Last week I lost 5.6 pounds!

This past week I lost 5.6 pounds following the Weight Watchers plan.

I’m thinking Weight Watching Wednesdays will be back with a vengeance!!

That’s a lot to lose in a week, so I think I should explain…

I re-joined WeightWatchers last Monday after struggling with a few pounds. I am a Weight Watchers Lifetime member, having lost 30 pounds a few years back to exceed my weight loss goal. After maintaining for about five months I became pregnant with our third child, and three months after delivery I was back at my goal weight and maintained that for about two years. Then all of my bike training (and snacking) sent me off course and I gained a few pounds. Then we went on a fabulous vacation with delicious food and I gained a few more. And then I gained a few more. And, last Monday I was nine pounds over my goal.

I must say that my initial weigh-in probably put me 1-2 pounds over my ‘regular’ weight. My body tends to hold onto a few pounds after a big bike ride. But, even if it was a 3.6 pound loss, I am quite pleased.

So, how did I do it?

I followed the Weight Watchers plan and tracked every morsel of food that went into my mouth. This made me evaluate what I was eating every time I wanted to eat. It definitely eliminated mindless snacking! And it also inspired me to think one step ahead in my meal-planning and really search out healthy options.

Was I hungry? No. Did I feel deprived? No. Am I overjoyed at my jump-start and now super-inspired? YES!

It was a great week. Sure, there were a few moments of frustration, but after about three days I felt energized and encouraged. And I found lots of delicious things to eat.

Here are a few of my new eating discoveries from the previous week:

Creamy tuna sandwich

Apx 4 WW points

2 Oroweat Sandwich thins

1 wedge Laughing Cow garlic and herb

1 individual packet Weight Watchers cream cheese spread

Lettuce or mixed greens

Toast the sandwich thins. Combine cheeses and tuna and heat in microwave. Spread on toast. Top with lettuce and enjoy!

The next three recipes were all adapted from a recipes in Weight Watchers 150 Comfort Foods. I highly recommend purchasing that cookbook at a meeting while it lasts.

I have enjoyed this next one three times in the past week. LOVE it!

Chicken Pecan Salad

Serves 4.   Apx 4 WW points

¼ cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 orange

2 cups/ 8 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast

1 celery stalk, sliced

2 scallions, sliced

2 Tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup seedless grapes, halved

Mixed fresh baby salad greens

Combine first five ingredients. Grate ½ teaspoon zest from the orange and add. Peel and slice orange then add to mixture. Combine the rest of the ingredients with the mayonnaise mixture and stir to spread throughout the salad greens. (If packing, keep salad greens, mayonnaise mixture and grapes separated until serving.)

–Adapted from a recipe in Weight Watchers 150 Comfort Foods.

The next recipe was devoured by my entire family. I served it with brown rice (and was sure to measure my portion before I ate.) It was fantastic and very saucy. YUM!

Sweet and Sour Glazed Chicken

Serves 4.  Apx 6 WW points

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces

4 teaspoons cornstarch

4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup ketchup

3 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Asian dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices

½ small onion, chopped

1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, drained and juice reserved

1. Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons cornstarch & 2 teaspoons of soy sauce in medium bowl. Toss to coat.
2. Stir the ketchup, honey, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, remaining corn starch and remaining soy sauce in a different bowl until well blended.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken with its mixture. Transfer to a plate.

This next one was a satisfying dessert. The brownies do not have a rich chocolate flavor though, but as a friend pointed out… all the stuff on the top makes up for it.

Marshmallow-topped Brownies

16 brownies.  Apx 3 WW points each

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/s cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar

½ cup apple butter

¼ cup canola oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup mini-marshmallows

¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray 8 x 8 pan with nonstick spray.
3. Blend the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Combine the sugar, apple butter, oil, eggs and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Combine the two mixtures and stir just until blended.
4. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle with mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with moist crumbs clinging, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and cut into 16 equal squares.
5. Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add the ginger and stir until fragrant, about 3o seconds. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in chicken and pineapple chunks and cook for 2 minutes. Add ketchup mixture and stir constantly, cooking until mixture comes to a boil and then thickens (about 1-2 minutes).

Next week I’ll try to add a few more recipes. And let you know how I fared with my weight loss journey while on vacation. Plus, I’ve got an awesome breakfast recipe to share…

This post is linked to Works for Wednesday, because all this healthy eating is definitely working for me!!!