9/30/2010 - Puff Pan!

So, I learned about the Puff Pan on the Nutrisystem.com discussion boards. Many raved about the ease and variety of making these healthy Pancake Puffs. So, I had to have my own and couldn't wait to start trying my hand and creativity on these food creations. I have had my pan for a few weeks and have made several, a few that I have already posted on my blog. I am posting a few pictures of my Pancake Puffs  (which I have fondly grown to call "Puffins").



Crab Puffins: 1 Package NS
Pancake Mix, 2 oz. crab
meat (drained), 1T. green
onions, seasoning to taste,
skim milk

Bacon Cheese Puffins: 1T.
bacon bits,
1 Package NS Pancake Mix,
1T. fat free Cheese,
skim milk

Banana Nut Puffins: 1/2 banana,
mashed, 1 Package NS Pancake
Mix, 1t. vanilla, greek yogurt,
Skim milk 

Raspberry Cheesecake Puffins:
1 Package NS Pancake Mix, 2T. ff
Greek Yogurt w/1T. ff sf
cheesecake pudding powder
stirred in. While cooking, poke
1 raspberry in each puffin.

9/28/2010 - Pudding, Cinnamon Bun, and Coconuts!

Cinnamon Bun

The Cinnamon Bun is like a little hard hockey puck. The icing tastes like Crisco, it is thick and sweet and sticks to the inside of your mouth, the package, your fingers...really, anything it touches. There are several recipes on Nutrisystem.com (on the discussion boards) for making a "Cobblestone Cake" out of this tiny ravelled hockey puck. I will definitely try that recipe out of my future Cinnamon Buns; but at this point, if I didn't already have these on hand, I would not prioritize getting anymore.  

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding

I didn't expect to like this as there are many poor reviews on Nutrisystem.com and several other blogs. After following the directions, I tasted it and though the flavor wasn't bad, it was very runny. So, I stuck it in the fridge for a few hours. When I came back later, I found it to be thick and creamy! Very good!! I was very surprised. The chocolate chips were very tasty and added a nice punch of flavor. Added some sugar-free, fat free whipped cream on top and Delish!

Coconut Juice

From a young coconut...poke hole, insert straw, enjoy!

45 calories and 1 fat gram, I count it as my fruit. 

9/27/2010 - Week 10 Weigh-in!

Week 10
September 20th-September 27th
Weight: 222
Week 10 loss: 2lbs
Total for 10 weeks: 25 pounds
Workouts: 5 1 hour cardio workouts

Favorites this week
Breakfast: nothing new this week
Lunch: Trail Mix Bar - This is Amazing! Has a fantastic gooey coconut flavor, just delicious!
Dinner: nothing new this week
Snack: Buffalo Wing Pretzels, Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies - The Buffalo Wing Pretzels are a savory, salty snack. . . super delicious... a bit crumbly and not super filling, but very good. The Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are numerous and delicious. They are sweet and there are just so many. MUST HAVE MORE!!!

Overall, my week in review is good. I am at 25 pounds down which is super exciting! I felt great this week and like everything was humming along, all coming together, like my body is finally a machine that is functioning well.  

9/26/2010 - Pizza!

Thick Crust Pizza is the BOMB!!!

I cut in half long ways and make 2 pizzas!

In the package there is a crust, sauce, and pizza.
I use the sauce and the crust, but toss the cheese (it bothers me that it burns in the toaster oven and doesn't taste right). I use 1/4 c. of fat free Kraft Cheddar Shredded Cheese.

I make one using some veggies and pepperonis and make another using mustard, cheese, onions, and bacon bits.

Sooooooo good!

9/20/2010 - Week 9 Check-in

Week 9
September 13th-September 19th
Weight: 224
Week 9 loss: 1lb
Total for 9 weeks: 23 pounds
Workouts: 6 1 hour cardio workouts, 1 30 minutes toning workout

Favorites this week
Breakfast: Nothing new...made more pancake puffins (crabby puffins-pancake mix, water, crab, onions, and cheese; raspberry yogurt puffins-pancake mix, milk, yogurt, raspberry; ham & cheese puffins-pancake mix, milk, ham, cheese)
Lunch: Red Beans and Rice
Dinner: Beef Tacos
Snack: Microwave Chocolate Cake

Entering my 3rd month which has a reputation on all the Nutrisystem boards for being one of the more challenging. I have gotten used to the program and find it pretty easy. I can derail myself when I do too many add-ins. I was initially pretty disappointed in my 1 pound for this week, but am actually happy to be losing. My thyroid issue really makes it hard to lose an ounce! So, I am super excited!!

Goals in week 10 are to do 10 minutes of Sauna prior to each workout, complete at least 5 workouts this week, and eat good. I haven't cheated at all since I have been on this diet; but need to stay focused on just having the 3 add ins per day. The fat free half and half and the sugar free Davinci Syrup are 2 add-ins, not 1.

09/19/2010 - Picture!

9/19/2010 - Hoarder

I put the "hoar" in "hoarder" or the "der"...either way, I am totally becoming a Nutrisystem Hoarder!!! I got my first month of food free from my mother-in-law, who had given up on the plan and just wanted it out of her house. Besides the celebrity endorsed commercials, I didn't really know much about the plan, but doubted a program where you could eat burgers and pancakes and lose tons of weight. After the first day, I was hooked. It was completely something I could do. The food was tasty, the weight was coming off, and for the first time in my life I wasn't starving! I immediately felt lighter on my feet and knew I wanted to ride out this weightloss success. Each day was a success, where I stuck to the plan and felt great. So, I investigated. I had seen the sale at Costco (big island featuring Dan Marino and Marie Osmond smiling in their weightloss glory), but thought the $300 was for 3 months; boy was I mistaken. . . It is about $300 a month! Being the sole bread-winner, I knew I could afford this, but certainly did not want to. I have growing teenagers who eat hundreds of dollars of food a week, and that is if I cut them off when they are grumpily unsatisfied, but have definitely received enough nutrition. What was a girl to do?

So, like all frugal people, I checked out Craigslist. To my surprise, there were several listings in my area. The first listing advertised 1 month's worth of food for $75. She stopped the program because she was pregnant. I drove to the lister's house and picked up the food. When I got home and started digging through the contents, it was way more than a month's worth of food. I have had several other successful craigslist transactions since the first one; most recently, I picked up 108 items for $80. I have also bought a few things on ebay and made trades and purchases through the Nutrisystem.com support boards. My coat closet was full and I had no idea exactly what I had. Additionally, those closest to me tease me endlessly about my "black market food" saying that I meet people in dark alleys to get food that they purchased on stolen credit cards. Comments are often said like: "She buys FOOD on CRAIGSLIST!" Pointing at me and making the "loco" signal with their finger swirling their ear. I would be angry, but it is hilarious!

So, overwhelmed with food, I started to inventory my massive accumulations yesterday. I only have 2 boxes completely organized. 1 box slips under my bed and the other is in my bedroom closet. I tried to talk my husband into converting our formal living room into a "Nutrisystem Room" but he WAS NOT having it! He also TD'd the formal dining room and the office as alternate rooms. He is supportive in every other way and is pretty convinced as I approach the end of my 9th week that I am not in one of my phases. The 2 boxes that have been inventoried contain 190 items! 65 breakfasts, 104 lunches, and 21 dinners. I have barely scraped the surface of my inventory and have hundreds more items to sort and enter into my excel... I also have 8 weeks of food separated out by week. So, I guess I can take it easy, I will not be running out of food anytime soon. Hopefully I can eat it all before it turns. LOL. Der! 

Meal	How many?	Location
Nutriflakes	11	Box 3
Apple Strudel Scone	10	Box 3
Lowfat Granola	1	Box 3
Cluster Crunch	15	Box 3
Nutricinnamon squares	7	Box 3
Berries and Multigrain Flakes	12	Box 3
Blueberry pancake mix	3	Box 3
pancake mix	3	Box 3
Apple Cinnamon Oats	1	Box 3
Maple Oats	1	Box 3
Nutrifrosted Crunch	1	Box 3
	65

Meal	How many?	Location
Black Beans & Rice	4	Box 1
Black Bean Tortilla	4	Box 1
Minestrone	6	Box 1
Fettuccini Alfredo	3	Box 1
Pasta Parm w/Broc	3	Box 1
Split Pea	1	Box 1
Cheese Tortellini	7	Box 1
Chicken Noodle	8	Box 1
Beans & Ham	8	Box 1
Minestrone	15	Box 3
Fettuccini Alfredo	4	Box 3
Mexican Style Tortilla Soup	1	Box 3
Black Bean Tortilla	3	Box 3
Black Beans & Rice	1	Box 3
Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes	5	Box 3
Cheesy Cream of Brocolli Soup	1	Box 3
Cheese Tortellini	1	Box 3
Chicken Noodle	2	Box 3
Noodles w/ Chicken	4	Box 3
Beans & Ham	10	Box 3
Chicken Catictorre	2	Box 3
Creamy Tomato	1	Box 3
Chicken Stew w/Barley	1	Box 3
Pasta w/beef	6	Box 3
Split Pea	3	Box 3
	104

Meal	How many?	Location
Mac & Cheese	2	Box 1
Hearty Beef Stew	10	Box 3
Mac & Cheese	2	Box 3
Mac & Cheese w/beef	2	Box 3
3 cheese pasta w/ chicken	1	Box 3
Chili with Beans	4	Box 3
	21

9/18/2010 - Milestones

Today is my 10-year Anniversary with Daimler. I love my company! I received a celebratory email on my blackberry telling me that I have been gifted $200 bucks to commemorate the event. I will also be having lunch with the executives on Monday. But this whole thing got me to thinkin' about all of our personal milestones and how nice it is to reach small milestones, larger milestones, and goals. How very important it is to celebrate each success along the journey and to give ourselves a break for small set-backs.

So, in honor of my 10 years of employment and to respect Milestones everywhere, I am going to share my goals...
Goals:
For 2010: Lose 100 pounds.
I weighed 297 in December of last year and my goal is to get to 196 by the end of 2010.
For Nutrisystem:
1. Lose 50 pounds
Started Nutrisystem at 247 and want to get to 197 asap!
2. Lose 107 pounds
Started Nutrisystem at 247 and want to get to 140.
Other Personal Goals: 
1. Read a book a week
2. Workout 5-6 days a week
3. Do more weight training

Check out the potato salad I made!

Ingredients:

Container of Nutrisystem

Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes

1 red pepper

Chopped Green Onions, to taste

Chopped Red Onion, to taste

Chopped Celery, to taste

Dill Relish (or chopped pickles) to taste 

Mustard, to taste

Boiled Egg (if you wanna use your protein) 

Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions: 

1. Prepare Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes, as instructed, but use a little less water to make the Potatoes thicker

2. Wash and cut the top off the Red Pepper, core it and chop to your liking, either strips or to prepare a bowl

3. After the Potatoes are ready, add in all the veggies, the relish, the mustard, egg, and pepper.

4. Mix it thoroughly

5. Serve in the red pepper and pull of strips to dip into the Potato Salad

  

9/13/2010 - Week 8 Weigh-In, New Inspiration!

Week 8
September 6th-September 12
Weight: 225
Week 8 loss: 2lbs
Total for 8 weeks: 22 pounds
Workouts: 3 1 hour cardio workouts

Favorites this week
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Granola Bar, Harvest Nut Bar, Double Chocolate Muffin
Lunch: Fettuccine Alfredo, Beans and Ham
Dinner: Pasta w/Lemon, Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Snack: Chocolate Chip Pudding, Carrot Cake, White Cheddar Soy Chips

So, I am at the point where I have tried most of the foods and have the plan down. I know what is easy to eat at work and doesn't need much adjustments to be tasty. I still have a few dinners to try. A few things I have tried recently for the 2nd time are definitely better the 2nd go round. Not sure if that is just because I am more hungry or what...

Recently, a friend tagged me in some old pictures from Christmas. I almost "untagged" myself, but instead I am using it as motivation. I didn't feel as fat as I looked. Use this to keep me moving forward. I am in the 1-2 pounds per week phase, and though I wish it would come off quicker...I am super-excited to be consistently moving downwards!

9/12/2010 - Foods

Rehydrating a Patty!

Add water to the tray to rehydrate.

New tip from fellow Nutrisystem member:

use cold water and hydrate for 20 minutes,

then fry in pan with Pam.

The "fried burger" is much much tastier, but 1 I have made did get crumbly.

BBQ Sauce over Beef, Beans, and Rice

BBQ Sauce over Beef, Beans and Rice! Yummy. Has a great, sweet taste with zing and tons of rice (compared to many of the other entrees). This is really, really good. I ate it right out of the container with a salad.

Blueberry and Lemon Bar

Okay, this tastes pretty good. The lemon and blueberry really come together and the crumbly portion really ahs a buttery taste. In my opinion it is much better than the Strawberry Shortcake bar. I was originally disappointed that the bar looked absolutely nothing like the picture, but HEY, I live in Texas! Things melt.

Mushroom Risotto

The first time I had this meal, I thought it was very strange. Each time I have it, it is a different experience. It depends on mood and there are many other things I like a lot more, so I will probably not order this again. One of my friends makes this as a side dish, so I may try that next time.

Pasta with Beef

This is one of my favorite lunches! I add a Tablespoon of Scallions and put my lunch protein (string cheese in this) and it tastes like a decadent pasta dish. I usually cook it as instructed, then dump it into a microwavable cup, add the veggies and poke the string cheese in the middle.

Stroganoff Sauce with Beef and Noodles

One of my favorite dinners! I just love the zesty flavor! Probably better with a spoon of greek yogurt stirred in. I don't have any more of these entrees right now, but hopefully will get some soon.

Homestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

It is more appetizing than it looks. I found a few recipes where people turn the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes into Sherpard's Pie and I think that would be a great idea for this entree. Will try that next time. But overall, besides being a little bland, it is good.

This is a discontinued item, but it is tasty and delicious with a late night coffee! I have 2 more to eat and I am glad!!

9/7/2010 - Weigh-in for Week 7!!

Week 7

August 30th-September 5th
Weight: 227
Workouts completed: 4 1 hour workouts, 1 strength session
Favorites:
breakfast: pancake mix turned into amazing pancake PUFFS!!!
lunch: Beans with Ham, Noodles with Chicken and Veggies
dinner: Thick Crust Pizza, cut in two; Chicken Patty, Potatoes with Beef, BBQ Pork Wrap, Stroganoff
dessert: Chocolate Macadamian Nut Biscotti (discontinued)
Thoughts:
So many delicious new dinners this week. Found some interesting things to try and stuck to the plan. Monday was the beginning of week 8!! I love Nurtisystem and enjoy both the community and the food. It has really been great for me and feels like second nature. I have a new appreciation for fruits as they come into season.

9/4/2010 - Big Mac!

Okay, so....I made MY version of a Big Mac and fries today for lunch. I had to make some adjustments to the rest of the day to keep on plan, but it was a much needed burger and I was so full after eating 3/4 the burger and 1/2 the fries. I used my lunch protein for the 2nd patty. I skipped my snack protein. The fries are a stretch, but I did consider them as a veggie (butternut squash is supposed to be considered a carb).

My husband ate the leftovers and was shocked at how much this tasted like a big mac!

Ingredients for burger:

2 Nutrisystem Flamebroiled Patties

2 T. Fat Free Kraft Thousand Island Dressing

1 C. shredded lettuce

1 + 1/2 Sandwich Thin (Orowheat Whole Grain)

1 Fat Free Kraft Sharp Cheese

Pam

Instructions for burger:

1st - Prepare Patties

Soak patties in cold water for about 10-15 minutes. Then spray pam in a large skillet and cook burgers, flipping once, to desired heat, coloring, and burn. Set aside.

2nd - Prepare Bun

Lay out the bottom half of 2 buns and apply the salad dressing and split the lettuce between the two.

3rd - Build Your Burger

On one of the bottom halves, place the first beef patty.

Top with cheese.

Place the 2nd bottom half on top of the patty w/cheese.

Place 2nd patty. 

Top with 1 of the top halves of bun.  

Ingredients for fries:

Pam

Seasonings (I use Crushed Rosemary and light Cajun Salt)

1/2 medium butternut squash (peeled and chopped into fry-like wedges)

Instructions for fries:

Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with Pam.

Spread out fries so that nothing is touching.

Add seasonings.

Spray fries again.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, checking frequently -- You want them crispy, but not burnt.

9/1/2010 - Delicious Meal

Having a fantastic week! Feeling so energetic and inspired...everyone in my network has been so supportive and encouraging! And....I am able to fit into my old size 16 and 14 pants (the larger versions of each :)... Headed down...  

Spinach Salad w/fat free Raspberry Salad Dressing w/Goat Cheese
2oz Pork w/Hot Mustard and Barbecue
NS Lunch Entree Chicken and Barley