Weight Watchers (Part 1)

[Dana]

I tried the Tuna and White bean Salad from the One Pot Cookbook, only I used salmon instead, and it was pretty good. I always have to use more seasoning than the recipe calls for, but I would make it again. It was great to take to work.

I've been talking about my bean salad, so here's the recipe. All core

3 or 4 cans beans or other core canned veg (I used garbanzo, green, black, and a can of beets for color.)

chopped onion

chopped green pepper

1 jalapeno

1/4 c. cilantro

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

3T. splenda

s&p

Mix all together, chill and serve.

[Cusina]

Chef Mongo, welcome to eGullet. I enjoyed the bits I read of your blog. One of the pages I read was about your wardrobe. Buying all new clothes is a challenge. My husband went through 3 full wardrobes, suits and all, while he lost 100 lbs. a few years ago. It does get spendy. He even lost a shoe size. Goodwill loved us for a while there. Funny though, we hadn't even considered that expense before we started losing weight. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to us that his old clothes wouldn't work anymore.

Nanuq, it's amazing that you lost weight in Paris! I gained almost 5 lbs. during our 10 days in London this spring. ugh. Too much good food and drink (Smith's cream ale, whoo boy) and I hadn't yet found WW to help me plan things out.

This week has been an interesting food one. I found myself down another 2 lbs. at weigh in. (sorry, don't mean to rub it in to those who are plateauing) This was more than I wanted to lose, so I think I'm going to switch back to flex points. Core eating, while I learned a lot and really made some tasty recipes, worked a little too well for me. I feel better and lose at a more moderate rate while I'm on flex. At least I know that I can turn to the core plan when I need a jump start. I'm glad I experimented with it. Therese, hang in there... I'll bet you are right about your muscle mass increase. In the long run it will be beneficial though.

Thanks for posting the recipes too... Dana, that bean salad looks great. I haven't made on of those in years. I need to try it.

[karma police]

Southerners rejoice -- I just discovered grits are core!!! Northerners feel free to be appalled. I wonder if that makes polenta core as well (less the butter and parmagianno)...

[nan]

Southerners rejoice -- I just discovered grits are core!!! Northerners feel free to be appalled. I wonder if that makes polenta core as well (less the butter and parmagianno)...

Yep, polenta is core, thank goodness. I'm happy about the grits too - I'm going to try modifying a ham-grits casserole I tried a month or so ago to make it Core -- the only problem is the 3T of margarine. I'm thinking I may just leave it out and see what happens. In any case, I'll post the recipe once I've core-ized it. :)

I'm glad to find this thread! I'm fairly new to eGullet - I joined when Alton Brown was answering questions, and then promptly forgot to come back...

Anyway, I've been doing Weight Watchers for almost 18 months now and have lost about 60 lbs so far - 20 more to go to my official goal. I attend meetings - I don't think I could do it just online - I need that weekly meeting to keep me going. I'm just finishing my second week on core - I lost 1.4 lbs the first week, and we'll find out tonight how I did my second week - I don't expect as good of a weigh in this time because it's been a rough week.

Just wanted to post my introduction here...

nan

[Dana]

Down 1.6 after my first week on Core!!! This is a great program. I'm developing a creamy salad dressing recipe with avocados. I'll let ya'll know how it comes out.

I really have got to get on the excercise, though. That's my biggest struggle. Any tips out there?

[bilrus]

Down 1.6 after my first week on Core!!! This is a great program. I'm developing a creamy salad dressing recipe with avocados. I'll let ya'll know how it comes out.

←

Good job.

I make a "Guacamole" salad dressing with avacados, lime juice, water and some salt pureed, then minced/small diced jalapenos and red onions and chopped cilantro added at the end. Pretty good stuff with some basic greens or a taco type salad. I made a ground chicken taco salad recently with some home-combined taco mix.

Edited September 11, 2004 by bilrus (log)

[Abra]

I made a wonderful core dinner last night that was even delicious for breakfast. I did some very coarse polenta in chicken broth with some smoked chili powder and a splash of evaporated skim milk at the end to smooth it out a little. Oh, and I cut the kernels off an ear of corn and tossed them in to barely cook at the last minute in the hot polenta. Over that I served a stew I'd made in the pressure cooker - sauteed onions and skinned, bone-in chicken thighs, deglazed the pan with a good splash of red vermouth, added some yellow squash, a head of broccoli, and a can of tomato sauce. Cooked at high pressure for 15 minutes, the veggies melted into a yummy sauce and the chicken was tender and flavorful. I didn't have any mushrooms, but they would have been really good in there too. All-core, and very nice.

And while I struggle with the political issue, I find that Curves is a great help in maintaining regular exercise.

[chardgirl]

I'm wondering how core is working out for folks, I continue to love the idea, but I didn't lose or gain the second week: too much cheating, not enough excercise. Then yesterday my daughter and I made cookies. It will be the undoing of me! I must find other 'more active' activities to do with her.

Two core recipes out of the Joy of Cooking, newest edition:

Pork Adobo and White Bean Meditteranean Soup.

There's also a WW Pork adobo, but the Joy of Cooking added more herbs and other flavoringings, and it's completely core.

The soup is a simple beans/broth/vegetables/herb combination, much like what I've been cooking up each week. I find using freshest possible dry beans (they are sold at our farmers market, by egullet's own dear Rancho Gordo) helps the soup quality tremendously. I use a pressure cooker to great results for cooking the beans before making the soup.

I'm also eating about 1 veggie burger a day: I have various types I buy at Trader Joes. If I stick to one 0 point (way high fiber, husbands snotty comments and all), I don't have to count it, avocado, onions and tomatoes for garnish. I asked at the meeting and our leader only cautioned us that if we're eating more than 1 serving a day of "o" point foods that are NOT core, we do have to count them.

One more question: is smoked salmon core? I thought I should ask since I've been living as though it were.....

-cg

[Dana]

chardgirl - I thin smoked salmon would be core as long as there is no sugar in the preparation - the brine or rub. Do you make your own, or can you check the ingredient box???

I'm finding one of the more difficult things is nor to have more than one potato, or brown rice, or WW pasta in the same day. I often take leftovers in my lunch, which might be the same thing I had earlier (I work evenings). It's been something I've had to watch.

I continue to like this plan. I'm full longer, and snacking on fruits rather than those stupid cheese nips or something processed.

[chardgirl]

Dana: Thanks that's a good point about the salmon. I've no idea about it's preparation, I'll ask at farmers market this weekend...

Re: carbs: I was already trying to go without while on flex for at least 2 meals a day, it helped me feel fuller, so once a day is ok for me. I also make whole wheat pasta for my family: as long as the sauce is tasty I don't hear too many complaints....

cg

[Jensen]

Hi all!

I'm back from my racing road trip and it's great to get caught up on everyone's success (and yes, trading fat for muscle mass is success!).

I was a little afraid to step on the scale this morning, since I've been drinking beer every day (and not journaling...yikes!), but it looks like I'm down 3 or 4 pounds (depending on which tile I set the scale ).

I was very pleased with the food prep I'd done and it all worked out beautifully for everyone. Usually at these big race meets, there is a food package that one can buy. I thought that it was too expensive this year, especially since I wouldn't be able to eat very much of it. Friends from Canada also couldn't get past the price tag so I volunteered to grocery shop and then cook for four of us. We were all on our own for breakfast though.

Thursday night was the first meal and I made lamb brochettes with tzatziki, Greek salad, lemon rice, and flatbread. The brochettes were made up in advance from a boneless leg roast, cubed up and then marinated for 8 hours or so in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and grated onion. Once they were marinated, I put the cubes on bamboo skewers, vacuum-sealed them, and stuck them in the freezer. The rest of the meal was made "on-site". Oh, the flatbreads were from Trader Joe's...I think 1 point each???

Friday lunch was a ploughman's lunch. I had three different cheeses from TJ's (carambazola--or however that cheese is spelled, smoked mozzarella, and Jarlsberg), some stoned wheat thins, grapes from the market, two different melons (Can-Dew and Ambrosia), cornichons, and pickled onions. This was my first experience eating American-made pickled onions. Sorry, Yanks! You guys need to take lessons...they were HORRIBLE!!!

This was the "fattiest" meal, what with all that cheese, so I just tried to load up on fruit and control myself when it came to passing the cheese board.

Friday's dinner was complimentary (grilled chicken, baked beans, coleslaw). None of it was particularly WW-friendly but it was all delicious and I exercised self-control and just didn't overeat!

Saturday lunch was "on the go". At the big meets, there is no time to stop for lunch so you just grab what you can, when you can. For this meal, I'd planned on grilled chicken Caesar salads. Two bags of Caesar salad mix and a package of Foster Farm's grilled and sliced chicken breast. It was probably a little heavy on the points, due to the dressing and the croutons but it was still the object of much envy from the folks who'd bought the meal package. Yes, they all stared longingly at our plates as they walked by with their dry sandwiches and little packets of crisps.

Dinner on Saturday was another "make ahead" affair. Before leaving, I had brined four thick pork loin chops and then vacuum-sealed and frozen them. They were cooked on the barbecue. The side dishes were corn on the cob (I cooked extra for Sunday's lunch) and stuffed cousa squash. The squash was a mix of make-ahead and make on-site. For the filling, I had bought two big bags of arugula, which was steamed, drained, wrung out, and chopped. Mixed in with that was some yogurt cheese I'd made up and some seasonings (herbes de Provence and garlic, I think). Then it was vacuum-sealed. That was the make-ahead part. I'd bought the squash at the market the weekend before heading out. For the on-site part, I halved the squash lengthwise, scooped out the seedy part and filled it with the arugula mixture. I still had some Jarlsberg cheese leftover from our ploughman's lunch so I grated that over top. Then the squash went on the barbecue until they were hot through.

Sunday lunch was also "on the go". For the salad, I cut the kernels off the extra corn on the cob and mixed it with some finely diced onion and chopped cilantro. Dressing was the juice of one lime.

The main lunch item was a chicken fajita wrap. Before heading out, I'd cooked up some peppers and onions from the market. I wasn't sure how "hot" my friends like to eat so I got all sweet peppers (but none were bell peppers so they had really good flavour). The peppers and onions were vacuum-sealed for the trip up. Again, I used the Foster Farm's grilled and sliced chicken breast. (I could have done the chicken myself but I had run out of time.) I also had a package of guacamole from Trader Joe's. Everything was just wrapped up in a tortilla and eaten cold.

Our final dinner was baked salmon, pasta with pesto, and spinach salad. I had planned on doing the salmon on the barbecue but the weather wasn't cooperating so I topped the salmon fillets with lemon slices, sprinkled with a little dill, wrapped it in foil, and baked it in the motorhome oven.

The pasta was a "low-carb" linguine...the brand is called "Dreamfield". As near as I can reckon, they really have just added fiber to regular pasta. I can't taste any difference between this and the normal stuff you'd buy at the grocery store but the added fiber drops the points from 4 to 3 for one cup. I served that with some bottled sun-dried tomato pesto (Classico Creations or something...good flavour and not too high in points).

All in all, it was a successful food weekend. The friends for whom I was cooking were very happy with the meals and I didn't have to worry too much about gaining weight!

[therese]

Sounds like a a great trip, Jensen. Sorry that the pickled onions weren't up to par---do you remember the brand? I only eat the pickled onions that come with my cornichons (both of which are quite good), so have no experience with brands offered in the U.S.

Your ploughman's lunch reminds me to ask about this material called "fat free cheese". Other than ricotta, what sorts are available? And where does one find them, as I've never seen them in my local grocery.

[therese]

Another chapter in my tireless research efforts on behalf of the eGullet community, specifically the WW subset of same.

The various non-nutritive sweeteners out there all have their drawbacks, the biggest one probably being that they mostly taste pretty terrible. Nutrasweet, Splenda, stevia---none of them is nearly as good as the real thing.

But I hadn't had much experience with one class of sweetener, sugar alcohols, until recently. Mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol all belong to this group. They're not strictly non-nutritive, but are a bit lower calorie (because they're so sweet you use less) and don't stimulate insulin production the way regular sugars do, thereby protecting one from the pernicious effects of high insulin/low blood sugar cycles.

But it turns out they have another really effective aspect from a weight loss point of view, something that's euphemistically referred to on the packaging as "a laxative effect". Turns out that the laxative effect is dose-dependent, but as little as one third of one serving (a single sugar free York peppermint patty in this particular experiment) is enough to cause fairly severe cramping and nausea. Long-lasting nausea, too---if any guys out there want to experience morning sickness, this is the ticket.

So if you realize that you've gone a bit overboard on breakfast and lunch one day, just eat a maltitol-containing sweet and you'll be happy to forego food pretty much entirely until the next morning.

[therese]

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that the sugar free York peppermint patties are quite tasty. So unlike the "take a multivitamin on an empty stomach and you'll want to die" approach to unhealthy weight loss tactics, the sugar alcohol one is actually appealing in the very short term. It takes a while for the side effects to develop, so "bait shyness" (aka bearnaise sauce phenomenon) is not nearly so likely to be an issue.

[Jujubee]

I'm always on the lookout for 0-point snacks, so here's my latest:

Chopped Cucumbers and Tomatoes, well salted and left to sit for a bit, with Raita-ish dip. The key, in my book at least, is the salt - it makes it tastes more like food you did something to, rather than just raw food (which triggers my diet-depravation mentality). I use about 1/2 t salt for a cup of yogurt (along with cilantro or mint and some garlic), and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt for the cucumbers and tomatoes.

[Tess]

In my experience, if you ever once have a bad reaction to one of those sugar-alcohol things, you can have one again from taking very little amount. I got really sick over some mints with some sorbitol in them, but I had a few mints in a few hours and I thought that a little bit might be OK. Not so. Even if I take a tiny amount by accident, I can tell.

I love to make dips with Total yogurt. I'm not on core and am prepared to spend the points for the 2% stuff which I think is a lot better. I make tzatziki or a cilantro-oinion dip. (Process the cilantro to a paste; don't just chop.)

[Cusina]

Therese! You poor thing. Agony. I'm, uh, glad you posted that though. Definitely sounds like something to avoid. And I had to laugh at the way you put it too.

I'm off the band wagon for a bit. I know, very bad, especially since I'm half way to my goal. But it's our 10th anniversary this week and I just know I won't be good. Too much fun to celebrate. I'll be back in next week.

I did make a tasty meal last night though, as a last hurrah. Cubed pork, diced squash and tomatoes with a touch of feta on top. Foil wrapped and put on the grill. Polenta too, with roasted red peppers. Very simple, but Good stuff.

[therese]

Congratulations, Cusina. We celebrated our 15th earlier this year, and were I to add up the points from that week (which included a trip to the Napa Valley as well as high end dining here in Atlanta) I'd have used my entire allotment for a month, I think. Hmm, maybe that's why I'm on WW at this very moment? I'm pretty sure it's the cookies I got at Bouchon bakery that put me over the top.

Tess, the sugar alcohol thing is not a reaction in the conventional sense, not an allergy or anything like that. Our bodies can't process the molecules very quickly, as we don't have the right sorts of enzymes in our guts. But gut bacteria (endogenous, normally present, very important for normal health) do have the right sorts of enzymes and so can metabolize the sugar alcohols. The bacteria produce gas as a by-product of their metabolism, gas which your intestines would really much rather be rid of. It's possible that ingesting sugar alcohols may either promote the growth of certain sorts of bacteria (that can metabolize them) or that enzyme production is induced in the bacteria.

Some people have a similar problem with jerusalem artichokes, in which the offending material is inulin, a non-digestible (by humans) carb. I don't have a problem with them myself, but it's an issue for some.

[Jensen]

Some people have a similar problem with jerusalem artichokes, in which the offending material is inulin, a non-digestible (by humans) carb. I don't have a problem with them myself, but it's an issue for some.

This is good to know as I was going to make an arugula, Jerusalem artichoke, and Parmesan cheese salad for a dinner party on Saturday. Maybe I'll leave out the Jerusalem artichokes!

Was down 3 pounds at weigh-in today. I'm not sure whether it was the WW-friendly food on the racing trip, all the beer I drank with it, or the bottle of wine last night...

[therese]

Was down 3 pounds at weigh-in today. I'm not sure whether it was the WW-friendly food on the racing trip, all the beer I drank with it, or the bottle of wine last night... 

It was the wine, I'm sure of it. In fact, I'm so sure of it I'm going to go get myself another glass of wine.

This is good to know as I was going to make an arugula, Jerusalem artichoke, and Parmesan cheese salad for a dinner party on Saturday. Maybe I'll leave out the Jerusalem artichokes!

I don't know how common the problem is. Neither I nor anybody else in my family has any difficulty at all (and believe me, we'd know if it were an issue, because I like to use them), but others apparently do. I've served Jerusalem artichokes to guests and not gotten any bad feedback, but then I have exceptionally polite friends.

Bleudauvergne actually described it in her blog (on the first or second page), and a discussion of it appears later (on about the eighth page). A word of caution: do not go back and look at this blog unless you are a masochist.

[Jensen]

Way to go, Dana! All those ounces add up!

We're hosting a dinner party for 13 here tonight. (Do I need to have a shill guest to make it 14?) I must have been crazy when I invited all those people! Yikes! I haven't even been home a week...

The menu will be all over the place, as it's quasi-potluck. We've got two vegetarians in attendance so one of the main courses will be meat-free.

Starters are very relaxed: tortilla chips with a variety of dips (artichoke and jalapeno, salsa, guacamole) and a selection of Brie (one French, one Canadian, and one German...just for kicks!) with crackers. Definitely not at all points-friendly so I will try to behave.

Salads: a tomato salad brought by next-door neighbours, Jon and John; a German potato salad brought by neighbours, Karen and Konstantin (a real German salad as K & K are from Nürnberg!), a mixed green salad with Parmesan and sliced jicama (based on a recipe from the latest issue of Olive)

Main courses: mushroom moussaka (from the Moosewood Cookbook) and roast beef (done on the gas barbie with fruitwood chips to smoke it)

Sides: Corn on the cob, cousa squash stuffed with arugula and ricotta

Dessert: Marge is bringing it so I have no idea what it will be

I'm pretty sure that, after the starters, everything is quite points-friendly. I'll be taking pictures and blogging this meal so stay tuned!

Just edited to add that the other four guests are houseguests of neighbours...two from Germany and two from Sweden. It will be a very international group here tonight!

Edited September 18, 2004 by Jensen (log)

[Abra]

In the interests of science and community spirit, and much to my everlasting amazement, I ate and enjoyed some fat-free Monterey Jack cheese today. The brand is Lifetime, and there's nothing at all obnoxious in it, nor does it taste bad. In fact, it has virtually no taste, so there's no point in eating it plain. However, shredded and melted over a bowl of cranberry beans, small cubes of flank steak, salsa, and hot sauce, it was more than alright. It melts like cheese, and its virtue is mouth-feel. Sometimes I just want that creamy melty thing, and now I know where to find it. Ok, don't all throw stuff at me at once!

So far, since I've been on core, my weight is down just about every time I step on the scale. This is definitely the program for me.

[Dana]

Here's a corn 'chowder' recipe I made this week - all core, but also very low flex points. It was really good and would make an excellent starter, either hot or cold.

Grill 2 large red bell peppers, 1 jalapeno, and 5 green onions. Cool and peel the peppers, roughly chopping all veg. Add 1 cup chicken stock and buzz with emersion blender. In a large saucepan, heat 2t. evoo. Add 1 bag frozen corn and saute till some of the corn begins to color. Add grilled veg mixture, 2 more cups chicken stock, 1 t. cumin, 2T. cilantro, 1T. lemon juice, S&P. Heat throughly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 c. NF sour cream. Serve with avocado.

I really wanted to grill some corn, but it looked so pitiful at my grocery, I thought the frozen would be better.

Jensen, you are definitely not insane. You are expanding your capabillities. Sounds like a terrific evening. therese, I cannot imagine entertaining 200 people. You are really good.

[therese]

Dana, the corn chowder sounds great. Did you actually calculate the points value for the dish? With fall just around the corner I think I'll be trying some pureed vegetable-based soups myself.

Entertaining 200 at a time isn't really all that big a deal once you realize that you will be using a caterer. Not necessarily for the food (though the one I use makes things that I'm willing to serve to my friends) but for the extra hands: they serve, tidy, replenish buffets, serve drinks (I have a separate bar area set up), re-stock the powder rooms, etc. If you do all the food yourself you can just hire servers, but ideally they should be experienced at handling this sort of party unassisted, not just college kids that you have to direct.

One of the funnier moments last year was when the head server asked me how to turn on the oven and I didn't know. I did at least think to check the interior before turning it on.

[Dana]

The entire corn chowder recipe has only 7 points, and made 4 bowls, so I'd count no more than 2 if serving for lunch, and only 1 for a starter size cup. Add points for the avocado, depending on how much you add. Since avocados are allowed on core, I used one half per bowl. I might add, this soup is also very pretty!

I love soups. I'm going to try a broccoli 'cream' soup next. therese, what other veg do you make into 'cream' soups?