Losing it one pound at a time

I first joined buddyslim last December right after Christmas. I didn’t think it would take 11 months to lose 10 pounds, but the thing is, I’ve lost almost 8 in 5 weeks. I finally have a plan and it’s working.  Joy, joy, joy. Happy, happy, glee……..

I’ve mentioned in  my blog a few things that have been working for me, and here’s another one:  I bought a food scale. I was reluctant to get one at first because it seemed like “one more thing to do”, but it has made a big difference. First of all, I bought it at Target and it was only $4.99. I bought a little one that only measures up to 12 ounces because anything I eat will be less than that anyway so why buy a huge, fancy scale? By using the scale an entire week I’ve learned that  I  was  eating much less protein during the day than I had thought.  Now I understand why I was hungry all the time and snacking constantly. After getting my scale I made a bunch of little 2 ounce baggies full of lean turkey slices which are only 50 calories - or 1 point for the WW out there.  They’re perfectly portioned and easy to get to for sandwiches or if I want a snack. For dinners, I was  surprised at how much chicken breast you get for 4 ounces - it was much more than what I had been eating.  I also used it to measure out some potato chips. Once I saw how few potato chips are actually in one ounce  and how many points it would cost to eat them, they were much less appealing and I put them back in the bag. I really think that buying a  food scale was the key to a 1.6 pound weight loss this week.

I wish all of you the very best this week and I’ll check in again next time

I’m getting questions from people at the Weight Watchers meetings about what I’ve been eating and I thought I’d post a few in case you’d like to see them. I’m still figuring it all out, but I’m having good results and I feel really full throughout the day. So here are a few of my faves…..

Breakfast: oatmeal. It really fills you up and for the WW out there, only 3 points! Another favorite is scrambled egg whites with veggies (squash, green or red peppers) and salsa. I love anything spicy.

Lunch: I’ve been eating this for 3 weeks and it still isn’t getting old….Thomas’s Light Multi Grain English Muffins are only 1 point and so, so good. I eat them with a few slices of turkey and loads of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and a little spicy mustard. It’s only 3 points!

Snacks: I love to snack. I’ve been eating non-fat greek yogurt (it has 14 grams of protein!) and it’s only 2 points!!! I also love light microwave popcorn, only 1 point for 3 cups - and that’s a lot of popcorn. Fuji apples are so good right now, and so are pears. They’re only 1 point and another great snack option.

Dinner: I eat lean meat or fish, about 3-4 ounces and pile the rest of the plate with veggies. I have been broiling squash, asparagus, onion and tomato by spraying it with PAM and then sprinkling salt, pepper and garlic powder on top. They are so, so good! Depending on what type of meat or fish you’re eating you may only have a 6-8 point dinner.

Dessert: I really love my dessert and I’ve been buying the WW ice cream bars. They’re 2 points and really good. You won’t feel deprived at all.

And lastly, I’ve been exercising every day. I have a 3 year old home with me and I take him on bike rides and long walks. He won’t usually take a nap when we’re at home but when I get him in the bike trailer or stroller he’s out like a light.

Happy Election Day buddies!