Restarting, again!

Well, here I am, July 2011.  I fell off the bandwagon big time last year.  While I wasn't on the site at the beginning of this year, I did join a challenge my gym had and lost about 12 pounds the first 3 months of the year.  However, my weight has been stagnant since then.  Tonight I watched Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition and am determined to start again.  So here goes!

didn't walk this morning

I either turned my radio off in my sleep or forgot to set it last night, so I didn't wake early (I sleep so hard I have to use multiple alarms to get moving, lol).

breakfast - maypo muffin, strawberries
snack - WW choc. raspberry 1 pt. bar
lunch - blt w/ mustard on 35 cal. bread, using turkey bacon, pudding cup (60 cal), WW string cheese, and an orange

packed for later (school night)
grapes
jello cup
yogurt
turkey/cheese sandwich on 35 cal bread w/cucumber, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles
salsa & chips

walked today

Walked today - 2 times!  Took about a 20 minute walk this morning and then just walked 40 minutes after work.

Meals:
Breakfasts - maypo muffin, strawberries, milk

snack - 60 cal. pudding cup

lunch - whole wheat spaghetti & meat sauce, fruit cup

snack - 2 WW raspberry chocolate bars, bag of microwave popcorn

supper - grilled veggie cheese

Maypo Muffins

Maypo muffins are made from Maypo Instant Oatmeal Cereal.  The cereal has 2/3 less sugar than regular instant oatmeal, so I tried it once during a "healthy" phase.  As a cereal, I thought it was rather nasty (probably b/c I'm used to the sweeter versions).  However, I didn't want to waste the box and decided to try the recipe on it and have loved Maypo ever since, but only in the form of a muffin.

ingredients:
    * MAYPO, 2 1/4 cup
    * Raisins, 1/3 cup, packed
    * Walnuts, 1/3 cup, chopped
    * Baking Powder, 2 Tbsp
    * Honey, 1/4 cup
    * Milk, nonfat, 1 1/4 cup
    * Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil, 2 Tbsp
    * egg white, fresh, 2 large

Directions
Mix first four ingredients in medium or large bowl (the "dry ingredients").  Add the last four (or "wet ingredients") and mix just so that cereal is moistened.  Scoop about 1/4 cup into 12 lined muffin cups and bake in preheated 400F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Test doneness with toothpick - should come out moist, but not wet.

The Maypo website has some variations you could try as well:  

Since I couldn't find any nutrition facts, I used this handy calculator at sparkpeople.  If I entered the ingredients right, here's the facts.  Each muffin comes in at about 3 points for WW.

Nutrition Facts
  12 Servings

Amount Per Serving
  Calories     153.8
  Total Fat     5.5 g
          Saturated Fat     2.1 g
          Polyunsaturated Fat     1.9 g
          Monounsaturated Fat     0.7 g
  Cholesterol     0.5 mg
  Sodium     304.6 mg
  Potassium     147.6 mg

  Total Carbohydrate     24.1 g
    Dietary Fiber 1.9 g
        Sugars     10.1 g

  Protein         4.1 g

  Vitamin A         19.8 %
  Vitamin B-12         12.9 %
  Vitamin B-6         20.8 %
  Vitamin C         15.8 %
  Vitamin D         2.6 %
  Vitamin E         2.4 %
  Calcium         17.2 %
  Copper         3.6 %
  Folate         1.2 %
  Iron             32.7 %
  Magnesium         2.6 %
  Manganese         6.7 %
  Niacin         19.4 %
  Pantothenic Acid         1.1 %
  Phosphorus         9.2 %
  Riboflavin         2.8 %
  Selenium         1.1 %
  Thiamin         1.8 %
  Zinc             1.5 %

Walked this Morning & Feeling Good

Did two laps around my neighborhood this morning for about 40 minutes.  It felt good to get out and walk.  Then I had my breakfast - a Maypo muffin, a bowl of strawberries, and a glass of milk.  Looking forward to a great day!

Just packed meals for tomorrow

whole wheat spaghetti & meat sauce (meat sauce = ground beef w/ onion & garlic, canned tomatoes, spices, and enough Ragu Light, No sugar added, Tomato & Basil, to make the meat saucy enough to my standards).

turkey & cheese sandwich on 35 cal. hearty wheat bread w/ spinach, red onion, tomato, cucumber, & pickles to add to it.  Wasn't thinking and put mayo instead of mustard :-(.

nonfat plain yogurt w/ frozen blueberries (thawed by now) & granola (also thought after the fact - should pack granola separately, will do in future)

tangelo & fruit cup

Covers lunch & dinner.  I may end up throwing in a Maypo Muffin for breakfast if I dont' eat at home - but I do have oatmeal cereal at work I can eat if need to.

New Twist on Old Favorite

A few weeks ago I picked up a recipe magazine while in a check-out line.  One of the recipes it had it in was for a "grilled veggie cheese".  I made one for lunch today and it was yummy!.

So here goes
ingredients
2 slices bread
butter
ranch dressing
1 -2 slices cheese
sliced veggies (recommends tomato, cucumber, red onion)
fresh spinach leaves.

Directions
butter one side of each slice of bread
Spread other side with ranch dressing
place 1 piece, butter side down, in skillet
Add about half of veggies (either 2 of the 4 or half of each)
Add cheese & top with rest of veggies
Top with 2nd slice of bread, butter side up

If cooking covered (like on a George Foreman) - cook about 3 - 4 minutes
If cooking uncovered, cook about 6 - 8 minutes, flipping once about halfway.

Makes me want to try variations of this all week long :-).  Enjoy!

long time no post

So I haven't been on here for a while.  School & work got the best of me.  Weight-wise I've been holding steady, so at least I'm still down about 15 pounds :-).  My weekly weigh-in Friday morning was 200.5.

I'm taking time to be healthy this week.  I've got a bunch of yummy meals planned and easy stuff to prepare for work/school meals.  So hopefully this will be my last mention of being over 200.

I walked yesterday and this morning, about 20 minutes each.

Talk to you later!

Weekly WI & tracking

204.5 :-)  a 3.5 for the week and a total of 12 pounds!

As far as tracking, I think I'm giving up.  I keep forgetting too, lol.  I may track here and there as I think about it.

A Happy Moment