What I Ate today - September 11, 2013 - Trina

Breakfast
       8 oz Hot Lemon Water with 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
       8 oz Dr. Berg's Cranberry Drink
       24 oz Tropical Sensation Smoothie (The Conscious Cleanse p. 225)
       14 Almonds

Lunch
       7 oz Salad (Baby Spring Mix, Carrots, Cucumbers, Purple Cabbage, Red Onions) with
       1/2 Chopped Apple
       2 Tbsp Raisins
       1 cup Mixed Beans (Chickpeas, Red and Black Beans)
       Homemade Avocado, Lemon & Ginger Dressing

I enjoyed everything about this salad except the beans so

I will try having a salad and then some homemade bean soup for my next lunch.

      1 cup Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Dinner
       Stewed Chicken with vegetables (onions, celery, carrots and red cabbage)
       (2 drumsticks without skin)
       Rice
       French style green beans

Dessert
      Homemade oatmeal cookies

MY PLAN - SEPTEMBER 9 - Trina

My Menu 

  September 9-18, 2013

Drinks:

Water
Lemon Water
Warm Lemon Water with 1 Tbsp. Ground Flaxseed
Cranberry Water
Herb Tea
Dr. Berg's Cranberry Drink

Smoothies:

   - My Broccoli,Pineapple, Apple & Banana Smoothie
   - My Spring Mix, Cantaloupe, Pineapple Smoothie
   - The Conscious Cleanse Apple Salad Smoothie p. 220 
   - The Conscious Cleanse Morning Glory Smoothie p. 223
   -   "        "              "          Blueberry Blast Smoothie p. 220
   -   "        "              "          Tropical Sensation Smoothie p. 225

Fruits:

Apples, Pears, Bananas, Blueberries, Raspberries, Plums,Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Lemons and Limes

Salads:

   - Oh She Glows Go-to Kale Salad
   - Oh She Glows Thai-Inspired Hydrating Cucumber Salad with Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
   - Oh She Glows Fall Detox Salad

Cooked Vegetables & Legumes:

   - Collard Greens, Broccoli, Green Beans, Red Beans, Black Beans, Blackeye Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils (Brown)

Meat

   - Fish, Chicken & Turkey

Other:

   - Vegetable Fried Rice
   - Black Beans & Rice
   - Black Bean Soup
   - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Exercise

   *Walk 60 minutes (3 times a week)

   *Zumba Class (60 minutes 1- 2 times a week)

   *Strength Training 10 minutes (2 times a week)

What I Ate Yesterday - Patti

This is what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast:
Coffee - no cream or sugar
Omelet made with 1 egg, 1 cup sliced zucchini and 1/2 cup chopped onions and peppers. Cooked in olive oil and topped with 2 Tablespoons grated cheese.
1 slice sprouted Ezekiel bread with a little butter.
Green drink.

Mid morning snack:
1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk blended with 1 banana and 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed.

Lunch:
Salad made with 4 cups romaine, 1 cup cucumbers, grated carrots and beets and 1 cup kidney beans. Topped with 2 Tablespoons of 1 point dressing. (Braswell's Summer Tomato and Vadialia Onion)
Green drink.
Grapes
Cherries

Snack:
By 3:30 I was hungry so I ate 4 saltine crackers with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter and I finished off the green drink.


Dinner: 
1 cup whole wheat spaghetti noodles with marinara sauce.
Green beans
Small salad
1 piece of garlic bread with mozzarella cheese.

Snack:
After our evening walk I had a small vanilla cone from Dairy Queen.



I pretty much stayed within my eating plan.

Today (Thursday) is my official weigh in day. Since last Thursday I've lost 2.2 pounds. Yippee!!!

Eat Well and Enjoy the Day!!!

Patti

Patti's Plan to Get and Stay Healthy - What I Eat

Since embarking on this get healthy and stay healthy journey I've read dozens of diet and exercise books, countless blogs and viewed more Youtube videos than I can count. 

The one thing I've learned is that everyone has their own idea of what works in the weight loss arena. 

After muddling through all the information and misinformation available this is what I've come up with as a good eating plan for me. (It's working so far. I've been following this basic plan for about 3 weeks and I've lost about 3 pounds.)

Disclaimer- I came up with the eating plan for me and my personal use. I'm not a doctor or nutritionist. I think it's a good plan but I'm not sure that it meets all the requirements. Don't blindly follow any plan. Do research and decide what works best for you.

While firming up my plan there were a few things I incorporated:

• Uncomplicated. I don't mind counting points (Weight Watcher's Points Plus) because I'm used to that but I don't want to spend a great deal of time looking up food for calories and nutrients. 
• Use readily available foods. I'd like to use local grown, organic foods but it isn't always available or cost effective. 
• Provide the vitamins and nutrients I need to maintain strong healthy bones.
• Include all food groups and not exclude any one completely. 
• Include foods I like to eat. This includes an occasional ice cream sundae or chicken pot pie. 
• Allow me to eat the same foods I feed my family. 

My way of eating is a combination of information from several sources including: 

• Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
• The 7 Principles of Fat Burning by Eric Berg
• The Whole Food Guide to Strong Bones by Annemarie Colbin
• Weight Watchers (although I'm no longer a member of WW I do think it's a pretty good program and I still count points most days and follow some but not all of the WW guidelines)

My Plan- include each day:

Cranberry water - 3 times per day 

• I've found several variations of this recipe but I like the one from "The 7 Principles of Fat Burning" by Eric Berg. Go HERE to see a video about this drink. 

Protein - 2 servings-examples of a serving:

• 1 egg
• 3-4 ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish
• 1-2 cups legumes

Whole Grains and Starches - 2 servings - for example

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup whole wheat pasta
• 1 cup cooked quinoa 
• 1 slice of Ezekiel bread
• 1 Shredded Wheat Biscuit (the big kind)
• 1 Medium baked potato or sweet potato 
• or a combination to equal 2 servings - 1/2 oatmeal for breakfast + 1/2 brown rice for dinner = 1 serving

Fruit - at least 3 - 4 servings a day 

• Limit banana to one per day
• Small amounts of dried fruit such as dates or raisins may be used as a sweetener in oatmeal or in salad dressing. 
• Kale and Pineapple drink (recipe below) counts as 1 fruit and 2 veggie servings
• Can use a small amount (no more than 1 cup per day) of unsweetened fruit juice in salad dressing or smoothies

Vegetables - unlimited (I avoid corn) but at least two veggies for every fruit I eat

• Eat at least two veggies for every one fruit consumed. 
• Eat at least 4 cups of raw greens per day (counts as 2 servings)
• Drink Kale and Pineapple drink(recipe below) 3 times per day (counts as 2 veggie and 1 fruit)

Legumes 

• Use 1/2 - 1 cup of beans on my salad (in addition to the beans consumed as a protein serving)

Nuts and Seeds -about 1 ounce

• Should be raw
• Sunflower seeds and almonds are my favorite

Healthy Oil - 1 - 2 Tablespoons per day used in cooking or salad dressing

• Coconut oil (yummy on sweet potatoes)
• Olive Oil 
• Sesame Oil 

Dairy - limited to very small amounts - for example

• 1or 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1/4 cup milk on cereal (not everyday)
• A little bit of butter (1- 2 teaspoon)
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream 
• Plain yogurt
• Low fat cottage cheese 

Calcium source will be mainly from food other than dairy.** For example:

• Unsweetened Almond milk 
• Green veggies such as broccoli, kale and spinach
• Whole grains 

**The book listed above by AnneMarie Colbin is an excellent source.

So that's my plan. 

I may not follow it to the letter everyday but I'm trying and something is better than nothing!  

Eat well and enjoy your day!

Patti

*Kale and Pineapple Drink 

(adapted from various sources)

Makes about 3 one cup servings
4 cups kale
1 cup pineapple - if canned use the no sugar added type
1 cup 100% pineapple juice-no sugar (can use water instead of juice)

Place all ingredients in a blender and liquefy or grind.
Drink will be very thick. Can be thinned with additional liquid if desired. 
Store in the fridge in a glass jar. 
Divide and drink with breakfast and lunch and before dinner.
Consuming the whole recipe is equal to 1 serving of fruit and two servings of veggies. 

How My First Week of Meal Planning Went

This is a recap of how things went with my meal planning for the week.

Instead of duplicating the info on this post you can check out the original post and see what worked and what I changed.

It took a while to put the menu together, to make the grocery list and shop but it was worth the time. Knowing what I was having for breakfast and lunch and what our family dinner was going to be each night really took the stress off of me. The menu was posted on the fridge and the recipe or directions were on the counter. If I wasn't home whoever was there could easily put the meal together.

Not only did it save time but I ate better and I saved money. No last minute runs to the grocery store or worse stops at a fast food place.

BTW I lost 3.2 pounds this week so I'm saying planning my meals was a good thing!

Patti

My Menu Plan For the Week

Updated with a few changes that I made during the week. 

normally do make a menu plan of sorts. The day before or sometimes that morning I decide what's for dinner. I wanted to try something different so this week I sat down and made a menu for the entire week. I tried to include all meals and snacks.

We'll see how the week goes. I'm hoping it will help me to stay on a better eating plan and make my days go smoother. Making a plan should save time (and money) in the long run.

For breakfast I usually alternate oatmeal one day and eggs the next. For lunches I made a list of a few things with various points. I did the same with snacks.

Based on how many points dinner is I'll decide what to eat for lunch and snacks that day. An 11 point dinner will mean I should eat a lower points lunch and snack...

I made a grocery list and I did my shopping Friday morning so hopefully I have everything I need to make it through the week. I may have to go to the store for a few fresh veggies and fruit.

Today I made a big pot of Vegetable Soup...I'm going to freeze some in individual servings to use for lunches.

I'll try and post about some of the recipes during the week.

This is my meal plan for the week of: 

Friday, March 8 - Thursday, March 14

Breakfast:

I alternate each day between eating an egg or oatmeal

Oatmeal and fruit

3 Points

½ cup cooked oatmeal with 1 tsp brown sugar

Cooked with 1 chopped apple or 1-cup blueberries or cherries

Frittata (a good way to get a serving of veggies)

4 points (add extra points if eating toast)

1-cup broccoli or cauliflower chopped – 0 point

Little bit of chopped onion and green or red pepper – 0 point

1 Tablespoon shredded cheese – 1 point

1 whole egg – 2 points

1 tsp olive oil – 1 point

Cook the veggies in the microwave to soften. Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the veggies, scramble the egg and pour over the veggies. Cook to set and add the cheese on top.

Snacks – I try to incorporate dairy

Added 100 calorie bags of cookies which I think are 3 points.
I also ate a Klondike ice cream bar which was 7 points. Yes it was worth it!!!

Smoothie

2 points

1-cup coconut milk 2 pts

1-cup fruit such as frozen cherries or blueberries- 0 pts

1 ripe banana

Yogurt and fruit

2 points

Yoplait Greek 100 calories w/fruit – 2 points

Add additional fruit – 0 points

Vegetables and Dip

2 points

Raw veggies – 0 points

Dip – 4 tablespoons light sour cream, dried onion, garlic, dried dill and parsley. – 2 pts

Carrots, Pepper and Celery w/ Hummus

3 points

Veggies – 0 points

Hummus – made with garbanzo beans, garlic, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers – ¼ cup = 3 points (depending on the amount of olive oil)

Lunch (I'll decide on what I’m having for lunch that day or the night before.)

Sunday we went to Captain D's which could be a disaster but I tried to handle it the best I could. 

Instead of my normal 2 piece fish dinner with fries, hush puppies, coleslaw and sweet tea which is around 35 points!

I ate:

2 pieces of batter fried fish 10 points

1 hush puppy 5 points

2 orders of green beans 2 points

Water to drink

Total 17 points

Still a lot but making a few changes improved the outcome! 

Salad with beans and fruit

3 or 4 points – depending on the type of beans

Any combination of salad greens

1 cup Strawberries or grapes

½ cup canned beans, rinsed and drained (Kidney, garbanzo beans=3pts / Black beans = 2pts)

2 Tablespoons of 1 point dressing (Sesame Ginger or Strawberry Balsamic)

Sandwich

7 points

4 ounces turkey – 4 pts

Round bread or wrap – 3 pts

Dijon mustard – 0 pts

Lettuce and tomato – 0 points

Carrot and celery sticks

 

Soups

0 – 4 points + crackers 1 point

Add 5 saltine crackers – 1 point

Garden Vegetable Soup – 0 points

Split Pea Soup – 1 cup – 4 points

Something different

4 points

*Broccoli with Spicy Honey Sauce – 2 cups = 4 points

Added to lunch:

1/2 cup Tuna salad made with mayo and sweet relish = 4 pts.

 Dinner

* Recipes from the Weight Watchers cookbook “Fresh, Fabulous, Fast”

Friday

7 points

Salmon Patty 5 ounces, green beans, salad with 1 pt dressing

(I used the recipe builder to figure the points for my patties)

Saturday

11 points

*Pecan-Crusted Chicken – 8pts

½ cup brown rice – cooked in veggie broth, with chopped onions, red peppers.  (1-cup=5 pts. I round ½ cup up to 3 pts)

Carrots

This was really good but the recipe called for 4 teaspoons of oil to brown the chicken in. That wasn't nearly enough. It took almost 3 Tablespoons so I upped the points to 12...

Sunday

9 pts

*Fig Glazed Pork Chops w/ green beans 5 pts

Sweet potato – 4pts

 

Monday

10 points

*Thai Beef and Vegetable Curry w/brown rice

This was really good. Everyone loved it!

Tuesday

7 points

*Brazilian Chicken w/ black beans and rice instead of the original recipe I made a slow cooker meal by layering chicken breast, black beans and Rotel tomatoes - cooked on low for 6 hours. Served with rice. Same points.

Wednesday – Zumba! Use the crock-pot

10 points (including 2” square of cornbread)

Lima Beans, brown rice, cucumbers, cornbread

Thursday – WW meeting!  Let the guys grill

11 points

*Grilled pork tenderloin w/ chipotle peach glaze – 7 pts

Steamed veggies– zucchini, broccoli, onions, peppers steamed – 0 points

Sweet potato – 4 pts

How do you plan your meals?

I'd love to hear your ideas.

Patti