Winos on Weight Watchers

Unhealthy Habits Out the Window

2011-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

Maple glazed bacon apple. Lemon pistachio. Chocolate rosemary almond. Cornmeal blueberry. These are some of the donut flavors available at Dynamo Donuts, the premiere donut shop in San Francisco—and the donut shop that I happen to pass daily on my way to work.

For obvious reasons, Dynamo donuts are my weakness. The very thought of one makes me feel like a drug addict who needs a fix. But obviously when one is trying to lose weight before one's wedding, one must steer clear of such evil temptations.

The problem is that Dynamo Donuts also sells Four Barrel coffee. And that's my favorite coffee, and, as I mentioned, it's right on my way to work. So I sometimes find myself stopping at Dynamo in the mornings just to get a cup of delicious french pressed coffee. The intoxicating smells of donuts are always hard to resist, but I do a pretty good job.

Yesterday, I stopped at Dynamo for a cup of coffee on my way to work, and while I was there, I decided to buy a pound of coffee beans. What I didn't realize is that when you buy a pound of coffee beans, you get a free donut. Uh-oh. "Fine," I thought. "I can just give the donut to someone at work." I got my coffee and donut, got into my car, and proceeded to get on the freeway and head to work. As the donut sat on my passenger seat, it seemed to beckon to me. And in my head, I started to negotiate with myself:

"Okay, I'll just eat the donut, but then I'll skip lunch."
"No, then you'll feel like crap about yourself. Just be strong."
"But it's not even that many points. You can fit it in."
"It's not about the points, it's about being healthy and getting rid of bad habits."

This went on for about 10 minutes before I suddenly rolled down my window, grabbed the donut, and chucked it. Dramatic? Maybe. Litterbug? Definitely. But I did what I had to do.

Moral of the story? In dieting and nutrition, you can only be successful if you throw your unhealthy habits out the window. And sometimes that might mean literally.

Wearing a White Dress Means Waving a White Flag

2011-11-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

I'm getting married in May, and I couldn't be more excited. We are now knee-deep into planning: we have perused hundreds of wedding blogs, sent out save the dates, found the perfect venue, booked a rockin' band, hired a fabulous caterer, chosen a classy color palette, started to handcraft DIY decorations... and yes, just last week, I found The Dress. It's strapless and simple and elegant and I love it.

But it also makes me panic.

My best friend Katie understands why. She is getting married three months after me, so wedding talk has dominated our conversations lately. The other day she called me and told me she had had a nightmare the night before. She had woken up that morning in a cold sweat, and hadn't been able to stop thinking about it all day.

"What was it?!" I asked.
"I dreamed that it was the day of my wedding..." she said, pausing, "and that I was the same weight I am now."

My stomach sank. I understood her nightmare because I have been having similar thoughts daily, and especially since finding The Dress. With six months left until the Big Day, the pressure is officially on: I need to lose weight.

And so about a month ago, I had to throw up my white flag and give in to a healthy lifestyle, punctuated by fresh fruits, vegetables and lots of fitness. In turn, I gave up on the just-sorta-watch-what-you-eat-but-really-just-eat-(and-drink)-whatever-you-want Diet (the JSWWYEBRJE(AD)WYW Diet, for short) that I had been embracing for the past year or so. I am now back to tracking obsessively. Moreover, I'm cutting down on processed foods and trying to choose more organic, whole foods. I'm also exercising six days a week, and three of those days involve getting up at the crack of dawn to attend boot camp in the park. I am drinking tons of water and spending my lunch breaks walking 3-4 miles... while pumping 5 pound weights in each hand. Yeah, I'm not messin' around.

The best part? It's working. In a month, I have lost 10 pounds. And I'm happy to wave my white flag and give up on my unhealthy habits, especially if it means being able to wear that perfect white dress in May.

After all, on my wedding day, I just want to feel comfortable and confident. And like the skinniest, prettiest girl on earth.

A Funny Thing Happened Today...

2011-10-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

...or, "The Aftermath of a 5-day Cleanse"... or, "That Really Sucked, But It Worked!" ...

There are a lot of things I could have titled this post, but I decided to focus on the positive side of what Wino Loreal and I just did for ourselves. It's not completely Weight Watchers related, but in some ways it is because, in order to be successful on the WW scales, you have to embrace all things 0 Points Plus - namely fruits and vegetables. Which we didn't. We thought we did, but we clearly didn't. I'll start from the beginning but get to the good stuff quick...

Last month, we watched a documentary called "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" (available on Netflix streaming) which chronicles Joe Cross, an overweight guy who's also suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease and who's determined to regain his health, and his 60-day fruit & vegetable juice cleanse trek around the States. It was motivating to see someone so determined take things into his own hands and follow through on a plan to lose weight and get healthy. The people he meets and inspires along the way are the real gem of the movie in my opinion, and if you're interested, he has a website with his full Reboot program available free to charge to anyone who wants to follow along.

We wanted to try it. Not for the full 60 days, but maybe for 10. We took the quiz on the Reboot website and it told us we needed to start with the Reboot Entry program - a 15-day "journey" of juicing and eating raw & cooked vegetables and fruits. Sounded easy enough, but in the end we decided to do our own cleanse of sorts and combined Vegan + Raw for what I am calling the VRAWWW! Cleanse (trademark!). Only raw fruits and veggies. No meat. No fish. No dairy, carbs, beans, or nuts. We allowed olive oil and we did end up cooking our veggies on day 4. We went so far as to dine out at a Vegan/Raw restaurant called Cafe Gratitude which was nice, but let me tell you, their raw Deep Dish Pizza was neither "deep dish" nor "pizza". And the enchilada? Cashew sour cream isn't anything like real sour cream. I kid you not, the guys next to us saw we ordered all raw food and said "good luck" before we dug in. But I digress...

We started on Saturday 10/22 and planned for 5 days of VRAWWW! That morning, we got $80 from the ATM and headed to the Farmer's Market for the freshest fruits and vegetables around. We made a list of everything we could have and loaded up. We spent every last dime we had on extra avocados - the only thing I truly enjoyed for 5 days. We were excited about the possibilities around us - kale, chard, fresh tomatoes, squash, wild mushrooms, beets, cilantro, jicama, berries! As we spread the bounty out on the kitchen island, we plotted what we'd have for lunch. And once we finished that, we thought about our next snack. And after our snack, we wanted something else. And what should we have for dinner? We didn't leave the house all day. We were miserable; focused on food and all the restrictions around it.

Sunday morning - rise & shine to a delicious fruit smoothie! Now, what's for breakfast? (something resembling baby food if you must know) I could use a snack. How about lunch? We were stuck in the same pattern - comatose on the couch with no will to get up and go outside. We bickered. We had horrible headaches (no caffeine!). We slept. We begrudgingly went outside, but came back in 20 minutes later. We were so caught up on all the food we couldn't have it didn't even matter if we were hungry or not! That night was dinner at Cafe Gratitude (you read how that turned out) and, thankfully, a play we had tickets to...we had to get out of the house and we wouldn't be around food in the theater.

Monday? Better. I had a ton of energy at boot camp and was feeling great (albeit exhausted when 2pm rolled around). Tuesday? Even better. Easier and I wasn't so focused on food. Wednesday? Home free! It was Weight Watchers weigh-in and the scales would tell us if this cleanse did anything for our weight loss mission. Wino Loreal was down a pound and I was down 2.6. Not what we had hoped for, but we have to remind ourselves this cleanse wasn't so much geared towards weight loss as it was toward resetting our systems and getting us to think about food - specifically fruits and vegetables - differently. Last night we splurged with a piece of pizza and a beer. It was good. We didn't feel guilty. But we also vowed that those kinds of foods shouldn't be the norm in our diet, but instead be just what it was - a splurge.

And you know, a funny thing happened today. As I went to the kitchen for a snack, I looked in the fridge and saw all kinds of options staring at me; leftover pizza, guacamole, cheese, hard-boiled eggs. I chose grapes. Without even thinking about it, I chose grapes. And as I sat down to eat my snack, it occurred to me that our cleanse did its job - sure I lost a few pounds, but I also gained the instinct to make healthier choices.

Super Easy Weekend Brunch Bake

2011-07-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe from the super-yummy-looking food porn pic I posted last weekend. It is basically a dozen eggs, chopped up veggies of your choice, reduced fat cheese and, if you choose to add it, a breakfast meat. I have written it up the exact way I made it, but you can add and subtract to whatever suits your taste and/or what you have on hand. This recipe made 8 servings with 7 points per casserole piece. If you aren't serving that many people, you can keep servings for quick breakfasts on the go for the week ahead!

SUPER EASY WEEKEND BRUNCH BAKE

1 doz eggs
2 cups shredded 2% milk cheese
1 zucchini
1 green bell pepper
4 Roma tomatoes
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 stalk green onion
1 package (4 total) chicken sausage

Crack and beat all eggs in a bowl.
Crop up all veggies and sausage (or meat of choice).
Layer all chopped items in a casserole/baking dish big enough to hold all ingredients with room to spare when the egg bakes up.
Pour eggs over chopped ingredients, top with cheese.

Heat oven to 350, bake for 45 minutes. Depending on which and how much veggies you add, there may be some extra moisture in the bake. You can leave it behind when you scoop up your piece with a slated spatula.

HAPPY BRUNCHING!

This Breakfast is only 4 PointsPlus points!

2011-02-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

Believe it.

Here's the skinny (haha, get it?)

4 egg-white omelet w/spinach, mushrooms, leeks, salsa = 1
morningstar farms veggie sausage links = 2
orange = 0
coffee w/soy milk = 1

It's a New Day...

2011-01-31T10:10:00.001-08:00

...and I'm feelin' good! (Because I finally re-joined!)

Should take some getting used to the new PointsPlus system, but already this morning we managed to measure out every ounce of our breakfast.

A Thomas' bagel thin (3 points) plus an egg (2 points) was a great way to start the day! I would have added an extra point to my morning had I not forgotten my travel mug of coffee, but maybe it's for the best.

Definitely in question for this site is whether or not to change the name now that we're working with much higher values for our beloved wine? Thoughts?

The whine on the wine...

2011-01-10T11:53:00.001-08:00

Awe crap, us WINOS are SCREWED!

Today marks the second week of tracking for me on the new PointsPlus Weight Watchers program. Since the last quarter of 2010 was filled with the Giants playoffs and World Series win, then straight into the holidays, I am now paying the preverbal piper for the pounds I gained in the process. It actually feels great to start the new year with a plan to insert some sanity back into my eating plan.

So I've been learning quickly what is the same and what is different on the new points plan. As many of you I'm sure have already figure out, it comes down to this: slightly more leeway on foods that are not processed (i.e. whole foods), and more penalization for anything processed or carbohydrate-y. Guess what falls into the latter category BIG TIME: booze.

As I attempted to cut down on but still fit some doses of wine into my week, it quickly became clear how fast I was going to damage my points allowance if I went at this same ol' same ol'. Gone are the days of a bottle being 11 points. Instead try 25! Now, it's not apples to apples, as we now have an increased amount of weekly points to dole out to causes like this, but we're basically going from 3 bottles a week on the old plan to 2 on this plan.

A life or death situation? No. Probably smart changes on Weight Watchers part? For sure. Gonna take some adjusting in my weekly and daily life? Definitely!

As for the matter of this group's namesake, that is still TBD…….but ELEVEN POINTS will always live in my heart! And stomach. *tear*

The New Program : PointsPlus

2010-11-29T11:49:00.001-08:00

With Weight Watchers unveiling their new PointsPlus plan, it feels like a perfect time to start back up (again!) and get tracking. Admittedly, I've gained back 8 of the pounds I had shed the first time around and I need to get back in check. (We'll need to come clean with the Backstreet Boy image and drop that weight loss meter down I suppose, too.)

I haven't cracked what this new plan means yet, but I did manage to find out that a 4oz. glass of wine has doubled from 2 POINTS values to 4 PointsPlus values.

And, even though it looks like the weekly allowance total has been upped to 49, this news seems to hit a little close to home for the Winos!

I will keep reading the site to bring you important wine & foodie related updates, but in the meantime, has anyone attended a kick off meeting already about the new plan? Any advice?

Chipotle Points aka This Will Ruin Your Burrito Buzz

2010-11-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

The chain Mexican food restaurant Chipotle is a go-to favorite of mine. Even with as many authentic taquerias as we have here in SF, I occasionally find myself at Chipotle's downtown location to get my mid-day burrito fix.

When I first joined Weight Watchers, I found that they did not have the points of this restaurant on the online tracker. So I eventually got hold of the nutritional menu and made my own WW Chipotle choices.

Well, today I discovered that the points for Chipotle ingredients are now on WW. Yay! I immediately calculated two of my go-to items. A bad-girl burrito with the works (tortilla, beans, chicken, cheese, rice, sour cream, guac, salsa) = 24 points! Whoa! As I searched Chipotle on my WW iPhone app, I realized I had tried to do this calculation before on my own and somehow only came up with a 13 point burrito that I flagged as a favorite. I was off by more than half! How did this happen?

The smart-girl Chipotle choice, which I have actually ordered quite frequently since I joined WW, is my version of one of their salads. (Lettuce, chicken, pinto beans, corn salsa, fajita veggies, cheese, salsa as dressing). That costs me 10 points. If I drop the cheese, then only 7. Don't fall into the trap of going near their "Chipotle Vinaigrette", because that by itself is a whopping 7 points! You might as well just drink that down instead of the salad! Yeah, no thanks.

Now that I have a more accurate count of what is goin on in there, I will definitely only get a burrito if I commit to cutting it in half and making two meals out of it. Which all human beings should probably just go ahead and do anyways. Otherwise, it's salads for me! All the flavor, half the points. And GRACIAS, Chipotle, for being bold enough to allow your points to show on the tracker.

$4 a day

2010-11-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite charities that I donate to every year (though not enough) is the San Francisco Food Bank. I think it holds a place in my heart, or should I say my gut, because I HATE being hungry. Other people, like my husband, hate me being hungry too, because when my blood sugar goes down, I turn into a bi-atch! So it makes me sad to think what it must be like for those who have to endure hunger all the time.

I also find it ironic that our daily Winos on Weight Watchers struggle here is to NOT put food in our mouths while others are struggle to find enough.

Recently the SFFB posted a link to the blog one of their board members is writing on as she challenges herself to live on the amount of food that food stamps provide to someone per day -- $4. I have been checking into the blog this week as she takes this challenge and it is very eye-opening…especially as I track my food today for the first time in months so I can try to NOT eat so much. Meanwhile, she is starving as are so many other people on government food assistance.

I encourage you readers to check out her blog and join me in being thankful for everything we have, which generally is way more than most:
http://fourdollarsaday.blogspot.com/

Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self

2010-11-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

You better check yo self before you wreck yo self
Cos I'm bad for your health, I come real stealth...

Welp, it's been a cra-zay few months to say the least. Got married in September, honeymooned, had a birthday, and meanwhile the San Francisco Giants were battling themselves into and through the playoffs and became first-time World Series Champs. In the midst of all the mayhem, guess what didn't happen…..TRACKING.

From my best estimates I think the last time I was truly tracking via Weight Watchers was sometime in July. That means a 4-month lag in paying attention to what I am doing. Now that the aforementioned events are officially donzo, it is time to assess the damage.

In my previous post (below), I talked about the havoc the Giants baseball schedule was having on my own, and my weight. Watching games instead of working out. Drinking and eating junk instead of planning for healthy meals. Let me tell you what -- it was ALL worth it. With their huge trophy in hand, the season is now over, and so is this free-for-all that went on way longer than expected.

Come on and check yo self before you wrickity-wreck yo self

So chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self...

Though I wasn't tracking, all the while I kept up with weighing in. Hey, I didn't want to completely flush my $39.95 WW payment completely down the toilet. Plus, even if I'm not trying, I still like to know what the numbers are. Today I did my official post-mayhem weigh-in. Overall weight gain from my lowest weight since joining WW: 4 pounds!

If you're foul, you better run a make on that license plate

You coulda had a V8...

I'm remembering back to all of the drinks and indulgent foods that have crossed my path in the last 16 or so weeks and, frankly, 4 pounds feels like I just got away with murder. It is a small price to pay for the caution I've thrown to the wind. I am thankful that my battle to get back down won't be insurmountable. But if I don't start back up again now, things could get real bad. I love fitting back into my clothes nicely. I love being in control and making wise choices. I love being creative with this plan to get me to an end goal. The last thing I will let happen is to let myself back to where I started. I don't care what life gets in the way, I never want to end up in that chunky chick prison again. As Ice Cube says, good thing I'm checking myself before I wreck myself...

Cause women like you gets no respect
B!!!h, you better run a check

The Playoffs 15

2010-10-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's ever gone to college knows about The Freshman 15. It's the weight an 18-year-old puts on from being away from home for the first time, constantly surrounded by copious amount of food in the dorm cafeteria and all-you-can-drink keg parties at the fraternity house down the street. They are out of routine, not on the football or cheerleading squad exercising every day after school, and sleeping through any class that starts before 11 a.m. By the time they all go home for holiday break, boom! Everyone's chunkier.

When the San Francisco Giants baseball team was in the 2002 and 2003 playoffs, I found myself in a similar situation. Instead of going jogging after work along the gorgeous Crissy Field coastline, there were very important games I HAD to see…..at a sports bar…..with pitchers of beer and plates of nachos. The problem with a playoff series is that they can go on for weeks upon weeks. And if your team is lucky enough to make it to the World Series, as we did in 2002, those weeks turn into months. Before you know it, one missed jog around the neighborhood turns into 17. Pile the sports bar calories on top of it and you've suddenly gained The Playoffs 15!

The Giants' recent run for the pennant has proven I have still not taken these learnings and applied them. I have spent the last two evenings with my eyes glued to the flat screens at a place here called Rosemunde's Sausage Grill. It is every bit as delicious as it sounds. Literally more than a dozen different kinds of specialty sausages to choose from. The fries are to die for. And there's an excellent selection of specialty beers. So as I rooted for enough wins to take us to the World Series, I stuffed my face with said deliciousnesses. Never mind the previous two-week-long series that got us to this one, or the end of the regular season prior to that, which was a nail biter down to the end, so I HAD to watch all those games too.

Needless to say, Weight Watchers tracking is not one of the 'stats' I've been paying any attention to lately. It's much more interesting to see how our star closer Brian Wilson matches up against the league's other best pitchers. But, I am still subjecting myself to weekly weigh-ins. If I'm going down with the team, I at least want to know it. I thought I was beating the odds when last week when I weighed in at a new all-time-low for myself. Pleased as punch I figured I could keep on doing what I'd been doing and get away with it. Well, that philosophy turned into strike three when I stepped on the scale this week…… UP 4.5 LBS! It was a new record stat: largest gain in a week since starting Weight Watchers. Boy do I not need that on my ERA.

There are a couple more critical games this weekend. I’m not sure my behavior will change completely, but maybe it isn't necessary to sit in the sausage joint again for starters. Hopefully I can monitor myself a bit better and avoid another error on the scale. And hopefully I can celebrate doing so by popping open a bottle of champagne with a Giants World Series berth.

LET'S GO GIANTS!

How Winos Celebrate Birthdays

2010-10-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

We don't celebrate with cake. We celebrate with karaoke.

So We Meet Again

2010-09-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all recognize the above image. The Scale. My mortal enemy. Throughout the years it has appeared regularly in my nightmares, cackling and taunting me. The very thought of stepping onto it at the doctor's office has caused me to cancel appointments.

But I didn't cancel my appointment yesterday. For the past few months, I have had to skip my weekly Weight Watchers weigh-ins because they coincided with my weekly team runs. I tried to stick with the e-Tools, but without those weigh-ins, I really had nothing to hold me accountable. So when I went in for my annual check up at the doctor's office yesterday after not getting on the scale for three months, I was terrified—and sure that I had gained all my weight back.

Before stepping onto the scale, I contemplated removing my jeans right there in the middle of the hallway—everyone knows they add about a pound!—but I thought better of showcasing my thong to the twelve year old boy in the room across from me, so I sucked it up and just got on. As the nurse moved the metal weight to the right—thud, thud, thud—I cringed. She wrote down the number on her chart, and I anxiously peered down at it.

The good news: When all was said and done, I had only gained 2 lbs. And probably only one with the jeans. Just sayin'.
The bad news: When all was said and done, I had gained 2 whole lbs. For the past three months, I haven't lost any weight. Boo.
The lesson: The weekly weigh-ins matter. Though the cackle of the scale rings in my ears and conjures up feelings of fear and inadequacy, I need it, because it is what ultimately keeps me in line.

So I just upgraded my membership from e-Tools only to a full, monthly pass. Weigh-ins start back up again next week. I have waged a full-on war with my mortal enemy, The Scale—a war I plan to win.

I did it!

2010-09-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cue "Eye of the Tiger," everyone. Because I killed the Kauai Half Marathon last week! 13.1 miles? Check! PLUS, I raised over $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the process thanks to the incredibly generous support of friends and family, many of whom are reading this blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It was my first race, and traversing the garden isle of Kauai before the sun even came up was a surefire way to get me hooked on marathon running. Watching the sunrise over the lush, green mountains as I approached mile 5 was definitely one of the more unforgettable experiences of my life—as was the incredible rainbow that appeared in the sky above me just half a mile before crossing the finish line.

I didn't get the greatest time—my average pace was exactly 11 minutes per mile—but in my defense, the course was really tough! Very hot and VERY hilly! I consider it good practice for the Nike Women's Half Marathon, which I'll be running in October in San Francisco. :)

So what did I do to reward myself after successfully completing my first Half Marathon?

Spent 10 amazing days on the island with my best friend.

Took in incredible sunsets.

Kayaked tropical rivers.

Hiked to secret waterfalls.

Explored the wondrous and mysterious Na Pali coast.

Floated among hundreds—hundreds—of dolphins.

And, of course, indulged in many a delicious, fruity cocktail!

Bring on the next race!

Summer in San Francisco

2010-08-19T09:21:00.001-07:00

I am wearing a scarf today. It is the middle of August.

Even though us San Franciscans get tired of hearing it, the old Mark Twain quote rings all too true: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

How does this relate to weight loss? Well, I mentioned the scarf. But add to that the fact that I wear a fleece everywhere I go because it's been too cold not to. My daily outfit all summer has consisted of a fleece or vest, and a different colored scarf. Welcome to Summer in San Francisco.

Let the below picture from Wino JWHA's birthday last week serve as proof of that.

Sure, we all had a great time... but notice how everyone's in winter clothes? Turtlenecks, scarves, sweaters... even a wool coat! It just ain't right.

When I lived in places that had hot summers—L.A., Boston, D.C.—I had more motivation to lose weight, because I knew summer's arrival meant the donning of summer apparel: shorts, skirts, tanks, bikinis. Because San Francisco summers are an exception to the "hurry-and-lose-weight-so-you-will-look-decent-in-that-bikini" rule, I have lagged this summer, and have sort of fallen off the Weight Watchers wagon. I guess I have gotten a little too comfortable in my fleece and scarf.

But I leave for Kaua'i two weeks from today. The fleece is coming off, and the bikini's going on. And when I get back, it will be Fall in San Francisco—which means warmth and sun.

So it's on. No more lagging. Back to tracking, tracking, tracking. Because my scarf and fleece won't be there to save me in Hawaii—and they shouldn't have to save me now, either.

Say Yes To (zipping up) The Dress!

2010-08-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Now that Wino Tristan's wedding is complete (see post below), it is on to the next one. T-minus 4 weeks til showtime for me and plenty still to do. After a grueling 16 week order time, I was finally able to pick up my wedding dress this weekend. The wedding dress I started this whole Weight Watchers thing for in the first place.

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the whole wedding dress process. First, it's a lot of work getting those things over your head and back off again, not only for you but for the salesperson helping. By the time you try on a dozen, it is practically a workout. Then, most if not all of them were 2 sizes down from what I wound up ordering. So instead of stealthily slipping up the zipper of them, the helper girl would have to pull the sides back to give me a better look of how a more appropriate size might fit. Not exactly an ideal way to get excited about the thousands of dollars you are about to spend when one is pouring out of satin and lace. Hmph.

Sixteen weeks is a long time to wait for something. When I plopped down my credit card for the most expensive garment I have ever bought, it was early April. I looked back at my progress on the Weight Watchers weight tracker since that time and was surprised to discover I have, overall, only dropped about 6 pounds since then. Talk about some yo-yo dieting! The strange thing is, my body now is noticeably slimmer. I don't know if I've gained muscle or what, but even with only a 6 lb total difference since then, I walked into that bridal shop in better shape than when I placed the order.

Not really knowing what to expect when it was time to see how my dress would fit, the sales chick and I did the shimmy once again to get the thing over my head. Then, time to zip. Expecting some sort of a struggle, I literally had to ask her -- is it all zipped up? "YES!," she said. Whew! I thought. I looked at the front and back in the three-way mirror and was relieved to see that I was pretty happy with the way all body parts were being displayed inside and out of the thing. Granted, it is built to hold your junk in place and make it look good. But, hey, I was holding up my end of the bargain too!

So, the stress is over, right?! Wrong. Now time to find a decent tailor that won't cost me another grand to make a few final adjustments. At least I'm not worrying about them having to somehow let the thing out though. If that were the case I'd be seriously contemplating pulling a Bridezilla!

(Please pardon the wrinkles in the dress picture; it has not been presssed for wear yet.)

To Have and to Hold...On to Pounds!

2010-07-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

It is exactly one week until my father walks me down the aisle. It has been a blur of activities, mostly fun, but some stressful. I had heard that in the weeks prior to your wedding, pounds magically fall off! “Don’t worry, Tristan, you will drop, like tons of weight right before the wedding.” Well guess what, that DOESN’T happen. It is true that I am just three little pounds away from my goal weight, but I am here to report that it was done through good, old fashioned weight watchers hard work. After the famous nacho blow out (with fellow bride and wino, Erika), I knew something had to change. I began watching portions and counting points- something, I confess, I hadn’t done in months. With all of the wedding activities, I was able to maintain, but not lose. So two weeks ago, I made a few small changes: more protein, less quantity, and fewer sips of wine. The result: 5 pounds and more nipping in of the wedding dress.

As I stood in the fancy-pants bridal salon and took a look at my arms, I realized that I have lost 28 pounds. It took a whole year to get it off and I am still not at the finish line. However, I am ready to take my fathers arm and to smile, knowing that I worked hard to get where I am. Just because I am getting married, doesn’t mean that the barn door is open for cheese and bread fest. Instead, I will continue to strive for the balance weight watchers has helped me achieve. When I started at weight watchers, my motto was “Slow and steady wins the race.” Instead of thinking that I had to lose 30 pounds (sounds scary, doesn’t it!), I just took it day by day and bottle of wine by bottle of wine. And now, I am the bride I want to be. Thanks to all of my fellow winos & to my fabulous fiancé for supporting me and for tell me to slowly back away from the gummy worms.

Signed, The Future Mrs. Margetson

Three Words: Dulce....de....Leche

2010-07-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

It means "milk caramel" in Spanish and its DELICIOUS. It is said that dulce de leche originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1829. I'm sure everyone has heard of it by now. In 1997, Häagen-Dazs introduced a dulce de leche flavored ice cream; in the same year, Starbucks began offering dulce de leche flavored coffee products. And in 2009, the Girl Scouts introduced a dulce de leche flavored cookie.

A few months back I blogged about wanting to slim down for an upcoming wedding I was going to in Buenos Aires. My goal was to lose 10 - 15 lbs. Well, I didn't quite make my goal, but I was down about 9 lbs by the time I left. I got home on Wednesday morning after an awesome week of visiting with friends, exploring a beautiful city, drinking incredible Malbec wine and indulging in...you guessed it, copious amounts of dulce de leche.

I think we can all agree that its pretty difficult to count points while on vacation, especially in a foreign country where the nutritional information, if its even listed, is in a different language and usually a different unit of measure! Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

How many points do you think this would be?

Yes, that's what homemade flan is supposed to look like. And because flan isn't rich enough, you simply must add about a 1/2 cup of dulce de leche on the side...and you MUST eat it ALL. It would be rude not to.

Or what about a portion of one of these dulce de leche flavored desserts?

I don't know either...but let me tell you, it was worth it!

I think that crazed look in my eyes says it all.

Skinny Bitch

2010-07-22T15:34:00.001-07:00

I recently started working more closely with someone in my department at work on a new project. Lets call this person Skinny Bitch. Skinny Bitch is funny, nice, super cute, a great dresser, and, you guessed it….skinny!

This week, Skinny Bitch and I happened to be walking out of the office for lunch around the same time. Skinny Bitch asked me where I was headed. I paused in my head for a second, wondering if I should tell her I was walking down to Weight Watchers to do my weekly weigh-in. But I then immediately told Skinny Bitch this info, because hey, I'm telling the freakin world about it on my blog, I can let this co-worker know what I'm up to. She's a Skinny Bitch, so she probably won't understand, but whatever.

As I blurted out my lunchtime errand, she mumbled something about knowing about that. I shrugged it off and went about my merry way, wondering what indulgent lunch she would come back with. Because as we all know, or assume anyway, Skinny Bitches can eat whatever they feel like and it NEVER comes back to haunt them.

Later that day, Skinny Bitch and I were standing around the same post-work happy hour. She was nibbling on a cheese plate, one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. Figures! As we sipped out drinks and chatted, she asked how my trip to WW went. "Oh great," I responded. "Down a little more than a pound this week!"

Skinny Bitch then proceeded to tell me how much she digs WW and had previously lost 35 lbs, yes THIRTY-FIVE pounds, on the program. My mind was spinning! How could this be?! She's so…….SKINNY. She shared with me how she used to be a bit chunkier and I listened in awe. Though she no longer does the weekly WW thing, she still abides by what she learned from the program. The big things she did to achieve success: 1) add veggies to everything, and 2) cut all portions in half.

Well, what I learned that day was that WW works! And that you never know who around you might have gotten their skinny-on by counting points. Just look at Skinny Bitch! She is proof positive that someday, someone just might, if I'm lucky, call me Skinny Bitch too.

It Takes Two

2010-07-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

In May, after about three months of Weight Watchers, I decided to take my weight loss journey to the next level: I signed up to run the Kauai Half Marathon.

My event is in September, and for the past six weeks, I have been wrapped up in hard, intense training. Short runs. Long runs. Sprints. Intervals. Sit-ups. Push-ups. Boot camps. All of it.

I am not a runner. In fact, when I went on my first run after signing up for the marathon, I couldn't even make it to the end of my block without stopping to walk. So I obviously felt a huge sense of accomplishment last weekend when I ran eight miles without stopping. A five- or six-mile run is no sweat for me, now. Amazing, right?

However, I got on the scale last night and came to realize that despite all of this intense training, I haven't lost a single pound. Despite running 25-30 miles per week, despite giving up my Wednesday sushi nights to track workouts, despite the sit-ups that keep my abs sore for days and the hard runs that cause my knees to nearly buckle when I get out of bed in the morning... I still weigh exactly as much as I did before I started running.

Why? Because Weight Watchers isn't just about eating right. And it's not just about moving more. It's about doing both. And I realized that since I've kicked up the workouts, I've also kicked up the calorie consumption.

"Oh, it's fine if I eat these two oatmeal raisin cookies—I ran 6.5 miles this morning!" As it turns out, this is not true. (It's also not true that it's okay to drink strawberry milkshakes after a workout, or that a chocolate croissant is fine to have with coffee in the morning if I'll be working it off later that day, or that I no longer need to track my wine intake now that I work out regularly.)

So it's back to tracking and healthy eating—but without giving up the hard workouts. Because my goal weight is just as attainable as that marathon finish line. Even if, in the meantime, both of them are kicking my ass.

Divine Deliciousness - Sea Bass with Fennel Rice

2010-07-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

My roommate and I cooked an amazingly delicious dinner the other night and I just had to share the recipe. The ingredients aren't cheap, but this may possibly be the best meal I've had in months!

Roasted Sea Bass with Tomato and Green Bean salad

Makes 4 servings
6 pts/serving

Salad
Saute 1/2 lb of green beans in a medium saute pan just spray pan with 0 calorie olive oil cooking spray for about 10 minutes until tender.

Mince 1 garlic glove and mash to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a bowl, whisk together garlic with 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 2 tbsp olive oil. Toss with green beans and 1/2 lb grape tomatoes (mixed colors if possible), 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes (mixed colors if possible) and 2 tbsp of capers. Cut large tomatoes in half if necessary. Let stand and stir occasionally while fish cooks.

Fish
Preheat oven to 425 with rack in the middle. Spray a 1 1/2 to 2 quart baking dish with olive oil spray.

Rub flesh sides of 4 6-oz fillets of sea bass with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper total. Slice 1/2 of a red onion in thin slices and divide into 2 portions. Sandwich each portion and 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh oregano between 2 fillets of fish. Tie the fillets together with kitchen string and transfer to the baking dish. Roast fish in oven until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Cut strings and serve 1 fillet per person topped with salad.

Fennel and Golden Raisin Rice

Makes 4 servings
4 pts/serving

Cook 1 medium onion (diced) and 1 large fennel bulb (stalks discarded, also chopped) with 1/3 cup golden raisin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Look for the onions to become translucent but not caramelized to determine when the mixture is cooked to perfection. Add 1 cup long grain white rice and cook for about a minute. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a strong boil. Thightly cover and cook on low heat, undisturbed, until water is absorbed, about 22 minutes.

Remove from heat. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then serve with the fish dish above and a glass of French Chardonnay if you so choose!

When you're sliding into first, and you feel a great big burst...

2010-07-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not be aware, Wino Tristan and I held a dueling bachelorette party at an all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta last weekend. Our enthusiastic and generous friends attended and we all ate and drank a lot. Because everything we ate and drank was "free", it is anyone's guess as to how many calories were consumed by any one person. Endless mimosas, omelets made to order, waffles, an entire spread of authentic Mexican food….and this is just breakfast, folks.

By the time I got home, I felt like I'd had my fill of food in general, and Mexican food specifically. I was ready for the end. What I wasn't ready for was what came next…

I woke up on Monday morning to a little tickle in my throat. "Maybe I'm coming down with a cold," I thought. By 9 p.m. I was projectile vomiting chunks of food that made me recall every little thing I'd eaten that day. When I emailed my friends about what was going on, guess what the #1 response was: Well, at least you'll lose some weight!

I must admit that this thought crossed my mind as well. After countless plates from the make-your-own-nachos-bar at the resort, I was fully prepared to have a gigantic +5 lb gainer on my Weight Watchers score card this week when I weighed in. But after 48 hours of the runs, I was actually down to my lowest weigh-in to date! Wow, maybe this flu thing does have something to it!

But as I am on day three of non-stop diarrhea, I am also now asking myself, what kind of sick society do we live in where we all get excited about being sick?! A quick-fix to an over-indulgent weekend is the good fortune of coming down with a 72-hour virus. In the meantime, I'm laid up on the couch, unable to proceed on with some of my more healthier aspects of life, like getting to my bi-weekly weight training class. On the flip-side, I've also now missed two, count 'em, 2 happy hours in as many days.

Look, I'm seriously glad there was little consequence to the weekend of debauchery on my body, but it is time that we do not look forward to puking our guts out to get ahead on the scale. As my flu comes to an end, it is now time to re-calibrate my health eating and working out habits, so I can get ready for the next event the healthy way. Two weeks until Winos Tristan's wedding...time to eat salad and get the running shoes back in action.

(Pictured: Tristan and Erika's childhood-to-now friend, Lisa, displaying one of numerous plates of nachos made over the weekend.)

Homemade Granola

2010-07-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

I love granola, but the store-bought varieties tend to be high in fat and calories, which as we all know, equals high WW Points values. Plus, its expensive! I recently found a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine for homemade granola. After a few tests and tweaks, I think I may have found the perfect, all natural, low Point, wallet-friendly recipe.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300.
Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl.
Heat honey and oil in saucepan until smooth.
Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and stir thoroughly.
Spread on non-stick baking sheet.
Cook for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Allow to cool, then mix in fruit.
Store in air-tight container or ziplock.

Servings = 20 (1/4 cup)
WW Points = 2

I like to eat mine over WW vanilla yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit tossed in.

Celebrate This. Bitch.

2010-07-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of friends. This is a good thing. When I need a drink after work or want to spend a Sunday in the park, I have a long list of people I can call. I'm never bored or lonely. And when I'm down or need a listening ear, there is always someone there for me. Knowing this makes me smile.

But lately, there's been a lot more events to attend...

Two friends are getting married soon. Another just got engaged. Several have birthdays around this time. One just had a baby. Another is celebrating her son’s first birthday. It's fourth of July. There are BBQ's and parties and weekend getaways galore.

It seems like all I do these days is celebrate... appetizers to make, gifts to buy, glasses to be raised. And every time I toast to someone else's new found love or the emergence of another human being from their uterus, I'm forced to slurp up another glass of calories or shove another fried cheese ball down my pie-hole. Apologies for the vulgarity here, but I'm ready to take those personally monogrammed towels and strangle myself with them. I’ve had it. I’m done.

I’M TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT HERE PEOPLE, and your need to celebrate your life transition is really hindering my progress. I’m glad you have found the love of your life. I’m thrilled your baby has 10 fingers. I couldn’t be happier that you’ve reached the 34^th year of your life without having a nervous breakdown. But I don’t want to get fat again to prove it!

Why does celebration always entail ingesting the most indulgent food and drink??? Can’t we acknowledge all this excitement with a brisk walk and some carrot sticks? How about 100 sit ups and a Zone bar? Maybe a pilates class followed by a protein shake? No? Doesn’t sound fun? What do you mean?

Ok, alright, fine. We can skip the chin ups before we hit the champagne. But you better believe that I’m bringing my own snacks to the party and cutting that wine with some seltzer next time. Your celebration will not equate to my physical inflation. Your fabulous event will not be my spiraling descent. I can do this dammit!

With a little luck and a lot of tracking, the next time I pop a bottle of bubbly, it’s going to be in celebration of my own success. No, I'm not talking about finding my soul mate... simply reaching my goal weight. Think I can register for that?

Hot Dog Love

2010-06-30T14:49:00.001-07:00

Summer's here and I have a confession to make: I love hot dogs.

There, I said it. But it's true. I love them. Though they are made from meat slurry, though they have little to no nutritional value, and though their nickname is derived from male genitalia... I. love. hot dogs.

Unfortunately, my hot dog love has always been synonymous with hot dog shame. I remember one junior high night spent at Skating Plus, our local roller rink. I had been eyeballing Kevin Norris all night, hoping he'd ask me to skate during couples' skate. I promptly forgot about Kevin, though, when the tasty, aromatic smell of hot dogs wafted my way from the snack bar. Moments later, I was engrossed in a delicious dog and oblivious to all else—including the mustard that had built up around my mouth. The mustard that Kevin pointed out between bursts of laughter when he approached me a little while later.

I'd like to think that things have changed since I was 13—that my tastes have become more sophisticated, that my choice in cuisine no longer causes me shame, that potential dates don't burst out laughing at my mustard-covered face upon approaching me.

Sadly, this is not the case. The smell of city hot dog carts still stops me in my tracks, I can't sit down at a sporting event without a dog in hand, and I maintain my yearly Costco membership for the hot dogs alone.

And so I have had to find a healthy way to live with my love of hot dogs. The solution? Ballpark Turkey Franks. The same great meat slurry taste at only 3 points. (I officially grant them permission to use that as their product tagline.) I have tried various brands of turkey dogs and this, in my opinion, is the best.

But while turkey dogs are a great Weight Watchers-friendly alternative, sometimes I still crave the real thing. So what do I do in those cases? Save up my points and indulge. After all, what's a baseball game without a hot dog?

Yep, I'm goin' there...Hungry Girl BUGS!

2010-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am ready to catch crap for this one, but I have got to be honest with y'all. HUNGRY GIRL BUGS!

Us Winos naturally stumbled across Hungry girl a month or two into our journey because Weight Watchers pimps her out big time. Lucky her. Yes, we are jealous of her fame. Yes, she has about 193,000+ more "Like"-ers than we do. Yes, she has hella sponsors. Cool, maybe we can learn a tip or two! So we all decided to follow her on Facebook.

What has ensued over the last couple months while getting to know her style was a downward spiral of "she bugs." At first, I was willing to giver her goodie-two-shoes take on everything a chance. WOW this, YAY that. Now, her postings are just boring and nauseating. One of the more ridiculous ones of recent memory: "Tea, Black or Green?" Um, really? Who cares. I am beginning to think the only reason she asks these ridonk questions is to get market research for her food prostituting. Some other recent Facebook news feed fodder and what I'm really thinking when I read them:

Hungry Girl I'll be on Joy Behar's HLN show tonight. Please PLEASE don't start a whole debate about whether you love or hate her on here. She did a fun interview with me and if you're an HG fan, try to tune in... XOXOXOX
So, you're going on a show but telling people not to let you know if they don't like the host? Censorship!

Hungry Girl COME MEET ME & TRY the NEW LAUGHING COW LIGHT FLAVORS & HG mocktails at WEGMANS in Downingtown, PA tomorrow (FRIDAY) at NOON!!! Cheese + booksigning = WOWOWOWOW!!!!
What are mocktails? Does this mean there is no booze in them? NO THANKS! #FAIL

Hungry Girl WOW! Was SO SO close to Tom Cruise at GMA today. He stuck around for my segment & I believe he eyeballed my Sassy Veggie Eggrolls. He is VERY adorable, BTW.
1) Tom Cruise is lame. 2) If he is so cool, why didn't he say hi to you instead of eyeballing your whatever-they-are eggrolls? Rude!

Hungry Girl What's the WEIRDEST food you have ever seen on a menu? For me it could be a PB & J hamburger. But I don't travel outside the country very often…
Don't travel outside the country? Boring. You are rich and famous now -- get out there!

Hungry Girl A NEW VITATOP IS BORN!!!! Happy Birthday, Apple Crumb!!!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!
You can tell who her sponsors are from a mile away.

I have come to the conclusion that it is time to un-Like Hungry Girl. Because Hungry girl doesn't make me want to eat...she makes me want to barf! I've held on for as long as I could, but I just can't get behind anyone serving mocktails. Buh-bye.

Relationships Are Hard Work

2010-06-21T19:37:00.001-07:00

Similar to what Wino Miranda was talking about in her recent post of plateaus and bad habits, recently, I realized that I'd completely abandoned tracking. I guess I thought I knew what I was doing and could handle it all on my own, in my mind, without the help of writing anything down. I was wrong.

What was once a .4 loss away from my 10% goal became a 1.2 loss, and then slipped further away to 2 pounds. Who knows what this week will bring, I am guessing not much better! Bottom line, I was sabotaging my weight loss by abandoning the one thing that was getting me to goal in the first place - tracking.

Realizing this, I started to become disenchanted with the program ... thinking there was no turning back now and I would continue to gain and gain until I was back up that 20 pounds I had lost over the last few months.

Until this past weekend.

Call it being in the right place at the right time or call it, simply, attending a regularly scheduled meeting (admittedly we've been skipping meetings due to conflicts or sushi hunger), but the WW meeting I went to on Saturday with Wino Suz led by Liz (Jennifer Hudson's leader, pictured above) was exactly the inspiration I needed to get my a** back on track with this program.

Hi, I'm Jen and I've Stopped Tracking.

I had all but abandoned this crucial step in the system and, what happened? I found myself slipping further and further from my goals. Coincidence? I think not.

You see, like Liz said, the tracker is like a boyfriend or a girlfriend. You start out blissfully happy - together all the time, holding hands, the feeling that you've found the one - after all, he/she's giving you everything you ever wanted! But, as you start to spend more and more time together, you start to get bored. You start to feel like he/she's asking to much of you, so you start to withdraw. You don't call as much anymore and sometimes, you'll go out with friends and leave your tracker at home. Heck, after your evening, you might not even tell your tracker where you've been or what you've been doing. Your tracker wants too much from you - he/she wants a commitment. A long term together forever commitment and that's just too much to take. So, you break up. You toss the tracker aside and think you'll find someone else who's better for you.

The thing is, you won't. The tracker is the one for you. It's your better half, the secret to your success on this journey to weight loss happiness.

I'm already in a committed, loving relationship, but I'll be honest ... as of today, the love affair with my tracker is in full force again.

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

2010-06-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon is the world's most breathtaking ravine. Mount Everest is its tallest and most majestic peak. The Marianas Trench descends deeper into the earth than anywhere else on the planet. These natural wonders are amazing and astonishing for the lengths that they reach and the heights they stretch.

But no one ever talks about the Great Plateau. You see, plateaus are innately boring. In fact, I don't even think a plateau could rightfully be named "Great." They are mounds of unfaltering inactivity. They don't climb, nor descend. Just continue.

After months and months of Weight Watchers, I've hit the Great Plateau. Lose a little. Gain it back. Lose a bit more. Gain some back. I've hovered around the same weight for months now and I just can't seem to reach the finish line. I'm 5 lbs from my goal, but worlds away.

It's like when mountaineers ascend Everest only to see an incoming storm just as they are about to make the final climb to the top. They have no choice but to lay in wait or cut their losses and turn back.

Well folks, there is no turning back now! I have come this far and it can't all be for naught. I can't bear to see my double chin reappear in photos. Or have to buy fat-jeans again. Or ever get mistakenly congratulated on a non-existent pregnancy (and I'm not exaggerating here, this has actually happened).

But I need a little inspiration. I've become repetitive with my meal choices, lackluster with my exercise plan and decidedly sloppy with my tracking. Help! I've fallen off the plan and I can't get up!

Hopefully the vocalization of this sad state of affairs will help motivate me back into action. After all, there are only 16 days until I'm going to need to don a swimsuit. In public. In Mexico. Frightening! More to come on that soon.

From Vom to Bomb

2010-06-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post the second photo in the "Before and Progress" series.

The photo on the left was taken at an 80s Prom party this past winter. And while the 80s Prom theme excuses the sequin dress and feathered bangs, there is no excuse for allowing myself to have gotten that large and in charge. In fact, seeing this photo of myself (and others from that night) is what made me sign up for Weight Watchers to begin with. Blech... it's hard for me to even post this publicly because looking at it still makes me want to vomit.

However, 5 months and 15.4 pounds later is the picture on the right. I still have about 20 lbs to go to reach my goal weight, but I am making progress and I feel good! Weight Watchers was the catalyst I needed to make some concrete lifestyle changes. Now I am running 15 miles per week to train for a Half Marathon, riding my bike to the train station instead of driving when weather permits, drinking tons of water, eating a healthy breakfast every single morning, and packing my lunch daily.

Clearly, a little bit of change has done me a lot of good! But not all things in my life have changed so dramatically. Seconds after each of these pictures was taken, I picked up my glass of wine from where it was resting nearby and promptly refilled it. You see, I'm still me—I'm just a slightly better version of me. Cheers!

ZERO POINT CHALLENGE Day

2010-06-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

Updated after final meal at 9pm:
I MADE IT! Whew! Just finished my third of the day and final 1 cup of 0-point Progresso soup. Here are some random thoughts and learnings from this day:

- Doing Zero Points all day long is time consuming. I happened to have everything in the house I needed yesterday when I decided to do this, thanks to some foresight at the grocery store on Sunday. But you have got to be stocked up with options.
- The prep work is also a time-suck. I was cutting and measuring out my day for a whole hour this morning! It made me realize why celebrities have their diet meals delivered.
- There is such a thing as too many vegitable. I usually can't get enough of them and try to have them at all meals. But when it is 95% of your diet for the day, it gets old. New awe and confusion for vegans.
- This exercise has given me new respect for low-point foods. How indulgent it will feel to eat a 1-point bagel thin tomorrow morning for breakfast with lowfat cream cheese on it! With a 1/2 glass of OJ on the side, that breakfast will hit 4 points and I cannot wait!
- Some people are wondering how many calories I ate, since Zero Points does not equal zero calories. From my best guestimation, I have tallied 500 total. Hardly, if any, fat. One billion grams of fiber.

My only regret is that I do not already have a bottle of wine open right now, because I would celebrate accomplishing this day (and not having to do it again!) with 1/8th of a glass of wine for Zero Points! But I don't, and I can't bring myself to opening a bottle for that. Besides, who knows what I'll do after one taste. I could end up destroying this ZERO POINT DAY!

See my complete Twitter feed below, from bottom up.....BOTTOMS UP!

8:56pm Just finished cup of soup and veggies. I made it! Appreciate low point foods so much more now. 1 point anything sounds luxury!

8:29 and back from walk but jsut realized I've been forgetting to drink H2O today. Opps!

Ok, that wasn't so bad, and I learned a new trick! 1 cup fat free broth #zeropoints

7:17pm sipping on chicken borth to mitigate hunger before evening walk #IsThisDayOverYet?

6:10pm and hangin on like a champ, not even famished! That 1cup popcorn helped, I take it all back! #WeightWatchers

4:45pm This just in: 1 cup of popcorn is barely worth it! But I will savor every single piece.

3:45pm Just ate a second soup and veggies lunch. Good thing I planned for that, I was gettin' grumpy! #lowbloodsugar

Again, check out what is going on with ZERO POINTS CHALLENGE #WeightWatchers at http://www.elevenpoints.blogspot.com/

Ate some lunch, which is probably my most substantial 0-pt meal of the day -- too bad I'm stilll hungry!

Just logged in 2 #Weightwatchers points for that errand walk I took - so I'm neg for the day! Too bad not for the week tho! : /

Taking walk/running errand to distract myself from lunch. Hunger manageable.

10:05am second breakfast of fiber one vanilla yogurt, 1/4c bberries and 3/4c strawberries -- shockingly satisfying!

Whoa! 9:31am first averted disaster...coworker's birthday pastry spread. Guess who's not having any! This girl! http://yfrog.com/j3754oj

Got dressed -- pants not as loose as I'd prefer...good reminder

8:25 Just realized you only get 1 egg white for zero pts ...this is going to be one sparce omelette!

7:35am Have been cutting up veggies and measuring portions for over half an hour! Good thing novelty is still shinny!

6:00 I'm out of coffee, so make quick run to S-bucks. Black coffee with literal splash skim milk. Couldn't even get a banana if I wanted to!

Prepping for a Zero Points Day

2010-06-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

For those reading this blog for fun or general diet/fit entertainment and information, this Zero Points thingy might not make much sense. But for those of you with a Weight Watchers knowledge or intimate relationship, it might seem downright bonkers.

Every since I began to learn about Weight Watchers Points, I was fascinated with zero point foods. It's like a get-out-of-jail-free card for food. Too bad all of the zero points foods are completely and totally healthy, or it would really be a wild time! Still, when in a pinch or as an adder you don't have to count to the "T", they are healthy and encouraging foods.

But can one sustain oneself on zero point foods? A kind reader reminded me today on our Facebook page, when I mentioned this challenge, that zero point days are against the rules. And I can see why. As you might imagine, to achieve a zero points day takes planning and research. I guess you could memorize those things and just eat those all the time....and go crazy while doing it! Not to mention, it's not healthy. We need calories, variety and balanced diets to achieve real, healthy, long-lasting weight loss and maintenance. Still, I have this unexplained fascination to try it....but only for a day.

So here I am, the night before my Zero Points Challenge to myself, having just poured through 0-point foods and playing with portions of 1 point foods on the tracker to see what I can split down to zero. I think I will be able make it through the day without a complete and utter meltdown.....I think.

My ground rules: Everything I eat must be Zero Points in portion. That means, for example, I can't eat an entire can of 0-point soup -- I have to measure it out to its portion of 1 cup. But, I can eat multiple, various 0-point foods together at one time. I plan to add to tablespoons of black beans and a diced tomato (both Zero Points) to that southwest soup (pictured) in order to make it more hearty and filling. If you have some favorite and sneaky 0-point foods, please let me know about them, I am taking all suggestions very seriously!

Check back on Tuesday -- I'll be blogging here and live Tweeting (follow us on Twitter yet?: @winosonww) my experience throughout the day....as I try to distract myself from my inevitable hunger...and to keep from passing out from low blood sugar!

Appetizer Solution - Bruschetta

2010-06-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for a low point appetizer idea? Bruschetta is a great option. Its fresh, all natural and perfect for a summer dinner party.

1 garlic clove; minced
1/4 cup red onion; finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes; diced
2 tbsp fresh basil; finely chopped
2 oz whole milk mozzarella; diced
1 tbsp olive oil
14 slices french baguette (about 1/2" high)

Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Let sit for about 15 minutes.
Toast the bread under the broiler until golden brown on both sides.
Top with bruschetta.

Servings = 14
WW Points = 1

Dumpster Diving for Accountability Reasons

2010-06-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips ... most definitely a top five "red light" food for me. The salty crunch combined with the tangy zip? Too good to resist. But, resist I have. While I may have indulged in different chip varieties - Sun Chips, pretzels, and, recently, plain ol' Lays - over the last 4 months, this is only the second time I have given in to the deliciousness that is, in my opinion, Kettle's best chip.

How could I, after coming off a 1.4 lb gain this week, indulge in 7 points of non-filling, nutritionally void* food?

Excuse #1 - "Dedication to my job"
A client I used to work on recently acquired Kettle Chips and, as a result, we had some "samples" laying around the office. I was simply supporting my client, therefore, it was done out of dedication. Yeah, that's strike 1 ... I don't even work on that client's business anymore.

Excuse #2 - I have the points, so who cares?
True, I did. But, Strike 2 in my book because now I have opened a can of worms. I have the taste and the craving for these chips on the brain now whereas, before, when I wasn't giving in to this red light food, I wasn't even thinking about them.

Excuse #3 - No one will know
Also true. If I don't tell anyone, who will know? Plus, I am not even going to track it, so it's like it never happened. What 7 points?? That was Strike 3 and the impetus for this post.

You see how the bag is crumpled? I pulled it out of the trash in order to take a photo and write this blog. Because that's what accountability is to me ... it's pulling food out of the trash where "no one will know", tracking it, telling you all about it, and bouncing back from my 7 point indulgence.

Did I need those chips? No. And, I did feel guilty about eating them? Yes. But I did eat them and, honestly, I did enjoy them ... the difference is that now I realize how much my mindset has changed. Whereas I used to eat these chips whenever, wherever I wanted, I now think of them as "treats" for special occasions when I really want to indulge.

Last week's weight gain pushed me 2 lbs further from my 10% goal, so I am sure there's something else in this trash can to write about! In the meantime, is there anything you have in your trash can - proverbial or otherwise - you'd like to share?

*Note: if you are going to eat chips, Kettle Chips are at least somewhat of a healthy option. With each serving's 9g of fat, 7g are Monosaturated fats which are the "good fats", helping lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). What can I say? Client or no client, I am a slave to my advertising job ;)

The After-Party

2010-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

When pro-clubbers don't want the fun to end at 2am on a Saturday night when the bars close, they take things into their own hands and head to the "After-Party"…a place where the cool kids go in a secret location to keep things a-bumpin 'til the break of dawn. At the After-Party, you can keep on doing the things you probably shouldn't have in the first place: massive boozing, drugs, maybe even a little sex on the dance floor if you're tricky...possibly even a combo of all three.

After throwing my own little party over the weekend, I am discovering the dangers of the After-Party from a Weight Watchers perspective. Similar to the self-indulgences listed above, this party, as most are, was a major Points minefield. Cheese, butter crackers, nuts, salami, chips, candy, cake….and in true Wino fashion: tons of champagne! Everyone had a great time at the party and, while enjoyed themselves, didn't completely overdo it. But now, as the hostess, I find myself an unwitting attendee of the After-Party.

Because I shopped for the party at Costco, there are leftovers. And I'm not talkin a bite here, a nibble there. There is a 1/2 pound gorgonzola wedge sitting in my fridge, calling my name….mocking me. "Erikaaaa…….I'm in here…..you know you want me…..just a smidge. Come on, it'll be fun! No one has to know. You spent good money on me. You don't want me to start growing mold, do you? Better start eating." Also hangin around at the After-Party is leftover Italian meats marbled with chunks of fat, and a restaurant-portion slab of homemade cake. (The champagne....well, we drank all that!)

To combat the After-Party, I have a plan of attack. So that all the cheese and crackers don't go to waste, I am saving them to take to a bar on Saturday afternoon when we go watch the World Cup games. You can bring your own food into this bar and I know there will be plenty of hungry friends there to chomp it up, effectively getting it away from myself. The cake I am displaying front-and-center on the kitchen counter so my fiancé will encounter it one night after dinner when he feels his sweet-tooth coming on. As for the salami and coppa….well, I might just have to pop a couple slices of those. Hey, nobody's perfect! But I'm not going to sit down and make an oozing, toasted Italian sub sandwich out of it. Though that does sound good.

Morale of the story: Parties are dangerous in and of themselves, but we've got to have a little fun once in a while. It's the After-Party that is the completely unneeded overindulgence. Have a plan for the leftovers -- even if it means dumping it into the trash. Better that than dumping it onto your thighs. Hey, did I mention there as a delicious fruit salad at the party? I am having an After-Party with it right now, as I type! Woot! This might be the only party I ever attend that doesn't leave me with a hangover.

After Party by Koffee Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcRd3Ifzhtg

The Natural Police

2010-06-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am terrified of authority- always have been. I immediately start to cry if I think I am being pulled over by the police. I once went to pieces and pulled myself over before I realized the highway patrol was after the car next to me. I think this is one of the reasons Weight Watchers works for me. There is a checks and balances system and the scale is the authority. Weighing in with a gain is like a bad mark on your permanent record and that spells scary disaster for me. I also know that if someone gives me free license, I will not use it well.

This is why last week was, well, confusing. In the rush to get fit for the wedding, I bought 12 personal training sessions. That was 6 months ago and I have only used 3 of them. With the wedding less than 60 days away, I met with my trainer, Austin, last week. He knows that I have lost 25 pound on Weight Watchers and that I am only 8 pounds away from goal. After a slightly painful training session, Austin sat me down and told me he wanted to have a talk. I felt scared, like he knew I had consumed a whole bottle of Rombauer Chardonnay the night before (which I had).

Instead, he wanted to share a perspective on how to get the last eight pounds off. Trainers love to make losing weight sound so simple. Austin said “Just get to the gym as much as you can and watch your diet.” Well, DUH! I frowned and told him I was already doing that. Then he asked what I was eating. As we are still without a kitchen, much of my diet is being cooked in the microwave. He stood up and said “Would you be up for a field trip?” Hoping there would be snacks at the end, I drove with Austin to the grocery store and here is what he said:

It is difficult for the body to get rid of processed foods. Even if the processed food is low in calories, the body might still hang on to it and treat it like fat. As we traveled through the story reading ingredients, I began to see his Au Naturale Philosophy. His basic rule of thumb is if you don’t know what the ingredients are, neither does your body. We compared energy bars & I left with a new type of bar, the Larabar (YUM!). I also purchased unprocessed peanut butter. That’s right, peanut butter!

I felt like I was speeding down the highway with my new unprocessed diet. I told Austin I was worried about the calories (aka points!). He encouraged me to let go for a week and see how I felt. So I did and here are my thoughts: I found that the unprocessed foods kept me full for longer. I felt a little guilty eating them, but they were good and felt healthy. In the end, I shaved off another pound last week. I think it will be a struggle to eat unprocessed, especially without a kitchen, but I am looking at labels for more than just points now. I will be interested to see how to merge unprocessed and points, but for now all I can think is “how can you argue with eating peanut butter with a spoon?!”

What's for Dinner?

2010-06-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA with posting new recipes lately, but never fear, I've been stockpiling food photos. Building on Erikawas' post about Rice A Roni, here's another great rice based dish. Pair this with a glass of sangria and enjoy!

Shrimp "Paella"

First, a history lesson (thanks to Wikipedia).

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century. Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain's national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. There are three widely known types of paella:

- Valencian paella (white rice, green vegetables, meat - rabbit, chicken, duck - snails, beans and seasoning)

- Seafood paella (replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables)

- Mixed paella (a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans)

Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil.

The dish you see above loosely resembles seafood paella, hence my use of quotes. So, here's the basic recipe.

Ingredients
1 package Goya yellow rice (this rice mimics the saffron color and flavor of traditional paellas)
2 medium zucchinis
2 medium carrots
1 medium spanish onion
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off

Instructions
Cook the rice according to the package (omit the oil or butter) and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
Spray a large saute pan with cooking spray.
Saute onions and carrots until tender; about 4 minutes.
Add zucchini and saute for 1 minute.
Add the stock and shrimp.
Cover and simmer on low until shrimp has turned pink and stock has reduced.
Add the rice and mix all together.

You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, throw in a can of red beans, etc. Experiment!

Servings = 4
WW Points = 6

The San Francisco Treat!

2010-06-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Rice A Roni (RAR) may seem like a silly food that doesn't have many good implications on a Weight Watchers plan, but I am here to prove that notion wrong. And it's not just because us Winos are here in Cable Car City. I have always been a fan of doctoring up recipes to make them more rounded out and balanced and this boxed rice/pasta product falls perfectly in line with that practice.

For example, take a simple and seemingly boring box of RAR "Mexican Style". The directions tell us to just add water and oil or butter -- but don't take that at face value. Always skip the butter/oil and use nonfat cooking spray instead. The added fat is totally not necessary for taste here because you get it from the spice flavor packet. I add a bunch of Weight Watchers-friendly ingredients to make it a meal in a bowl! Sauté up chicken chunks, add a can of diced tomatoes to substitute one of the cups of water, mild green chilies and a can of black or pinto beans, and you have an instant, low-point and filling fiesta! (To calculate the points, just keep track of everything you decide to add in, add it all up, and divide by the number of servings you portion it out to)

But it doesn't stop there. Another one of my RAR faves is the Broccoli Au Gratin. Usually "gratin" is a danger word in Weight Watchers speak. But here, it is a low point, cheesy treat. I add chicken breast and fresh broccoli to mine, and again, it is a healthy, filling and flavorful bowl of goodness.

I went on to the RAR website http://www.ricearoni.com/ today for the first time and am amazed by all the options there are. Next up, I want to do an Italian version with zucchini and mushrooms, as well as try the fried rice by adding peas and egg whites. There are a bunch of pasta options too! What RAR will you doctor up?

Summer Drink Series : Sangria

2010-06-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

No such luck for us in San Francisco, but maybe it's summer where you are? Drink up with this tasty, low point cocktail!

- Dissolve four packets of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) into 4 tablespoons of water
- Pour into pitcher
- Add slices of oranges, lemons, limes, peaches, plums or nectarines as well as grapes (for white wine sangria, red grapes; for red wine sangria, white)
- Add a bottle of red or white wine
- Stir, then let sit
- Before serving, top pitcher with a drizzle of club soda

Enjoy!

Courtesy of weightwatchers.com

Wednesday Night Tradition

2010-06-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd give you a little sneak peak of what our Wednesday nights look like so that you can be an honorary Wino on Weight Watchers. Every Wednesday evening, we attend the 6:30pm weigh-in and meeting, and afterwards, we go out to our favorite sushi place for a delicious low-point meal.

If we've been successful, like last night, we toast to our success with a beer, some sake, or wine, of course! If we haven't had success, we try to cheer each other up by brainstorming new ideas and angles that will keep things interesting and keep the pounds coming off. Regardless of whether or not we have lost or gained that week, we always have fun!

Summer Drink Series : Caipirinha

2010-06-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Swear off fun, fruity beverages? Never! Just follow these Weight Watcher tips to help lighten up summer classics!

- Cut a room-temperature lime into quarters and drop it in a shaker
- Add one packet of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) and one tablespoon water
- Mash the mixture very well with a wooden spoon, dissolving the lime into mush
- Add a shot (1 1/2 ounces) of white rum and enough ice cubes to fit in an old-fashioned glass
- Shake well
- Pour mixture (including the peel) into a glass
*Variation: Add slices of mango or a few cherries along with the lime*

Courtesy of weightwatchers.com

Working Like a Dog

2010-06-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Our family dog, Sandy, is a shining (and drooling) example for all of us.
(Tip: be sure your volume is up for this one.)

The Power of Shoes

2010-05-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

The average woman, in her lifetime, spends about $40,500 on shoes. And I would guess that several of us Winos will have spent well over that by the time we are six feet under.

Why is footwear so compelling to us and why do we wear the shoes we do? (And why do I crack up every single time I watch the "Shoes!" video on YouTube?)

Because shoes are much more than things to walk in. Shoes are a form of expression. They bring out certain characteristics in us. They make us feel—and maybe even act—a certain way.

Let me explain. Pictured above are the pairs of shoes that I wear most often.

My chucks bring out my inner hipster (and my dog obviously loves them, too!). When I wear them, I feel the urge to peruse used record stores looking for unreleased Velvet Underground singles.
My ballet flats make me feel feminine but practical. They are usually the shoes I wear to work.
My flip flops are synonymous with laid back. Thinking about them conjures up images of basking in the sun and reading at Dolores Park.
My heels make me feel sexy. It's impossible for me to wear them without wearing lipstick and gettin' low, low, low, low.
And my boots are warm and comfy. I imagine pairing them with a cute winter coat and going Christmas shopping.

A few nights ago, I spent $130 on a new pair of shoes to add to the repertoire. Observe:

I bought this pair of top-of-the-line running shoes to wear as I start training for my forthcoming Half Marathon. I just started training last week, and it's been tougher than I expected. We have team workouts twice a week—but on the other days, it's up to me to motivate myself to get out of bed at the crack of dawn to run, run, run.

The shoes have helped. The night I got them, they sat on my nightstand while I slept. When my alarm went off at 5:30am and I saw those shoes staring back at me, I got up, slid my feet into them, and headed out to run 3 miles. When I got home from my run, still wearing the shoes, I was hungry. I had passed a McDonald's on the way home and couldn't help but salivate at the the smell of the warm hashbrowns that permeated the air.

Nope—not in these shoes! I had decided. So instead I made myself a 100-calorie english muffin and egg white sandwich with a glass of orange juice.

In the days following, I have continued to sleep with the shoes on my nightstand, and I have continued to notice that they provide just the push I need to stay on track and work towards my goal.

The average woman spends over $40,500 on shoes in her lifetime, so clearly, shoes have some sort of power over us. But if a pair of shoes can get us to change our actions for the better... well, maybe the power of shoes is even greater than we realized.

EXACTLY 100 Days Left!

2010-05-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have a twinge of OCD directed at the passage of time. It concentrates on rounded numbers, but also halves and quarters. It is a strange affliction that I can mostly control but it is often always in the back of my mind.

For example, I went through an extreme phase about 5 years ago when I would only leave the house to go exercise on quarter-hours. If it was 12:15pm -- good to go. But 3:37pm? Gotta wait until the clock says 3:45pm. I was also very enthusiastic when I went back to my college town recently for the first time in 10 years. I'm not sure what made me more excited…..to see it all again after so long, or the fact that it happened to fall exactly 10 years later. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with how to handle it 8 or 11 years later. Exactly a decade was good.

Similarly, the countdown to my wedding is always with me, for many reasons. Mostly for the list of things that need to get done by certain points time. But also….how long until?! At exactly 6 months to the day we had been engaged and would be married, I said to my fiancé, "Honey, I made reservations for our 6-months-since-engaged; 6-months-until-the-wedding anniversary!" His response…"Huh?" Something came up, and we ended up not making it out on that exact night, so forget it! I'm not celebrating unless it is on this exact middle day in time!

It isn't like I'm counting down every single day to the wedding, luckily. Because that would really bug. But technology is doing it for me. Every time I log on to our adorable wedding website, or one of our registries, or I get a spam email from theknot.com, they love to remind me how many freakin days are left! It's like they are trying to freak me out! Well, the "days until" countdown didn't effect me until this one: 100 Days Left!

WHAT?! Only 100 days? But there is so much to do! Pretty soon, like tomorrow, we will be in the double digits! I am already waking up at 3am in the middle of many nights worrying about getting the picture list to the photographer, among many other annoying details. Now that it is EXACTLY 100 days, I am in panic mode!

But the main 100 days OCD number crunch that has come to mind is my Weight Watchers progress. I have a very nice lead into the final stretch, but still a lot of mileage to go. Compared to the sprint at the beginning, my weekly weight loss has slowed to less than a pound per week. So here we go….if I lose 1 more pound every 10 days, that divides exactly evenly into 100, so that should be my goal. 10 more pounds. But what if I divide it by weeks instead of days, or hours and minutes? 10 in 100 must be the most I can do, right?

There is no exact calculation to pulling off the rest of the details in 100 more days, or pulling off 10 more pounds in exactly 100 days. What is going to make this all happen is focus. Focus on ordering the monogrammed cocktail napkins…..focus on not going over your points this week and making all your workouts. And don't wait for exactly 2:45pm to do it!

Savvy Shopper : Pickles!

2010-05-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Perhaps pickles are not the most common item on your shopping list, but I was surprised to find out that some pickle varieties equal unnecessary points! When looking at the label, it seems harmless enough - low calories + no fat = a Weight Watchers win!

In general, pickles are a safe bet as an add-on to a sandwich or burger, but it depends on the kind and, of course, the quantity. For example, adding just 1 Bread & Butter Stacker to your sandwich puts on 1 extra point which might be worth it for the taste. But what about adding 3? That's 2 extra points right off the bat - leaving less room in your daily allowance for, you guessed it, wine!

Peter Piper's Notes on Pickles:
1. The serving size for all "spear" varieties is 3/4 of a spear. Who eats 3/4 of a pickle spear?!
2. All "dill" varieties are your friend - bread & butter, your foe.
3. Vlassic owns the pickle shelf space in the local Safeway stores - perhaps it's time for a little friendly competition?

Serving Sizes:
Stackers = 1
Chips = 2
Snack-ems = 2
Spears = 3/4 spear

DISCUSS!

2010-05-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

The infamous quote by Kate Moss, now a wearable T! Is this a true statement....or not?....DISCUSS!

#FAIL

2010-05-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Week after week, us Winos have been very good at reporting a variety of progress -- mostly encouraging news from the battle lines, but challenges as well. In order to stay true to, well, truth, I am compelled to share a recent development: OUR WORST WEIGHT-IN YET.

This past Wednesday, we all predicted little movement on the scale -- like we knew we'd been bad. Four of us Winos consistently weigh in together at Wednesday evening Weight Watchers meetings and often bet what the cumulative total of our loss will be. An early predictor of our impending defeat was detailed during our back-and-forth email guesses that afternoon of what our total loss would be: 3.5 lbs; 2.8 lbs; 2.1 lbs…..if only!

Instead of posting even a little bit of a "loss" towards our Backstreet Boy goal, our group actually gained 2.8 collective pounds last week. Epic Wino #FAIL.

After the weigh-in disaster, I asked the Winos what actions were haunting them as they looked back on some of their choices that might have made an impact on their week's number. "An entire chocolate chip cookie 6 inches in diameter"; "A huge deli sandwich the day after a decadent dinner"; "I didn't resist the cheesecake. (And, in fact, may have had 2 pieces.)"

For me, a couple stand-outs came to mind. My biggest #FAIL this past week was not eating enough before I went to my bi-weekly weight training class. By the end of it, I was so famished I was seeing stars. So that I wouldn't pass out during my bus ride home, I bee-lined it for a nearby taqueria. It crossed my mind to text my fellow Winos to tell them what I was about to do (order a burrito with the works), so that they could talk me out of it and offer better choices and encouragement. Instead, I ignored my inclination to get them involved and I went for it. I logged the points after nearly finishing it (and a side of chips), and felt it weighing me down the next day.

A final reality check occurred Thursday morning. Upon awaking to a fresh week's worth of points, I found the bag of pita chips I'd had a little party with right before bedtime. My punishment: logging the points in the next day so I would have to deal with the consequences of 2 unneeded servings of pita chips during this week. Guess what those pita chips amounted to: half a bottle of wine. #FAIL!

Five of us Winos will be together celebrating this Saturday night. We’ve already mapped out some very nice Weight Watchers choices and scheduled in dance party time to burn some calories. I am also bringing a measuring cup so we can accurately count our wine intake. Not trying to be a killjoy….just trying to get us back into the negative numbers so we don't encounter another Epic Wino #FAIL. The real #FAIL : I'm already half-a-bottle's worth of wine behind for the night.

Saying Aloha to Weight Loss

2010-05-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Aloha is a Hawaiian word that translates in English to both hello and goodbye.

When I started Weight Watchers about three months ago, I happily said aloha—hello—to the program. Optimistic and excited, I achieved quick success, losing 12 pounds in just under a month. Based on my calculations, at that pace, I would be able to hit my goal weight by mid-Summer. And to reward myself, I would go on a trip to Hawaii—somewhere I have never been, but always fantasized about, thanks to mainstream media. (I'm obviously referring to Saved by the Bell Hawaiian Style.)

It has now been three months, and I have lost... 12 pounds. When I realized this, I was completely discouraged. I was ready to quit. I was ready to say aloha—goodbye—to Weight Watchers all together.

But if I quit, I'd have to give up on my Hawaiian dream. Not ready to do that just yet, I figured out another (unlikely, if you know me) way to get there. I signed up to run the Kauai Half Marathon, which will take place September 5, with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.

This will ensure three things:
1) I will continue to work towards my goal weight.
2) I will get to Hawaii at last.
3) And the best part: I will change the life of someone with blood cancer by raising $4,000 between now and the race.

In English, aloha means hello and goodbye. But aloha in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy—all things I am going to need as I embark on this challenge... things the people battling blood cancers need daily. If you can, please help me to accomplish the daunting task that lies before me by visiting my personal fundraising page and donating whatever works for your budget.

Aloha.

The Cream Puff Effect

2010-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

The week started with a 4 course meal at Gary Danko, including a beautiful duck entree, an amazing cheese course and a rich chocolate souffle. This unbelievable meal and the accompanying hangover was answered by an enormous turkey/avocado sandwich from the deli on the corner. Then came the Yank Sing appetizers prior to an agency happy hour, followed by pizza during a lunch meeting the next day. The weekend brought a surf and turf dinner of grilled steak and prawns swimming in butter solidified with several bottles of amazing wine in Sonoma. I was awoken the next morning with the sweet, buttery aroma of fresh, homemade cinnamon buns. The afternoon BBQ in Berkeley resulted in a scrumptious grilled hot dog only to be washed down by a dixie cup full of beer.

And as if all this were insufficient, my week was punctuated with a Beard & Pappa cream puff during a morning meeting. Is it even possible to resist this creamy, flaky goodness? I think not.

What's a poor Weight Watcher like me to do with all of this amazing food at my fingertips???! It's like the indulgent start to my week with a divine dinner at Gary Danko snowballed (or in this case, cream-puffed) into caloric chaos. Because I knew I had already used my flex points on Day 1, was there really any reason to try to make up for it the rest of the week?

In a meeting a while back, I heard someone explain that they only consider their food intake in 15 minute increments. In other words, if they just stuffed half a cheese plate down their throat before dinner, they didn't write off the whole meal, but considered the next 15 minutes to be a clean slate in which to do better. Usually if I have a moment of indulgence, I try to stick to this principle and let go of the mistake quickly in order to move on to the next chance to make a better choice. I try not to fall into the "oh-fuck-it" spiral and get lost in endless abandon.

Not really sure what happened this week, but now that I'm stacked with a fresh plate of points, it's time to start over. In the meantime, I'm pretty excited to hop on the scale and scope the extent of the damage in t-minus 5 hours. NOT.

Back in the saddle again...UPDATE

2010-05-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hey winos! About 3 weeks ago, I blogged that I was ready to get back in the saddle and lose 10 - 15 pounds before attending a wedding in mid-July. In order to keep myself motivated and accountable, I thought I'd update you all on my progress.

I mentioned that since January, I had only lost 5.2 lbs. Well I'm happy to report 4.4 more lbs gone for a total loss of 9.6 lbs. I have also decided on an ultimate weight loss goal of 23 lbs, which means I still have 13.4 lbs to go.

I know that all of my cute summer clothes will fit at that weight, and I can't tell you how excited I will be to go shopping in my own closet! I even have 3 items that still have tags on them...2 dresses and a skirt that I bought about two sizes too small, knowing I would get into them as soon as I got back to my "fighting weight". Well, they have been taking up space in my closet for about 2 years now...

Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about.

The Eye of the Storm

2010-05-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

“You are going to get FAT!” This is what our painter said to me the day we moved in to our new house. Our kitchen is down to the studs & we have a little makeshift microwave and coffee maker station in our new bathroom. Translation: no way to cook! It is a lot like being on permanent vacation- you have to go out to eat, bring in, or make salt-laden things in the microwave. What is a Weight Watchers Wino to do?

Let me take you back to a weight watchers success story- sadly, not mine. When I was living in New Orleans years ago, my neighbor Jenny and I joined weight watchers- the day before Hurricane Katrina hit. Of course, we had no idea what was coming our way. We both remember that our biggest worry the night before we evacuated was how many points we had consumed at the Saints football game. The following day, our lives were changed forever.

On the road, with no kitchen or routine, I fell in to the category of “The Katrina Fifteen.” When we were finally allowed to return home three months later, Jenny had lost 25 pounds. She looked amazing! How had this happened? She said she stuck to the points in her hotel room and tracked. When she went out to eat, she made weight watcher-friendly choices. Hmmm…

Faced with a similar situation in our new home, I stocked our fridge with frozen meals and salad fixins. Our grill is in working order, so Ian has been making chicken and fish for dinner. I can report that I have been spending more points on wine, thanks to the stress that comes with moving. However, I am not gaining The Move Fifteen. Where I could use this life transition as an excuse to over-indulge, I find myself reading labels and thinking about what I eat before I do it. Certainly the kitchenless storm is not over, but unlike storms of the hurricane variety, for this one I was prepared.

A Picture Worth 60,000 Calories

2010-05-14T07:44:00.001-07:00

There's no 'No' in NOLA

2010-05-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to my recent post on counting, or not counting, Points, I wanted to check back in and share what a blast the New Orleans trip was, both from a musical and, of course, culinary perspective. The Jazz Fest itself was a fantastic experience. All types of music (from Gospel choirs to Pearl Jam), peaceful and happy crowds, and the food…..

I have never experienced such divine food at faire/festival. I think my single favorite sampling was a $6 bowl of shrimp n grits. Served in a Styrofoam bowl and looking like bland English porridge, I was shocked when I took a bite to taste of the freshness of the shrimp and the smoothness of the grits and sauce. But there was also the oyster po' boy in close second, a stuffed meat bread, fried soft shell crab po' boy, creamed crawfish pasta, pulled pork po' boy, all washed down with either a single-serve screw cap bottle of white wine or a miller high life. Ahhhhhhh….. I heard restaurants compete for the booth space, which I'm sure are cash cows, and that is how the food ends up so good.

But the indulgences didn't stop there. I took my first trip to Café du Mond for their world famous beignets. I don't really care for sweets, so this was more of a "gotta do it" stop for me…until I tried one. Holy powdered sugar on a fried dougnut-ish-type-thing! We also went out to upscale dinners each night, to counter-balance the fest-scene. From fried oyster flat bread, to lamb procruito, to Kobe beef steak and duck fat roasted potatoes, my tongue and tummy were doing the happy dance! Don't even get me started on how much wine I drank. Hello old friends! And not a single point counted.

As if that wasn't enough, each night after dinner, we hit a late-late local music scene show. A couple started at midnight and one started after 2pm. So you know what that means….more drinking! Gotta stay awake, right? Between the festival, meals and practically non-stop cocktailing, the NOLA world was my fried oyster -- literally. Yes, yes, yes, I'll have it all! After 10 weeks of being semi-smart about everything, it felt really good to take a complete break and enjoy the treats of a vacation.

The third and final night I was out until 4 a.m. and up again at 6:15 a.m. to pack and run to my flight home. Much like a trip to Vegas, a few nights is about all I can take these days. My body was telling me, "Erika, seriously, enough." And I listened.

Despite 2 hours of sleep and a hangover that gave me the shakes by the time I landed at DIA for a connecting flight back to SFO, I was back on the Weight Watchers wagon. Instead of ordering some McDonald's French fries and a Coke as a hangover cure and last ditch pig-out before I landed back in the reality of home, I ordered two salads and an apple to get me though the last leg of the trip. I jumped back on the WW iPhone app to log my points all day Sunday, because I was ready. After a few days plus on the lam, it was actually a relief to have a system to go back to immediately.

Because of my healthy choices I made on Sunday, and my first good night's sleep in days, I was able to start a new routine at the crack of dawn on Monday morning. I got my ass out of bed at 6:15 to take a one hour power walk and will do this every weekday for the next two months (in addition to my regular after-work workouts). I am quite invigorated to do this and feel these walks are a treat, rather than an evil alarm clock chore. But I think that is because I got to let loose for a few great days and can now move on to this new "Phase Two" of my WW journey: The Next Ten Pounds.

Do you have a Weight Watchers hump you are trying to get over but can't? Are you stalled at the intersection of "I want it but don't really want to"? Maybe it is time to take a planned break from the points and constraints of the program. Maybe for a week, maybe for just a few days. You might find that you will appreciate being away from it for a bit, but once you've had your "fill" you can bounce back on the wagon and be content with it.

Lemon FAT Cake

2010-05-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, in a rush and needing a quick snack on my way to class, I stopped at Starbucks. Now I've frequented Starbucks enough to know that their pastry counter is not Weight Watchers friendly, but given my famished condition and hasty pace, I wasn't employing my keenest decision-making skills. Blueberry scones, old fashioned glazed donuts, banana bread. Decisions, decisions.

"What can I get for you?" the woman with the green apron asked.

"Grande black iced tea, and, ah, um, uh, Iced Lemon Pound Cake please."

No turning back. I grabbed my tea and the little brown pastry bag and jetted off to class.

A few hours later when I got home, I figured I better track my points before I conveniently forgot the details of my daily menu. When I got to my midday snack, I jotted down 6 points for the pound cake. It seemed like a fair assessment for a small piece of lemony goodness. Maybe 7? Ugh. Should I go 8? There was icing on top after all. So, I decided I better just look it up. Who knows? Maybe I'd get lucky and there would be a ton of fiber or something and I was actually overestimating.

One slice of Iced Lemon Pound Cake had... wait for it... 490 calories and 23 GRAMS OF FAT! Holy S#$%(&#^T!!!!!!!!!!!! My 6 point estimation turned out to be 12 points of utter indulgence. And it wasn't even that good! What was I thinking? How could a tiny little piece of pound cake equate to more points than an In-N-Out Hamburger, a Double Decker Taco from Taco Bell, or an ENTIRE bottle of Pinot Noir???! Some things in this world are just utterly unfair. And Lemon FAT Cake is one of them.

Lesson learned on that hasty misstep: look it up before you hook it up.

Before & Progress Photo > 20.7 lbs

2010-05-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

We've not posted before & "progress" photos on the blog yet, but I think it's important to see. Not only because it's proof we're looking & feeling better, but also to keep us accountable.

I recently decided what my "before" photo would be - it was taken just 3 months ago while visiting family/friends in Florida. It was appalling to me, really, to see how much I had let go of maintaining at least a slightly healthy appearance. This past weekend, I was wearing the same sweater and decided it was advantageous to take a progress pic to see just how far I have come.

I still have a ways to go ... in small goals, it's 10 pounds 4 more times. But, at least I can see there's been progress made and I am motivated to continue in this direction as to avoid being uncomfortable and self conscious about my weight.

Weeks on the program: 12
Weight lost to date: 20.7 lbs

Wine vs Food

2010-05-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's 4:40 p.m. I'm hungry. But not starving. I am going to be taking a long walk home from work today. I can either:

a) eat this 4 point Berries GoMega bar

b) save the points for an 8oz glass of wine at home

What should this Wino do?!

6.8 Pounds....a Haiku

2010-05-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Counting counting points

That's how we lose all the weight

Always room for wine!

Mind Over Mimosa

2010-05-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Lime is a hip restaurant and lounge in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood whose Sunday brunch features $6 bottomless mimosas and a DJ spinning dance music as early as 10am. It is not uncommon at these brunches—during which the restaurant is packed to the gills—for people to get up mid-omelette to start dancing (or lap dancing, as the case may be) in the restaurant's aisles.

For obvious reasons, Lime is one of my favorite places in this city. So I was happy to hear that they recently launched a happy hour—which is where I happened to find myself yesterday evening after work.

Before I go any further, please observe the Lime happy hour menu, with which I was confronted upon sitting down at the Jetsons-esque bar:

If you are on Weight Watchers, your first reaction to this menu should be utter horror. Because, from a Weight Watchers standpoint, this menu is appalling. But I knew things were not on track when my first thought after reading the happy hour menu was: "Wow, what a great happy hour!" I then proceeded to order: A margarita. A grilled cheese. A fish taco. A slider. A shared order of french fries. And a stella.

Weight Watchers is, in many ways, a mindset. A mindset that I had when I first started the program, but that has been replaced over the last couple of weeks with a different mindset—one that evokes statements like "Wow, what a great happy hour!" or "Awesome, my tab was only $12!"

I decided last night—my third week in a row without losing weight—that it's time to get the old mindset back. And what made me come to this conclusion?

I realized I'd look much better dancing at Lime if I were skinnier.

Savvy Shopper : Casear Salad Dressings

2010-04-28T16:17:00.001-07:00

"I came, I saw, I conquered"-Julius Caesar
Caesar salad dressings, that is!

Store: Safeway

Winner: Eating Right Fresh Garlic Casear
Serving Size: 2 tbs
Points Value: 1 point

Runner Up: Girard's Light Casear
Serving Size: 2 tbs
Points Value: 2 points

Loser: (tie) Wishbone, Ken's, and Cardini's
Serving Size: 2 tbs
Points Value: 5 points

My choice? Girard's Light Casear. I went for the extra point per serving, trusting the Girardi's name, and was not disappointed! The dressing was tangy with just the right amount of garlic. Highly recommended!

Savvy Shopper : An Introduction

2010-04-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Savvy Shopper!

Since starting Weight Watchers, grocery shopping has become a lengthy chore. Although you might have “the basics” down and a set list of items you buy each trip , the choices in a supermarket are endless and every aisle is lurking with foods that are good, bad, and worse when it comes to points.

But where do you start?

On a recent shopping trip, I found myself standing in front of the spaghetti sauces, literally turning every jar around and calculating the points until I found one that had low points, but also looked like it tasted good. The result? (Safeway’s) Eating Right Marinara Sauce. 1 point for 1/2 cup!

This painstaking process of calculating point values for about 20 pasta sauces got me thinking - wouldn’t it be great to have a go-to list of pre-calculated items (aside from those listed on the WW iPhone app, of course!) that I would buy on a semi-regular basis? Or even for items I never thought would have a distinction when it came to points, like pickles? Or how about things we think are off limits, like pizza?

So, keep checking back for Savvy Shopper updates ... all categories, aisles, and foods are fair game and the Winos love suggestions!

Happy (low point) shopping!

Soft-Serve Strife

2010-04-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

I was taking a stroll through the Mission last weekend with fellow Wino Erika, when we came upon one of my favorite San Francisco establishments: Bi-Rite Creamery. In case you're not familiar, it's quite possibly the most amazing ice cream shop in the world. They have incredibly unique flavors... Salted Caramel, Balsamic Strawberry, Coffee Toffee, OH MY! Instead of waiting in line for a big cup full of caloric-goodness, I actually stopped myself and thought, "Is there a better choice? I wonder if the soft-serve is any good? It's probably fewer calories." I had only eaten about 8 points of food that day and figured I had a few points to spare, so maybe I'd give it a swirl.

But instead of diving in head first, I opted to ask the flannel-clad hipster behind the counter if he knew the calorie count in a small cup. He didn't, but offered to call the owners. What a happy, helpful hipster! I patiently waited while he headed to the back to make the call. I stood patiently, biting on my lower lip, trying to calculate how many points I thought I could afford to waste on these empty calories... 3, maybe 4, I decided. So if the calories were above 200 or so, I promised myself I'd walk away soft-serve-less.

The happy hipster finally returned with a smile on his face. Optimism surged within me. And then the answer: "Well, we're not entirely sure. But since a small cup of ice cream is about 400 calories, an educated guess is that a small cup of soft-serve is probably about 325 calories because it has a lower percentage of milk-fat." Instead of the excited reaction and prompt order he must have been predicting, I stood there stunned for a moment before I could respond. How could 4-6 oz of soft-serve equal almost the sum total of everything I had eaten for brunch that day (2 scrambled eggs w/ 1/8 cup of reduced fat mozzarella and chives, 2 pieces of low calorie/high fiber toast, 1 cup of light OJ and a skim cappuccino)???! This was truly tragic. I finally recovered from my flabbergasted state, thanked him for the information, and told him I had to pass on a cup of creamy deliciousness today. I dropped my head in dismay as I stumbled through the crowd of Dolores Park revelers and wondered if there really was a God.

As I turned the corner and began to think clearly again, I remembered that McDonald's also has soft-serve. And I remembered how much I love their soft serve. And I wondered how many points was in a cone of McDonald's Reduced Fat Vanilla Soft Serve. So I looked it up. 3 POINTS! There is a God! Hallelujah!

Next time the sun is out and the line to get a taste of Bi-Rite's famous ice cream stretches around the corner, I think I'll head to the Golden Arches with the smug smile of a Weight Watcher stretched wide across my face and order up the smarter choice.

Back in the saddle again...

2010-04-25T12:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I attended my first WW meeting since March 13th. That's 6 weeks people. Not good for someone who realized long ago that she needs the accountability and motivation of these meetings. I have plenty of excuses: friends in town, hosting brunch, away on vacation, etc, etc, etc.

This is not to say that I abandoned the program, and although I hardly tracked, I still tried to keep it together by:
a) making smart choices when out to eat,
b) not taking second helpings, and
c) running 4 miles 3x/week (although that fell by the wayside for about 2 weeks as well because I was out of town).

So I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in yesterday and had only gained .6 lbs. There's something to be said about having this program ingrained in your psyche. I think after so many years of counting points, I am always "on program", even if I'm "off". Does that make sense?

Anyway, I am ready to really motivate and get back in the saddle.

It always helps me to have some sort of event on the horizon for added incentive. Currently its a wedding in Buenos Aires in mid-July. I'd love to lose 10 - 15 lbs by then. Considering I've only lost 5.2 lbs since January, I really have to step it into high gear. But hey, I'm up for the challenge.

Oh, and speaking of trying to make good choices while eating out, check out the gorgeous food I had to choose from while on safari in South Africa.

This trip reminded me how much packaged, processed junk we eat here in the States. I am focusing on eating clean and fresh as much as possible.

Good Enough for an Academy Award Winner

2010-04-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

I think everyone has assumptions about who the typical Weight Watchers member is and, until recently, I think our assumptions were pretty accurate. Lately. however, it's become clear that our "atypical" group of young, single, and very social Winos is a growing segment.

Case in point: the recent news that Jennifer Hudson is the new spokesperson for WW. A hip, successful, singer/actress/model who is 28 years old.

What's more, this morning I got my DailyCandy dedicated email newsletter promoting Weight Watchers - via the sponsoring of Jennifer Hudson - to a new audience of women. (The media geek in me can tell you that almost 60% of DailyCandy's readership is between the ages of 18-34.)

All this means is we're on the right track, Winos! Weight Watchers is for everyone - regardless of age, income, or location on the map. And, if it's good enough for an Academy Award winner, it's good enough for me. (Show us some love, JHud!)

Deconstructing the Double Down

2010-04-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

If you didn't hear about the launch of KFC's new Double Down "sandwich" last week, you just might be living under a rock. My friend's well-known, Fortune 5, hi-tech client launched a fancy new product last week too. But this monster is the one that made New York and LA Times headlines and Twitter trending topics. So I decided to see what all the hullabaloo is about....from a Weight Watchers perspective.

Here's the Low 'Down':

540 calories

32 grams of fat

Don't know about the fiber, but lets just go ahead and assume ZERO grams on that one, shall we?!

Total WW points = 13

Now, I'm not, by any means, going to tell anyone to run out and 'down' one of these things. This picture is a professionally staged version of the offering. I'm going to guess that the actual product is much more revolting in person...if that's even possible. But 13 points....you could do a lot worse. I certainly have. Within the last 24 hours even.

Last night, I had my first cheeseburger since the WW diet began some 10 weeks ago. It was at a pub, so I'm not exactly sure what the complete and total damage is. But, by the time I ate it with a side of fries and 3 healthy glasses of wine....well, lets just say I'm a whole days worth of points in the negative. Still, I'm doubley happy I didn't go down with one of these KFC things. Ick!

Head Over Meals: How Love Makes You Fat

2010-04-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Last week, my fellow wino Miranda contended that love—or heartbreak—is the best diet bill. I agree with her stance 100%. Never have I been skinnier than those first few weeks after dating someone, when the butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach leave little room for much else. Or those first few weeks after getting dumped, when the will to eat—or even to get out of bed—is completely lost.

But what about those periods in between? When we are not falling in love, not getting our hearts broken, but instead, comfortable and content in a committed relationship with someone who loves us unconditionally?

Wow. Sounds pretty amazing, right? After all, isn't this what we all want? I mean, people—this is the stuff of poetry, of music, of hollywood blockbusters.

And of getting fat.

While on an emotional level, unconditional love can be quite fulfilling, on a physical level, it is a one-way journey to the land of expanding waistlines.
When you are in a relationship, you have someone to eat with... all the time. This is how I ended up at a diner last night at 10pm.

"I'm hungry. I thought having a late lunch would be enough for me but now I kind of want to eat some dinner."
"Me too. Let's go grab something. What do you feel like?"
"I don't know, maybe a tuna melt? Ooh, let's go to that diner on 24th street."
"Yum!"

A tuna melt, a chocolate milk, and about 15 Weight Watchers points later, I definitely wasn't hungry anymore. (Worthy of note: I would never have ordered a chocolate milk on a first date. But when you are in a relationship, you can order all the chocolate milks your little heart desires and not feel at all embarrassed or like a 5 year old. )

And in addition to having someone to eat with, you also have someone to drink with. This is how I ended up imbibing great quantities of white wine before 2pm a couple of Saturdays ago.

"I could use a glass of chardonnay while we tidy up the house."
"Me too! Let's open that bottle of Franciscan."
45 minutes later
"I'm opening another bottle. Are you okay switching to sauv blanc?"
"Sure! And put some music on while you're in there."

Several hours and way more than 11 Weight Watchers points later, I definitely wasn't tidying up the house (or intelligible) anymore.

But while a comfortable relationship can indeed be a negative force, deciding to tackle weight loss as a couple can be quite a positive force.

This is one of the main reasons I have been successful thus far on my Weight Watchers journey. I have a built-in cheerleader—someone who gives me a big, genuine hug when I step of the scale and report that I have lost 2 lbs.

I also have someone who will help me make good choices, like deciding not to eat that other half of my tuna melt, lest I feel uncomfortably full and bad about myself afterwards. (Or not to have that second bottle of wine, lest I feel dizzy and vomitous afterwards.)

Now that is something that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I might even write a poem about it.

The Thin Red Wine Line

2010-04-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

So, another study came out last week that completely and utterly applies to this group of bloggers and pretty much everyone we know (probably including you!). I don't know the official name of the study, but it might as well be called, "Hey SmartyPants….You're Wasted!"

By some stroke of unbelievable timing and luck, I just happened to be on my first "wagon" last week since joining Weight Watchers. The only reason being was that I found a hole in my social calendar that would allow me to not drink for one whole week….if I set my mind to it. And thankfully, I did. Because if I had read this study while going about my usual ways, I might have had a panic attack and a serious Google session of "Betty Ford Clinic." To my relief and surprise, the week went by relatively easily and effortlessly. I discovered I would have turned to the bottle that week, mostly out of habit, rather than necessity. So that was nice to be reminded of.

The main crux of the study is this line right here: "The more educated women are, the more likely they are to drink alcohol on most days and to report having problems due to their drinking patterns." A few of the reasons being: we’ve got more money (to waste), we put off having kids til the last possible minute and then some (Hi, Invitro!), and we're around "The Guys" a lot more (keg stand!).

After reading through the article (below), I can safely say that every point applies to myself -- except for this "problem" word. Where do we draw this line? How do you know if your drinking is considered a "problem"? If I can stop on a dime for a week, am I good to go? Or is there untold damage to my liver? If I have a Mimosa after a big night out (or just because), am I a morning drinker? Or just enjoying a Sunday brunch ritual? What is the difference between a "healthy" dose of red wine every day….and being a "wino"? Well, regardless, I don't think any of us Winos have any intention of changing our SmartyPants habits anytime soon. Hence the theme of this whole blog: Losing weight while keeping drinking.

Here is the article/study, with a few of my own notes thrown in…

Cleverest women are the heaviest drinkers
Women who went to university consume more alcohol than their less-highly-educated counterparts, a major study has found.
By Roger Dobson

Those with degrees are almost twice as likely to drink daily (check!), and they are also more likely to admit to having a drinking problem (I admit nothing).

A similar link between educational attainment and alcohol consumption is seen among men, but the correlation is less strong (figures).

The findings come from a comprehensive study carried out at the London School of Economics in which researchers tracked the lives of thousands of 39-year-old women and men, all born in the UK during the same week in 1970.

The report concludes: "The more educated women are, the more likely they are to drink alcohol on most days and to report having problems due to their drinking patterns.
"The better-educated appear to be the ones who engage the most in problematic patterns of alcohol consumption."

Women's alcohol consumption can even be predicted from their scores in school tests taken when they are as as young as five (wow!).

Women who achieved "medium" or "high" test marks as schoolgirls are up to 2.1 times more likely to drink daily as adults.

The authors of the report, Francesca Borgonovi and Maria Huerta, suggest several possible explanations as to why better-educated women drink more.

They tend to have children later (zero percent mothers author this blog), postponing the responsibilities of parenthood (and many other responsibilities; I can't even seem to pick up my dry cleaning!). They may have more active social lives (cha!) or work in male-dominated workplaces with a drinking culture (do gay males count?).

As girls, they may have grown up in middle-class families and seen their parents drink regularly (mom cooking dinner with a glass of wine in hand).

In the long-term study, the LSE team followed all the people born in Britain during one week in 1970, asking them questions about their lifestyle at regular periods throughout their lives.
The number of people for whom information was available has varied over the course of the research between 9,665 and 17,287.

The researchers took account of each individual's school test results and level of academic attainment, as well as their answers to regularly-administered surveys in which they were asked questions such as "Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?" (sure) and "Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?" (only on weekends or vacations; that makes it ok, right?!)
Women with some educational qualifications were 71 per cent more likely to drink on most days compared to women with no qualifications. Women with degree-level qualifications were 86 per cent more likely to do so (that's a solid "B"!).

Higher educated women were 1.7 times more likely to have a drinking problem, as assessed through their questionnaire answers, than their less-well-educated counterparts.
Women who scored highly in tests while at school were also at greater risk of having drinking problems.

Whereas women with medium or high childhood test scores were up to 2.1 times more likely to have a drink most days, men who scored similarly-high scores were only 49 per cent more likely to do so.

"Both males and females who achieved high-level performance in test scores administered at ages five and 10 are significantly more likely to abuse alcohol than individuals who performed poorly on those tests," says the report, in the journal Social Science and Medicine.

According to the study, a substantial part of the educational effect is likely to be due to better-educated women having more opportunities and tending to have middle-class lifestyles, exposing them to circumstances that favour alcohol consumption.

"Reasons for the positive association of education and drinking behaviours may include: a more intensive social life that encourages alcohol intake (yup); a greater engagement into traditionally male spheres of life (Lets Go Giants!), a greater social acceptability of alcohol use and abuse (the MORE the merrier!); more exposure to alcohol use during formative years (started at 16, and that was considered "late"); and greater postponement of childbearing and its responsibilities among the better educated (or completely ignore)," says the report.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesman for the Alcohol Concern charity said: "This raises concerns which need to be addressed.

"People with higher qualifications have more disposable income, and we have seen a trend where there has been an increase in the marketing of wine, particularly aimed at working women (umhum) .

"People who abuse alcohol face a higher risk of suffering from health problems incluidng cancer, liver cirrhosis, lung and cardiovascular disease, and mental and behavioural issues." (would also add "falling down due to dance party" to this list)

The Sweet Fit of Success

2010-04-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

I love to procrastinate. I grew up in a family that was always running late- once we even came down the aisle of a wedding, right behind the bride. My Mom looked around the pews apologetically, but these were formative years for me. I was trained to always put things off and arrive at the last minute.

This is why I am writing a blog entry right now. We are down to the wire and I should be packing up boxes for the big move to the new house. However, I wanted to share some excitement that happened yesterday.

In the process of packing I found several unappealing clothing articles left over from my college days and decided it might be time to refresh the closet. As I walked in to Macys (they were having a giant sale!), I headed over to my usual size and started leafing through the dresses. Something weird happened in the dressing room: every dress I tried on was loose and baggy- they looked frumpy and too big. So back out I went, only to go a size lower, the lowest size I have been in my adult years. I sucked in and held my breath, but the dress zipped right up. Hmmm, I thought, maybe this is a fluke or a mislabeled dress size.

So I decided to go for the ultimate test: Bra shopping. Much to my disappointment, my bras have started gapping and are saggy. I thought maybe it was over wear, over wash syndrome, but one thing was clear- it was time for the annual bra buy at Nordstrom. As I stood cold and topless in the dressing room, a heavily perfumed sales lady measured me. “Oh no no no” she exclaimed. “These bras are all too big for you- you are two sizes smaller.” Two? Two? How could this be and when did this happen? As the saleslady left to forage for options that would to separate and lift, I started thinking about the age old diet dilemma. Why do you lose your boobs? I mean really, why can’t I keep the boobs and lose the tummy. Talk about unfair! But then I realized that I have been losing my tummy- this is why my dress size is smaller too. It was a proud moment for me, walking out of that mall with my smaller sized purchases. And I will tell you one other thing: It was a lot easier walking by Wetzel’s Pretzels at the end of a shopping day (12 useless points). The only motivation I needed was a quick glance down at my two size smaller boobs.

If Laughter is the Best Medicine...

2010-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Then love is decidedly the best diet pill.

Wouldn't you all agree that every time you meet a new potential love interest, the pounds somehow start falling off without even the slightest bit of attention or effort?

Maybe it's all the excitement and nervous energy coursing through your veins: the anticipation of the next date, the small thrill at that flirty text message, the racing heartbeat as you plant that first kiss. Love is like a natural amphetamine and the energy it incites makes us flutter like a hummingbird on speed.

Or maybe it's more transparent than that. Perhaps the idea that someone might actually see our naked bodies in the very near future is enough to drive us to starvation. When we get in the shower and come face to face with those pudgy bits we usually hide under our favorite sweatshirt, we realize that the sweatshirt will have to come off. Someone, sometime soon, will see this naked body and either want to make passionate love to it or enact a look of absolute terror, run screaming from the room and never attempt to call us again. The sheer fear of the latter incidence is enough to bring on a diet of cabbage soup or a lemon-ginger cleanse.

No doubt some of our beloved readers and bloggers have ultimately found the loves of their lives and are living the happily ever after saga. But for the rest of us, this period of buzzing excitement and fluttering flirtation often leads to a period of disappointment and heartbreak. Someone cheats on someone else. One person gets bored. The other realizes they are not dating "marriage material." Or something to that effect.

When we get to this point, there are two avenues for how we can deal with the heart wrenching emotions of breaking up. One camp drowns their sorrows in Ben & Jerry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice cream, whereas another camp revolts at the thought of food and wallows in their bottomless emptiness. I happen to fall into the second camp. Therefore heartbreak is just as much of a weight loss experiment as it is an emotional roller-coaster. The only consolation for this empty, uneasy feeling is that I know it will result in my jeans fitting a little looser by the time I'm ready to hit the bars again in search of the next flirty feeling. And if I happen to run into that evil ex, then I'll look just a little hotter than the last time he saw me.

So the only logical takeaway from this whole synopsis is that love, and ultimately heartbreak, really are a great means to weight loss. If I can fall in and out of love on a regular basis, no doubt I'll hit my ultimate goal weight in no time! The only snag in this little plan is that I might end up with a few emotional scars and the inability to ever have a lasting relationship. Hmm... perhaps I should just stick with Weight Watchers.

Lessons From My Big Fat Mexican Family

2010-04-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Have you seen My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding? Well, I have a big, fat, Mexican family.

My mom has 8 siblings. And I have 23 first cousins.

Growing up, I thought it was normal that a family get-together consist of minimum 45 people. I thought it was normal to spend every single weekend with my entire extended family—attending baptisms, birthdays, first communions, anniversaries, holidays.

I also thought it was normal—after said baptisms, birthdays, first communions, anniversaries, and holidays—to celebrate by eating. Not just eating, actually, but completely engorging on chips with Petra's famous homemade salsa verde (that she always brings in a 2-gallon container). And stuffing my face with the honey-baked ham that someone had splurged on that day (following up with a ham sandwich—smothered in mayonnaise—later that night). And indulging in my mom's homemade pinto beans, refried in bacon fat, and wrapped with a warm, buttery tortilla.

I thought it was normal to feel, every weekend, as uncomfortably stuffed as most people feel only after Thanksgiving dinner.

Suffice it to say, my family's lessons on eating right pretty much sucked. Weight Watchers has been instrumental in changing that for me.

However, there was one positive lesson I learned from my family that Weight Watchers could never take away: dance it off, girl.

That's right. No matter the location, every family get-together inevitably ends with a dance party. A makeshift dance floor is created, music is played (or bumped), and family members take turns showcasing their latest moves. It burns off at least a fraction of the calories that were consumed earlier in the day—which is definitely a positive thing!

This past weekend was Easter. And my youngest sister, Katie, took charge of the dance party by trying to teach us the latest urban dance craze: jerking. As in, "can you jerk?"

Katie (left in the below video) can obviously jerk:

Auntie Stephanie can jerk, too:

As for our wino, Jen, who was my weekend guest... well, I'll let you decide for yourself:

And We're Back!

2010-04-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

We've been a little quiet the past few days and, while I don't know what the other Winos were up to, Loreal & I spent some time in LA for the Easter weekend.

Although it's prime time to indulge in Honey Baked Ham, dinner rolls, salad with creamy dressing, pastries, candy, and, of course, some wine to wash it all down, we weren't scared of falling off the wagon. After all, we were visiting family who were also on Weight Watchers, so we were all in it together!

We even started off on the right foot! Instead of bringing a traditional Easter basket as a token of appreciation for the hospitality, I brought one filled with a lily and lots of yummy, low-point treats!

But then.......

In typical "I am home, it's a holiday, and there's food, food, and more food to graze on!" fashion, we did just that. Grazed.

Grazed (and drank) 35-40 points in a day.

Two days in a row.

For all the pitfalls around us, we could have done worse. True, we ate more than we normally do at home. And we ate different foods than normal, also - namely, lots of sweets! But, on the positive side, our Easter baskets came with kitchen scales in lieu of chocolate bunnies, and a SIGG water bottle instead of sodas.

And I had not ONE Robin's Egg, Snicker's Egg, or Cadbury Creme Egg this year.

Guess what, Easter Bunny ... We're tied!
Easter candy: 1, JWHA: 1

Yes means No, and No means Yes!

2010-04-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there, gentle reader! Welcome to Opposite World, a place where Yes means No, and No means Yes! What? You’re not quite confused yet? Well, don't worry, there's more!

In Opposite World, everything is sdrawkcab! It's the one place in our society of "more everything", that less actually equals more. A place where every loss is a win! Where a gain is not a step forward, but a step back. This doesn't make sense in normal world terms, where the more you amass, the more successful you are.

To make Opposite World clearer, think of the hit TV show, The Biggest Loser. Who is the actual Biggest Loser? The biggest winner….of losing…..weight. Oh what a Biggest Loser I felt like during my first six weeks of Weight Watchers. Every week I lost. Which meant, I won! What a feeling, to lose and win all at once! Lose enough times and you start to think you'll never gain again! I was really beginning to like Opposite World.

I got so good at losing, I started to get sloppy. A fib on a glass of wine here, a lie about the cheese there. In Opposite World, adding must equal subtracting, right? WRONG.

As I stepped on to the scale this week, my testing of the backwardness of Opposite World quickly caught up with me. Because I said "Yes!" to buttered movie popcorn and a chaser of Thai noodles after the show last Friday, I got closer to the "No, you will not lose weight this week" consequences of Opposite World. When I bellied up to the party snack table on Saturday night, I secured my spot in Yes means No. A little nibble here, another tiny bite there, actually added up to a lot.

Thankfully, the big gain was a small a small addition. +0.6 pounds. But it still made me feel like a regular world loser -- big time. And it was still a long way from actually losing weight that week. It was a wake-up call to get myself back to Opposite World. It's time to ignore normal world instincts to order one more glass of wine, or that just a few chips don't count….because not counting does add up….fast!

So it's back to Opposite World I go…where my NOs will mean a YES on the scale next week. Because a loss is really a gain, and you don't feel like a loser, when you lose like a winner. Got it? Good.

The Buddy System

2010-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

At last night's meeting, we talked about the ways that having a "buddy" can help you achieve weight loss goals and stay on track. As you know from reading this blog, luckily I have a network of buddies to tap into, which is exactly what I did.

Today, even after two weeks of disappointing numbers at the scale, I was tempted to forgo the healthy lunch I had packed this morning and, instead, hit up the Falafel truck at work for some delicious Mediterranean fare.

I sent this plea to my fellow Winos:
"I brought my lunch today but really want Falafel from the truck at work today. What to do? Help, buddies!"

I received the following support:

"Look up how many points the whole thing would be and then decide if it's worth it."

"Don't do it! The cheddar & sour cream baked Ruffles we brought today are the bomb!"

"You know what to do! Eat your lunch. Reward yourself with a Falafel next week if you were good this week!"

The verdict?

Lunch from home for 7.5 points

The Way We Move

2010-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to my earlier post detailing our health-conscious grocery store run, I bring you another grocery store conveyor belt picture that paints a thousand words:

We moved this past weekend. And the night before the big move, we needed some sustenance to give us the energy we'd need for packing and loading. With pots and pans tucked neatly away in various cardboard boxes, our dinner options were limited. Luckily, we stumbled upon some Boca burgers (2 Weight Watchers points each) in the freezer. After a quick grocery store run to grab the necessary sides (pictured above), we had all we needed for a delicious dinner.

And I was even able to enjoy some liquid dessert while finishing up our packing.

The Easter Bunny Could Care Less about Weight Watchers

2010-03-29T12:31:00.001-07:00

I have my dad to thank for my sweet tooth. I am a sucker for all things chocolate, nutty, and all-around gooey goodness. Which is why I love "candy holidays". For many people, Halloween is that time of year to indulge in bags of candy corns or Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. And, while I love Halloween candy, I love Easter candy even more.

Robin's Eggs are a personal favorite, closely followed by Snickers Eggs (they are so much better than the regular bar!), and, of course, the original Cadbury Creme Eggs. I'll even plow through a sleeve of Peeps!

Recently, I wandered down the Easter candy aisle at Target and my eyes lit up at the sight of all the candy. Thinking, "how bad could this be?", I started loading up the cart with my favorites before pausing to remember I needed to calculate the points in everything before I brought it into my home.

It was not good news.

Robin's Eggs (qty 14) = 4 points
1 Snickers Egg = 4 points
1 Cadbury Creme Egg = 4 points

I was visibly upset for the rest of the shopping trip.

Easter candy: 1, Jen: 0

Just like risotto - but WAY easier!

2010-03-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is one of my top 5 Weight Watcher recipes. The serving size is huge and its super easy. If you like risotto, this is a must-try! You can find barley in any grocery store. Check in the rice section.

2 sprays cooking spray
2/3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (also called baby bella)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked barley
1 tsp salt to taste

Coat a 3qt saucepan with cooking spray.
Melt the butter.
Add the onion and saute about 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they release moisture, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, barley and salt; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan and cook for 60 - 75 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir occasionally and add more broth if needed.

Serves 6 (about 1 cup/serving)
Points = 3

PS. For an added kick, I like to top with about 1 tbsp of shredded parmesan before serving. It adds another point, but I think its worth it!

What's For Dinner? Nachos Edition

2010-03-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Think nachos can't be done on Weight Watchers? Think again!

I consider myself a nacho aficionado, so the bar is set high. Even with baked tortilla chips, this combo satisfies! I paired it with a Don't Mess Around Margarita and was one happy camper.

Preparation recommendation: assemble chips, beans and cheese; pop into toaster oven to heat and melt; throw on avocado and salsa after. Mmmm.....

Guilt-Free Nachos:
Baked tortilla chips (18) 2.5
1/2 cup fat-free refried beans 2 pts
1/4 avocado 2 pts
Sprinkling of pepper jack cheese 1.5 pts
Your favorite salsa 0 pts
TOTAL 8 pts

Don't Mess Around Margarita:
2 jiggers tequila 4 pts
Fresh squeezed lime juice 0 pts
TOTAL 4 pts

The Curse of the Badonkadonk

2010-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

So here's the thing: my hips don't lie. Thanks to my Latina heritage, I have always been caderona, or hippy. When I was in high school, this was brought to my attention (too) often by my mom, who, when I would grab an extra tamale or enchilada at a family get-together, would say, "Oooh mija... past your lips, onto your hips!"

But now that my mom's not around, I am reminded of my child rearin' hips every time I find myself walking down Mission Street, when various men inevitably shout things like "Girl, you got booty for DAAAAYZ!" or "Daaaamn! That's some BOOTY!" Or, my personal favorite, "Hey! Hey you! Booty girl! Hey Big Booty girl... can I have your number?" (Nothing like flattery to get to a woman.)

As any fellow booty girl will tell you, shopping for jeans is the absolute worst. I think it's safe to say that it is my version of hell, really. I have spent many an hour in a badly-lit fitting room (why does the lighting in fitting rooms somehow manage to exacerbate every roll and cellulite dimple that exists on one's body??), with a pile of denim at my side, repeatedly trying on jeans while fighting to hold back tears because they are simply. not. working.

These don't go over my hips. These don't zip. These give me muffin top. These are too loose on the waist but too tight on the hips. Get me out of this godforsaken fitting room before I light this store on fire!

A couple of months ago, I went through an experience like this but managed to emerge from Nordstrom Rack victorious: with a new pair of Seven jeans that fit and that made me happy. My feelings of contentment were short-lived, however. Because a couple of weeks later, the inseam on the left inner-thigh burst open and I had to take them to a tailor to get patched. This was rock bottom for me. Never have I felt like such a fatty in my whole life.

Now, 6 weeks into Weight Watchers, I have lost 11.4 pounds. The jeans with the patch on the inner thigh? I can't even wear them anymore because they are too big and they slide off my truthful hips.

Sometime within the next week, I will return to Nordstrom Rack, and I will try on more smaller-sized jeans. And while I know the experience won't exactly be pleasant, I'm sure I won't cry or have fantasies of arson.

And I'm even surer that the men on Mission won't stop calling me Booty girl anytime soon. Some things just don't change.

Happiness is...

2010-03-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

A bank full of Weekly "FLEX" Points every Thursday morning!

The Set Back

2010-03-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Everyday I get an email in my inbox from theknot.com. Today it said “129 days to go before your wedding!” Instead of feeling excited, I thought- Oh Crap. And this is why:

We are under a little stress in my household. It is wedding crunch time- invitations must be ordered, caterer backed out- we need a new one, the floral bids are hideously high, and my sister can’t find a flower girl dress for my niece (who is so cute, btw). Add to that, we have been search for a house and we found one.

We got on the house rollercoaster about two weeks ago. We were against five other bidders, we had to go through inspections, get the loan, blah blah. Let me tell you what this translates to: MAJOR eating binge on Saturday Night.

½ peppermint milk shake
½ tuna melt, fried, with cheese
10 fries (not that good or I would have eaten more)
2 chicken tenders
1 case of heartburn and major guilt

If only I had paid attention to the weight watchers booklet on emotional eating. The worst part was that I felt so gross after the big binge. My body has adjusted to nutritious weight watcher foods and was insulted when I coated it in grease, compliments of the Palo Alto Creamery.

The good news is that the binge was real wake up call. I wanted to count points the next day and I got to tracking as soon as I woke up. It wasn’t just the guilt, it was that my body was demanding some retribution. A binge like that won’t cause you to gain major weight, but it will put a dent in to your psyche, which is half the battle for me. I need to remember to keep a balance, that is why weight watchers is so helpful. I can’t say that I am never going to reach for the chicken tenders in a time of crisis, but I will think twice when I have to track it.

Eleven Points in a ...Large Order of Fries

2010-03-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

It caught my attention last week, when it hit the news, that two very iconic brands are going to do the logo dance resulting in one very ironic cha-cha-cha. McDonald's New Zealand is pairing up with Weight Watchers to identify, and subliminally recommend, various popular menu items and provide point equivalents to both customer sets.

One of the beauties of Weight Watchers is that you can eat whatever you want, including fast food, if you so choose. Just make sure it fits into your daily point allotment...cuz if you run out of points before noon, then you are S.O.L.

Three of the items that McDonald's New Zealand and Weight Watchers will highlight are the Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets and Seared Chicken Wrap. Here are the American equivalents and their point values:
Filet-O-Fish 9 points
Chicken McNuggets (6) 7 points
Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap 6 points

Because I worked on the McDonald's brand in various forms (PR, advertising, marketing) for a decade of my career, I know the menu inside and out. I know what is a healthy choice and what isn't. I also think I know why Weight Watchers is all for this union. The Golden Arches is the third most-recognized logo/symbol in the WORLD, trumped only by the Red Cross and the Olympic rings. It is a pure business move for Weight Watchers exposure. And we know why McDonald's is doing it -- so they can increase their perception as fitting into a healthy lifestyle. The problem is that Weight Watchers is doing this for themselves, not for their customers. It would behoove both companies and this partnership to concentrate on more healthy menu items to highlight to their customers, like the grilled chicken salad or sandwich, apple dippers and yogurt parfait, rather than the fried numbers. Who wants to blow a quarter of their points for the day popping 6 McNuggets into their mouth (and that's without sauce!).

By the way, if you're looking to trade in your bottle of wine for a McDonald's menu item, the Large French Fries come in at 11. Bottoms up!

And in this corner...

2010-03-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Because everything we've been learning in Weight Watchers is centered around "smart choices", please accept this as an amendment to my earlier post about Kettle Chips.

9 S&P Kettle Chips = 3 points
22 Sour Cream & Onion Pop Chips = 3 points

Ladies & gentlemen, we have a winner.

Moroccan Stew

2010-03-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick and easy one pot stew (well, two pots if you put it over brown rice). When I'm worried that I won't be able to eat fresh veggies before they go bad, I chop them up, put them on a cookie sheet, freeze them and store in freezer zip-lock bags. Makes week night cooking that much quicker!

You can really use any combo of veggies in this dish. Its the spices that give it a Moroccan flair!

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
2 medium carrots
1 cup butternut squash
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup bell pepper

1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
salt & pepper

1 15oz can garbanzo beans (drained)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1.5 cups vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a large pot.
Add the onion and carrot cooking until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables and cook another 3 minutes.
Add the garbanzo beans and spices and toss until the beans and veggies are coated with the spices.
Add the tomatoes and broth; simmer for about 25 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened.
Serve over 1/2 cup brown rice with 1 Tbsp light sour cream.

Total = 7 points (including the rice and sour cream). Serves 4.

If Kobe Could...

2010-03-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

The 1996 NBA draft is arguably the most impressive in the league's recent history. It saw the career birth of superstars like Allen Iverson, Steve Nash and Ray Allen. But most importantly, it was the year 17 year-old Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to be selected to join its ranks.

I didn't watch the draft that day. In fact, I wasn't even much of a basketball fan then. But there was something magical, even mesmerizing about the day that summer that the Charlotte Hornets traded young Kobe to the Lakers. Los Angles was abuzz with the idea that this young superstar was moving to LA to join Shaq and hopefully elevate the team to the nostalgic greatness of the Magic/Kareem days. Excitement was palpable. Expectations were huge. And everything was about to change.

Kobe would accomplish even more than anyone could ever imagine... 4 title rings, 3 All-Star MVP honors, 1 Olympic gold medal and the record as the highest scoring Laker of all time. Oh, and by the way, he hasn't even retired yet.

But he would also experience struggle. An affair that turned into rape allegations would leave him buried in a legal nightmare at the height of his career. He lost all of his endorsements, spent some time in jail, and almost lost his family.

What does any of this have to do with Weight Watchers you may legitimately wonder? Well, I'm getting to that.

You see, Kobe was 17 when I was 17. I was amazed that someone my own age was about to make millions upon millions of dollars, was on the cover of every magazine, was going to have 20,000 fans screaming his name nightly, and somehow, just barely, managed to remain calm, poised and articulate. He became someone I admired. He became a symbol of all that was possible for my generation. He was downright amazing.

So this week, as I stepped on that dreaded Weight Watchers scale and saw the numbers fail to decline, I felt disappointed in myself. I realized I didn't track very well. I let myself splurge on high point foods a few too many times. And I didn't keep a deal with myself to get moving again. Basically, I didn't really try.

As I sat in the weekly meeting I started thinking about inspiration... how I needed to dig a bit deeper and find something to focus on that would keep me on track. And naturally. The first thing to come to mind, was Kobe. I thought, if Kobe could find a way to get to the gym an hour early every day, spend hours practicing with the team, and still find time to practice his jump shot at night, I can find a way to take a minute or two and write down what I put in my mouth. If Kobe could play 82 games a year through numerous injuries and illnesses, I can walk a couple miles home from work once or twice a week. And if Kobe could get through a rape trial, avoid a divorce and manage to be a good dad, I can resist an afternoon cookie when I'm feeling a little stressed at work.

So this week is all about restructuring my thinking. Those things that seemed painful and annoying last week (e.g. tracking and moving) are really just simple, easy tasks on the path to my goal this week. I have a new mindset. A new inspiration. And it may sound cheesy, but it's really very simple:

If Kobe could. I can.

Back to Reality

2010-03-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

To piggyback on Jen's post about our trip to NYC, I thought I'd add this photo. It depicts the dinner we had last night, our first night back from vacation.

Would I have rather had the wild mushroom mac n' cheese for dinner last night? Yes. Do I feel better about the fact that I opted for a low point meal of curry chicken and lentils, instead? Yes. Both mentally and, uh, gastrointestinally, if you know what I mean. (Yes, that is a poop joke. I went there.)

New York City & Not an Apple in Sight : UPDATE!

2010-03-16T14:43:00.001-07:00

Vacation be damned!
As of the 3/17 weigh-in, I lost 3.6 big ones!

I wasn't exactly prepared for our weekend trip to New York. Sure, my bags were packed and I had time for a glass of wine before heading to SFO for a red-eye, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is that I wasn't prepared to venture away from home on a vacation during the first month of Weight Watchers.

San Francisco is one thing; while we have thousands of restaurants here, it's not nearly on the same scale. And, because I live here, I don't feel compelled to try them all at once or eat everything on the menu (most of the time), probably because I know I can always "come back for dessert sometime" or try "that new pizza place" when it fits into my Weight Watchers points allotment.

But New York? Entirely different. Not only are there more than 20,000 restaurants registered with the Health Department in NYC, there are places like Chip Shop. And Bouchon Bakery. And Magnolia Bakery. And warm nut carts. And hot dog stands. And bars. And more bars. And even more bars!!

Over the past few years I've made it a habit to get to NYC for a visit at least once a year and, every year, there's always something I crave. For many years, it was the house roll from Haru (sushi). But, for the past two years, it's been the savory, cheesy goodness of aforementioned Chip Shop's wild mushroom mac & cheese and their deep-fried-to perfection fish & chips. Accompanied, of course, by a 22oz Newcastle or two.

While a place that served double-fried cherry pie until it was banned by the NYC health department last year and that STILL serves fried candy bars should certainly not be on the list while one is trying to stick to a healthy lifestyle, I started thinking about Chip Shop about a month ago. (If you're keeping track, that timing corresponds to my join date with Weight Watchers.)

I was plotting and planning points to figure out how I could somehow work the mushroom mac and delicious fish & chips into my allotted dailies, assuming I could borrow from the bonus points, and make it all fit somehow. That would have been fine were it the only thing I tried to "squeeze" into my points allotment.

What I didn't count on was the "we're on vacation!" glass of wine before the flight (and at every possible stop along the way). Or the Ruffles & ranch dip and homemade Buckeyes at the party on Saturday. Those were all just sweet surprises starting with "what the hell!"

But, however bad all this seems, with the help of our NYC blogger Suz, we managed to work some "small successes" into our vacation:

1. We woke up - although jet lagged - and worked out at 8:30am on Saturday morning
2. We attended Suz's WW meeting - led by WW celeb Liz - with her on Saturday morning
3. We walked ... everywhere!
4. We had a "Loreal-approved" dance party that lasted into the wee hours of the morning - surely worth a few activity points?

Clearly, I am prepared for a gain this week. But, it was vacation and I held myself accountable for everything, tracking as best I could along the way. Except for maybe that Sunday morning bloody mary that, I will admit, I chalked up to "what the hell! I am on vacation!" and enjoyed every minute of.

In Prep for St. Patty's

2010-03-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

There is nothing worse than walking into an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day and seeing people drinking anything but a holiday-appropriate beverage. This is NOT the day to order your vodka-cran or a crisp white wine, people. Here are the choices: either green beer, a shot of Jameson's or a Guinness. You might enjoy the Luck O' the Irish if you employ the latter, here's why:

For starters, there are studies that claim that Guinness can be beneficial to the heart. Researchers have found that antioxidant compounds in Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

Even more important, there are 4 Weight Watchers points in a glass of Guinness draught stout; one whole pint is equal to two cups, so compared to an equal pour of wine (6.5 points), you save 2.5 points on the Guinness, ounce for ounce. Hello!

Despite its reputation as a "meal in a glass", Guinness only contains 198 calories per pint…..fewer than skimmed milk or orange juice and most other non-light beers. As if you needed another excuse to pour beer over your cereal.

And now, a toast:

"If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough."

Will Power

2010-03-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

I will only have 1 serving (9 chips) of these for 3 points.
And I will enjoy every. last. bite.

I'll Drink To That!

2010-03-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it. I have "a drink" practically every day. Over the course of the four weeks since I started WW, I think I've counted only three days that I haven't had at least once alcoholic beverage. Typical weekday beverages include the occasional martini (3 pts), fresh lime margarita (3-4 pts), but most often I am pouring myself a glass of wine (2 WW servings: 80z 3.5 pts). As far as the weekends go, all bets are off and I think I speak for most of the contributors to this blog when I say: the majority of those extra points given to spread throughout the week are most likely going towards cocktails with large emphasis on wine.

I've often wondered what my progress would be if I stopped drinking. Not altogether (because that would be ridiculous!). But just for a week. Well, I will find out sooner or later, but not this week. In the news this week is some encouraging findings from the Archives of Internal Medicine (sounds legit to me!) on exactly what this blog is all about: WEIGHT LOSS and WINE (via WOMEN bloggers). I am not going to stretch the truth and say there isn't room for some booze tapering in my life.....as one of our post commenters so eloquently put it, "I'm trying to recall the last time I had one 4oz. serving of wine." But it is good to know, from a scientific standpoint, that working wine into the lifestyle might just be a great move!

Please drink responsibly.

Women Who Drink Gain Less Weight
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Lars Klove for The New York Times

Can a drink a day keep the pounds away?

Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail. But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity.

The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 39 or older who, at the start of the study, fell into the “normal weight” category based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.
Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight or obese. Although alcohol is packed with calories (about 150 in a six-ounce glass of wine), the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol beverages a day, compared with nondrinkers.

The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk.
The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men. A 2003 study of British men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers. Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women. Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food. In the Archives study, women who drank alcohol reported fewer calories from food sources, particularly carbohydrates.

In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize alcohol. Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change. But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism.
The link between consumption of red wine and less weight gain was particularly pronounced in the Archives study. Some studies have suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, appears to inhibit the development of fat cells and to have other antiobesity properties.

The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight. Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean woman. The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic beverages.

Sexercise!

2010-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

I've been on Weight Watchers this time around for about 3 months. I'm making steady progress, but it's a little slow going these days. I haven't been 100% committed to tracking 100% of the time. And sometimes my meal plans get thrown out the window when fresh bagels make an appearance at a morning meeting.

So, this week my goal is to start moving. I know that's technically supposed to happen in Week 3, but Week 3 was Christmas. Week 4 was New Year's. Week 6 was a major move. And Week 10 I started a new job. Excuses, excuses. So it's time to put the pedal to the metal, or sneaker to pavement, and step into gear!

I was cruising around the activity section of weightwatchers.com to try to get inspired since I've been feeling a little burnt out on my old standbys (yoga, tennis, running). Since the weather in SF is basically frigid rain and wind these days, I need an indoor activity. I hate gyms. I have a hard time committing to classes of any kind due to my erratic work schedule. And I prefer an activity that includes listening to music so I don't notice the minutes ticking by like hours. Hmm...

What about sex??? I mean, I can burn calories while enjoying physical pleasure, listen to some Al Green (or the like) and I don't even need to buy a new pair of sneakers. Genius!

Well to my dismay, according to the activity tracker on weightwatchers.com, there is no activity credit given for sex. WTH?! Sex can be much more physically taxing than an afternoon stroll through the park (1 point), a mid-morning yoga class (2 points) or a friendly game of tennis (3 points). So I've devised my own point system. It may not be sanctioned by Weight Watcher's, but by the power invested in me (which is none), I hereby present a new category of activity points... SEXERCISE!

Quickie (10 minutes of moderate physical activity) - 1 point
Topsy turvy (20-30 minutes on top) - 2 points
New tricks (30-45 minutes of trying to impress a new partner with your strength or flexibility) - 3 points
OH MY GOD (45+ minutes of hair-matted-against-the-forehead-sweaty-like-a-pig-sex) - 4 points

Great! I have a plan. I will exercise. I will enjoy myself while doing it. This will be the year I hit my goal weight!

Only one small problem... I am single. And there are no prospects in sight.

Anyone know a good yoga studio in the Mission?

Quenching My Thirst

2010-03-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Fact: I am always thirsty.
Fact: I don’t like water.

The two statements above have created some serious problems for me throughout the years.

I hate water. I can’t stand the way it tastes. I don’t even like tea, because it tastes too much like water. For as long as I can remember, it has been this way. I have been strongly opposed to drinking any kind of water. As a result, when thirsty, I will drink anything (and everything) BUT water. I will drink Gatorade, I will drink Vitamin Water, and regular coke has always been a vice of mine. I will drink flavored bubbly water, I will drink juice, and I have even been known to steal the Capri suns from my little brother's lunches.

The past few years have been the most problematic for me, as sugary juices and sodas have been slowly replaced by a steady flow of, well, booze. A mimosa with breakfast is always fabulous, a cold beer (or beer. or beer.) will always help wash my lunch down, and I can’t imagine having dinner without at least a couple glasses of wine (or wine. or wine.) I’ve mastered the art of gettin’ low on the dance floor with a ketel cranberry in hand, I love tropical summer drinks, and I handle my jello shots with style and grace.

Oh, and did I mention that I have gained 20 pounds over the last two years?

Obviously, something needed to change. So in starting Weight Watchers, I also decided it was time to reform my water-hating ways.

Luckily, Jen helped me come up with a workaround. Knowing that I will only drink water when it is ice cold and lemony, she bought a big nalgene, filled it halfway with water, and froze it over night. The next morning, she sliced fresh lemon wedges into it and filled it the rest of the way with water.

Success! That day at work, I refilled my 750ml nalgene 4 times! And now I drink it everyday.

Fact: My skin looks better.
Fact: I have been getting less headaches.
Fact: I have lost 9 pounds in three weeks!!

This is not to say I’m going to give up other drinks, by any means. I guess I just need to get good at double fisting.

I'll just have a salad...

2010-03-07T17:52:00.001-08:00

mixed greens
shredded carrot
diced tomato
chopped mushrooms
sliced onion
1/2 avocado (4.5pts)
1/2 can tuna in oil (drained - 3pts)
salt & pepper
Total = 8pts

The residual oil in the canned tuna serves as "dressing". And eating half an avocado is just heaven! I threw in another 0.5pts for good measure.

Engagement Party: Before & After

2010-03-04T12:50:00.001-08:00

As Erika mentioned, we are both getting married this year. It is all very exciting- the planning, the gifts, the late nights curling up with my fiancé, Ian. However, with each party, comes endless snapping of pictures. Translation: Angle arm & tilt head, try to look as thin as possible.

A few weeks ago, my Dad held an engagement party for us. (see Jen’s posting of Martini Points). As I zipped up my little black dress, I felt that all of my hard work had finally paid off. I felt great!

Until… I was scrolling down through the pictures and found this:

Now there is a lot going on in this picture: Ian is about to fall asleep on the couch, Ian’s Mom looks lovely and is wearing Chanel shoes, Ian’s Dad has fallen off his chair thanks to the Martini Bar, the dog is walking around and wait- what is that thing in white off to the right? Dear LORD- it is my stomach. Though I am clearly horrified, this was the best reminder that my work is not done. I cannot sit back and enjoy caviar (as I did last weekend with champagne & crème fraiche).

So this week, I am focusing on tracking and planning my meals. It isn’t easy, but when I feel my resolve start to weaken, I take a glance at my new screen saver entitled “Stomach in White.”

What's for Dinner?

2010-03-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

Grilled Walnut Encrusted Tilapia (5pts)
- combine 1TB finely ground walnuts + 1TB bread crumbs (2pts)
- coat 5oz tilapia filet (3pts) w/egg white & cover with walnut mixture, salt & pepper
Near East Rice Pilaf (1/2 cup = 1.5pts)
Grilled Asparagus (1tsp olive oil, salt & pepper = 1pt)
Wine (8oz = 3.5pts)

All grilling was done on my trusty stovetop grill pan.

This was a delicious and healthy dinner (with wine to boot) all for, you guessed it....Eleven Points.

They're bbbaaaaccccckkkkkkkk.........

2010-03-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought it was safe to support Girl Scout Troupe #7142.

Point count in one GS cookie = 1+

Point count in one GS cookie serving = 4+

Average time of one GS cookie in mouth = 20 seconds

In comparison, 2 servings of wine (8 oz) is less points (3.5) than one whole serving of GS cookies. Not to mention the wine has no fat and gives you a buzz. Yeah, I'm gonna stick with the wine, thanks.

Snack Attack!

2010-03-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

I love sweets and I love snacking. And I love snacking on sweets.

Easily accessible quick fixes that satisfy a sweet or salty tooth.

Rice Crispy Treat = 2 pts
WW Red Velvet Mini Bar = 1 pt
WW Peanut Butter Bliss Mini Bar = 1 pt
Lorna Doone 100 Calorie Packs Shortbread Cookies = 2 pts
Buttered Popcorn (2 cups) = 3 points
Pretzels = 2 pts

These Ain't Paula Deen's Recipes!

2010-03-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

One of the things I've been loving about WW is figuring out low-point meals.

Last week, I made a movie-watching crowd-pleasing meal of whole wheat spaghetti w/ turkey meatballs + Caesar salad for 7 points (minus the wine and garlic bread).

A few nights later, it was scallops wrapped in jumbo prawns with a honey mustard glaze + spinach and mushroom couscous for a low key dinner at home with Loreal and her sister that registered at 5.5 points.

This weekend, Loreal whipped up this hearty breakfast (in bed) for me because I was sick:

Omelet
3 egg whites = 1 pt
1/4 cup avocado = 2 pts
1/8 cup diced tomato = 0 pts
1 slice deli ham, diced = 0 pts
1 tbs goat cheese = .5 pt
Sides
100 calorie Thomas' English muffin = 1 pt
1 tbs Land o' Lakes buttery spread = 2 pts
1 tbs light sour cream = .5 pt
2 tbs salsa = 0 pts
Drink
6oz Trop50 orange juice = 1 pt
Coffee w/ Splenda & 2 tbs 1% milk = .5 pt
Total Points: 7

And tonight, I put this together post-workout (modified a bit from the WW Weekly newsletter):

Turkey chili serving = 4 points
>Ground turkey
>Pinto beans
>Mexican style canned tomatoes + fresh tomatoes
>Spices (chili powder, oregano, cumin, s&p)
>Diced onion, sauteed
>Pam olive oil spray
Mission low carb tortilla, baked crispy = 1 pt
1/8 cup shredded cheese = 1.5 pts
1/4 cup avocado = 2 pts
1.5 tbs light sour cream = .5 pt
Total Points = 9

What did Loreal think of that meal? "I have to be honest with you, I feel like licking that plate right now and that says something"

Success!

That's One Small Step For Man...

2010-03-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

There is one steadfast barometer for weight gain or loss. Ski pants.

Ski pants generally don't shrink or expand to any great degree, and for 3/4 of the year, you don't wear them. My ski pants sat idle from May - December 2009, while I lived my non-winter life. Summer bar-b-ques, cocktails at restaurants out on the patio, holiday parties. As I gobbled my way through the year, I had forgotten....about those ski pants in the closet.

January finally came back around and quite out of nowhere one morning, I reached for the pants. I suddenly got very nervous. How tight would they be on my thighs? Would I be able to put chapstick or my phone on the front pocket without it protruding out? Would I be able to button those buttons without them popping back open?

Tahoe....we have a problem.

The ski pants turned out to be so tight, I was wishing I had a tight pair of pantyhose to put under them -- not because it was a cold, snowy day and I needed the insulation...but because I needed something to suck myself into them. Luckily I have a long ski jacket, so I was able to cover them up on top. But they sure were uncomfortable.

Two weeks later and two and a half weeks since the start of WW, I found myself starring back at those pants this weekend. I had forgotten about them, how uncomfortable they were, how I didn't want to take my jacket off. The weekly weigh-in is one thing, but these pants were going to tell all.

As I stuck my leg into them, I was nervous again. But as I slipped them on......I felt a difference. My legs went in easier. And buttoning was much less of a chore. I felt like on this warmer winter day, I was going to be able to take my jacket off and be okay with it! And they just felt good.

Don't get me wrong. They are still not loose or falling off my hips yet, by any means. But the way those ski pants fit showed me my first real tangible evidence of progress. It will be two more weeks until I get them back on again, and next time I won't be nervous. I'll have happy butterflies as I make a giant leap into them.

For now,
That's one small step for man....

Deep Thoughts on a Saturday

2010-02-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ugh. The task of apartment hunting is so daunting. I hope we find something good.

On our way to the first open house. I like this part of the Mission. I wonder if Jen thinks it's too gritty?

Whoa! Watch out for the girl with massive dreds and a huge cello on her back. Cello? Really? Oh, Mission hipsters. God love 'em.

Ooh, look how pretty that mural is! I love all the Mexican influence here. The color. The culture. And mmmm - it smells like burritos.

CRAP! It smells like burritos!! I canNOT live here!

Moving onto the next open house...

Gluttony : The Third Deadly Sin

2010-02-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

I ask you ... how do you look at a menu such as the one from Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley, CA and not want to eat everything in sight?! I guess the answer is, "don't look".

But, looking - and drooling - is exactly what I found myself doing last night as I met a friend for dinner.

For starters, we'll have the homemade burrata mozzarella paired with 3 kinds of salami on rustic bread (a new addition to the menu). Then for dinner, I will start with the Butter Lettuce Salad (Jicama, Apple, Napa Cabbage, Pecan, Creamy BBQ Dressing) followed by the Filet Mignon (Wild Mushroom and Potato Gratin, Baby Green Beans) - but instead of the green beans, can I get a side of Mushroom, Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese? Oh, and we'll split a side order of the Cayenne Spiced Onion Rings as well. Why not, let's splurge! Total gluttony! For dessert? Oof, I am so full. Why not ... how about the Bungalow Beignets w/ Espresso Crème Anglaise.

Aaaanddd ... roll me home.

Of course I didn't eat that. But is that what I wanted to order? Yes. Have I been known to order like that before? Definitely.

But, it was all a choice. I knew I was going out, so I checked the menu online prior so I wouldn't have as much temptation when I actually sat down. Sure, my friend's dinner looked (and tasted - yes, I had a very small bite of the spare ribs) richer and more glorious than mine, but at the end of the night, I was happy with the way I felt making smarter ordering decisions.

So, what did I have?
Starter: We split the crabcakes (watercress cream sauce on the side)
Salad: We split the Roasted Beets and Arugula w/ Bacon, Avocado, Skyhill Farms Goat Cheese - hold the bacon
Entree: Fish special of grilled Sea Bass, grilled asparagus, and baby potatoes - light oil, no butter with the roasted red pepper vinaigrette on the side

I still don't know how many points everything was, but I estimated high and for me it just means I will need to stay on a tighter track for the rest of the week.

Truth be told, that burratta salami dish made an appearance in my dreams last night though.

Winos on Weight Watchers

Unhealthy Habits Out the Window

Wearing a White Dress Means Waving a White Flag

A Funny Thing Happened Today...

Super Easy Weekend Brunch Bake

This Breakfast is only 4 PointsPlus points!

It's a New Day...

The whine on the wine...

The New Program : PointsPlus

Chipotle Points aka This Will Ruin Your Burrito Buzz

$4 a day

Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self

The Playoffs 15

How Winos Celebrate Birthdays

So We Meet Again

I did it!

Summer in San Francisco

Say Yes To (zipping up) The Dress!

To Have and to Hold...On to Pounds!

Three Words: Dulce....de....Leche

Skinny Bitch

It Takes Two

Divine Deliciousness - Sea Bass with Fennel Rice

When you're sliding into first, and you feel a great big burst...

Homemade Granola

Celebrate This. Bitch.

Hot Dog Love

Yep, I'm goin' there...Hungry Girl BUGS!

Relationships Are Hard Work

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

From Vom to Bomb

ZERO POINT CHALLENGE Day

Prepping for a Zero Points Day

Appetizer Solution - Bruschetta

Dumpster Diving for Accountability Reasons

The After-Party

The Natural Police

What's for Dinner?

The San Francisco Treat!

Summer Drink Series : Sangria

Wednesday Night Tradition

Summer Drink Series : Caipirinha

Working Like a Dog

The Power of Shoes

EXACTLY 100 Days Left!

Savvy Shopper : Pickles!

DISCUSS!

#FAIL

Saying Aloha to Weight Loss

The Cream Puff Effect

Back in the saddle again...UPDATE

The Eye of the Storm

A Picture Worth 60,000 Calories

There's no 'No' in NOLA

Lemon FAT Cake

Before & Progress Photo > 20.7 lbs

Wine vs Food

6.8 Pounds....a Haiku

Mind Over Mimosa

Savvy Shopper : Casear Salad Dressings

Savvy Shopper : An Introduction

Soft-Serve Strife

Sponsored by the Letter "W" and the Number "12"

Back in the saddle again...

Good Enough for an Academy Award Winner

Deconstructing the Double Down

Head Over Meals: How Love Makes You Fat

The Thin Red Wine Line

The Sweet Fit of Success

If Laughter is the Best Medicine...

Lessons From My Big Fat Mexican Family

And We're Back!

Yes means No, and No means Yes!

The Buddy System

The Way We Move

The Easter Bunny Could Care Less about Weight Watchers

Just like risotto - but WAY easier!

What's For Dinner? Nachos Edition

The Curse of the Badonkadonk

Happiness is...