Woot woot! Matt and I have both buckled down and lost weight this week! Matt has lost 2 pounds, and I lost 1.5. Yea for us! We both are starting to notice a change in our clothing. Matt says that his pants feel looser in the thigh area, and I have noticed the reduction in muffin top that was starting to emerge in some of my favorite skinny pants.
I'm not going to lie--it has been a bit hard to buckle down again. Around Labor Day, we indulged in some of our favorite things, and then getting back on track proved harder than we expected. Matt, who had given up regular Coke, bought a 12 pack to have when he fixed BBQ, and then lovingly drank them all over the next week. I told him that they would taste nasty after having given them up (all sweet and syrupy), but he said they were all equally delicious. I, of course, baked a lot, and then lovingly devoured buttercream laced cupcake after buttercream laced cupcake. So that wasn't good. I actually had a headache the day after because I wasn't getting all the sugar! I told Matt that sugar was proving to be our biggest danger, and he said that of course, it is because we are from the South. Probably true. Sugar and bacon....yum, bacon.
One way we have gotten back on track is by making good choices at the grocery store of things to just have around the house. Here is a list of some of our "greatest hits." I hope they give others some good ideas to help get back on track!
1. Wee Brie. Now, on no Weight Watchers Wednesday should there be any mention of brie. Right? Wrong! Wee Brie is Laughing Cow-esque cheese, all pre-portioned and ready to go. Each wedge is 70 calories. Now, that is double what Laughing Cow is, so why bother? Well, because Wee Brie is delicous (and because Wee Brie is one of the most fun things to say EVER), and because it fulfills any cravings for delicious, high quality cheese. Plus, it is great with a glass of wine at the end of a long day.... I have been pairing it with Town House Flatbread Crisps in Sea Salt and Olive Oil , which is delicious in a totally indulgent, yummy way. I think 7 crackers is like 80 calories or something, so you are getting a great, I-am-so-not-on-a-diet snack for 150 calories or so. OR, the Wee Brie and Flatbread Crisps are delicious in what we call "Snacky Supper" which is when our schedule is just nuts and I don't have time to cook something. I'll get some Wee Brie and crisps, whip up some bruschetta with some (hopefully homemade) bread and a few tomatoes that are lurking about, some grapes, maybe a bit of proscuitto and some cantaloupe, roasted red peppers, veggies and hummus--whatever looks good at the store. Then I just put it out on the table and let everyone fix a plate as time/hunger dictates. Although this could be a recipe for disaster with all kinds of food sitting around, I've found that if I have a little bit of something I find to be indulgent and delish (here, the brie and crisps), I'll eat more of the more low-cal fare to round it out. And it is so easy, and definitely more diet friendly than ordering out!
2. Plain nonfat yogurt. Yeah, everyone everywhere tells you to eat this when you are on a diet. But rarely do they mention just how versatile it is. Last night I was really wanting something chocolately and sinful, but I purposefully did not buy that kind of thing at the store. What I did, was mix a cup of yogurt with some frozen raspberries and a tablespoon or so of mini chocolate chips. I let the raspberries melt a bit and voila. Instant yumminess. Plus it wasn't too sweet so I didn't get that icky mouth feeling. Then fast forward to this morning. Yogurt and breakfast is a no brainer. I had it with frozen blueberries and a bit of Special K granola. Totally yummy and totally diet friendly. Plus, how economical is that? Breakfast and dessert in one package.
3. Canned beans. Yes, you could buy dried and let them soak or whatever, but it is so easy to buy canned. And you can use these for so many things as well. Last night I made black bean soup, which was delish, but that's just the basics. Stirred with some corn, tomatoes and cilantro, they are an awesome salsa. Mashed up and mixed with spices they make a great sandwich spread. Make your own hummus, make your own dips, whatevs, they do it. And they are so affordable and yummy. And fiberful! Yea for fiber!
4. Sparkling Water. Matt and I were draining the Coke Zero like woah since we started WW, and not only was it an expensive habit, I was wondering what kind of icky sweetness we were getting ourselves into. I used to just have one Diet Coke per day, at lunchtime at work--kind of a midday pick me up with my Lean Cuisine and Greek yogurt. However, it had bled into evening time as well. I would have one before dinner or after dinner while watching TV. Too much sweetness, ya'll. So I got some sparkling water this week, one with black cherry essence. And we like it. I like that fizziness, and the black cherry is just enough without being cloyingly sweet. We are still drinking the Coke Zero/Diet Coke, just not as much, and in much smaller portions.
Finally, I am trying to recenter my baking habit by trying some new recipes. Tonight, I'm fixing some spicy curried shrimp with mango salsa and coconut rice. I'm kind of jazzed about it, and the whole thing is much more WW friendly. Although it is tempting to go in and make a big batch of cupcakes, I'm holding off until I have lots of friends around to share them with!
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