22 PPV day (or, How To Eat Like An Angel)

A fellow Weight Watcher asked for a copy of a typical day from my tracker, so I thought I would share here, too. Below is the list of items I would normally eat on a weekday - one of those really good, well-planned, prepared kind of weekdays. This list is only 22 ppv, so there is room for a snack like chips and salsa (4 ppv for the chips, salsa is free) or a beer (5 ppv, so you would use one from your 49 anytime ppv). Just a note, this was an almost 'angelic' day where I had prepared my meals the Sunday before and was all set up. No one is perfect and I have snack-attacks just like everyone else... but this is the kind of typical set up that I prepare myself with on a weekly basis so that I can stay on track. If you take a look at the timestamps I provided, you will notice that I am eating constantly!

8:00 am: Breakfast: yogurt
10:00 am: Snack: Strawberries
12:30 pm: Lunch: Salad with avocado, arugula, feta, onion, raisins, etc (keep it intersting!)
3:00 pm: Snack: Banana, Starbucks latte
5:30 pm: Snack: Apple on the ride home from work
6:00 pm: Dinner: Eggs in a basket with a side of asian veggies
8:00 pm: Snack: add in those tortilla chips and salsa I was talking about!

Most Eggcellent: How I Learned To Poach Eggs

Alton Brown taught me how to poach an egg, so I thought to share with all of you! This is not as vegetable-centric as I usually am, but eggs are so delicious and a really important source of protein for me. Be sure to check out some of the interesting ways I use poached eggs after the video, as the center of a meal and as an awesome addition to add interest to whatever else I happen to be consuming. Here's the video!

Poached eggs are a Weight Watchers power food - plus, without adding any extra oil or butter to cook, a single poached egg is only 2 points plus value (ppv)! I rely on eggs while keeping an eye on my diet as a healthy source of protein. I like to use poached eggs in some of the following ways to help me stay full longer while still eating really well:

• Simply Spicy Sriracha Poached Eggs and Toast: Two poached eggs (4ppv) over one slice of whole grain toast (2ppv) with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and Sriracha hot sauce. Substitute sriracha for ketchup, chipotle sauce, tobasco, freshly sliced scallions, dill, season-salt, Mrs. Dash or any topping that you think would go well. 6ppv total, and keeps me full for a while. Simple yet spicy does the trick here - this was inspired by my love for 'eggs in a basket' and trying to find a lighter version to cut out the butter when cooking eggs. I think that this easy recipe is simply successful in doing just that!
• Orange Curry Poached Eggs: Two poached eggs (4ppv) over one slice of potato bread toast (2ppv) or your favorite greens with a sprinkle of McKormick's yellow curry powder and a tablespoon of Smucker's sweet orange marmalade (1ppv). 7ppv total, this makes for a really exciting dinner! The curry powder and orange marmalade complement each other so well - it may sound outlandish but it is really good.
• Poached Eggs Arugula Salad: One poach egg (2ppv) over a salad of 2 cups arugula, .25 cup thinly sliced red onion, .25 cup bell pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (3 ppv), 2 tablespoons feta (1ppv), 2 tablespoons golden raisins (2 ppv), salt and pepper. 8ppv total, and I don't even use salad dressing because that yolk is so good! 
• Sesame Vegetable Egg Wrap: Add a poached egg (2ppv) to a tortilla wrap (4ppv) with grilled vegetables - onion, pepper, carrot, zucchini tossed in sesame oil (1ppv for sesame oil coating), 2 tablespoons hummus (2ppv), and a dash of Sriracha if you like. This is 9ppv total, and totally worth it because the hummus and egg yolk combination is a match made in taste bud and texture heaven. I don't know how to describe this except as ridiculously yummy. 

I can't wait to try these all again for dinner this week!

Before and After (49 pounds down)

Here is a before and after photo of me - the difference in my body is astonishing to me, and I hadn't realized that I had changed so much until I saw these photos side by side. If you are just starting your weight loss journey, I highly suggest taking a before photo to compare to later!

Before: April 14, 2012 ~around 246 lbs
After: December 17, 2012 ~just under 200 lbs

List it: 10 reasons I want to lose weight

List it: get a pen and paper, and use them to write down 10 reasons you want to lose weight. Even if you never read the list again, the act of writing something out is like a little commitment and will help you be more mindful of your choices and reasons for being healthy.

Here's my list. I want to lost weight to...

1. Boost my self esteem
2. Feel physically confident/strong
3. Live longer, add a few years to my life span
4. Inspire my family and friends
5. Sit comfortably in chairs, on airplanes, on buses
6. Drastically reduce my risk of heart disease
7. Reduce my risk of cancer
8. Treat disease preventatively by eating well
9. Not feel embarrassed about my size
10. Feel comfortable in my own skin

I feel I could write a hundred reasons, so you can definitely expect more lists like this one!