Eggs and Soup

I am back from my unannounced fer low and ready to get down to business. I decided to calculate how many Weight Watcher points I would be able to eat each day even though I am not attending the meetings. To help me stay on plan I found that protein and exercise seem to be the "secret", so I have been talking to a lot of people finding out what they eat and which exercises keep them going. Here is what I found.

Food is not the enemy! I believe I found some healthy, yummy and EASY recipes to help my body loose weight. I have recently been eating 100 calorie high fiber english muffins with a little bit of peanut butter for breakfast or apple cinnamon instant oatmeal. Both have been a delicious change from the cereal that I used to have EVERY morning. This weekend while chatting with a friend I discovered an egg recipe from the South Beach Diet eating plan that will work as a breakfast option. They are called "egg muffins" because you make omelets in a muffin pan, bake them and refrigerate them for a quick breakfast. This morning I decided to make them and figured out that they are only 1 point for one muffin. First, I sprayed a 12 cup muffin tin with Pam. Then I placed some diced peppers and onions at the bottom of each cup. I added a pinch of Weight Watchers Mexican cheese to each cup and filled them to the top with Egg Whites only. Then they baked in the oven for approximately 28 minutes at 375 degrees. Once they were done I let them cool a little and tasted one, it was delicious! I can for see myself baking these every week. The recipe can also be altered to your liking but adjust the points accordingly. Some options were adding bacon and sausage. This morning I also made the Weight Watcher Cabbage Soup for the first time. I haven't tasted it yet but it smells awesome. The soup is zero points and it is very easy to make. I found the recipe online because I can't seem to find my old WW books.


Moving on to exercise. I finally found a Zumba class in my area that is affordable and offered at a reasonable time. My first class is Tuesday at 6:15pm and I can't wait go! The gym mentioned it might offer a Sunday morning class too which would be great! I will keep you posted! :)

Overall, I am ready to get back on the saddle and keep riding along. I was told a few weeks ago that I never seem to follow through with things that I start. Losing weight is one of those "things" that I can't seem to keep up with. I have a great motivated attitude and before I know it something just veers me in the wrong direction. But to prove this person wrong and to get my body healthy and in shape I will stick this out til the end. I will reach my goal and enjoy the outcome of buying new clothes and having a new me!

Research / Week Eleven Results

Weigh in this morning went better then expected :) I broke that annoying number that I could never seem to pass and I am happy to say that I lost 2.8 pounds since last Monday! Moving forward is the only way for me from now on!
Here's to going forward!! :)

On another note, I did research recently:

Since I decided to have a fresh start last week I began researching many options with exercise and food. I have found a lot of information online and in other programs that I have purchased over the years. I decided to combine the knowledge to make one great plan. No, I haven't created my own weight loss program but I am learning what ideas and strategies will work best for my body.

While researching food options I realized I do not eat nearly enough protein. I should be having protein at each meal and through out the day to energize my metabolism. I also learned that fish, turkey breast and chicken breast are the best choices for protein. Red meat protein does not get used in your body fast enough and usually turns into fat rather then energy.

To boost my metabolism I decided to try the 3 day heart diet. While asking around for weight loss tips and searching online for healthy ways to jump start my body all talk came back to this 3 day eating plan. It is an intense and strict menu that causes a chemical reaction with in your body which results in weight loss. So I decided this weekend that I would try the 3 day eating plan and review the results on my next weigh in. Today was day one. It was difficult but I feel accomplished because I followed the menu perfectly. Day two and three will be challenging but I am curious about the results. If you Google "The three day diet" or "the three day heart diet" you will find the eating plan I am referring too. If you participate in Weight Watchers, many members have tried this eating plan when they hit a plateau. I was told that it amounts to approximately 24 daily points.

I also researched some exercise options and read an article that said if a person exercises in the morning before eating they are burning "stored fat" and not carbs. This idea is said to work because your body has been fasting while sleeping during the night. To accomplish weight loss a person needs to do a sweat inducing exercise for 45 to 60 minutes. I started exercising in the am last week. I made it to the gym twice in the AM once before work (boy that was an early morning) and one weekend morning. That little bit has seemed to pay off. More updates to follow.

Hope some of my research helps you in your weight loss journey!