Update!

I know it's been a LONG time since I've updated the blog. I apologize for that. I've been insanely busy lately, what with having a book coming out in April! BURN ME, my romantic suspense novel, was picked up by Swoon Romance! *Snoopy dance*

Anyway, with everything happening on the publishing side of my life, I have let this blog stagnate. Not because I've fallen off the Take Shape for Life/Medifast wagon, but because I've been so busy between the publishing side of my life and life in general. Who knew kids took a lot of work! ;)

Weight loss update: I hit a healthy BMI last week, hitting my initial goal weight and blowing that out of the water. I've lost 123 lbs since March, with around 10 more to go. I might go for another 10 once I've gotten this last 10 off. Here's an updated progress pic (taken today!). The before pics make me a little nauseous to look at, but if they help inspire others to make healthy changes in their lives, it's worth it!

Trigger foods: I've found as I near goal that I've got a few trigger foods that cause me to binge: peanut powder and almonds. Both of which I just can't seem to stop once I've had just a little. Not sure why this is just NOW rearing it's ugly head, since I've been using both throughout my journey, but I'm trying to nip it in the bud by avoiding having either in the house. I had hoped that losing weight would cure any binging issues I had (I had the tendency to eat until something was gone, just because it was there). I've learned that I'm an emotional eater, and tend to want to eat when I'm stressed. The holidays were a bit stressful this year and that's how I discovered the trigger items. Just being conscious of the fact that I AM an emotional eater seems to help me identify the binge trigger before it happens and find other ways to distract myself (including popping a piece of sugar free gum when I feel extra stressed). 

Recipes: I've got quite a few recipes to post, just not enough time to post them! But, I promise I will post some new recipes soon!! If you're looking for some inspiration for your own L&G meals, check out my Pinterest L&G idea board. The recipes are NOT Medifast approved or confirmed on-plan, but can give you ideas on what to make with some modifications for your L&G's to stay on plan! http://www.pinterest.com/s_watters/medifast-lean-and-green-ideas/

Health Coaching: I'm absolutely loving helping others find their path to health using TSFL! I'm actively accepting clients, so if you're looking for a health coach, check out my website at www.shelleywatters.tsfl.com.

Heaven in a Brownie Tray

This is definitely a "once in a while" treat, since it uses up one MF meal, one condiment AND one optional snack, but it's SO worth it. You could easily cut out one of the two toppings, (i.e. JUST peanut butter or just cream cheese) and still have this decadent treat, but the combo of the two together is to die for. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Medifast Brownie Mix
3 tbsp water
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cream cheese
2 tbsp PB2 Peanut butter powder
1 tbsp water

Mix the brownie mix with 3 tbsp water. Microwave 1 minute 30 seconds. Cut one wedge of Laughing Cow Light cream cheese into small slices. Place cream cheese slices on top of baked brownie. Spread around lightly. (If you're too rough, the brownie will pull up instead of the cream cheese spreading). In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp PB2 peanut butter powder with 1 tbsp of water. Adjust water to your desired consistancy. Spread the peanut butter over the cream cheese layer. The result can either be eaten warm, or frozen first.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast Meal, 1 healthy fat serving, 1 optional snack

85 lbs down!

If you follow my writing, you'll already know that I've signed a book deal for my romantic suspense, BURN ME, which will be out in January, 2014 from Swoon Romance!

Anyway, I had to take some author photos for the publisher/etc and thought I should share them here, because I STILL can't believe how much different I look! 

Photo copyright 2013 Shelley Watters.
Any unauthorized use will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Mu shu Chicken

Please ignore the little orange flecks - I accidentally bought coleslaw mix instead of just shredded cabbage. I picked them out before consuming to stay on-plan 100%

Ingredients:
8 oz raw chicken tenders, cut into thin strips (Should shrink to 6 oz cooked weight - 1 lean)
1 1/4 cups shredded cabbage (2 1/2 green)
1/4 cup chopped green scallions (1/2 green)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (1/2 condiment)
1 tbsp Kikoman low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment)
1 tsp oyster sauce (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1/2 condiment)
1 tsp olive oil (1 healthy fat)
1-2 drops sesame oil

In a pre-heated sautee pan, sautee chicken in oil until cooked through. Add the cabbage, soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil. Saute until cabbage softens a bit. Add in the scallions and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 lean, 3 green, 3 condiments, 1 healthy fat

Shrimp Lomein with Shritaki Noodles!

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Whenever I'm craving asian food, this is the dish I run to! 

Ingredients: 

1 package of Angel hair Shiritaki Noodles (2 green)

1/2 cup chopped celery (1 green)

1/2 Tbsp chopped green onions (1/2 condiment)

1/4 cup chopped ciilantro (1/4 condiment)

2 tsp olive oil (2 healthy fat)

1/4 tsp chopped garlic (1/4 condiment)

1 tsp oyster sauce (1 condiment)

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment) (I use Kikoman low-sodium soy sauce, which has 1 carb per tbsp!)

7 oz cooked shrimp (1 lean)

Drain the shiritaki noodles in a colander. Rinse thoroughly. Place noodles into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Return noodles to colander and rinse again. Spread on a stack of paper towels and blot dry. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic and saute until garlic softens slightly. Add celery. Stir-fry until celery softens a bit. Add the noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce and shrimp. Stir fry until the shrimp is warmed. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce, and a splash or two of water or chicken broth if necessary. Stir fry until everything is heated through. Top with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.

Medifast Calcs: 1 leanest serving, 3 green servings, 3 condiments, 2 healthy fats

Note: If you have not used your optional snack, you can add more celery to the dish and count it towards your optional snack! Also, the shiritaki noodles I buy have 4 oz in a serving, 2 servings per bag.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake

Ingredients:
1 package Medifast Hot Chocolate
6 ice cubes
4-6 oz water
1 tbsp sugar free cherry syrup

Crush ice in a personal blender until you can no longer hear chunks. Add water and syrup, followed by the hot chocolate mix. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal and 1 condiment

Milky Way Shake

Ingredients:
1 package Medifast Hot Chocolate
6 ice cubes
4-6 oz water
1 tbsp sugar free caramel syrup

Crush ice in a personal blender until you can no longer hear chunks. Add water and syrup, followed by the hot chocolate mix. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal and 1 condiment

Celebrating 80 Pounds Down

This post is a little late, since I hit 80 lbs down on Sunday, but better late than never, right?

(For the record, it's 107 lbs down since my highest weight, with 80 lbs down since March 4th with Take Shape For Life!)

Anyway, I thought I'd mark this momentous occasion with some pictures to commemorate how far I've come. For those of you who know me from my online communities, you'll know that this is a HUGE deal for me to post something other than just a artfully cropped head shot. You're about to see why...

Ready?

2004 - at my highest weight

July 30th, 2013 - 107 lbs down from my heaviest, 80 lbs down thanks to TSFL!

On March 4th, 2013 I never expected to be where I am today. I never expected to be fitting into the size that I am in, let alone posting a full-body picture of myself willingly. I still have about 50 lbs to go, but that unattainable goal is suddenly attainable! 

As my weight melted off, people started asking me what I was doing. At 50 lbs down, I started to consider becoming a health coach for Take Shape For Life. When I hit 80 lbs down, I decided I couldn't wait any longer. My entire journey I've been kicking myself that I didn't know about this plan YEARS ago. I spent my entire adult life obese. Had I known about TFSL back then, I could have experienced my pregnancies at a healthy weight rather than being high risk and diabetic. So I made a vow to help others discover this fantastic plan.

Anyway, this isn't a sales pitch for TSFL. I would be promoting it regardless of whether or not I became a health coach because it's the first program that has WORKED for me. The other plans I tried worked for about 30 lbs, and that's when I'd start finding ways to cheat. There's no way to cheat on this plan. And as long as you stick to it, it'll work. 

So there's my big announcement, with some long-awaited full-body pictures. Now you can understand why I only posted artfully cropped pictures of my face. It was the only part of my body I wasn't ashamed of. Now I'm proud of the entire package, even with the weight I still have to lose!

Updates!!!!

My apologies for letting this blog go dormant for the summer! Having two kids home 24/7 over the summer and having to entertain them (aka keeping them from killing each other) is a full time job!

Anyway, I will soon be getting back to updating regularly. But, while you're waiting, I have lost a total of 76 lbs since March 4th, 2013! It is absolutely surreal.

I have developed a few new recipes and will be posting those soon as well!

Hope you all have had an awesome summer and I can't wait to share the new recipes with you!

S

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:
4 cups grated raw cauliflower (8 green)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (1/2 condiment)
2.5 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese (2.5 condiments)
4 Tbsp regular-fat cream cheese (4 healthy fats)

Combine the grated cauliflower, garlic powder and pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for six minutes. Remove from microwave, add cream cheese and parmesan, and mash until  desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
Recipe: 8 green, 4 condiments, 4 healthy fats
Per Serving: 2 green, 1 condiment, 1 healthy fat

***Recipe approved by Nutrition Support 6/3/13***

Cheesy BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

***Recipe approved by Nutrition Support 6/3/13***

Today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. I've been making the same recipes over and over (because I love them). I realized that after almost four months, I needed to change things up a bit! I had just bought a package of 99% lean ground turkey and wanted to make something I could heat up straight from the microwave, since summer is such a crazy time around my house. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes came to mind! Here's my take on my favorite bbq meatloaf recipe that my grandmother handed down to me! 

I decided to throw these into individual containers so I can just grab one and stick it in the microwave. My apologies for the non-artistic pictures :) 

Ingredients:

20 oz 99% Lean ground turkey (2.25 lean)

2 tbsp Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (1 condiment)

1/2 c Egg Beaters (.25 lean)

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) shredded moderate fat cheese (1.5 lean)

1 Tbsp chopped onion (1 condiment)

1 clove of garlic, minced (1 condiment)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper (1 condiment)

1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley (1/4 condiment)

2 packages Medifast Garden Veggie Crackers, crushed (2 optional snacks)
1/4 cup Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (2 condiments)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the crackers in the sealed packages, set aside. Combine the turkey, 2 tbsp bbq sauce, egg beaters, cheese, onion, garlic, pepper, parsley and crackers in a medium bowl until the mixture comes together. Press into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush with the remaining 1/4 cup of bbq sauce.  I used a 8x11 glass pan because I love lots of top with little "loaf".

Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the center. (Mine took 40 minutes and was 140 when I took it out. I undercooked a bit in order to avoid it being overcooked after re-heating)

Serves 4

Recipe: 4 lean, 6.25 condiments, 2 optional snacks

Per serving: 1 lean, 1.5 condiments, 1/2 optional snack

Serve with a side of Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and 1/2 cup steamed green beans for a full L&G (Nutrition Support approved the combo for a full lean & green + 1/2 snack)

BBQ Salmon

BBQ Salmon

Ingredients:
7 ounces of raw salmon filet, skin removed
2 tsp liquid smoke (1/2 condiment)
2 tsp kikoman low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment)
2 Tbsp Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (1 condiment)
1/4 tsp minced garlic (1/4 condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/4 condiment)
scant sprinkling of cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off a piece of foil twice the size of the filet and lay it on a baking sheet. Spritz the foil with cooking spray. Lay the fish in the center of the foil. Pour the liquid smoke, soy sauce and bbq sauce over the filet. Sprinkle the minced garlic, onion powder and cracked black pepper over the filet.

Wrap tightly and bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes until the fish flakes easily.

Medifast calculations: 1 lean, 3 condiments

Recipe approved by Nutrition support May, 2013.

My Week in Review: Week 12

Total pounds lost: 50.7
Total inches lost: 1.7

Pounds lost this week: 3.5

Inches lost this week: 38

Pounds lost since highest weight: 79.1

Not much to report this week. Gearing up for Summer vacation with the kids, meaning lots of fun in the sun! The husband was so inspired by my new freedom on my bike that we had to go buy one for him too! LOL! Family bike rides in 110 degree heat, here we come!

This week I posted my Nutrition Support-approved recipe for Chile Rellenos and a product review for the Medifast Southwest Eggs.

On the recipe development front, I developed a recipe for pasta-less lasagna, a copycat frappucino (OMFG yum) and egg salad. I'm still working on tweaking them and will be running them by Nutrition Support before posting.

More to come next week!


S

Product Review: Medifast Southwest Eggs

Just tried the Southwest eggs for the first time and was REALLY scared. I've read all the reviews about the eggs but figured that it would be nice to have eggs without having to subtract from my lean.

So as per the other people's reviews, I made them in a pan on the stovetop. Very quickly a scent started wafting up from the pan that reminded me a bit of warm vomit. (Yeah, eww) I freaked out and thought "OMG I ordered an entire box of these!" I added a little sprinkle of garlic and onion powder. Poured them onto the plate preparing myself for the worst...

They looked good, like how egg beaters look after scrambling them. I shakily raised the fork to my mouth and...... I LOVED THEM!

The little bits of red pepper and chile pepper were a bit firm for my tastes, so next time I will try soaking them first (as other reviewers had suggested). But overall, I really enjoyed them! I'm SUPER happy to add another product to my rotation!

Flavor: Tasted like egg beaters with a bit of a southwest flair. I loved the fact that they kinda had a salsa flavor without having to add any condiments

Texture: I cooked these on the stovetop like regular scrambled eggs, and if I hadn't known they were powdered to start, I would have just assumed they were egg beaters. Soaking them for a little while prior to cooking helped soften up the pepper bits and really improved the texture (not that it was bad as is, just added a little depth).

Portion size:  Good size, another filling option!

Would I order it again: Absolutely. I wish I'd ordered more than one box, since I've only had them a few days and I'm already three packets down! YUM! (I'm off to make them for lunch as we speak! LOL) 

Chile Rellenos

***Recipe approved by Medifast Nutrition Support May 2013.***

Sorry it took me so long to get this post written! Life is always crazy in the summer around my house. I had wanted to get a better picture for this recipe, but I haven't made the recipe again. I had SO many people asking for the recipe I figured I should just get it up there and update this post when I take a new (prettier) picture. Also, the picture below is the recipe without chicken. They will be a bit fatter with the chicken in there :)

I have been craving Chile Rellenos since I started Medifast, but figured there was NO way I'd be able to find a recipe that met the Medifast guidelines because rellenos are traditionally stuffed with cheese, then batter dipped and fried to a crispy golden brown and topped with a green tomatillo sauce. Personally, I prefer my non-fried version, and really, I didn't miss the sauce at ALL (but you could add tomato sauce etc to this and deduct it from your green).

Then, out of nowhere, the idea came to me: whipped egg whites. So I set off trying to figure out how to make a savory meringue. I was a little baffled at how I'd "batter-dip" the rellenos into the meringue, but I figured I'd deal with that later. 

I know the recipe seems odd with the egg whites, but trust me, these are AMAZING. (I ate this every day for four days until the leftovers were gone, and I'm STILL craving it).

Chile Rellenos

Ingredients:
12 whole green chiles (canned)
6 egg whites
3.5 ounces cooked, finely shredded chicken
12 oz part-skim mozzarella
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together 10 ounces part-skim mozarella cheese with 3.5 ounces cooked, shredded chicken, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites on high with 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder until stiff peaks form. This took about five-ish minutes for my Kitchenaid stand mixer.

Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the whipped egg whites on the bottom of the pan.

Carefully remove the canned chiles, split down one side and place a tablespoon or two (depending on the size of the chile) onto the opened chile. Fold the chile around the filling and press the filled chile into the mixture, lining them up like you would an enchilada. Make sure to press the chile into the eggs so the eggs envelop the sides of the chile. Repeat the process for the remaining 11 chiles, lining them up like you would if you were making enchiladas.

Spread the remaining whipped egg whites over the chiles and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, increase the temperature to 450 degrees, remove foil and return to the oven for another ten-ish minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and the eggs are browned a bit. (See above picture).

This is best served fresh from the oven (let it sit a few minutes to let the cheese settle before serving). However, reheated leftovers are amazing too.

Servings: 4 (3 chile rellenos = 1 serving)

Medifast calculations (per serving): 1 lean, 1.5 green, 1.25 condiments

Recipe Copyright 2013 Shelley Watters

My Week In Review: Week 11

Total pounds lost: 46
Total inches lost: 36.3

Pounds lost this week: 2.1

Inches lost this week: 5.8

Pounds lost since highest weight: 74.4

Mommy's Shrinking!

So I've come to the conclusion that, at least for me, my weight loss alternates between pounds and inches. If I have a great poundage loss week, the inches lost is small. But, the next week I have a low poundage loss, but high inches lost. As long as something on me is shrinking, I'm happy!

My 3 year old said the sweetest thing to me the other day, completely out of the blue. I haven't really discussed my weight loss in front of them, so to have her say it just floored me. She said "Mommy, you're shrinking!" Out of the mouth of babes....

So I finally figured out how to make a photo collage. lol. Here's a before and "during" picture. The first was at my highest weight, the second was of me 75lbs down (46 down and counting thanks to Medifast). It's just crazy to see the side-by-side, and actually makes me a little sick to my stomach. I didn't realize until seeing them side-by-side just how much I've changed, because when I look in the mirror I still see the same person as the before picture.

Two Wheeled Fun

For Mother's day, my lovely family bought me my first bike in over 15 years! I was always too scared of popping the tires/bending the wheels to ever sit my fat butt on a bike. But after dropping nearly fifty pounds, I decided to give it a go, and discovered that not only do they make bikes to fit large riders, but that I fit just fine within the weight limits of regular bikes!

I've been on two bike rides (around the park) and LOVE my new bike! It's such a nice feeling knowing I'm doing something that not only counts as exercise, but is FUN while doing it! Woot!

Recipes 

With the school year coming to an end, I'm finding myself strapped for time. So, I've been making my standard recipes (the ones on the blog so far) for most of my lean & greens. I did, however, come up with two new recipes over the past two weeks, I just haven't had time to blog them! Those are for Chile Rellenos and Big Macs! The Chile Relleno recipe has been approved by Nutrition Support and will be posted soon. The next time I make the Big Mac recipe I'll remember to take a picture and will post when I do! Keep checking back because I will be posting the Chile Relleno recipe soon!

Product Reviews

I've worked up a couple product reviews that will be posted soon. They are for the Medifast Southwest Eggs, Sloppy Joe Mix, and Lemon Meringue bars. All of them = YUM! :) Again, stay tuned, because I haven't posted them yet (I've been SOOOO busy!) but plan to soon!

My Week In Review: Week 10

Total pounds lost: 44
Total inches lost: 30.5

Pounds lost this week: 5.1

Inches lost this week: 2.5

Pounds lost since highest weight: 72.4

Sorry I didn't update for week 10 - life has been crazy around here! 

My Week In Review: Week 9

Total pounds lost: 38.9
Total inches lost: 28

Pounds lost this week: 3.1 

Inches lost this week: 1.5
(I changed what I was tracking for inches lost this week - adding in an area that I knew the initial measurement for - that's why you see a HUGE inches lost # this week. For the usual tracking, I lost 1.5 inches this week and 20 inches overall :) )

Time Flies When You're.... Losing Weight???

I'm thrilled with my weight loss this week. After last week's stall, anything I lost that is more than 0 is a good week! I still need to wean myself off of weighing daily, since sometimes it will go UP or not budge for a few days. That's SO depressing when that happens! (But I know it will go down so long as I'm staying 100% on-plan

I'm absolutely floored at the fact that I've just finished up week 9 on Medifast. I can't believe how much I've lost, and how much my body, energy, mood, and everything else has changed in such a short amount of time!

I really didn't expect to be here at just nine weeks on the program. I had this unrealistic goal of being at my goal weight by the end of the year. While I can't guarantee it'll happen, it's looking more realistic now!

Change Your Perspective by Changing Your Perspective

I'm not sure if it's because of how easy I've found its been for me to stick with my Medifast plan, or the support I've received on the Medifast boards, or watching SO many other people on the boards losing hundreds of pounds and hitting their goal weight (and STAYING there), but I feel my perspective on weight loss changing.

Prior to starting Medifast, I felt like losing weight was an impossible dream. I'd done Atkins. I'd done Weight Watchers. I'd done the Mayo Clinic diet. I'd tried the prescribed pills (ewwwww by the way). Every time, I'd lose about 30 lbs, hit a plateau, then gain it all back (plus some). This is the first time that I've been on a plan and thought "This is EASY. I can DO this." I don't see that goal as a far-off unattainable number. I know that if I stick with the plan, and don't cheat, the weight will continue to melt off until I'm at that magical number that seemed more like travelling to Mars than an attainable goal.

Maybe that's why this plan is working for me. Because I know it WILL work for me, as long as I do my part. And that's adhering to the plan, 100%, no excuses, no cheating. I've done it for two and a half months. I can do it until I hit my goal. And when that happens, oh, baby, will I have a party! (Complete with a watermelon cake like this one, lol)

If you've tried everything else and have found it hasn't worked for you, I'd suggest ordering a two-week supply of Medifast and going balls-to-the-wall for two weeks. See how much weight you can lose in two weeks. See if you like/can stand the food. See how great you feel after you're a few pounds lighter. See if that donut tastes as amazing as your body being healthier feels.

That's what I did. Nine weeks later, I'm 40 lbs. thinner. I'm a million times healthier. I'm off my medications. I'm exercising every. single. day. I'm in the best shape I've been since high school. I wouldn't trade this feeling for anything in the world, especially not some greasy fat-laden cheeseburger. Nothing tastes as great as skinny feels. And I'm not skinny yet, but I'm working on it! :)

Recipes

I've gotten a little lax this week in terms of developing new recipes. I've had a lot going on with my internship and in my writing career and haven't had much time to devote to trying new things. I did make a Pesto Salad Pizza that was TO DIE FOR, but I need to correct the recipe, now that I've gotten Nutrition Support's feedback on my original crust recipe. (If you want to try it in the meantime, just reduce the cheese in the crust from 1/2 cup to 3/8 cup).

I also started a page with general "FAQ" type stuff about Medifast, more for my own reference than for anyone else's. It's that parking spot for all the stuff I've had to google, found the answer for, didn't bookmark, and had to google all over again. Stuff like where Laughing Cow Cheese fits into the plan, etc. If you have anything to add, just comment and I'll add it to the list!

Pesto Salad Pizza

***Updated 5/3/13 to reflect NS approved cauliflower crust recipe changes***

My love affair with salad on pizza started in elementary school. Every Friday was "Pizza Day". For two bucks, you'd get two slices of pizza and a pile of salad with ranch dressing. I'd ignore the confused/disgusted stares as I piled the salad onto the slice and devoured it. Man, I loved Fridays when I was a kid....

Fast forward many, many years. I'd forgotten all about the salad pizza stuff until my husband and I went out to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. They had two pizzas that had salad on them. Instantly I was transported back to gradeschool. I HAD to have them. The first was a pear and Gorgonzola pizza with hazelnuts, topped with spring mix tossed with a blue cheese ranch dressing. The second was a "California Cobb" pizza with chicken, bacon and topped with shredded iceberg tossed with mayonnaise and topped with a fan of avocado slices. 

They were my favorite treat for a long time. Then they discontinued the first, then the second. While this was good news for my waistband and wallet, it made my heart sad. 

I figured out how to copy the Pear and Gorgonzola pizza, but can't have it on the Medifast plan. I do plan on doing a healthy version once I'm on maintenance, but for now we'll just focus on what I CAN have on-plan.

I decided to make a pesto pizza, and realized that I didn't have any other veggies to top my pizza but lettuce. So I decided to make it into a salad pizza so that I meet my Lean and Green guidelines. And it turned out spectacular!

Pesto Salad Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup grated cauliflower (2 green)
1/4 cup egg beaters (1/8 lean)
3/8 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (6g fat/oz) (3/8 lean)


Pesto:
1/2 cup basil (1/2 condiment)
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese (1 condiment)
1 clove of garlic (1 condiment)

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (1/2 lean)

Salad:
1 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce (1 green)
1 tbsp Walden Farms Ranch Dressing (1/2 condiment)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 1/4 sheet cake pan with parchment paper.

Grate 1 cup of cauliflower and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 cup egg beaters, 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Mix with a spoon and spread on the parchment. Spread it as thin as possible, avoiding holes in the mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. The crust will be browned and look a bit like a quiche looks on the top.

Meanwhile, pulse the basil, garlic and parmesan in food processor. With the lack of olive oil, the resulting pesto will be a bit grainy rather than smooth like true pesto, but I'm okay with that. I actually prefer it! Remove the baked crust from the oven, spread pesto over the crust and sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella on top. 

Return the pizza to the oven under the broiler (500 degrees) until the cheese melts and is bubbly (this happens FAST so watch it carefully!!!)

While the cheese is melting, in a small bowl toss the shredded lettuce with the Walden Farms Ranch dressing. Set aside. 

Remove from the pizza from the oven, cut into six slices, top with the salad and enjoy!

Recipe makes 1 serving.


L&G Calculations:
1 Lean
3 Green
3 Condiments

Laughing Cow Cheese and Other Yummy Stuff

I'm constantly trying to find the Medifast Nutrition Support answer for where Laughing Cow Cheese and other yummy extras fit in to the Medifast plan. And, of course, I never write it down. Then I have to go googling again the next time I want to use it. So here's the info that Nutrition Support has posted on the Medifast boards about Laughing Cow and other things they don't have on the quick start guide but are okay on the Medifast plan. I will be updating this post periodically and adding to the list when I come across things I want a quick reference to.

Laughing Cow:

1 wedge Laughing Cow Cream Cheese = 1 fat serving
1 wedge Original Laughing Cow cheese = 1 fat serving
2 wedges Laughing Cow Light varieties = 1 fat serving
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light (a flavor with 1 g carb/wedge) = 1 condiment
1 piece Mini Babybel, Light (Original) = 1 fat serving.
10 pieces (approximately 47 grams) Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Cheese Bites = 1 fat serving

Kraft Free Singles:

1 slice = 2 condiments (The sodium content is quite high, be careful using them)

Majestic Garlic - Cilantro:

1 tsp = 1 condiment
Link to post

Celery Pasta:

Can use the 3 ribs as your optional snack in addition to the 3 green servings!

Lean Serving Calculations:

(Copied/Pasted straight from Nutrition Support Message boards, Posting by Meredith, MS, CPT)
For any item to qualify as a Lean portion, the calculated serving size should be between 250 – 300 calories, <15 grams of carbohydrates, and >25 grams of protein. For the day, you want to stay between 10 – 34 grams of fat, and as recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA): under 2,300 mg of sodium (unless other health issues such as hypertension, etc. are present). If this calculated serving size provides between 0 – 4 grams of fat, you may add 2 healthy fat servings to your item. If it provides 5 – 9 grams of fat, you may add 1 healthy fat serving, and >10 you add no healthy fat servings.

Condiment vs. Healthy Fat Calculations:

(Copied and pasted straight from Nutrition Support Message boards, Posting by Meredith, MS, CPT)
To sum up, the serving of an item that is equal to 1 gram of carbohydrate can count as 1 condiment option. The serving of an item that is ~5 grams of fat and <6 grams of carbohydrates can count as one healthy fat option.

What to do if you run out of Medifast meals before your next shipment:

(Copied and pasted straight from Nutrition Support Message boards, posting by Meredith, MS, CPT)
However, if you are completely out of food, a 'temporary' (up to 1 week) solution to best try and keep your body in fat burning would be to consume 3, 4-ounce Lean & Green meals along with 1, low-fat dairy option. Either a 5 & 1 or a 4 & 2 may be appropriate options to follow while you still have access to food.

My Week In Review: Week 8

Total pounds lost: 35.5
Total inches lost: 18.5

Pounds lost this week: 0.6

Inches lost this week: 1.5

Weight Loss Stall

I went into a stall this week. From Friday of last week on, I didn't lose an ounce. In fact, I gained a pound! I racked my brain trying to figure out where I'd screwed up. Yeah, we'd eaten out a couple times, but I'd tried my hardest to select items on-plan (salads with grilled chicken, no cheese, sauce on the side). Other than that, I know I was on plan 100%. 

The big difference was that I'd increased my exercise routine. I'd been doing 15-20 minutes of walking, every day since week 3, increasing the mph I was walking. This week I'd bumped it up to 30 minutes per day.

After searching the Medifast discussion boards, it appeared that the exercise might be the culprit. The Medifast Nutrition Support/Personal Trainers said that you can over-exercise and send yourself into conservation/starvation mode. Symptoms include being hungry, tired, irritable. 

Ding ding ding! We have a winner. I decided to cut back on the exercise (doing it every other day vs every day) and bumped up my water intake from 64 oz to 128 oz/day to try and help break the stall. Thursday morning, a two pound loss on the scale.

*Queue angels singing*

I still find it hard to believe that I was over-exercising. I felt great, in fact, working out daily. I was just depressed with the scale not budging/going in the wrong direction. But when you think about it, Medifast keeps you at about 800 calories. My workout was burning 200, leaving my body just 600 calories to work with. Thinking about it that way, it makes total sense that my body was in starvation mode.

Going forward, I'll be working out just every other day until the weight loss tapers down, then I'll bump it up slowly.

(I worked out Thursday evening, apparently still too much, because I was up this morning a bit. ) :(

Making Mistakes

I learned something this week: don't ever, EVER, EVER trust that something on a menu is healthy unless you check the nutrition guidelines. Yeah, this seems like common sense. This hit home for me when I ate out with my kids for lunch yesterday. I ordered my usual, steamed veggies with a double order of teriyaki chicken, sauce on the side (my kids love the sauce, so I give it to them to put on their rice), and pick out the carrots from the veggies (for some reason my kids won't eat these... o.O) 

I have ordered this meal from Panda Express probably once or twice a month since starting Medifast. I was tentative the first time I ordered it, but my scale moved in the right direction the next day, so I figured it was fine. I weighed out the chicken the first time to see how much it was - nearly 9 oz of chicken! I gave 3 oz to the kids. Never once did I think to check the nutrition facts. I knew the sauce they marinated it in probably was a little off-plan, but how bad could it possibly be? it's not like it's swimming in sauce.

So yesterday after devouring my lunch, I decided to check the nutrition facts. *Queue horrified scream here*

The veggies were 70 calories, with over half of that from fat. The chicken? 250 calories a portion (and I had a double portion - 3oz)! Granted, I'm guessing that was including the sauce they drench the chicken in, but still. Holy. Moly. 

I totally screwed myself. I was in a stall as it was, and now I had completely blown it. After breathing into a paper bag for a while, I jumped on the Medifast message boards and posted my screw up. Within minutes I had a bunch of people just like me telling me not to skip my meals and that I would be okay. Forgive myself for making the mistake, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on.  If you're doing Medifast and haven't found the boards yet, DO. They are AMAZING!

I had already vowed not to let it derail me from my plan (although PE is dead to me now. lol). But it was so reassuring to know I wasn't alone and that I'd survive and it was okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from it. 

My big lesson? ALWAYS check the nutrition facts for restaurants before eating there.

Doctor's Like To See You Succeed Too! 

I had my 3 month follow up last night. As a diabetic, you have to see your doctor every 3 months to ensure that your treatment plan is working and your diabetes is in check. I knew when my doctor nearly bulldozed my nurse to get into the room that he'd just looked at my test results. 

He literally was dancing in the office, he was so happy about my progress. When I first went to see him, in January of 2012, I wasn't taking care of my diabetes. I was in denial that I had it, and my A1C of 8.0 showed that. My A1C this time around was 5.7. When I informed him that I'd stopped taking ALL of my medications 2 weeks into the program, which was 6 weeks prior to the blood test, he literally fell out of his chair. My blood pressure is normal. My A1C was at non-diabetic levels. 

We parted ways with a plan to follow up in 3 months, and if my progress continues to improve (which it will - I'm not stopping until I'm at my goal weight, and even then I'm in this for life!), we can extend the frequency in which I see him. 

*Happy dance*

Wrap Up and Recipes

So that's it. Sorry about the long post, but I had a lot to say this week! ;)

I've developed some new recipes, including a Broccoli and Cheese Grilled Cheese and a Breakfast Sandwich . I also developed some recipes but didn't take pictures of them. They include a Cobb Salad, Shrimp with Garlic sauce, and a Greek Salad. I'll post those recipes next time I make the dish (and I'll take pictures too! Hehe!) 

Sometimes it's not about what the scale says, but the test results and the tape measure that really makes your day. If you're going through a stall on the scale, see what other ways you can measure your success. Don't let it get you down! 

Until next week, Onward and Downward! ;)

The Tools to My Success

I cringe at the title of this post, because I am not at my goal weight yet. But, I *have* lost 36 lbs and am off all my obesity-related medications, so I would consider my journey already a success.

I wanted to show you the tools/tricks I use on a daily basis that I just can't live without.

Bag Your Day

I saw this idea on Pinterest long before I tried Medifast. I'd considered doing it, but wasn't sure I'd like the food/it was too expensive/etc. You know, the standard excuses. 

Basically as soon as I get my Medifast order for the month, I sit down with a bunch of zip-lock baggies and put my day worth of food in each bag. I used to use a spreadsheet to make sure I wasn't repeating the same variety on every day. Now I just sit with the boxes, decide what looks good and go for it. The trick is 5 Medifast Meals per bag, per day. I love the Medifast optional snacks, so I put one of those in there per day too. This way I don't have to count how many meals I have. There's no guesswork. It's just there, and as I go I grab my meals. Sometimes I don't feel like what's in the bag and will exchange it for a meal from another bag. Which is fine. I love this method and it's nice to take ALL the work out of deciding what I'll eat for that day. I just grab a bag and go!

Fill Your Jugs

 Another way I take ALL the thinking out of doing Medifast is my trusty Rubbermaid 64 oz jug. I fill it up in the morning and make sure it's gone by lunch. Then I refill it and make sure the second is gone by the time I finish my workout at 9pm.

Medifast recommends you drink 64 oz of water. So, you could just fill it up once and make sure it's gone by the end of the day. That's what I was doing when I first started. But if you read my Week 8 update, I had a stall and bumped up my water intake to 128 oz and broke the stall.

But whatever you chose, this is a great way to ensure you're getting in all your water!

Weigh More Now, Weigh Less Later

By far, my favorite, and most used, gadget for Medifast is my kitchen food scale. I've had it for years

and have no clue where I bought it (I'm guessing Bed Bath and Beyond or Walmart). It sat in a drawer for a number of years, and came out the day I got my Medifast order. I make sure to weigh every lean item I have, and now that I found a spreadsheet with all of the weights in grams for vegetables, I'll be weighing those too (instead of my "how much can I cram into a level half cup method. ha!)

I didn't post a picture of my measuring cups and spoons, but those get a workout too :)

Go for a Spin

 This is one of my favorite gadgets for making Medifast interesting. It's the Hamilton Beach personal drink blender. It's like 15 bucks at Walmart and worth every penny. In fact, it kind-of makes me want to splurge the 60-ish bucks for one of those Magic Bullets.

This thing is great for making up smoothies with the shakes, mixing up the soft-serve, even making my Wendy's Style frosty with the Medifast Chocolate pudding. (I'll post that recipe at some point. A similar recipe is on my Pinterest board :) )

Grill It Up!

Oh, how I love this Rival Sandwich Maker. It was about ten bucks at Walmart, and again, worth every penny. I bought it after finding a Medifast Grilled Cheese recipe on Pinterest. After failing miserably the first time (tip: spray PAM on the grates, even on first use!!!), I scraped up the mess, threw the cheese on it, and ate the first heavenly grilled cheese (however ugly) on-plan.

Then I thought, well, if I can make THAT with this little appliance, what else can I make? I've developed a couple recipes I'll be posting in the future (think Stuffed French Toast and Grilled PB&J sandwiches and a few other things ;) )

If you're doing Medifast and getting a little tired of the standard fare, consider buying one of these babies and expanding your meal options. I love mine!

Medifast Broccoli and Cheese Grilled Cheese

Here's another recipe I found on Cody's New Beautiful Me blog that I adapted to fit with what I had on hand. I would never in a million years order the cream of tomato soup (I can't STAND tomato soup). But I did have some cream of broccoli soup, and I really, really wanted to try the grilled cheese sandwich.

Like with the breakfast sandwich, I chose to use the Kraft Free Single as my cheese option. Rather than being part of my lean, it counts as two condiments for one slice. Again, I'm okay with this. Use your own discretion regarding the cheese choice for this recipe, though. If you chose a cheese with fat, make sure to deduct it from your lean.

Again, other recipes I've found do not count the egg beaters as part of your lean. I didn't either. Again, use your own discretion with this recipe. (If you're making more than one of these per day, or in combination with other recipes using 2 tbsp egg beaters (such as the breakfast sandwich) be sure to deduct the Egg beaters from your lean.)

Medifast Broccoli and Cheese Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Medifast Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 lean)
2 Tbsp water
1 slice Kraft Free Single

Spray non-stick spray into the wells of a sandwich maker and pre-heat. In a small bowl, mix together the egg beaters and water. Pour the mix into a pre-heated sandwich maker. It should fill all four little triangles. Close the maker and cook for three (3) minutes.

Once the "bread" has cooked, remove from the sandwich maker and place half a slice of cheese between two squares.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal, 1/8 lean, 2 condiments

Medifast Breakfast Sandwich

So like many other people on Medifast, after a while on the program, you just need some variety. So I went searching for recipes to "tweak" my Medifast meals. 

I came across Cody's New Beautiful Me Blog, and her recipe for a breakfast sandwich using the pancake mix. While it looked delicious, I really didn't want to use up that much of my lean on one of my medifast meals.

I searched the Medifast Nutrition Support forums and discovered that you could use 2 Tbsp of Egg Beaters on one of your Medifast meals and not count it towards your lean. Because really, one lean serving of Egg Beaters is TWO CUPS. So two tablespoons is like, 1/18th of your lean or something. 

Anyway...

I also discovered Kraft Free singles at the grocery store. On the Nutrition Support boards, they said one slice of Kraft Free singles would count as two condiments. There's a lot of sodium in one slice, so use them sparingly if you chose them as the cheese portion of this breakfast sandwich. If you use low or moderate fat cheese for this recipe, remember to deduct it from your lean for the day. I have been using the Kraft Free singles for a few weeks now and haven't seen it impact my weight loss at all, so I'm happy to count them as two condiments. I also only use one slice per week (either as a grilled cheese sandwich or this breakfast sandwich) and need to use up my package! :)

For a McGriddles-type sandwich, add one tbsp of sugar free maple syrup (1/2 condiment). Remember to deduct it from your condiments for the day.

Medifast Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 package Medifast Spiced Pancakes
1/4 cup water (2 oz)
2 Tbsp Egg Beaters
1 slice Kraft Free Single

In the shaker bottle, mix 1 package of Spiced Pancake mix with 2 oz water. Shake 6 times. Set aside.

Spray a small ramekin with cooking spray. Pour 2 Tbsp Egg Beaters into ramekin and microwave for 1 minute or until set. Tip out onto plate.

Pour the pancake mix into the ramekin. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Tip out onto another plate. Slice the pancake in half.

Place the cooked egg and a Kraft Free Single onto one half of the pancake. Top with the other half of the pancake.

I like to dip the sandwich in 1 Tbsp sugar free maple syrup. (Add 1/2 condiment to the totals below if you choose to do this, however).

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal, 2 condiments (2.5 if using syrup).

My Week in Review: Week 7

Total pounds lost: 34.9
Total inches lost: 17

Pounds lost this week: 4.5

Inches lost this week: 4

I've been glued to the news and wondering what the world has come to, that so much bad can happen in one week.  So with that, I'm not going to talk about my week, because in perspective, it really doesn't matter. My heart goes out to the people in Boston, MA and West, TX. I hope that you can begin to heal. 

Medifast Product Review: Blueberry Oatmeal

This was another scary purchase. All the reviews I'd found about the Medifast oatmeal(s) compared them to tasting like paste. I'm not really a fan of oatmeal in general (unless it's the uncooked, granola type), but I figured I needed variety in my lunches, considering soup every day for lunch gets really old after seven weeks. :) 

I was pleasantly surprised. I had tried the maple & brown sugar oatmeal in my first box, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't spectacular either. But a tsp of sugar free maple syrup on top made it one of my favorite lunches. I also tried the cookie recipe, which turned out gummy and gross. I'll stick with the straight-up oatmeal with a bit of syrup on it! :) With that said, next time I make this, I think I'm going to add a tsp of sugar free blueberry jelly on top to brighten the blueberry flavor!

I did find a recipe for waffles using the Medifast oatmeal. When I'm feeling adventurous, I'll give it a shot and let you know how it is! :)

Tip: I like my oatmeal thick, so I only used four ounces and cooked it for two minutes, then let it sit to thicken. The texture turned out perfect. This works for both flavors.

Medifast Blueberry Oatmeal

http://www.medifast1.com/Products/Site/Medifast_Direct_Products/MedifastMeals/Oatmeal/prd~58010.jsp

Flavor: Of the flavors of oatmeal I've tried, this is my favorite. Honestly, it kind-of reminds me of the blueberry Jiffy muffin mix, which I loved when I was a kid. It tastes like oatmeal with dehydrated blueberries in it. Like all the oatmeals, it's pretty sweet. 

Texture: When cooked with 4 oz of water and microwaved for 2 minutes and let sit to thicken, it reminded me of the texture of the regular instant oatmeal packets. There are little dehydrated blueberries, which give you a little pop of flavor and texture every so often.

Portion size:  Good size, one of the most filling options on the Medifast plan, in my opinion.

Would I order it again: Yes. It's nice to have some variety besides soup every day! I liked the flavor, and I'll definitely turn to this one when I'm having a hungry day AND craving something sweet. 

My Week In Review: Week 6

Total pounds lost: 30.3
Total inches lost: 13

Pounds lost this week: 2.8

Inches lost this week: 0 :(

This was a great week, weight-loss wise. Definitely not my biggest weight loss week, but as you ladies know, some weeks you even expect a gain, if you know what I mean. ;)

My fitness level has increased, and I'm walking a full mph faster for the duration of my work-out! This mph would have been "jogging" at my heaviest, and I'd only sustain it for a few minutes. Pretty proud about that. And somehow I've started LIKING exercise. I'm actually looking forward to my workout tonight, because I feel my body changing as a result. It's an amazing motivator.

I developed a few new recipes this week, including Medifast Peanut Butter Cups/Buckeyes, Crab stuffed mushrooms, etc. Check out all the new yumminess here.

I also tried a few recipes, including Medifast broccoli soup grilled cheese and the Medifast breakfast sandwich, of course tweaked to make them my own. Both were delicious and a nice change from the usual fare. I'll post those recipes soon.

I also tried Pure Silk Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla) on my Medifast cereal this morning. It was SOOO good. I've come to the conclusion that the best thing Medifast has done for me is how it has changed how I look at food. The smallest things are amazing, and completely filling now. It would have been two bites before. I'm learning to savor the food instead of wolfing it down just because I could.

I'm not letting the lack of inches lost get me down. I had an amazing total lost last week, so I figure my body is just trying to catch up. :)

My new motto is "Drink till you slosh". It's absolutely true. I have this Rubbermaid 64 oz jug that I fill up in the morning and it's my new sidekick. If I go somewhere, so does my jug. :) I definitely see my water-intake efforts reflected in the scale the next day. If I don't get my water in, no loss!

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
3.5 oz lump crab meat (1/2 leanest)
2 oz part-skim mozzarella (1/2 lean)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 condiment)
1 Tbsp green onions, finely diced (1/4 green)
1 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced (1/4 green)
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (1 condiment)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp dried dill weed (1/2 condiment)
1 1/4 cups mushroom caps (2 1/2 green)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and wash and dry the caps. Place stem-side up in a rectangular glass dish that has been sprayed with PAM.

In a small bowl, combine crab meat, mozzarella, garlic, green onions, bell pepper, black pepper and dill weed in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine, trying to avoid breaking up the lumps of crab as much as possible. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture, pressing it firmly into the caps, and mounding it on top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the stuffed mushrooms. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned and the cheese has melted.

Servings: 1
Medifast calcs: 1/2 leanest, 1/2 lean, 3 green, 3 condiments