CaliPoutine

Dinner tonight was a clean out the fridge salad. When Robin came home from work, she asked me what we were having for dinner. I told her and she said " I'm sick of dieting". When we discussed it further, she said she was a little hungry today. I think I might have to give her another snack for late afternoon. I have the same salad spinner that Sandy has. Its a good grips by OXO. Love it!! I used the leftover chicken, the black beans, some kraft 2% crumbles, some crushed up blue corn tortilla chips and a load of veggies. robins salad I had some Paul Newman's Italian dressing. I'd planned on making my own ranch dressing with the buttermilk I bought the other day, but I ran short on time. I drank this. Since we had a "light" dinner, I thought I'd make us some dessert. LOL. Here is another product that General Mill's sent me. It tasted just as I expected. HORRIBLE!! Total waste of 3 points. Whoops, I guess I didnt drizzle the caramel in pretty lines like I was supposed to. I served it with 1/4 cup of breyers vanilla ice cream.

Thanks!! We love the kitchen, I lived with the old kitchen for 6 years, so the new kitchen was highly anticipated. Having heard horror stories of ppl being without a kitchen for months at a time, I was nervous. We had great contractors. Yes, the granite does have blue flecks. Its called Labrador Antique. I looked at so many granites before finally seeing this one. The backsplash is blue glass tile by Daltile. I found it at Home Depot of all places.

I was hoping someone would ask about the container. Its a lock and lock container that I bought on Clement Street in San Francisco. Target has a good selection of Lock and Lock's too and you might be able to find the divided container there. QVC also has a great selection, a lot of different items you wont find in the stores. I have a great set of 3 round bowls that nest that I like to use when I make salad for Robin.

I'm watching this topic with great interest. As someone who's made candy with Kerry, I'm anxious to see what you all are going to make. I'm soooooooo jealous, its freezing here too!!

Breakfast today was 2 packets of Kashi Go Lean Hot cereal. I really like Kashi products, can you tell? The cereal has 2 points per package. I also had half a banana( 1 point) and half a cup of non-fat milk(1 point). I should mention that I dont really care for hot drinks. Additionally, I dont care for coffee or tea. If I need some morning caffeine, I'll have a diet coke or I'll add a package of morning spark to my water.

Hmmm, thats interesting. I've noticed that too but because I'm diabetic, I can't skip breakfast. Prior to starting the Byetta, I wasnt hungry until lunch time, probably because I ate bigger dinners than I eat now. Now, I'm starving when I get up in the morning. Anyone else want to chime in?

Good Morning, Its 9am and I havent eaten breakfast yet. I am hungry though!! I'm waiting for the California Closet installers to show up before I jump on the treadmill. Late last year, we added a 576sq ft addition to our house as well as redoing the kitchen. We have a huge walk in closet in our new bedroom that will store all our clothes, shoes, etc. We're also having a dedicated space so I can store all my equipment that doesnt fit into the kitchen. I made some tuna salad this morning so I can take my lunch today. There was a recent thread discussing store brands vs. generic brands. This is Market Pantry solid albacore tuna from Target. Its really good and less than $1.00 per can. I added somel ight mayo, celery, green onion, italian parsely, lemon juice and reduced sodium Old Bay. I don't measure out mayo anymore, as I can pretty much eyeball a tbls or two. I'll take a whole wheat pita, lettuce, cucumber and a serving of baked lays. Of course my boys get the tuna water and the can!! Ok, the closet ppl are here, time for me to work out!!

After dinner( we didnt have anything for dessert). I prepped Robin's food for tomorrow. Here is her snack. Its actually 1 pear cut up to fit both sides. I soaked the pear in some acidulated water first. I didnt buy those curve bars, they were a free sample sent to me by General Foods. Robin loves canned salmon. I can't stand it. I hate to even touch it. But, the things we do for love eh? I used a little lemon juice, light mayo and chopped italian parsely. Salmon is actually pretty high in points( 4 for 1/4 of the can). I probably gave her half a can. I also packed one of those whole wheat pita's I bought today( 3 points) and some lettuce. I measured out her museli too for the morning. After she does the treadmill, I told her to add 1/2c of the yogurt and half a banana. Ok, folks, thats it for me. I'm going to finish watching The Biggest Loser Couple's. How appropriate eh?

Thanks Peter. I really love them. Mystery shopping is a when you go into a store, pretending you're going to buy something. You evaluate the sales associates, store enviorment, etc. You write a report regarding the entire experience. Not too exciting actually. I'm still waiting to be assigned a restaurant.

Sandy, You mention that your roomate can't eat sodium. I pulled out my Old Bay( both the regular and the reduced sodium). The first ingredient is Celery Salt. Is there a zero sodium Old Bay I'm missing?

I have been following along but didn't think there was very much I could contribute to this blog but......... Try this: Find a clean, large mason jar, preferably a wide-mouth one. Sort through the berries gently to make sure there are no nasties in there BUT DO NOT WASH THEM. Carefully transfer them to the mason jar, put on the lid and screw band and put them on a shelf in the 'fridge. When you want some berries take out a serving, wash them and you are set. I am amazed how long berries stay fresh using this method. There is no need to vacuum seal the jar. ← I'll have to try this too. Thanks Anna!!

Hi All. Sorry I've been MIA most of the day. In addition to my cooking jobs, I also work for a Mystery Shopping company. Today I did 4 shops( all mattress stores) in London. I was able to get some grocery shopping done too( for myself and for the Senior meal on Thursday). Before I left this morning, I had 2 servings of the same cereal I had yesterday( 4 points, 1 point of milk and 1 point of raisins). I felt a bit lightheaded about an hour later so I had a Kashi Go Lean protein bar(3 points). I'm a sucker for those red clearance stickers at Target. I didnt get home until well after 5pm and since my boys usually eat at noon, they were very anxious to eat. Every since the pet food scare, I've stopped buying commerical wet dog food. I give the boys a spoon of baby food along with a spoon of plain yogurt. They seem to enjoy it. Here you have Oliver and Harley. Oliver is the black and Tan. They're both Standard dachsunds. Harley is a wire-hair. I unloaded my groceries. I went to Food Basics and stocked up on fruit and veggies among other things. Did I mention that we have a brand new kitchen? There was a discussion in my kitchen reno thread regarding a TV in the kitchen. As you can see, I did buy one. I knew I wanted to use the leftover brown rice from last night to make a dish called Rice Fried vegetables. Its from this month's issue of Vegetarian Times. I'm not a vegetarian, but we don't eat any red meat. I didnt have a few ingredients so I made some substitutions. It came out really well. I also picked up some Tilapia. I'd planned on using a recipe from A New Way To Cook, but when I read it again, I didnt have the majority of the ingredients. I reverted to an old standbye, Parmesan crusted Tilapia. I made a mixture of shredded parm, reduced sodium Old Bay, a few tbls of bread crumbs, 1 pat of butter, lemon juice and light mayo. I slathered the mixture on the fish and then broiled it. It came out really well and the entire meal was very filling. I had 1 piece of fish and Robin had 2. I figure about 3 points for a piece and 6 for the side dish. I'm actually feeling full. Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a 6" turkey sub from Subway for lunch. I also had a bag of baked Lays. I think that meal has 9 points.

Good Morning. I slept like a rock. I think it was the combination of a lot less food and the exercise. Supposedly, I woke up at midnight and put one of my dogs in our bed. I have no recollection of that. Scary!! To answer Susans question about hydration. We have one of these. Having moved here from California, I was accustomed to bottled water. I mean, no one I know ever drank tap water. I was appalled when Robin told me she actually drinks and likes tap water. We did end up getting Culigan after about a year of me dragging home bottles from the grocery store. I like my beverages really cold!! I usually freeze half of a Nalgene bottle and then add water to it. I also drink crystal light, low sodium club soda, mineral water, diet coke and diet dr. pepper. Like Mizducky, I really like fizz. Before I went to sleep last night, I made Robin's snack box for today. She's going to "try" the blackberries. She's not really a fruit lover. I made her a turkey sandwich, pretty much the same as yesterday and a few kettle brand salt and pepper krinkle cut chips. She told me that she wasnt hungry at all yesterday, so thats a good sign. I'll be back later as I have a date with Ms. Treadmill.

Thanks Dodi!!

I'd call the health department.

Dinner tonight. My backsplash is brand new so I think the smudges are from the camera. Robin asked me if a plantain is a fruit or a veg. Does anyone know? I removed the skin from the chicken. I felt hungry and deprived after I ate so I had 1/2 cup of bryers triple choc. ice cream. I probably should have waited 10 min for my dinner to digest. I feel full now though.

Nancy, I'm like Abra in that I've done this plan so many times that I can probably tell you the points of something when I'm half asleep. Its something that is just so familar to me that it doesnt bother me at all. What bothers me is the near obsession I develop regarding menu planning and mealtime. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to eat tomorrow and Wednesday when I'm in London around lunchtime.

I have to admit, I was a bit hungry at 4pm. I ate a mini bag( half an ounce) of pretzels( bought after Halloween for 50% off). I was still hungry so I ate a grapefruit w/ a touch of agave syrup. My sparkpeople( see, obsessive!!) says with dinner my total calories are 1436. I feel like I might want some dessert after dinner. Today I was asked to quote a catering job that will take place every Monday in April and May. They're going to base their decision on the menu so now I have to think about food and dessert later tonight/tomorrow while I plan the menu. When I'm seriously dieting, its best that I don't watch foodtv or read any dessert cookbooks. Cake is a serious weakness of mine.

I use the serving size on the box of cereal. In this case, 2 points is for 3/4 of a cup. WW has determined the points for me. I need to dig up my old materials, but I think I get between 30-33 a day( its based on what you currently weight). I also get 35 flex points to use for the week. You can also earn points for exercise.

I had lunch at 1pm. I honestly wasnt very hungry, but I was starting to get a little light headed. I had a turkey sandwich with red leaf lettuce. I also had 8 "light" pringles. In my teaser pic, I included some of the products and books I plan to use this week. I always save points so I can have a piece of chocolate each day. Today I had a piece of Baci( dark chocolate/hazelnut). I think its about 2 points. I also drank a 16oz bottle of crystal light lemonade.

Yes you did, and you look great!! I have no aversion to Lean Cuisine either and when I first started the Byetta, I wasnt that hungry so it was perfect portion control. I find now, that I need to add some salad or another veg to round it out.

One of the aspects I hate the most about dieting is the near total obsession I aquire when meal planning. I always decide what we're having for dinner so I can plan the other meals around that. Tonight's dinner will be from Sept 2006 Cooking Light Magazine. The weather is unseasonable warm( 55F) so I'm going to grill on our new deck. Now I'm off to do some errands.

Robin, my spouse is diabetic as well. She isnt taking Byetta( its not availble in Canada, I still see a Dr. in MI for it) though. However, she is gung-ho about starting this plan with me, especially since I do all the meal planning and prep. Last night, I made her lunch and got her breakfast ready. I like to mark all my food products with the number of WW points so I know the value at a glance. She's having 2 portions of cereal. I really love Nature's Path Cereal( Its a Canadian brand too!!). We have a liquidation store in a neighboring town. They get the majority of their products from Costco so I always find some great deals there. A small box of this cereal is 4.49 in the grocery store so I scooped up this bigger box for 5.00. btw, ignore the kahlua in the background. I don't drink any alcohol. I made a kahlua cake for a party I catering last weekend!! I also prepared a lock and lock container with some snacks for her. She has 1 light baby bell cheese( 1 point). I serving of triscuits( 3 points). 1 tangerine( zero) and 20 almonds( 3 points). Her lunch is half a serving of chips( 2 points). 2 slices high fiber wheat bread(4), 2 slices black forest ham( 2). Mustard( zero), a smidge of mayo( I'm not counting any points for that) and 1 slice of cheese( 1 point). We both really like to have a few chips when we have a sandwich so we allow points for that. I had 1 serving of cereal(2), 1 mini box of sunmaid raisins(1), half a cup of skim milk(1). I did 30 min on the treadmill and felt a tad shaky afterwards. I took my blood sugar and then ate 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese. eta: fixing pics!!

I guess I'm up..... Good Morning from Exeter, Ontario. I’m Randi and this is my 4th foodblog. You can find links to the other 3 at the bottom of this post. Some of you may know me from the Senior Dining Thread. I cook 2 x a month for 50 senior citizens. It just so happens that this Thursday will be one of those days. I still haven’t decided what I’m making yet so I’m getting a tad nervous about that. I know the theme of this blog is weight loss and I feel a bit nervous about that too. In July 2005, I started a drug called Byetta. It’s for people with type 2 diabetes. My sister and I think it’s a wonder drug as we’ve both lost about 35lbs since starting it. The weight came off very quickly (within the first 6 months). Byetta controls blood sugar, but it also prolongs gastric emptying. This means, you stay full a lot longer and you need a lot less food. I had a lot of nausea pretty much the entire first year, there were actually times that I forced myself to eat because I just wasn’t hungry. Unfortunately, I haven’t lost anything this last year. I actually gained a few back, then lost it again, then gained, then lost( its a vicious cyle). That’s been my pattern, especially when I go back to California or Florida. Another unfortunate event was I stopped working out. Right about the time I started Byetta, I had a gallbladder attack. The doctor said I’d probably have to have my gallbladder removed so I put my gym membership on hold. My gallbladder is fine, but I never went back to the gym. That all changed starting today because last Friday, we had a brand new gym quality treadmill delivered. I moved here 5 years ago from Long Beach, California. I grew up in Florida and California and it was a major shock to my system moving to the cold weather. I turn into a slug come November each year. I think also the lack of sunlight has a really negative effect on me so I’m hoping a daily dose of treadmill will help. I left California and moved to Canada so I could legally marry my same-sex partner Robin. We’ll be married 5 years this June. I’m no stranger to dieting, I could do it blindfolded. As I mentioned upthread, we were in S. Florida for Xmas and we ate way too many bagels, NY style pizza’s and pasta. We’re both ready for some clean eating. We’re going to follow Weight Watchers( but we're not spending any money attending meetings). I also use Spark People to keep track of calories. The greatest thing for me is that I’m seriously not hungry. If I followed a plan this last year, I could have probably dropped another 50lbs. For a variety of reasons( stress, boredom, etc) I just didn’t so I stayed the same. So here we go……..

I've heard that See's uses E. Guittard. I love See's chocolate, I think its a great value for the $$.