The Blonde Diaries

Last month, I pointed out some oh-so-tasty foods that are 0 points on the Weight Watchers program. I thought it would be a good idea to talk about 1 point* food today as I am still working on getting back “on program” but also because even if you aren’t on Weight Watchers, this list would be relevant because it would help you snack and eat healthily on your own.

• Beverages – light beer (12oz), 1 glass wine (4 oz), fat-free or sugar-free hot chocolate, Juice (1/2 cup), 1/2 cup milk
• Breads – Most high Fiber breads are 1 point per slice or 1 point for 2 slices (Nature’s Own Lite Bread is 2 slices for 1 pt)
• Fruits – 1 cup of any of the following: blueberries, blackberries, cherries, cantaloupe, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, raspberries, strawberries.  1 small piece of the following: apples, pears, nectarines, plums, and tangerines
• Protein sources – 1 piece bacon, 1 serving of egg beaters, 3 egg whites, 1 fat free hot dog, 1 oz lunch meat, 1 slice fat free cheese
• Seafood – 2 oz of the following: crabs, crawfish, shrimp, scallops, white fish, and lobster meat

There are many 1 point foods and beverages out there.  I have found many more so look for a part 2 coming soon! I hope they give you good ideas on things you can add or substitute in your diet.

*A rough estimate of a Weight Watchers point is 50 calories.

Restarting Weight Watchers can be hit or miss for me.  It mainly depends on how I have been doing before attempting to start back.  I find right after busy season where I eat out every day and eat lots of fatty, junky food that going back to WW is such a chore.  Then other times like when I started back 2 weeks ago it was really simple because Mike and I had already started eating healthy again.  One thing I find I have to watch out for is eating the right items and making sure I eat enough.  Sounds crazy right but its true.

So I’d like to highlight some healthy 0 point food choices today that you can turn to when you need to meet your fruit/veggie/points requirements as these foods will really help you along your journey. Each item is 0 points per serving.

• Breakfast items: 1 egg white, 1 cup black coffee
• Fruits: kiwifruit, peaches, small oranges
• Veggies: asparagus, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sauerkraut, celery, mushrooms, spinach, squash, tomatoes, zucchini (basically any veggie)

I hope this short list brings you a few new foods and ideas to try.  Until next time keep up the good work!

During my sorting/cleaning today I came across one of my old food journals from my weight watchers meetings last fall. I had 2 recipes written down and both were about making a low point cake that is weight watchers friendly. I have to admit I am really skeptical about allowing cake/sweets into my weight watchers program because I have no self control when it comes to things like cake. Plus how good can these cakes really be if they are weight watchers approved?? Well I’m here to tell you the recipes are pretty simple and I bet they are tasty because I have seen these recipes all over the place. I have not tried them yet but I am going to have Mike make one for my birthday next month so I can try one. I have a feeling that Cake + Weight Watchers Will NOT = disaster.

Pineapple Cake

• Angel Food cake mix
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• mix the two ingredients together and DO NOT follow the directions on the box
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Yields 12 servings at 3 points each

Dump Cake

• 1 can diet sprite or sprite zero
• 1 2 pound bag of frozen fruit
• 1 box low fat cake mix
• Place the fruit on the bottom, then cover with the cake mix (again do not follow directions on box), and then pour sprite all over the top.
• This recipe will cook longer than the box states so throw the box out once you dump the cake mix!  Bake at 350 degrees covered in tin foil for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 40 minutes

Hope you enjoy!  If you have tried either of these recipes please let me know how they turned out and which one I should make for my birthday.

Today I finally took the plunge and started my weight watchers journey again. I am hoping to do much better this time around. So far today I have stayed under my daily points allowance without a problem, drank my 6 glasses of water, gotten in 3 servings of milk, and lastly ate all 5 servings of fruits/veggies as outlined by the program. So after doing so well today I am really feeling good about restarting Weight Watchers. I just hope I can keep meeting the daily goals up as it would be great to lose a couple of pounds before vacation and before we start taking pictures. I just need to work on getting to the gym tomorrow and running again. We took today off as our day of rest so I don’t need to let myself extend that another day and throw myself off track.

Have you started a new diet/exercise/lifestyle change recently? Do you have any tips or techniques to share?? I’d love to hear yours.

Not too shabby if I say so myself! I was quite impressed that I hit the gym 6 times this week. I hope to repeat that this week but with it being quarter time that might not happen. I have a mini goal/challenge to run 3 miles a week till the end of July. I started this challenge on July 15th and made it 3.25 miles this week. I was quite proud and I made 2.67 miles the week before. So we shall see how this week goes.

I am also aiming to get back on Weight Watchers this week. I plan to be very strict with myself and stay within my daily points allowance and try to balance my meals between fruits, veggies, carbs, and protein. I really want to drop a few pounds before our September vacation and before I go try on wedding dresses in October. I know I can’t lose everything I want but I want a jump start. So wish me luck and if you need an exercise buddy leave me a comment and I promise I will cheer you on.