SkinnyGirl(tm) Margarita

In the past 48 hours I have discussed the issue of margaritas with two different friends who are trying to lose weight.  I’m not a fan, but apparently I’m the only person on the planet who isn’t. I suggested they check out the SkinnyGirl(tm) Margarita recipe created by personal chef (and Real Housewife of NY) Bethenny Frankel. Here is a link to her site and the recipe:

http://www.bethenny.com/skinny_margarita.htm 
(There is an “on the rocks” version and a frozen version.)

As a point of comparison, a regular margarita is 5 PTS per 4 oz. Assuming the average restaurant margarita is 8 – 16 oz that’s 10 – 20 PTS per drink! Ms. Frankel’s rocks version is about 3 PTS  per drink (2.5 PTS for 2 oz tequila, 0.5 for the splash of orange liqueur).

If you like margaritas, you’re still going to need to save up some PTS for them and moderate your drinking. (Not a bad idea all around – It’s a GHG, and saves you from ending up with a lampshade on your head!) But if you alternate these with a glass of club soda or sparking water with lime over the course of an evening you can still have a good time and keep your weight loss efforts on track.

What about when you’re out? Ask if they can make you this version of a margarita instead. I bet the bartender would do it. It’s really just another form of a mixed drink. And with so many women watching their figures I bet they get asked for these often. Don’t be afraid – ask for what you want!

DIY Egg White Flatbread Sandwich

A few weeks ago I tried the Dunkin Donuts egg white flatbread sandwich with turkey sausage during a business trip.  It was surprisingly good, so I decided to try making it myself at home. I normally do NOT like eggs, but I thought the egg white taste might be less strong and therefore palatable.  It worked! I tried it today for breakfast and the result is rather tasty!  Here’s the “recipe”:

1 Joseph’s Lavash oat bran flatbread
1/4 cup egg white substitute
Sprinkles of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard
1 Banquet turkey sausage link, cooked and cut into pieces
1/4 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese

1. Add the seasonings into the egg white substitute.
2. Cook the egg white mixture as you would scrambled eggs in a frying pan sprayed with butter cooking spray.
3. Lay the flatbread out on the counter and pile the shredded cheese in the center.
4. Top with the cooked egg white mixture, then the pieces of chopped sausage.
5. Fold up the sides of the flatbread to make a pocket.
6. Flip over and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, or foil sprayed with cooking spray (don’t forget the spray or it WILL stick!!)
7. Spray the top of the pocket with spray butter so it will crisp up when you cook it.
8. Bake the pocket at 400 degrees for about 7 min, then broil it for 4 min to insure the flatbread crisps up. Eat warm!

The whole thing is just 4 PTS, and a nice warm breakfast on a cold fall morning. It also contains protein which is key in making sure that breakfast really sticks with you in the morning.

Caught off guard – now what?

I went to dinner with a friend tonight, oddly enough to give her some tips on following WW and choosing well in restaurants. I decided to order an appetizer for dinner, and chose chicken lettuce wraps. Most places, these are grilled chicken strips with veggies, lettuce, and dipping sauces. Not these. There were lettuce leaves, yes. But the chicken was a pre-made chicken dish with water chestnuts and pine nuts in a hoisin sauce. Luckily the peanut sauce was served on the side, so I didn’t have to have any of that.

Oh no – what am I going to do, right?!

Here’s what I did:

• Limited my portion. I wasn’t very hungry to start with because I had a snack just before going out, so I stuck to a very small scoop of the meat mixture on each wrap and I only had about 4 of them. I barely made a dent in the large bowl of meat they provided, so I estimate I ate about 1/2 a cup.
• Found similar meals from elsewhere to estimate PTS. When I got home, I went on weightwatchers.com and looked up chicken dishes at chinese food restaurants that seem similar to what I had, like sesame chicken and chicken with cashews. Most were 7 – 9 PTS for 1 cup, so I estimate this chicken was about 4 PTS for the 1/2 cup I had. I also looked at the PTS per ingredient as a sanity check. Water chestnuts are 1 PT per 1/2 cup, and there was far less than that in the mix. I figure them at about 0.5. Hoisin sauce is 1.5 for 2 Tbsp, so we’re at a total of 2 PTS. It was probably about 2 oz of chicken, so there’s another 2 PTS. Pine nuts are 4 PTS per ounce, but there were far less than an ounce in the mix. If I estimate it’s 1 Tbsp of pine nuts it’s 1.5 PTS, for a total of 5.5 PTS. Triangulating between the two I’m going to settle on counting the chicken mixture as 5 PTS. The lettuce was zero, so the whole meal was only 5 PTS.
• Learned to ask! This is actually the second time I’ve ordered chicken lettuce wraps and gotten this kind instead of the kind served at Unos and Cheesecake Factory. Once is a fluke, twice is a trend, so now I am going to ask what type of chicken lettuce wrap it is before ordering at a new place!

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I hope this helps you feel more comfortable figuring out how to recover. We all make mistakes, and in the grand scheme of things one slip-up isn’t going to make or break our weight loss efforts. In fact, these mistakes teach us valuable lessons so they are a necessary part of the journey.

 

Daily Menu Plan: 11/2/09

Here’s the plan for today:

Breakfast: 1 slice of leftover breakfast casserole (4)

Snack: 1 cup frozen blueberries (1) with 1 5.3 oz container vanilla Greek yogurt (2)

Lunch: Grilled turkey and swiss sandwich made with 2 slices of whole wheat bread (2), HealthyOnes turkey slices (1), 1 slice Sargento reduced fat swiss cheese (1), and 1 tsp evoo (1). Served with 1 cup Amy’s Organic low sodium tomato soup (1)

Snack: 1 serving Orville Reddenbacher plain popcorn, air popped (1) with 1 serving homemade hot cocoa (2)

Dinner: 2 oz whole wheat linguine (3) with 1 link sweet turkey sausage (3), 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (0), and 1 tsp Classico Pesto (1).

Total PTS: 23

Exercise: 45 min elliptical @ resistance level 10 (5)

GHGs: Milks = 2.5, Protein = 3, Fruit & Veg = 4, Oils = 2, Whole Grains = 6

Vermont Bread Company Soft Whole Wheat

Bread is a tough food for many people trying to manage and maintain their weight. Good whole wheat bread is incredibly tasty, but often very high in calories. I have probably spent hours in the bread aisle at the grocery store scanning for healthy breads that are low PTS but still hearty enough to make a sandwich psychologically satisfying. I have my favorites, but still scan the shelves for new options every once in a while. I did that this week, and stumbled upon a gem – Vermont Bread Company’s Soft Whole Wheat. 

The slices are large and hearty, but only 1 PT each at 70 calories, 1 g of fat, and 3 g of fiber per slice. And unlike many other full-sized slices, 1+1 actually equals 2 in that two slices of this bread is only 2 PTS. (Often the bread is closer to 1.5 PTS per slice so two slices goes up to 3 PTS. But not this one).

I used this bread to make a favorite breakfast casserole recipe this weekend and it held up very well. I’m going to use it to make a grilled turkey and swiss sandwich for lunch today, too, and I can’t wait.

So if you’re looking for a nice bread to make a satisfying sandwich, check this one out. (And at the same time, take a look at my previous post on how to make homemade sandwiches more like the yummy options offered at many sandwich shops.)

Congratulations, T!

Tonight my friend T from WW reached her goal!! A total of 85.2 lbs gone, and back at goal (as a Lifetime member) after 15 years. I am so, so proud of her. She was the person who pushed me to start this blog, so I owe her alot. And tonight she inspired me again. I was contemplating giving up on getting back to goal and just accepting where I am now as where I am supposed to be. But I don’t believe that, and if she can do it so can I. I don’t want much - just another 5 – 7 lbs of breathing room below the top of my range (currently onl 2 lbs below) to allow room for aging, and maybe someday a baby or two (who knows!).  So I’m redoubling my efforts in her honor.

Congratulations, T!!! You are great, and deserve to be where you are because of all that hard work. Enjoy it!! (just not with food…lol!)

 

Daily Menu Plan: 10/28/09

Another daily menu plan, as much for me as for my wonderful readers. Here’s the plan for tomorrow:

Breakfast: Canadian bacon and cheese on a light whole grain english muffin (3)

Snack: Small banana (1) with 6 oz Chobani vanilla yogurt (2)

Lunch: Giant salad of baby romaine lettuce with 3 oz grilled chicken (3), 20 g dried cranberries (1), 1/2 oz crumbled goat cheese (1), 1 small apple – sliced (1), and 2 Tbsp raspberry vinaigrette (1).  1 cup butternut squash soup (2). Total PTS = 9

Afternoon snack: 4 oz baby carrots (0.5) with 3 Tbsp humus (1.5) and light hot cocoa (1)

Dinner: 3 oz whole wheat linguine (3) with 1 link turkey sausage (3), roasted red peppers (0), and 1 1/2  tsp pesto as a sauce (1). Total PTS = 7

Total PTS for the day: 25
Workout: Biggest Loser “Power Sculpt” DVD
Good Health Guidelines: Fruits & Veggies – 7, Whole grains – 2, healthy oils - 2, protein – 3, milks – 1.

Crispy fruit – really!

I popped into the convenience store that’s next to my office the other day, and discovered an interesting snack. Crispy fruit. It’s dried fruit, but not chewy like most. These are more crunchy – think Pirate’s Booty texture. I had a pouch containing one dried peach for only 38 calories. It was very sweet, and knocked off my sweet craving with minimal impact on my daily PTS total.

I’m not sure where else they’re available, but the company’s Web site is:

www.crispygreen.com

If you like crunchy snacks, I say give them a try.

Daily Menu Plan: Monday 10-26-09

My friend N just joined WW online, and sent me a message asking for help with meal planning. She and I have the same PTS target, so I figured it was a good reason to post another daily menu plan (in addition to the fact that I just need to get back to more formal planning!). So here’s the plan for tomorrow’s menu:

Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich made from a light multigrain english muffin (1), 3 slices of Jones Canadian bacon (1), and 1 slice of Sargento reduced fat swiss cheese (1). Small banana (1). Total PTS = 4

Morning snack: 1.5 cup frozen strawberries (2), partially thawed and blended into a smoothie with 6 oz Chobani vanilla yogurt (2) and 1 packet no sugar added cocoa powder (1). Total PTS = 4

Lunch: Salad with 2 cups baby romaine lettuce (0), 3 oz grilled chicken breast (3), 2 Tbsp craisins (1), 1/2 oz crumbled goat cheese (1), granny smith apple slices (1), and 2 Tbsp homemade raspberry vinaigrette (1). Total = 7 PTS

Afternoon snack: Baby carrots with 2 Tbsp light ranch dip. (2)

Dinner: 2 slices homemade cheese and veggie pizza on whole wheat Boboli crust (6)

Total PTS: 23
GHGs: Fruits & Veggies – 6, Dairy – 2, Oils – 1, Lean Protein – 2,  Whole grains – 2.

It’s my rest day from working out, so no APs.

Restaurant Find: Chop’t Salads (Washington, DC)

During a business trip to DC this week I discovered another great salad place, Chop’t.

It’s similar to Sebastian’s here in Boston – choose your lettuce, choose your toppings, choose your dressing, they mix up the salad. All the food was very fresh, the dressings were very tasty, and they have a huge list of healthy options.** They also do something different, which is chop all the salad ingredients up with a big blade before putting it in the bowl for you. It mixes everything together well and saves you the hassle of trying to cut everything in the bowl, so I didn’t mind.

The restaurant is a chain with locations in NYC and DC. If you find yourselves in those areas (or for the few of you who I know live or work there already) definitely check it out. Part of their brand is super-fresh healthy food so it’s a WW dream.

My only concern/complaint was that they use alot of lettuce, so there wasn’t room for a ton of toppings. You get 4 veggie toppings free, more veggies and premier toppings like meet and cheese cost extra. But I like a ton of stuff on my salad. I got cukes, carrots, green and red peppers, string beans, chicken, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. I would have liked to have added some more veggies but there literally wasn’t room in the bowl. So if you like a chock-full salad the way I do you may want to warn them in advance!

(**Word of warning – they have options for the salad that are NOT friendly in terms of PTS! Just like any other salad bar, if you load up with cheeses and heavy dressings the salad can be as caloric as a Big Mac. So stick the fresh veggies, chicken, turkey, low fat dressings, etc and you’ll be OK.)