross.. i know. but other than that it was pretty good. i went to happy hour with my girlfriend lisa on friday and tracked everything we had.. and that took away all my WPA (hence the reason my unfortunate oreo incident was more than just unfortunate). all-in-all.. we shall see the results later on today.

no crazy good recipe finds this week. and back to the farmer's market this weekend. i still have hope that this time i will be successful.. for good!

successful week!!

i am so super excited to be back on track.. i'll have to update my stats and progress on the blog when i'm at work this weekend. lol.. i love catching up on non-work-related activities at work. good times.

i walked quite a bit this week, but no actual 'working out' activities. maybe as i start jiggling less in my work-out clothes i'll be more comfortable turbo jamming again. it is SO fun! i'm not an avid gym-rat, but when i do workout, i stick to the ones that i enjoy:

jillian michael's 30 day shred
turbo jam cardio party
10-minute trainer

the latter 2.. shh.. i got on ebay. a lot of people complain about beachbody's sales' tricks, so i decided to stay away.

on to what actually helped me get through this week:

1. getting rid of trigger foods! thank you hungry girl!
i made my boyfriend's friends eat our bags of chips and oreos.
2. pre-planning for my baking orders. i had an order of cupcakes and 2 apple tarts for saturday.. normally i would eat all the leftovers, but as soon as i made them i took any leftovers to friends or.. once again.. made my bf's friends eat them.
3. stocked up at the farmer's market. i know i've mentioned how much money i save at the market every weekend before, but this week i made sure to buy lots and lots of veggies.. and forced myself to use them. i made eggplant parmesan (baked, not fried), pasta pomodoro (with chicken breast, zucchini, tomatoes and a ton of fresh basil), stuffed bell peppers (with lean ground beef), boiled corn on the cob (so sweet and delicious it didn't need butter), and lots of snacking on carrots and celery.
4. holey donuts! - i got some on a good deal they were running.. $5 a box, and they are amazing. i haven't been eating them every day (they run 3-7 points each), but they are delicious when you have a craving.
5. vitatops - i get them on amazon (free shipping!) and yes, i've mentioned them before.. but when you're really hungry between meals, it's the best, most delicious 1 point you can spend. my favs are deep chocolate and apple berry.
6. cool-ups - i bought mine at bed bath.. and i didn't use them a ton this week, but they were great over the summer! you can portion out your slow-churned ice cream.. and it's easy to control how much you're eating! yum!

if anyone is interested in the recipes i used this week.. let me know. i'll post them up!

food finds!! (ww saviors part 2)

I wrote this blog a while back but apparantly never posted it.. but my opinion on all these products still rings true!

food finds:

ak-mak crackers- i find these at trader joe's, but i'm sure you could find them elsewhere. i've seen them on amazon. they are SO delicious with laughing cow garlic & herb wedges. you can have 5 large crackers and a laughing cow wedge for 3 points!


smoked salmon- it's tastes decadent and amazing.. but it's still very good for you. has those fishy-heart-healthy oils and is filling as well. give me some ak-maks, a tbsp of reduced fat cream cheese and a small package of smoked salmon.. i'm in heaven!!!

cafe twists- cinnamon sugar twists from tj's. i have them with my coffee.. i think each twist runs about 1 point each, but they're very fulfilling. i have on more than one instance been able to eat just one!

freeze dried fruit- there's a few brands out there.. but i get brother's all natural packs from costco. if you're craving something crunchy... these will do it for you! the fuji apple ones are amazing, but the pack comes with strawberry/banana and asian pear too! each pack is 1 pt each.

carrots- i know these seem bleh.. normal.. but if you get some really good bunches from the farmer's market.. they're sweet and flavorful all by themselves.. no ranch dressing needed! i am known to have carrot and celery slices packed in a water-filled tupperware in the fridge at all times. the water keeps the veggies fresh and crisp for up to 2 weeks!

greek yogurt (vanilla)- protein-packed yogurt you say?! oh yeah! greek yogurt is the creamiest, most filling delicious treat. not too sweet.. but just sweet enough. throw in a couple spoonfulls of cereal, granola or berries.. and you're good to go. when i'm at home, i'll make myself little greek yogurt parfaits with all of the above. YUM!

high fiber tortilla with turkey and cream cheese- my fav. high fiber tortilla is from tj's (can you see a trend?) and i can't quite remember the brand.. but any with 1 pt each will do... spread on a tbsp of strawberry reduced-fat cream cheese (yes, strawberry) and 2 slices of turkey. add some tomato slices and a sprig of lettuce and roll, deli style. i like to cut it into pinwheels when i'm feeling fancy.. and you've got a filling, delicious snack that will run you about 2.5 points!

i will have an updated list of more recent finds soon. =)

my ww saviors... part 1

i've done some food posts here and there.. but with the plethora of things that have been getting me through the past couple weeks, i decided i would share.

first of all - money. let's face it, losing weight costs money. even if you're doing it on your own, healthy food tends to cost more. unfortunately, that's the way it is.

1. FREEZER!!! the freezer is your best friend. i buy things in bulk (vitatops, low-pt bread, 94/6 ground beef, pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, etc) portion them out and freeze them. herbs freeze well too. lay the leaves out on a tray and freeze until firm, then throw them in a bag. perfect!

also, produce. when things are about to turn, i'll make soup, or a lasagna, then freeze! (for the lasagna, or any other 'baking dish' items, line your dish with saran wrap prior to assembling the food, then freeze. once frozen, remove it from the dish and place in a zip-top bag. it's perfectly sized for your baking dish, and you're not missing your dish while it's locked away in the freezer.. waiting to be baked.

fruit freezes well too. i bought a pallet of strawberries last summer.. sliced and froze them, and i'm still using them for smoothies! bananas and berries freeze really well too!

2. FARMER'S MARKET! i can't tell you what a life saver my weekly farmer's market has been for me. often i'll go with only $10 and see how far i can stretch it. also, if you go towards the end, they slash they're prices and are more prone to agree to any bargaining. a little money goes a long way, and you're supporting your local farmers!

3. SHOP THE ADS!! lately, with the economic downturn and all, the grocery stores are really combating for customers.. they have 'weekend specials' and coupons in their ads. i clip the coupons for items i need and only buy those items at those stores. if the ad doesn't have anything good that week, i vow not to go into that store and make-do with what i've got at home.. (i'm the WORST with impulse-buying).

4. TRADER JOE'S!! speaking of impulse buying.. mine has reduced DRASTICALLY since i started limiting my shopping to TJ's. if you've got one close by - utilize it! i don't think my bill has ever been over $100, and that is for many weeks of groceries. we get pretty much everything here but produce (it really bugs me that so much of their produce comes from mexico and costa rica.. it's california people! we've got great farms here! plus they package it in plastic. wtf?! let's be more eco-friendly! end rant.)

5. ZIPLOC BAGS!!! i'm sure you've heard it before.. but it bears repeating. buy things in big bags, and create your own 100-calorie packs. some things.. i know.. this doesn't work on (hostess anyone? yumm..) but it's great for crackers, chips, cookies, cereal (safeway's eating right cocoa puffs and fruit loops are my favs) and the list goes on and on. i've limited my snacks to these bags, because even if i fill them so much they're bursting at the seams, the portion is reasonable. ever notice how you fill something just because it's big enough?! me too... that's why i use small pyrex dishes for my lunches at work as well...

6. SKIP THE GYM!! no, i do not mean don't work out.. but really, who needs a gym membership when there are so many free (or much more low-cost) options out there?! walking, obviously... on the weekends bf and i will walk the dog to the local coffee shop. it's fun, and we get a treat at the end! if you have any kind of cable box, you probably have on demand content. there are, like, a gazillion work-out shows to try.. and the variety keeps things interesting. try the internet too! i tried out the 30-day shred by finding it streaming online prior to investing any money (the whopping $10). instead of dumbbells, use cans! i started with 16oz, and i'm working up to 32oz in the shred.. who needs the fancy stuff? and, i'm still sore! you can also try a workout video swap.. we've all got 'em, those videos you bought and never use (windsor pilates, anyone? haha). check with friends or co-workers to see what they've got, and switch!

the list of free/cheap workout activities goes on and on!

i almost forgot! take that bed bath and beyond 20% coupon that i KNOW is sitting at your house and invest in some debbie myer's green bags... yes, the infomercials may be dorky, but those things WORK!! my produce lasts for weeks.. literally. i have broccoli in the fridge from like 3 weeks ago!!! no joke!

NOW GO.. SAVE MONEY! =)

part 2 coming shortly...

another slow week...

as far as weight loss in concerned. down 0.2. that's okay though.. i've sworn that this is my FINAL go at WW, so i try not to let the small losses (or gains) get me down like they have in the past.

still tracking pretty well, so i'm proud of myself in that sense. i also joined the "walk across america" challenge on the WW msg boards, which has really encouraged me to get moving in the past couple days. i walked and did the shred on friday, and walked/ran yesterday, so my AP count is looking okay for this week! kris has been working out to p90 at home as well, which is encouraging (even though i don't think he needs to lose ANY weight!).

my goal this week is to be more productive with my down time. although it's been gloomy and it's tough to get motivated, i don't want spring to come full steam and open my drapes to find an ugly apartment!!! i need to do some major spring cleaning.. purging of junk i don't need!! and, there's always the gazillion crafts i'd like to do. i did some freezer paper stenciling on onesies for a girl at work who's expecting.. i'll have to post pictures, they turned out great!!!

there's always something more productive to do than eat.

work, work, work...

it's just day 2 of what will inevitably prove to be a very long week. i'm basically working sunday to sunday, with thursday off. i'll let you know if i survive.

on the bright side, i have no class next week so i can relax.. (not that my whopping 2 classes are all that difficult). at WI on last friday, i lost 1lb. for some reason, i wasn't that excited. i mean, it's great! i'm happy that i lost.. but i don't know.. i just didn't get that feeling of accomplishment. maybe i was hoping for something more?

i'll just have to keep chugging along... i think it's just that i really want to get my to my 10% and 20lbs.. like... NOW! i need to be more active too.. i haven't really done anything lately.. except a shred here and there. nothing consistent. i need to!

on the bright side, i found some fabulous snacks at trader joe's! oh, how i love that place! they're called cafe twists, and they're 30 calories each. i LOVE them.. 90 calories (2 points) for 3 of them, and they're completely satisfying for a sweet craving. ohh how i wish i had one right now. i don't bring them to work because i'll eat them all just since they're there.. without thinking about it. i also went to the farmer's market and picked up more fruit and veggies. there was a stand there - 'the hummus guy', and he was sampling all his hummus. i'm not a huge fan, being that i don't like beans, but the roasted garlic one was SUPER yummy, so i got a container of it. i had some earlier today, and i brought it with me to work with some carrots and celery.

i have to stay OP this week considering i had like a gazillion cups of guinness on saturday at the st. patty's day parade. twas fun.. although kris and i pooped out kind of early. i guess we're just getting old.