Weighin update after the candy lapse

I couldn't help myself this morning, I had to see how much damage I did last night with those candy bars I ate. At 80 calories each, I ate six, that's about 500 calories over what I should have eaten yesterday (or about 10+ Points, and that's not even looking at the fat grams).

Well, I had a big scale surprise. I weigh 174.2, with my workout clothes on (same clothing as when I weighed in at Weight Watchers on Saturday at 178.2). That's on my home Tanita scales that are always right on with the Weight Watcher scales. What the heck! A four-pound loss in two days???

Maybe it was the good eating all weekend with the exception of the candy, or the gallons of water I drank (thanks to Allan for the constant reminder of the importance of water), or perhaps the three-hour intense exercise at the gym over the weekend. I'm not sure of the reason, but I'm thrilled the candy didn't totally derail me. Seeing a four-pound loss has actually inspired me to keep on track and keep going. A mid-week weighin isn't always a bad thing.

A little friendly competition
I have a confession. I've been following Lyn, Escape from Obesity, for at least two years (maybe longer). When she started on MediFast I weighed what I weigh now.

I thought I must get to goal before Lyn to prove this can be done without using drastic measures such as reducing your calories to 800-900 a day on an expensive, pre-packaged food program. You can do this eating healthy, natural food and doing exercise. Well, Lyn kept losing weight, and I was up and down the same five pounds...for the last several months. I watched Lyn get closer and closer to my weight.

Guess what? Lyn and I now weigh exactly the same (and we're the same height but I think she looks a lot skinnier :).

Now I'm thrilled for Lyn. No one deserves this more than she does. She's done a lot of work on her mental attitude, how she views food, how she views herself. Just because she's doing MediFast doesn't mean this was easy for her. I've done several of the pre-package food programs (with the exception of MF), and I know it's still hard work. Lyn is one of my heroes, and I admire what she's done. I don't put any less significance on it because she used the MediFast program, just like I don't put any less significance on someone that has had weight loss surgery. It's still incredibly difficult to lose weight, regardless of the path you chose.

On the other hand, I still feel like I have to prove something. That this can be done naturally, without spending a ton of money on a pre-packaged food program. So Lyn, if you're reading this, the race is on! I know you're losing 2-3 pounds per week, and I'm not sure I can keep up with that pace, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

Candy monster and polka dots

First of all, I don't think I can live with this polka dot look. It's making me dizzy, especially on my big 25 inch monitor I use for work (yes, I was just working on some work stuff and yes it's 5am). It's not bad on my laptop, but yikes, in big, giant living color, all these dots make me feel kind of sick.

About the candy, even though we had about 40 kids last night, and I had them taking handfuls of candy because honestly, I wanted to run out of candy and turn off the lights and rip off that ridiculous wig...we still wound up with a bag of 150 pieces of candy. The good stuff.

Right before I went to bed I grabbed a handful, a mixture of six bars, Twix, Almond Joys and Milk Ways, and I ate them. Oh well. A little lapse.The candy is going to work today, to the communal kitchen we all share on my floor. It will most likely be gone by noon. :)

I'm just about ready to pull on my workout clothes and head out to the gym. I think I'll do the StairMaster today and a good upper body workout, probably an hour and twenty minutes, which seems to be my normal to get in 30 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes of strength training.

Happy Monday everyone (and thank goodness Halloween is over!). Now we have Thanksgiving to face. Tis the season of food holidays.

Black Bean Soup

Tip: No immersion blender? Simmer for a minute, then transfer to traditional blender and puree.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) 50 percent less sodium beans, drained
  
  


• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, in juice
  
  


• 2 cups water
  
  


• ¾ cup finely chopped celery
  
  


• ¾ cup finely chopped onion
  
  


• 2 tsp finely chopped seeded jalapeňo chile pepper (wear plastic gloves when handing)
  
  


• 1 tsp minced garlic
  
  


• 1 tsp ground cumin
  
  


• Red-pepper flakes
  
  

Preparation:

• Combine three- fourths of the beans, half of the tomatoes, and water in large nonstick saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat
  
  


• Puree with immersion blender until mostly smooth. (Note: When using immersion blender, make sure not to scratch bottom of nonstick pan.)
  
  


• Add celery, onion, chile pepper, garlic, cumin, remaining beans, and remaining tomatoes. Season with black pepper and red-pepper flakes to taste. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape, and reduce heat to low.
  
  


• Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Divide soup evenly among 6 bowls and serve.
  
  

Make 6 Servings:



Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 102 Calories, 7 g Protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 7 g Fiber, < 1 g fat, < 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 489 mg sodium

Portobello Pizza

Tip: Just one Portobello mushroom has as much potassium as a banana.



Ingredients:

• 4 whole Portobello mushroom caps (each about 5” wide)
  
  


• ½ cup low-fat marinara sauce
  
  


• ½ cup lean Italian turkey sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled (about 2 links)
  
  


• ¼ cup shredded fat-free or low-fat mozzarella cheese
  
  


• 2 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
  


• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
  
  


• Wipe mushrooms clean of any dirt. Place on baking sheet. Stem sides up
  
  


• Spoon sauce over each cap and sprinkle on sausage and cheeses.
  
  


• Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil. Serve immediately
  
  

Make 4 (1 cap)Servings:



Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 97 Calories, 10 g Protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 42 g Fiber, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 305 mg sodium

Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie

Peanuts and peanut butter great anytime family staples—great for an energy-boosting snack or a healthful PB&J sandwich. But lately, they’re being used in a variety of delicious and innovative recipes like the one below. Peanut butter you can drink—now that’s refreshing.



Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free or low-fat chocolate milk


• 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter


• 4 pitted prunes (dried plums)


• ½ cup sliced ripe banana, frozen


• ¼ cup crushed ice

Preparation:

• Combine milk, peanut butter and prunes in an electric blender; process until smooth.


• Add frozen banana and crushed ice; process again until blended.

Make 2 serving, about 3/1 cup each.



Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 250 calories, 8 g fat, 9 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol,, 150 mg sodium

Save Energy in Your Kitchen

You already recycle religiously and always unplug appliances. Now starts cooking up some savings with these four easy moves

1. Wash dishes while you sleep “The hours of peak energy use are between 4 and 8 p.m.,” says Kate Heyhoe, the author of Cooking Green. During that time, power plants are less efficient, turning on extra stations to cope with the surge. Run your dishwashing before heading to bed or work and only when it’s full.
   
   


2. Trash your garbage disposal It eats up extra electricity and water, so turn yours off and scrape your scrape into a compost bin instead.
   
   


3. Use the oven light Each time you open the door to check on your pot roast or cookies, the temperature drops roughly 25 degrees—
   
   requiring you to cook your food longer. Also, whenever possible, Heyhoe recommends opting for the stove top, which is up to six times more energy-efficient than an oven.
   
   


4. Dial down the heat No need to keep the burner on high once the water starts to boil; conserve energy by lowering it to a simmer. – JENNA AUTUORI
   
   

Are you at risk?

Find out if your health is in danger with a condensed version of the same quiz contestants take

The numbers don’t lie. This is the “Number HealthScore technology to take each person’s weight, blood pressure, family history, lifestyle habits, and blood values to reveal information like disease risk and inner age. Take this simple quiz and find out where you stand.

The Quiz

1. What is your gender?
   
   
   1. Female
      
      
   
   
   2. Male
      
      
   
   


2. How old are you?
   
   
   1. Younger than 50
      
      
   
   
   2. 50 or older
      
      
   
   


3. What is your ethnicity?
   
   
   1. White
      
      
   
   
   2. Black or Hispanic
      
      
   
   
   3. Asian
      
      
   
   
   4. Other
      
      
   
   


4. How many times a week do you exercise for at least 20 minutes?
   
   
   1. 5 or more
      
      
   
   
   2. 2-4
      
      
   
   
   3. 1 or fewer
      
      
   
   


5. While exercising, how hard do you breathe?
   
   
   1. Hard
      
      
   
   
   2. Moderately
      
      
   
   
   3. Normally
      
      
   
   


6. How would you describe your smoking habits?
   
   
   1. Never smoked
      
      
   
   
   2. Used to smoke
      
      
   
   
   3. Currently smoke
      
      
   
   


7. How would you describe your blood pressure?
   
   
   1. It’s within the normal range (< 120/80)
      
      
   
   
   2. It’s a little high (120/80-140/90)
      
      
   
   
   3. It’s very high (>140/90)
      
      
   
   
   4. I don’t know
      
      
   
   


8. How would you describe your current weight?
   
   
   1. I am at a healthy weight
      
      
   
   
   2. I could stand to lose a few pounds
      
      
   
   
   3. I should probably lose 10-30 pounds
      
      
   
   
   4. I should lose 30 pounds or more
      
      
   
   


9. Have you ever been diagnosed by your doctor with any of the following diseases or condition (circle all that apply)?
   
   
   1. Heart disease
      
      
   
   
   2. Stroke
      
      
   
   
   3. Diabetes
      
      
   
   
   4. Asthma
      
      
   
   
   5. Sleep apnea
      
      
   
   
   6. High blood pressure
      
      
   
   
   7. High cholesterol
      
      
   
   
   8. None of the above
      
      
   
   


10. Do you have a parent or sibling who currently has or has had any of the following diseases or conditions (circle all that apply)?
    
    
    1. Heart disease
       
       
    
    
    2. Stroke
       
       
    
    
    3. Diabetes
       
       
    
    
    4. None of the above
       
       
    
    

What your score means Scoring: After you take the quiz, find out your score by adding up the points for each answer. Then read about your risk below.

• QUESTUON 1: a=0, b=1
  
  


• QUESTUON 2: a=0, b=2
  
  


• QUESTUON 3: a=0, b=1, c, d=0
  
  


• QUESTUON 4: a=0, b=1, c=4
  
  


• QUESTUON 5: a=0, b=1, c=4
  
  


• QUESTUON 6: a, d=0, b=3, c=8
  
  


• QUESTUON 7: a, d=0, b=3, c=8
  
  


• QUESTUON 8: a=0, b=1, c=3, d=8
  
  


• QUESTUON 9: a=8, b=8, c=8, d=2, e=2, f=4, g=4, h=0
  
  


• QUESTUON 10: a=3, b=2, c=4, d=0
  
  

<5 points Great news! You’re at low risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking are two of the most important lifestyle choices that you can make to reduce your risk for disease. Be sure to have regular checkups with your physician, because engaging your health care provider can help keep you on the road to a healthy, long, and satisfying life. 5-7 points Your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke is moderate. Since risk for disease naturally increases as you age, you should begin addressing any unhealthy risk factors you have now. Did you know that diabetes, heart disease, and strokes are often preventable? Consider taking the comprehensive assessment that show contestants use to find out and change your disease risk. >7 points Unfortunately, you are at high risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But there are things you can do to lower your risk! Because unhealthy lifestyle habits can contribute to disease risk, you should talk to your doctor about crafting a plan to lower your risk. Consider taking the comprehensive assessment that show contestants use to find out and change your disease risk. Source: The Biggest loser weight loss planner