"Drop a Jeans Size" Meal Plan: Day 3

Up early for today's 5-mile run, I used a banana and string cheese as my rocket fuel this morning.

Breakfast

Potato Hash & Cheddar Omelet (6 PPV): Mist small frying pan with cooking spray and heat pan over medium high heat. Add 1/2 c frozen shredded potatoes and cook for 5 mins, turning once. Whisk together 1 egg and 2 egg whites and pour over potatoes in pan. Add 1 c baby spinach, S&P. Cook for an additional 4 mins, or until egg is done and spinach is wilted. Top with 4 T shredded 2% cheddar cheese.

This was really good and really substantial. Of course DH and I both added hot sauce. The potato really helped bulk up the omelet and give it a little more staying power. I could see adding a few thin tomato slices under the spinach next time. This is definitely a Keeper!

Interestingly, this is the first time in almost two weeks that I ran in the morning and was not super hungry in the afternoon. I think this breakfast just might be the key.

Lunch:

Cuban Sandwich (6 PPV): Grill 2 oz. low-fat sliced deli ham in a small frying pan for 4 mins, turning once. Spread 2 tsp. yellow mustard on  whole-grain hamburger bun and top with ham and 1 slice reduced fat Swiss cheese. Slice 2 dill pickles lengthwise and stack pickle slices on top of cheese. Top with other half of bun. Serve with apple.

This was a really nice surprise. I originally thought, "Oh. It's a dressed-up ham and cheese sandwich. Boring!" But it's amazing what a difference "grilling" the ham makes! This was a great sandwich, although TWO pickles is, well, A LOT of pickle! I stacked a few slices on my sandwich and ate the rest of the slices on the side. Incidentally, slicing the pickles made them more fun to eat. Sandwich, pickles and apple made  nice combination and very filling lunch.

Some late afternoon fruit and a mini ice cream cone (because I had the PPVs) got me through to dinner.

Dinner

Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks & Classic Ranch Salad (12 PPV): Bake, broil or grill 3 skinless chicken drumsticks until they reach 165* internal temperature. Mix 3 T hot sauce and 2 T trans fat-free margarine (melted). Coat drumsticks in hot sauce mixture. In separate bowl, toss 1 c chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 c chopped celery, 1/2 c shredded carrot, 1/2 c grape tomatoes and 1 1/2 T light ranch dressing.

To quote Food Network Star, Guy Fieri: Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Okay, please listen to me. Do I have your attention? If you like Buffalo wings at all, this dinner will be your new best friend. Seriously! This is a genius idea that will satisfy any wing craving without all that nasty fat. The thing about wings (well, one of the things about wings) is that they're generally small and go down way too easily. But with this recipe, you get lots of good, meaty, satisfying spicy goodness. I just might make this dinner once a week for the rest of my life.

First of all: THREE drumsticks! When was the last time you got THREE pieces of chicken in a serving? If you're like me, quantity is just as important as quality. Second: GRILL the drumsticks. It gives them a nice, rich flavor and even makes them a little crispy like good Buffalo wings would be. Third: Do you NEED a third? It's wing sauce, my friends!

DH, who is a bit of a Buffalo wing connoisseur and has eaten wings at 233 different establishments in his life (yes, he keeps track!), thoroughly enjoyed this dinner. Now, that's an endorsement! I will now keep a pack of chicken legs in the freezer for this exact recipe. And I will make it again and again. It's just that good.

Was it filling? I probably would have liked a bigger salad. Because, after all, I am Seinfeld's Elaine who thoroughly enjoys salads "as big as my head." It's 9 p.m. and I am a bit hungry. I'll be diving into a cup of raspberries shortly.

"Drop a Jeans Size" Meal Plan: Day 2

Breakfast

Honey-Coconut Oatmeal (6 PPV): Mix 1/2 c rolled oats with 1/2 c skim or almond milk and microwave 1 min. Top with 2 tsp. honey and 1 T shredded coconut and serve with 1/2 c berries.

I am in love with this breakfast!! It was SO surprisingly good, so easy and just overall a great experience. I am a die-hard oatmeal-with-brown-sugar-and-raisins girl. I recently changed that to brown-sugar-and-blueberries because fruit is PPV-free but raisins aren't. But, man! HONEY in oatmeal? Fantastic! Coconut? Adds a perfect little subtle crunch with just a touch of necessary fat. I mixed my full cup of raspberries into it all and it was like eating a warm, satisfying, comforting raspberry-coconut muffin. (FYI, there's no real coconut flavor - you really just get the texture, which is nice. If you want coconut flavor, add a drop of coconut extract.) DH doesn't really do coconut, so I substituted 1 T sliced almonds for him so he could get his crunchy fat too. Mmmmmm....crunchy fat.

Lunch

Pizza Portobello (8 ppv): Turn 2 portobello mushroom caps (stems removed) upside down, spread each with 3 T spaghetti sauce, and top each with 1/2 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 10 mins. Sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp. oregano. Cut 1 whole-grain roll in half and toast it. Drizzle each half with 1/2 tsp. olive oil.

Unfortunately, my schedule today required a late breakfast and early lunch.  I was in such a good place from this morning's Honey-Coconut Oatmeal, that I wasn't even hungry when I ate lunch. Had this been a different week, I would have popped an apple and a Kashi bar into my purse and gone on my way till I was hungry.

This meal was a little...odd. I'm normally a big fan of portobello mushrooms and also a big fan of pizza. However, a spooning a little spaghetti sauce and few shreds of cheese on a mushroom cap does not a pizza make. It really was just a mushroom with some sauce and cheese on it. Instead of a roll, I just toasted a slice of 3 PPV whole-grain bread. It was odd to drizzle olive oil on a slice of bread. Now, granted, this was the regular, every day EVOO from my pantry, not the oil of delicately-pressed olives from some small, exotic Italian village. But still...it was odd. Bread is to be dipped in flavored oil, so you might want to forgo this if A) you don't splurge on EVOO or B) you think 1 tsp is enough oil to dip bread in! I ended up sprinkling the EVOO-drizzled toast with garlic powder to add some flavor.

 By late-afternoon, I was trolling the kitchen, but that may have been partly because of when I ate this lunch (too early). I had a few servings of fruit...a few whole wheat crackers...a string cheese...my new standby of the half toasted English muffin, Better 'n' PB, and 1/4 sliced pear...and even tried something new and baked up a batch of "radish chips." (Don't ask - it's sadly not even worth repeating the recipe I found on-line.) This resulted in a 3 PPV dip into my Weekly Points Allowance. I'm okay with that I guess but wish the circumstances would have been different.


Dinner

Turkey Burger & Oven Fries (11 PPV): Cut 1 medium potato into slices; toss with 1 T chili powder, S&P. Mist a baking sheet with tops of potatoes with cooking spray. Broil potatoes and 1 lean 4 oz. turkey burger on sheet for 20 mins, turning once. (The burger should reach 165*.) Put burger on a whole-grain hamburger bun and top with 2 tsp. ketchup, lettuce and tomato. Serve with fries.

Turkey burgers, ho hum. Been there, done that. No big whooptie-do. I normally add a bunch of flavor to them but did not tonight so I could give an accurate review. (I did use 1 PPV for a piece of cheese because there's no reason to eat a burger - turkey or otherwise - if it doesn't have cheese.) I made the burgers on the grill and would have also cooked the potatoes that way as well. However, I wanted to see if they'd get crispy in the oven. They didn't. However, the generous 1 T of chili powder did give a robust flavor, so I'll repeat that. In the future, I'd put them in a foil packet, spritz with spray butter, seal up and throw on the grill.

Interesting note: Unlike the US Government, I do not consider the ketchup, lettuce and tomato that accessorize my burger to be a complete vegetable serving like they do in our schools. So I just HAD to throw a bunch of my gorgeous Costco and CSA veggies on the grill as well. I don't know how to eat dinner without a serious serving of vegetables anymore. Plus, I figured, a burger and some potato slices would simply not be enough.

While I'm glad I had the veggies, here's the thing with the potato: I typically choose the smallest potato available. After all, a SMALL potato is 3 PPV, a MEDIUM potato is 4 PPV and a LARGE potato is 5 PPVs. That's a wide spread. However, since tonight's recipe specifically designated a MEDIUM potato, I weighed several until I found one in my bin that came closest to Weight Watchers' definition of a MEDIUM potato: 213 g. And guess what? That's a lot of potato! It's certainly not mutant-restaurant-size, but most things in our home kitchens aren't. So, again, while I'm glad I had the nutrients the veggies provided, I probably would not have needed that bulk to feel satisfied, given the quantity of potato. This is just another one of those little discoveries I would never had made without a project like this: when it comes to potatoes, size does matter.

On that note, I'm off to bed. It's another 5 a.m. wake-up call tomorrow for a 5 mile run before the day's heat grips us all.

"Drop a Jeans Size" Menu Plan: Day 1

I'm ba-ack!

Bowing to overwhelming demand ("overwhelming" is in the eye of the beholder), I have resumed blogging about what I'm eating. This week, it's Fitness Magazine's "Drop a Jeans Size" meal plan. Same deal: After losing 139 lbs through Weight Watchers and working out, I'm ThisClose to hitting my weight goal and need a little push to make it across the finish line. Instead of the magazine's suggested "workout on p. 108" or whatever, I'm continuing with my current routine: running every other day and 30-min circuit training on the alternate days, with one day "off" a week.

I'm continuing to follow the WW PointsPlus plan as well to ensure that I get the appropriate nourishment. Here we go! Wheeeeee!

This was my "long run" day as I continue to train for my first 10-Mile race in two weeks. Today was my first-ever 9-mile run, which was pretty cool! Wanting to avoid a repeat of last week's 18-PPV-afternoon debacle, I decided to fuel up a little before-hand. I had 1 hard boiled egg and a banana and then hit the pavement at 8 a.m.

When I got back, it was time for a shower and breakfast.

Breakfast

Power Breakfast Plate (4 PPVs): Assemble 1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 oz. cheddar cheese, 6 whole-grain crackers, 1/2 c grapes on a plate. Serve.

Hmmm....not the most culinarily challenging "recipe," but that's okay. I deliberately chose this recipe for today because I knew I'd need the protein boost. I used Cabot 75% fat free cheese because that's what I buy. And I had a whole cup of grapes because that's an actual serving of fruit which is 0 PPVs. This was a nice breakfast and I could definitely see it becoming a standard - quick, easy and filling. I have to admit though, after last week's shift to higher PPV meals, I was a bit skeptical that this would sustain me through lunch. It did a decent job...until I hit 11 a.m, at which point, it felt like the wheels were about to come off the bus. I quickly called one of last week's discoveries: the 2 PPV toasted whole wheat English muffin half with 2 tsp Better 'n' Peanut Butter and 1/4 thinly sliced pear on top. I enjoyed the snack and looked ahead to lunch.

Lunch

Chicken Chimichurri Wraps (10 PPV): Mix 1/2 c fresh chopped parsley, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tsp EVOO, 1 T red wine vinegar, 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and a dash of salt. Spread 1 1/2 oz. cooked chicken and 1/4 c sliced red bell pepper on each of 2 small whole-grain tortillas. Drizzle half of parsley mixture on each and roll up.

I was really skeptical about this meal. Yes, it's a hearty 10 PPV, but it just seemed like it didn't have enough bulk - needed more veggies or something. However, DH and I both agreed that this, along with a serving of fruit, was surprisingly filling and got both of us through most of the afternoon with just a small snack. (I had some late-afternoon fruit and a 3 PPV mini ice cream cone which is my current indulgence.) It was tastier than I expected as well. An overall nice surprise.

Dinner

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce (10 PPV): Saute 1/2 c diced onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/8 tsp each of cumin, cinnamon and curry powder in 1 T oil for 1-2 mins. Add 1/2 c cauliflower florets, 1/2 c chopped carrot and 2 c vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 mins. Add 1/2 canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed and 2 T raisins and simmer for 5 more mins. Ladle stew into a bowl; mix 1/4 c plain low-fat yogurt and 1 T chopped cilantro and place a dollop on top of stew.

Here's what each of us said after our first tastes:
Me: Well, it's not awful... (now there's a ringing endorsement!)
DH: It's edible...with hot sauce.
Squiddy: "Can I please just have cantaloupe for dinner?"

I did make a few substitutions, but nothing that would have really changed the flavor.
1) I realized mid-prep that we're out of raisins. I substituted Craisins. 2) I used homemade f/f chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. 3) I did not realize until writing this that I missed sauteing the onions, etc. in oil. I accidentally omitted the oil altogether, which I now realize brings the PPV value down to a mere SIX! Okay, that could explain why I got agonizingly hungry during Squiddy's band concert tonight. I sat through the last hour mightily distracted by the fact that I had one serving of fruit left for the day and had to decide which variety I was going to make a beeline for when I got home.

Using the oil may have made the stew more flavorful, and it definitely would have made it more filling. So now I have to attribute this recipe's epic FAIL to regrettable cook's error. Maybe I'll re-try it another day...but it's doubtful. If you decide to try it, leave a comment and let us all know how it turns out.

BTW, Squiddy is just about at the end of her rope with these crazy dinners she's had to endure (a few haven't even had meat!), and I can feel DH's patience is waning too. I get the feeling that the only way there will be a Week 3 is if I go it alone...so Week 2 had better work!

"Eat Up, Slim Down:" What I learned...and Where to Go from Here

I've spent the last few days plodding around the house, agonizing about this, my final post in my "Eat Up, Slim Down" experiment. I kept asking myself, "What did I learn and where do I go from here?"

It was fairly easy to list what I learned. Not so easy to answer the second question. After all, my Saturday weigh-in proved my monthly-water-weight theory and I was back down to where I expected to be: My total weight loss for the week on this meal plan was an impressive 4.6 lbs! In addition to following the menu plan, I ran a total of 21 miles and did 3 days of 30-minute circuit training (47 WW Activity Points if you're counting).

So, the menu plan and workout routine definitely worked. They worked so well that it's tempting to do it for a second week. But first, here's what I learned:

• Semantics: I never called this a "diet." It was a "meal plan." I know that it would have been much more difficult to stick to if I thought of it as a diet. In the emotional world of food words, DIET is a four-letter word, something that is very difficult to follow and easier to abandon. A "meal plan" is just that - a plan. And a plan is a road map to success, for people who meet goals. 
• Accountability: I definitely stuck with this meal plan much more religiously than I would have if I hadn't been blogging about it. Knowing I'd have to report it here prevented a stop at the concession stand when we went to the movies as well as a few other temptations along the way. Accountability is key.
• Choices Part I: On one hand, I really liked that this plan virtually eliminated the need for me to make choices about my food. I made the commitment to follow the plan, for better or worse, so there was no agonizing about what to eat. For an entire week! It may be counter-intuitive, but that was very liberating.
• Choices Part II: On the other hand, late in the week, I was missing choices! (Sometimes, I'm such a girl.) I went grocery shopping on Friday and was a little annoyed that I couldn't make a great grilled seafood feast that night with the scallops and shrimp I bought on sale. Fortunately, it was the last day of he Experiment, so I put them in the fridge and we enjoyed the fantastic dinner the following night.
• Tastes change: I am still blown away by how much I liked the Spinach Salad with Chicken, Strawberries, Walnuts and (Gorgonzola) on Day 3. Two key elements have prevented me from trying this type of salad in the past: I don't like raw spinach, and I don't like the combination of sweet and savory tastes. Or so I thought! This salad definitely changed my mind. This is a nice reminder to keep trying new foods, and even foods that we long ago decided we don't like.
• Sometimes, preparation is key: Take the Day 2 "Grape Salad," for example. Very simple. Grapes. And almonds. These are two foods that generally go down very easily and that I have mindlessly eaten (too much of!) in the past. But slice them both and mix them together, and they magically become a more satisfying "salad" to be eaten with a fork.
• All ppvs are not created equal: The Pear/PB/English Muffin is better than a mini ice cream sandwich? Who'd have thunk it??! They're both 2 ppvs, but not only is the fruit snack more tasty, it also has more fiber and protein which makes it more sustaining.
• Bread: I really miss bread.

Okay, so where to go from here? After enjoying a great, PPV-friendly grilled seafood feast Saturday night, I was really considering repeating the plan this week. However, I just couldn't muster up the enthusiasm, and I knew I'd be pretty much on my own. DH was a good sport about this Experiment for one week. I didn't have the heart to ask him to join me for a second go.

And then, this morning, there was the answer in my Email In-Box: "The Drop a Jeans Size In 4 Weeks" Menu Plan from Fitness Magazine! I have to admit, I got a little giddy.

I don't need to drop another whole jeans size, but hey, I'll take one more week of a pre-planned, healthy, well-balanced menu that I don't have to think about. Just another 5 lbs or so, that's all I need. I can do this for another week. And it's a new menu, so I forwarded it to DH and he's IN! ... well, with the appropriate disclaimers about not following the plan when we go away this weekend to celebrate our 13th Wedding Anniversary.

So, there you have it. One more week, one last meal plan. The question is: should I blog about it? Do you care? Are you interested? Let me know.

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 7

Today's the big day! After a week of diligently following this "Eat Up, Slim Down" meal plan from "Fitness Magazine," running 3 or more miles every other day and doing 30 minutes of circuit training on the other days, did I lose any weight?

Drumroll, please..............I am officially down 2.6 lbs. You might detect that my enthusiasm isn't overwhelming. That's because on Wednesday (yes, I've been weighing myself every day), I was down 5 lbs on just the 5th day of this experiment!! I blame the difference on some unfortunately-timed monthly water retention (are you with me girls?!) and expect the scale to bounce back down in the next day or so.

SO, the Experiment was a success! I am closer to my goal weight and expect to hit it in the next couple weeks. Tomorrow will be my last "Eat Up, Slim Down" post where I will highlight what I learned from this experience.

DH, btw, is down 2 lbs. and grateful that my little experiment is over.
Breakfast

Breakfast Peach Cobbler (8 ppv using granola bar; I used 1/3 c l/f granola for 6 ppv): Chop 1 peach into 3/4" pieces; mix with 1 T whole wheat flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Microwave 2-3 mins and stir. Add 1 crunchy granola bar (around 90 calories), broken into pieces, and microwave 1 min. Top with 1/2 c low-fat Greek yogurt and 2 tsp honey.

Oh. My. Goodness. This was quite possibly the best breakfast I've ever made. Okay, well maybe I wouldn't go quite that far, but this was really freaking good! Easy, too. DH liked it too but said he was hungry an hour later. He had worked out before breakfast today, so I'm thinking that's why. I didn't run until tonight (6 miles), so I had no issues with this breakfast sustaining me through the morning.

One little trick that I think made my peach cobbler breakfast doubly yummy: I made it in a Tupperware mug, put the lid on, and took it on the road with me to eat later. So, all the warm, cozy goodness kinda melted the yogurt and honey a little. It was sort of like ice cream that had started to melt (okay, not exactly, but sort of a little bit). I will definitely add this to my regular arsenal of breakfasts - and maybe even snacks. SO yummy! You've got to try this!

Lunch

Dressed Up Turkey Wrap (5 ppv): Put 2 oz. roasted deli-sliced turkey, 1/2 oz. brie; 1/2 apple, thinly sliced; and 1/2 c arugula on an 8" whole-grain tortilla. Roll up. Serve with 1/2 apple, sliced and topped with 1 tsp peanut butter.

I was on the road for lunch too and had packed this in the morning to travel. One substitution: I was not going to buy an entire piece of brie (which none of us really eat) for just 1/2 oz. in this wrap. Instead, I spread one wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss on the tortilla. Completely yummy! I loved the apples slices in the wrap. And the apple slices with peanut butter? What a treat! You know, it never really occured to me that it's acceptible to eat LESS than a serving of something. A serving of peanut butter is 2 T (5ppv). The 1 tsp of peanut butter was the perfect amount with the sliced 1/2 apple (and much lower in ppv).

I did have a mini ice cream cone when I got home in the late afternoon, but that was mostly because I wanted one and had the ppv's. I also had a couple servings of fruit before dinner.

Dinner:

Caribbean Steak and Vegetables with Coconut Rice (11 ppv): Whisk together 3 T pineapple juice; 2 T fresh lime juice; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 2 tsp honey; 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; S&P. Pour mixture into 12" skillet over medium heat. Add 3 1/2 oz. sirloin steak, cut in strips, and saute 5 mins. Add 2 c sliced bell peppers and saute 8 mins or until internal temperature of steak reaches 145*. meanwhile, bring 1/2 c light coconut milk to a boil, add 1/4 c quick cooking brown rice, cover and turn heat to low; smmer 8 mins. Fluff rice wih a fork and serve topped with steak and vegetables.

Unfortunately, this may have been one of the least enjoyable meals of the menu plan. In all fairness, though, that may be because I substituted orange juice (which I had on-hand) for the pineapple juice (which I did not). It was too much citrus. I would probably make this again as written just to see how it turns out. The rice was interesting - it turned out sort of like risotto. It wasn't good or bad, just different...which actually was nice.

Snack:

Indoor Raspberry S'more (4ppv): Spread 1 tsp raspberry jam on 2 graham crackers (don't break the crackers apart). Top with 1 large marshmallow and 11/2 oz. square of dark chocolate. Microwave 10-15 seconds until marshmallow begins to melt.

The Indoor Raspberry S'more may be the best thing to come out of this menu plan. I mean, just look at the ingredients - you can't go wrong! I used Trader Joe's graham crackers which are an indulgence on their own. YUM-O!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's recap and "Lessons Learned." If you've enjoyed reading about this little adventure, please leave a comment. Let me know if you have or will try any of the recipes and what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 6

This is the one day's menu that combined for a ppv total (31) that exceeds my daily target (29). So, if I want to avoid dipping further into the Weekly Points Allowance, that means there are no additional food options other than up to 5 servings of fruit. On the positive side, that eliminates all choices. There can be no mental dialogue with the mini ice cream cones in the freezer (or the bread on the counter) because they are simply not an option. On the negative side... it eliminates all choices. This is a perfectly acceptable place to be for maybe a day, but after that it would take a turn for that really nasty place where everything becomes appetizing because deprivation starts to set in. This is not a place I will allow myself to be for long.

Fortunately, I'll have 7 extra ppv's to play with tomorrow.

Breakfast

Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche (8 ppv): Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk together 3 eggs and 2 egg whites; mix in 1/2 c chopped asparagus, 1/2 c chopped mushrooms and 1/4 c shredded Swiss cheese. Pour mixture into 6 muffin cups coated with nonstick spray. Bake 20-25 mins, until eggs are set. Eat 3 mini quiches with 1 slice toasted whole grain bread and an orange. (Save remaining 3 quiches for another breakfast.)

This is a great breakfast! I made the quiches last night, so it was quick assembly in the morning: peel an orange, toast the bread (toast the bread!), zap the quiches for 20 seconds in the microwave and Viola: Breakfast! It was a yummy combination, filling and quick.

This is now the third breakfast in a week that's included real bread, and it continues to be a culinary highlight. It's hard to believe that real bread can be a regular part of a healthy diet. That alone could be life-changing for me.

Lunch

Panzanella White Bean Salad (13 ppv): Toast 2 slices whole grain bread and cut into 1" cubes. Combine with 1/2 c canned white beans, rinsed and drained; 1/2 c halved grape tomatoes; 1/2 c chopped cucumber; 2 T minced basil; 2 T diced red onion; 1 T lemon juice; and 1 T olive oil. Mix all ingredients; add S&P to taste.

With each fork full, I was increasingly convinced that this is a Keeper! It was really good, and really filling and I could only hope that DH was having the same experience as he ate the same lunch at work. And then I got his text: "Bean salad good. Pleasantly surprised." Are we simpatico, or what?!

Last night, as I was making today's lunches (I prepped everything but packed the "croutons" separate from the salad so they could be combined just before eating), DH told me that he was "dreading" today's first two meals. He is not a fan of quiche and even less of a fan of bean salads. So his "I could eat this again" at breakfast, and the lunch text combine for an overwhelming endorsement of these two meals.

Did I mention the bean salad was filling? No problem getting to dinner with just some late-afternoon fruit.

Dinner

Salmon Cakes with Spicy Dressing (10 ppv): Mix together 3 oz. water packed salmon, drained; 1/4 c whole grain bread crumbs; 1 egg, beaten; 2 green onions, finely chopped; and S&P to taste. Form into 3 patties. In a medium skillet coated with 2 tsp. olive oil over medium heat, brown patties 3-4 mins each side. Combine 3 T reduced fat mayonnaise, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning and a pinch cayenne. Place 3 c mixed salad greens on a plate and top with salmon cakes; drizzle with dressing.

We're 3-for-3 today with 3 meals that were well-liked and filling. Squiddy even ate her entire salad tonight, the first time all week she's finished her dinner. The salmon cakes were tasty, generous and (gasp!) fried! What's not to love?! The "Spicy Dressing" was rather salty, thanks to the Old Bay. In the future, I might just jazz up some reduced fat Ranch with a little salsa or something. Either way, another Keeper!

Tomorrow's the 7th and final day of this little adventure, and also "Weigh In" day. Stay tuned!

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 5

Happy National Running Day!! I'm proud to say I celebrated this fantastic holiday by getting up at 5:15 a.m. to get my 8 miles in before the heat settled in upon the day. I am so NOT a morning  person, but I will get up before the sun to run. It's amazing what a positive influence an accomplishment like that can have on the entire day! Just sayin'... (That was me, not mounting my soapbox.)

Breakfast

Lemon-Raspberry Fruit Salad (5 ppv): Combine 1/4 c part-skim ricotta and 1 tsp. raspberry jam. Mix together 1 c fresh raspberries, 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest and 2 tsp. honey. Top ricotta mixture with raspberry mixture and sprinkle with 2 T toasted sliced almonds.

I was out of raspberries, so I substituted strawberries and strawberry jam. Other than that, and ignoring the lemon zest because I think it's generally overrated, I followed the recipe. The result got mixed reviews. It's a texture thing. DH said he'd be "all over this" if it were yogurt instead of ricotta. I initially felt the same way, but the ricotta kinda grew on me with each spoonful. The almonds on top: perfect (although I didn't have time to toast them).

This was surprisingly filling and did a decent job of sustaining me through the morning, though I would have preferred something more substantial after my run.

Lunch

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna (11 ppv): Cook 1 1/2 oz. whole grain angel hair pasta. Combine 3 oz. water packed tuna, drained, with 1/2 c halved grape tomatoes; 1/2 c canned artichokes, drained and quartered; 3 T sliced pitted black olives; 1 T lemon juice; and 2 tsp. olive oil with pasta. Add S&P.

Although the dish was fine and it was a nice mix of flavors, it was not nearly as filling as I expected. I was still hungry after eating it and had 3 remaining ppv's on my day. I had planned to save them for a mini ice cream cone after dinner, but decided to have it after lunch instead. I also ate two servings of cantaloupe which were daily fruit servings #4 and #5 (my limit). And still, I was really hungry an hour later. DH said he was hungry too, but unlike me, he wasn't ready to gnaw off his arm. I wondered if the combination of my long morning run and perhaps inadequate breakfast resulted in how I was feeling after lunch.

 Although all of my daily ppv's were accounted for, by mid-afternoon, I was rapidly approaching that place where I was going to eat anything I could get my hands on. I decided to dip into my Weekly Points Allowance a bit with a 1 ppv string cheese (yes, they're out there!) and a 4 ppv Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Fruit & Nut bar (almond, raisin, peanut & cranberry). I also revisited the English muffin/Better 'n' PB and pear from Day 2. That brought my lunch and afternoon snacks to 18 ppv's which got me through to dinner, but barely. That's not good math.

Dinner

Double Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry (10 ppv): Cut 3 oz. skinless chicken breast into thin strips. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a lg. skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; 2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tsp. honey; 1 garlic clove, minced; and 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger and saute 6 mins. Add 2 c fresh vegetable stir fry mix and 1/2 c cooked brown rice; saute 10 mins. Top with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 tsp. dark sesame oil.

This was a very yummy stir-fry that I will definitely make again. The sauce was one of the best I've ever made and was almost restaurant-quality. Ironic then, that half-way through dinner I realized that I had completely forgotten the last step: the sesame seeds and the sesame oil! So, our dinner was only 9 ppv's and it was delicious and sustained us through the evening.

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 4

I hope this breakfast will sustain DH better than last night's dinner. He woke up at 4:30 this morning with a vast, grumbling hunger.

Breakfast

Tex-Mex Tofu Scramble (7ppv): Mash 3 oz drained firm tofu with a fork. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute tofu and 1/8 tsp. turmeric 3 mins. Add 1/4 c salsa and 1/4 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained; saute 5 mins. Top with 2 T chopped cilantro and serve with 1/2 grapefruit and 1 slice toasted whole grain bread topped with 1 tsp. butter.

Tofu! Who knew?!! Okay, you might be thinking, "Tofu? There's no way!" And I was right there with you a few days ago. Until this morning, I had never had tofu in my life. It was just ... a little too vegan for me. I was happy with some chicken, some beef, some pork, some fish or crustaceans. There was no need in my life for tofu. And besides, I thought, how good could it actually be?

DH was the first to try this morning's breakfast. I didn't tell him his "egg scramble" was actually tofu until after he took his first bite and said, "Hey! This is pretty good!" I actually clapped and squealed, "Yay! It's TOFU!!" It tasted like really light, fluffy eggs. I did add some hot sauce because, even when it's tofu, eggs require hot sauce.

And once again, the toast! I again went with the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light instead of real butter. But I saved my toast for last and savored every crunchy bite. Ah, bread. Interestingly, the remaining loaf has been much quieter in the last couple days...


Lunch

Greek Pita Pockets with Tzatziki Sauce (10ppv): Combine 1/2 c canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1/4 c chopped cucumber, 1/4 c chopped red bell pepper; and 1/4 c chopped black olives. Whisk together 1/4 c low-fat Greek yogurt, 1/4 c shredded cucumber, 1/4 tsp. dill and S&P. Cut a whole-grain pita in half and fill both halves with bean mixture; top with yogurt sauce.

I packed my lunch for a picnic in the park with some old friends and assembled it when I got there. That's when I discovered that the pita I thought I had bought was actually just flatbread with no pocket. So, I had to improvise it into a sandwich, which worked fine. This sandwich, and the remaining generous amount that did not fit between the two halves of flatbread, was quite good. I will definitely make this again. It was filling and, along with an apple, kept me satisfied enough to get to dinner with only a late-afternoon orange.

Dinner

Peanut Noodle Bowl with Edamame (12ppv): Cook 1 1/2 oz. whole grain angel hair pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, to a medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 T chunky pb, 1 T water, 1 T lime juice, 2 tsp. brown sugar and a pinch of salt; heat 1 minute, stirring until smooth. Add 1 1/2 c packaged shredded rainbow slaw and 1/2 c frozen edamame; thawed and shelled; cook, stirring, 4 mins. Mix in pasta and cook 4 mins more.

Okay, I know I said on Day 1 that I was going to trust this plan...and then, as the meals wore on, I started to substitute things...basically because I wasn't trusting the plan. I substituted the "Better 'n' Peanut Butter" for the almond butter in the "Pear/almond butter/English muffin" snack on Day 2 because I didn't want to use that many ppv's on a snack... and I didn't trust myself to not eat the entire rest of the jar.

Tonight, I had planned to used "Better 'n' Peanut Butter" instead of the real, full-fat chunky peanut butter for the Peanut Noodle Bowl. And then last night it hit me - I wasn't trusting the plan. Fat, in moderation, is a necessary element in any healthy diet. AND, since we were having some issues with hunger (DH trolling the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning), I decided to trust the plan...and trust the fat (which is not at all like Ross drinking the fat, for all you "Friends" fans out there).

So, back to Harris Teeter today for a jar of regular, full-fat, crunchy peanut butter which increased the ppv's from 8 to 12! But guess what? At the end of this very tasty meal, it occurred to me that I actually felt full. Not just satisfied, but full. Now, any Weight Watchers member will tell you that full is one step too far. A meal should satisfy, but one should stop eating before the point of fullness. I wasn't uncomfortably stuffed, but I could have definitely left the last few fork fulls of Peanut Noodle Bowl on my plate without feeling hungry. But here's the thing...it tasted too good...and it was just a couple fork fulls, and I had already counted the ppv's, so what's the harm, right?

While DH enjoyed the Peanut Noodle Bowl, he would have definitely preferred it with some chicken in it. Squiddy basically choked down about 1/3 of the very generous portion, the whole time trying to reconcile how this could possibly be dinner if it contained no meat. She said next time, I should add chicken and replace the whole peanut butter experience with cheese. (This kid likes her cheese!)

For me, this dish is definitely a keeper...with full-fat peanut butter!

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 3

Breakfast

Waffles with Blueberry Syrup and Turkey Sausage (9 ppv): In a blender, combine 1/2 c frozen unsweetened blueberries, thawed, and 1 T maple syrup; puree until smooth. Heat 1 turkey sausage link in the microwave. Toast 2 frozen whole-grain waffles and top with syrup mixture. Serve with sausage.

Honestly, I would have preferred to put the 1 T of maple syrup on my waffles and just eat 1/2 c blueberries on the side. The "blueberry syrup?" Not so good. I also would have liked about 3 more sausage links. This was not the most satiating breakfast. DH agreed that he needed more for breakfast and started making rumblings about "when this will all be over." I have to admit, I was right there with him.

This breakfast was a real test of my commitment to this eating plan because after I ate it  at 6 a.m., I was off to run a 4-mile race. I ate a banana on the way and really missed my usual race-day breakfast of oatmeal with brown sugar and a handful of fresh blueberries mixed in. (That, my friends, is like eating a warm blueberry muffin.)

Yes, it was 80* at race-time, so I'm not sure if it was my breakfast or the heat that had me lagging around mile 3...and then there was that killer 1/2 mile hill approaching the finish line. I ended with an okay (for me) pace of 9:20, but I was ravenous. I ate an apple on the way home and wondered how I was going to stay on plan from 9:30 to noon (lunch).

Snack:

Blueberry-Pineapple Protein Shake (2 ppv): Combine 1 c low-fat milk, 1/4 c frozen blueberries and 1/4 c frozen pineapple in a blender; puree until smooth.

Although I didn't really want to blow the day's snack so early, I had to have something. So, I broke out the blender and was really excited about the smoothie. And then I took a sip. It was beyond awful. It was basically like flavorless whipped skim milk. (Again, I used skim milk because...that's what we buy.) I have nothing against whipped skim milk if it's going in a latte. But when the milk-to-fruit ratio is 2:1, and there's no sweetener or anything else...Uh, no.

After three attempts, I just couldn't choke it down. I had a cup of pineapple instead and then revisited the Pear and PB English Muffin from Day 1.

Lunch:

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Strawberries, Walnuts and Goat Cheese: Combine 3c baby spinach, 2 oz chopped grilled chicken, 1/2 c sliced strawberries, 1/2 oz crumbled goat cheese, 2 T chopped walnuts, 2 tsp. olive oil and 1 T balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients; add S&P.

Wow! I'm completely blown away by how GOOD this salad was! This is the one meal I've been dreading. I don't like raw spinach, and I don't like mixing sweet (strawberry) with savory (balsamic vinaigrette). But this salad definitely changed my mind! One of the keys is that the dressing, a simple mix of EVOO and balsamic, is perfectly generous and flavorful. It really helped mellow both the spinach taste and the sweetness of the strawberries. And every time I got a little piece of walnut or cheese (I used Gorgonzola instead of goat because I had it on-hand), it was another little flavor explosion in my mouth.

DH, who generally likes all the elements of this salad, agrees that this is a keeper. I will definitely make this salad again...Imagine that!...but with more chicken (protein) next time

Unfortunately, about an hour after lunch, I felt like I hadn't eaten. I was really hungry. We went to a movie, bypassing the concession stand. However, we stopped at Harris Teeter on the way home and I fell victim to the cheese and bread samples. THIS is the danger of a low-calorie diet: too hungry to make good choices when options are minimal. Oh, well...I muddled my way through, using 4 of my Weight Watchers Weekly Points Allowance.

Dinner:

Blue Burger with Zucchini Parmesan Wedges: Mix together 4 oz. lean ground beef and 2 T blue cheese; form into patty. Cook on grill or grill pan 4 mins. on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 160*. Serve on a toasted whole-grain sandwich thin with 2 romaine lettuce leaves. Preheat broiler. Cut 1 zucchini in half widthwise and cut each half into 4 wedges. Sprinkle with 4 T Parmesan and broil on a baking sheet 8 mins, until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender-crisp.

I've discovered that blue cheese, crumbled and mixed into the meat, makes a more flavorful burger than, say, sliced cheddar on top. The burgers were good - though I topped mine with tomato and onion as well as lettuce. And this is a nice, new way to make zucchini. DH and I liked it, although Squiddy requested cheddar on the zucchini next time.

I was satisfied with dinner, though I could have definitely eaten more vegetables.

All in all, the menu started off kinda rocky but definitely improved as the day went on.

"Eat Up, Slim Down" Experiment: Day 2

Breakfast

Baked Eggs with Herbs (8ppv):  Preheat oven to 350*. Coat a 6-oz. ramekin with nonstick cooking spray. Crack 2 eggs into prepared ramekin and top with 2 T low-fat milk, 1 T chopped fresh chives, 1 T chopped fresh basil and S&P. Bake about 15 mins until eggs are set. Serve with melon and 1 slice toasted whole grain bread topped with 1 tsp. butter.

Okay, I have to admit: I cheated. I used strawberries and cherries instead of melon because that's what I had. And I cut out some fat. (I'm now wondering if I've been cutting out too much fat overall.) I used skim instead of low-fat milk because that's what we buy. And instead of actual butter on my real toast, I used "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter - Light." Because...that's what we buy. REAL butter on REAL toast? That's so indulgent that I think I would pass out from the joy of it.

But let me tell you...the toast! Oh, the toast! How nice to have real, THREE ppv per slice toast, with actual grains and seeds and texture, rather than the 1 or 2 ppv bland, smooth, light, airy, cardboard bread or toast that I normally buy. Bread with personality, that's what I like!

The eggs were a little disappointing. I was going for a poached-yolk kind of a center. After baking 15 mins, the eggs were decidedly NOT done at all. I baked them 10 mins more and ended up with essentially two hot hard cooked eggs. Not the most appealing way to eat eggs, but whatever. The herbs added a nice flavor, as did the obligatory hot sauce (eggs require hot sauce).

Again, 8 ppv is more than I would use for a regular, everyday breakfast. It left me satisfied, but I have to admit...the rest of the bread loaf is starting to talk to me from the kitchen counter. You know what it's whispering. "C'mon, just another slice...and this time with real butter. You know you want to..."

This is exactly why I generally do not have real bread in the house. Cardboard bread doesn't talk to me. Real bread does. And it's just not a conversation I care to have anymore.


Lunch

Rosemary and Zucchini Flatbread with Grape Salad (8 ppv): Preheat oven to 350*. Warm 1 whole-grain flatbread on a baking sheet 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 1/2 c thinly sliced zucchini and 1/4 c grated part-skim mozzarella and 1 tsp dried rosemary. Bake 7 minutes more, until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, mix 1 c halved grapes with 2 T sliced almonds. Serve flatbread warm or at room temperature with grape salad.

Okay. Zucchini on pita, sprinkled with a little part-skim mozzarella? You gotta give me more than that! I added some thinly sliced tomatoes to convince myself it was a pizza and went with light sprinkles of oregano, garlic powder and a touch of salt instead of rosemary. And of course, no pizza-like food would be complete without a dash of crushed red pepper.

With my changes, this ended up being pretty good. I would definitely make this again for a quick, regular, every day lunch. The key is toasting the flatbread in the oven before adding the toppings which made it (the "crust") nice and crisp.

I was rather skeptical that adding sliced almonds to some grapes would magically turn it into a "salad." However, slicing the grapes and adding the almonds makes it juicy and messy enough that I had to eat it with a fork. Viola! It's a salad! And a yummy one, too. I will definitely do that again.

For taste, DH rated this vegetarian meal the 2nd best overall so far, with yesterday's Po'Boy lunch in the lead. THIS is a ringing endorsement from a staunch carnivore who has in the past requested that every meal have some sort of animal protein.

Dinner

Pork Chop with Cheddar Potatoes and Broccoli (10ppv): Preheat oven to 350*. Cut 1 small potato into 1" cubes and coat with 1 tsp. olive oil. Mist baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and top with 3 oz. boneless pork chop, 2 c broccoli florets and potato cubes. Add S&P and bake 30 mins or until internal temperature of pork chop reaches 160*. Spread 1 T barbecue sauce on cooked pork chop and top potatoes and broccoli with 3 T grated low fat cheddar. Return to oven and heat 3 to 5 mins, until cheese is melted.

Another okay meal. It's funny. I make roasted vegetables all the time and I have always drizzled them with a tsp or two of olive oil. Not tonight, though, since it wasn't in the recipe. And you know what? DH and I both liked the broccoli better this way! Somehow, it got "crispier," which is a nice discovery.

The potatoes were really good, too. Must have been the generous 1 tsp olive oil they were coated in!

The pork chop was, well, a pork chop with barbecue sauce on it. Not much to write home about, but that's okay.

All in all, it was a day of reasonably tasty food. However, DH and I were both famished in the late afternoon. We filled up on a couple servings of fruit, saving our remaining 3 ppv for a  Nestle Drumsticks "L'il Drum" (think mini "Nutty Buddy" ice cream cone).

Best of all, I have managed to not engage in the conversation the remaining loaf of real bread has been trying to have with me since breakfast. That in itself is an accomplishment.

Eat Up, Slim Down Experiment: Day 1

There are a mere 10 pounds standing between my goal weight and today's number on the scale. It's been a couple months since I've seen a significant change in the daily number, so my frustration level is pretty high. Despite alternating running every other day and circuit training in between, as well as a fairly diligent following of the Weight Watchers Program (by which I've lost 138 lbs over the last 3 years), I just haven't been able to get those last 10 lbs to budge.

So, reading through my latest Fitness Magazine (pause here while I beam with pride that I now SUBSCRIBE to Fitness Magazine!), I stumbled across an "Eat Up, Slim Down" 7-day menu plan. Now, although I've lost (and gained!) A LOT of weight over my adult years, I don't normally follow anyone else's eating plan. I'm a bit of a foodie and enjoy the process of tweaking recipes to fit my nutritional specs. Deferring to someone else's ideas of A) what I'll like and B) what I'll enjoy making is just something that's never appealed to me. I can always find several reasons why a particular pre-planned menu wouldn't work: too many ingredients I wouldn't use again...not enough calories to sustain me through the day...too many calories...too much effort...and on and on.

Then, in Fitness Magazine the other night, I saw "Eat Up, Slim Down!" Choose from the meals and snacks on these pages for a total of 1,500 calories a day. Combine the diet with our workout on p. 108 and you'll shed 10 lbs in one month!" In a moment of optimistic trust, I thought, "Hey! That just might be the change I need to move the number on the scale."

I'm very happy with my exercise routine, so the workout on p. 108 really didn't interest me. I am the proud owner of arms that are starting to rival our First Lady's (I LOVE "Obama Arms!"), and running has become a passion. So, I decided that for one week, I would follow this food plan while continuing with my normal running/circuit training routine, and see what happens.

Yes, there were things on the menu that I wouldn't normally eat, but I decided to trust...maybe my tastes have changed since I decided as a child that I HATE raw spinach - almost as much as I LOVE cooked spinach! Even if I still have to choke it down, it's one salad. At age 43, I've survived worse. But, there are strawberries on that particular salad, and I really don't like the mix of sweet and savory flavors. Okay, I'll be honest. I'm kind of dreading the Spinach Salad with Chicken, Walnuts and Strawberries. But, it's one meal. I've got a kid. I've survived worst.

Here we go!

I spent a good hour yesterday plugging all of the meals into Weight Watcher's magic calculator. I was basically curious to see how this menu, complete with real bread, actual eggs and yogurt that was only low fat (not fat free) would shake out in the Weight Watchers world of Points Plus values (ppv). Except for one day which was only over by 2 ppv, each day was under my daily Points Plus target by anywhere from 1 to 5 ppv. That means there will also be room for at least one snack per day from the menu plan. There are 6 snack choices ranging from 1 to 4 Points Plus values. I also plan to supplement the menu with up to 5 servings of fresh fruit per day (allowable and "free" on the Weight Watchers plan), depending on my hunger level. If an item on the plan includes fruit, I will count that against my daily 5.

The Points Plus values of the meals are significantly higher than I would normally eat. In theory, that will decrease the need for snacks and fruit-grazing. I am very eager to see if that actually happens.

Today is Day 1 of the menu and I managed to enlist my DH to participate as well. He's lost 73 lbs in the last year or so and is also willing to try new things to continue seeing lower numbers on the scale.

Breakfast
Banana Nut Protein Pancakes (5ppv): In a food processor, combine 1 banana, 1/4 c rolled oats, 2 T low fat cottage cheese (I used f/f because it's what I had), 2 egg whites and 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract. Process until smooth. Stir in 2 tsp. chopped walnuts. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with nonstick spray. Pour batter into skillet to make two 4" pancakes; cook 3 minutes on each side. Drizzle with 2 tsp. maple syrup.

Well, a funny thing happened. I tripled the recipe for DH, Squiddy and me and ended up with twelve 4" pancakes, so we each got four pancakes. And yes, I double-checked my math when tripling each ingredient.

While these were certainly not IHOP-worthy pancakes, they were okay. Their texture was very different from regular pancakes, but that might be the use of oats, cottage cheese and egg whites! Uh, yeah. They were more dense than regular pancakes, but the egg whites gave them an unusual lightness in the center. And I must say, it felt incredibly indulgent to use real maple syrup rather than 1/8 c "lite" syrup, which is what I would normally use. And because of the flavor intensity, 2 tsp. was plenty.

Best of all, because these pancakes have lots of protein and fiber, we weren't hungry until lunch. I ran an easy 3.2 miles after breakfast and didn't even need my usual post-run apple.

Would I make them again? Um, probably not as my regular go-to pancake, but if I were jonesing for banana pancakes and needed a protein boost, yeah.

Lunch
Thai Shrimp Po'Boy (10ppv): Coat 2 oz. cooked shrimp, tails removed and sliced lengthwise, with 2 tsp. prepared Thai chili-garlic sauce. Slice a whole grain hero (hoagie!) roll lengthwise and fill with shrimp, 3 T chopped avocado, 1/4 sliced cucumber and 1/4 c shredded carrots. Top with 2 T chopped cilantro and 1 T fresh lime juice.

I discovered at the last minute that I was out of Thai chili-garlic sauce, so I improvised by mixing together appropriate (tiny) amounts of cocktail sauce, oyster sauce and some vidalia onion hot sauce. I also sort of mashed the avocado to spread on the hoagie roll. But the best part was the...hoagie roll! I got a whole wheat baguette from Harris Teeter and cut it in half to make one Po'Boy each for DH and me. Squiddy went another way for this meal.

The Po'Boy was good, but the real, chewy, dense roll it was on was the star of the sandwich. Do I sound like someone who has missed real bread? That's because I have. Left to my own devices, I would not normally use 10 ppv for just a regular, every day lunch. But I will say, the Po'Boy and 1 c grapes I ate with it left me surprisingly satisfied.

Dinner
Snapper with Black Bean and Mango Couscous (11 ppv): Heat a 10" skillet over medium heat. Coat with 2 tsp. olive oil. Saute one 4 oz. snapper fillet 8 minutes. Steam 1 1/2 c sugar snap peas 5 minutes. Season fish and snap peas with S&P. In a pot, bring 1/2 c water to a boil and add 1/2 c whole wheat couscous. Turn off heat and cover. Let sit 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in 1/4 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained; 1/4 mango, cubed; and 2 T cilantro. Serve with snapper and snap peas.

Harris Teeter didn't have any snapper when I went yesterday, so I got mahi mahi instead. Personally, I would have preferred salmon, by far my favorite fish. But this is all about (or, a lot about) stepping out of my food comfort zone and shaking things up. I had made Trader Joe's mahi mahi burgers on the grill last week, and all three of us liked them, so I decided to go with that fish choice instead.

Our general verdict on this dinner was that it was too bland. Squiddy reluctantly ate the fish and some of the couscous and snap peas. DH and I dipped into a few of our couple-dozen varieties of hot sauces that line the fridge door three-bottles-deep. In truth, the meal was okay. It really was better than what one would think of as "diet food," but it certainly was not something I would have made for, say, a dinner party.

DH and I agree, though, that the three meals we had today left us surprisingly satisfied. There's a lot of fiber and protein, and the food is very filling. Once again, 11 ppv for a regular, every day dinner is a couple ppv's more than I would normally allow. But normally, I would also be eating more snacks throughout the day. DH and I had both had some fruit this afternoon instead of a snack from the meal plan. I offered today's snack as a dessert and DH decided he'd rather wait a few hours.

So, under the basic task that food is supposed to accomplish, satiate one's hunger, this plan is definitely doing its job.

Snacks:
Mid-afternoon - apple (0ppv), orange (0ppv)
Weight Watchers mini ice cream sandwich (2ppv)

Evening - Pear and PB English Muffin (2ppv): Top 1/2 toasted whole grain English muffin with 2 tsp. almond butter and slices of 1/4 pear. Sprinkle with a pinch of ground cinnamon

Okay, I have to confess: I just could not bring myself to buy the almond butter. It's 3 ppv/Tbs. But the real truth is that I honestly do not trust myself to have it in the house when all I needed was 2 tsp for this snack.


Instead, I went with Better 'n' Peanut Butter, chocolate version, which I highly recommend, especially if you have a "thing" for peanut butter (and chocolate)! (BnPB is 2 ppv for 2 Tbs, 1 ppv for 1 Tbs and 0 ppv for 1 tsp.) Yes, I know - I was going to trust the menu...but my trust for the menu is NOT greater than my mistrust for myself, alone in a pantry with an entire jar of almond butter. It would not be pretty...


DH, Squiddy and I all agree: this snack was really good but would be better with an apple than a pear. With that substitution, THIS is a keeper. And honestly, it was a "better spent" 2 ppvs than the mini ice cream sandwich I had this afternoon. It was more filling, honestly more tasty and generally more satisfying. That is not something I would have ever noticed or believed, had I not been doing this experiment and so focused on the details of the food and its functionality.