"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!