Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Amy: Week Seven - And not a salad in site.

photo from stock xchng

I left more than my points counter and ipod at home this weekend. My willpower was nowhere to be found either. I spent four days in Washington, DC - known for it's mouth-watering dishes just as much as it's monuments.

To my credit, I did walk a fair amount. But as much as I walked, I don’t think it will make up for the fact that the words “no thank you” never crossed my lips. Tapas (sure, they are little, but not after you eat twice your share); fish stuffed with Boursin cheese (eliminating all the good fish qualities); tortellini in a pesto cream sauce (yeah, I’m certain that was low fat); breakfast panini stuffed with eggs, smoked bacon and cheese (oh, my). To spare what little dignity I have left, I’ll not even mention the alcohol consumption. I will say that if you run across a Ginger Vodka Cooler, you should prepare to be wowed.

And so it goes.

Therefore, this shall be a week of rebuilding. Much like the Bengals’ entire season or decade depending on who you talk to.

I head to my meeting for weigh-in shortly. You know what’s amazing and wonderful about this blog is that if this past weekend had happened two months ago, Weight Watchers wouldn’t have seen me for weeks. But I know I need to get on that scale, face the ugly truth and get back to work. That is exactly what I’m going to do. Thanks for keeping me honest...be back soon.

Remember when I wrote last week about how you can do everything right and still not lose and yet there are weeks when you know you’ve cheated and you still see results? SHA-ZAM this is one of those weeks. I guess the walking evened out the gluttony and I’ll gladly take it. I’m down 1.2 and I hit 30 pounds! 30.4 to be exact! Maybe it’s a fluke? Maybe my fat cells are using reverse psychology? I don’t know, but I’m down and I have all week to work my butt off to make sure I stay down!

And I meant what I said, I wouldn’t have even gone to the meeting if I wasn’t accountable here, so I really do owe it all to you!

The meeting topic this week was SOUP, which on the surface after a weekend of tortellini and panini and a host of other inis doesn’t sound so exciting. But give it a try. Have some low-fat, low-cal soup on hand as we head into this fall season. With a tasty, crusty bread and a nice glass of wine, it’s the perfect autumn meal.

photo from stock xchng

Another tip to try, if you’re heading out for a night on the town and your favorite restaurant, fill your tummy a bit with a cup of soup. It’ll make saying no to those complimentary rolls or fatty appetizer that much easier because you won’t be so hungry when you sit down to eat. Here's a little trivia for you too: last week when the Dow was plummeting, the only major stock that rose was Campbell's, so there must be something to this soup business, eh?

Here’s a simple, yet filling soup to get you through those times when your stomach growls. This famous Weight Watchers recipe is known to everyone as an easy, zero point alternative when you need more food but don’t want to spend the points or calories. It's quite tasty to boot!

2/3 cup sliced carrots
½ cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
½ cup green beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt
½ cup diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about five minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, about fifteen minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes four 1-cup servings


Get creative - use any of your favorite veggies - the more the merrier! Or spice it up with your favorite seasonings and fresh herbs. You can easily make this soup your own.

Until next week...

7 comments:

PsychMamma said...

As you know, I had my own experience with falling off the weight loss wagon this weekend as a result of evil banana bread {ahem}.

Good for you for sticking with your meeting and your overall goal. A weekend of indulgence is not the end of the world. It would have been miserable if you would have said "no thank you" to everything. So, get right back on that proverbial horse and ride it to sweet victory! You can do it.

I LOVE soup in the fall and winter. I'm eating tomato soup right now. My favorites are Amy's organic creamy tomato and Campbell's Select (in the box) butternut squash. Yum! Go soup! My problem is staying away from the bread and crackers that go with it. Oy vey.

Susan said...

Glad the trip didn't set you back--and you even lost! Reaching the 30-lb milestone is pretty sweet too. Here's to another great week!

Kate Coveny Hood said...

You are right - I didn't hear an actual "no thank you" at dinner - BUT I also saw you doing more talking than eating.

I think if the body is in a groove (loss or gain) - then it kind of keeps on that track (through inertia?) for a little while. If you get back on track now that you are home - you probably won't see any gain.

So great to meet you in person!

I can't find my blog said...

30 is a great milestone! Yea for Amy!

ShannanB said...

Congrats on hitting the 30lb mark. That is soooo great. No one can blame you for letting loose in DC. They have great food there.

That soup recipe is great. I love soup but don't have any healthy soup recipes.

Anonymous said...

When I lived in Washington DC, I would frequent this magnificent tapas place called Jaleo. It was so easy to use the excuse that it was just a little serving to overeat. I think I fall into that same trap any time in the presence of a table of hors d'oeuvres.

Anyway, that's awesome about the 30 pound mark! Congrats.

I'll have to try out that soup recipe. I'm a soup junkie myself... I just have to remind myself that my favorite Wisconsin Cheese Soup recipe doesn't count when it comes to healthy eating.

Kate The Great said...

Yay on the 30 lbs. down... That is awesome, Amy!

The soup idea - I had never thought of that. That's a great idea - how easy is it to heat up a cup of soup? - and that's a smart way to fill up my ever expanding stomach before I put on the feed bag!