I am a LOSER AGAIN!!!

Happy Hump Day all!  I am SO PUMPED to tell you all I FINALLY broke my plateau.  By, plateau, I mean, the fact that I have basically been maintaining my weight since January going back and forth with the same 3-4 lbs. 

It has been soooo frustrating, but, today, when I weighed in I LOST 1.2 LBS BUSTING out of my plateau range ~ woooo, freakin’, hoooo!  It’s onward and downward from here on out!  SUCCESS!

That being said, i am actually taking a CORE/SIMPLY FILLING food approach this week in an effort to bust my plateau.  I will STILL provide the points, but, I will be mainly eating CORE foods.

Today’s breakdown goes as this:

23.5 Points used

3 WPA used ( almond slivers & pretzels) ~ all CORE foods with my low-fat dairy exception b/c I can’t do fat-free cheese.

Tonight’s post is kinda long, but, it’s FUN so enjoy!

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I have been wanting to try Oats with Greek Yogurt ever since I saw Janetha try it and LOVE it.  I was just waiting for a morning when it sounded good…My only problem today was I didn’t realize I wanted it until AFTER I was in the office and I had was grits.

1 packet of Quaker Instant Grits plus 1/2 cup TJ’s FF Greek yogurt.

Topped with a banana (the cinnamon was missing :() and a drizzle of TJ’s Raw Agave Nectar (5 pts).

The result was interesting ~ I liked the sweet salty combo, but, I still think I like them separate better 🙂

I was STARVING all morning and my stomach let everyone know in my meetings.

I started off with 1/2 c grapes and a LF Cabot Cheese (2 pts)

But, I was STILL hungry so I had some popcorn for 1 pt.  It totally hit the spot and made my stomach stop eating itself.

At lunch, I hit the pavement for a nice 3 mile run ~ it was so beautiful outside…warm, breezy and cool.  I totally felt like an elephant clopping my feet, but, it was good to get out and back into running.

Did anyone remember me posting that I’d make Ellie Krieger’s Curried Chicken Salad during my Fridge Makeover meal planning post? 

I finally got around to doing it and whipped this up last night. This is half her recipe 😀

I had 1 serving and placed it over Mixed Greens with cucumber, tomatoes, 1/8 an AVOCADO and a sprinkle of more toasted almonds ~ delicious!  (8 pts)

I liked how the curry contrasted with the sweet, crunchy grapes, toasted almonds and tartness of the lemon juice.  I can’t wait to have it again tomorrow 🙂

My stomach was full, but, my mouth was hungry so I decided to satisfy it with a little loose leaf tea.

I have a new supplier in my Open Sky shop that I am working with called Golden Moon.  I am a BIG FAN of tea because of it’s health benefits, but, really because it often satisfies my mouth when I “think” I am hungry but know I am not.

Golden Moon sent me some of their latest samples to try out.

Tiger Tea!

Fun flavored loose leaf teas.

I picked out the Coconut Pouchong.  It smelled AMAZING when I opened the packet ~ honestly just like a coconut macaroon.

I am not a BIG fan of green tea, but, I liked how the coconut flavor stood out over the grass flavor :)  This would be amazing as dessert with a little Agave Nectar.

Beautiful Green Tea leaves and I LOVE how these little pouches are perfect for 1 cup of tea.  

I like that they offer it up in TINS or in the little sampler packs like the sent me.  You can get find BOTH ITEMS in My Open Sky Shop (don’t forget your 15% Puzzle Coupon) if you want to try.

After work, I headed to my Weight Watcher Meeting where I became a LOSER again ~ so proud!

On my way to the nephew’s baseball game, I picked up a Venti Iced Decaf Latte with a caramel drizzle (3 pts).

I was STARVING yet again, so I decided it was worth 2 points to enjoy the Rosemary & Olive Oil Pretzel Thins they handed out at my meeting.

Pretty decent ingredient list other than I WISH they didn’t use Maltodextrin…Another name for MSG :/

I really liked these ~ they reminded me of Vegetable Flavored crackers ` YUM!

During the game, our 5 year old nephew kept brining me little yellow flowers – He’s so cute!

I may or may not have been guilty of drooling over the pictures in the latest Weight Watcher & Clean Eating Magazines that arrived today in the mail.  Both magazines have some AMAZING sounding/looking recipes that I have to try!!!  (The baseball game is like 3 hours)… I have to admit ~ I want to make my leftovers SEXY!!! 😉 LOL

Dinner was totally random and FAST because I was at the I need to eat now point.  I ate a whole cucumber and tomatoes (0 pts)

Corniness (1 pt)

2 oz of roasted chicken (2 pts) ~ Nothing fancy, but, it hit the spot and was healthier than getting take out.

Review Time!!!! I keep forgetting to tell you all my FAVORITE things about the April Cooking Light….I LOVE Cooking Light, but, I think you all have figured that out by now (Thanks, Time Inc for always sending me it ~ I’d be lost without a little Cooking Light in my life LOL)  🙂

 

Nutrition Myths That Shouldn’t Keep You From Loving Food (p. 134) – Cooking Light reveals the truth about 10 nutrition myths so you can finally love food again.

I picked out a few that were shockers to me:

Myth:   The only heart-friendly alcohol is red wine
Truth:  Beer, wine, and liquors all confer the same health benefits

Myth:   Organic foods are more nutritious than conventional
Truth:  There are many good reasons to choose organic, but nutrition isn’t one of them

Myth:   Eating eggs raises your cholesterol
Truth:  Dietary cholesterol in eggs has little to do with the amount of cholesterol in the body

The Salad Trap (p. 114) – Think you’re making a smart choice when ordering a restaurant salad? Think again. The editors analyze nutrition information for three popular salads at well-known American chains and offer tips to make smarter salad choices. The findings will surprise you.

Feed 4 for Under $10 (p. 176) – I want to try ALL their “cheap” Recipes: Shrimp Pasta; Pork Tenderloin Salad; Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken; and Chicken with Olives.

Dinner Tonight (p. 83) – My favorite thing about Cooking Light!!! Healthy and delicious recipes to get dinner on the table in 40 minutes or less.

The cover ~ Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce ~ Member my PHO post ~ Hello ~ Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens…I could probably go on, but, then, you all wouldn’t know what to read 😀

You can get all their recipes online like Mango Shrimp Kabobs for FREE by clicking HERE!

I have a FUN day planned tomorrow that includes……

* VOLUNTEERING AT THE NAPA FOOD BANK ~ It’s part of my “JOB” tomorrow 😀

* Our 6 YEAR DATING Anniversary EVE!  The Husband & I are heading out of town for SPA TREATMENTS on FRIDAY!!! 

Guess, I should get some sleep now ~ Night all!