Day 1

Well, so far so good. I've had breakfast, a morning snack and lunch. I'm feeling pretty good so far. Haven't had a huge case of the hungries yet, but I know it can strike at anytime. I'll give you a rundown of the day so far.

3/4 c. whole grain cereal
1 c. fat free milk

Lean Cuisine tortilla crusted fish w/rice
1 wieght watchers cupcake

2 bottles of water
1 pkg. Crystal Light on the Go Fruit Punch

I have some cucumbers and a Cherry Coke Zero for later in the day. Dinner will be roasted chicken, brown rice and green beans. I see lots of chicken in my future. Of course, there will be lots of veggies in my future. I don't mind them so much. I just need to get a little creative.

On My Own

I talked to my JC consultant today about my current economic situation. MJ and I need to cut some costs. While JC isn't exactly a luxury, it does add to our grocery bill. C and I talked about creating a menu that will meet my JC requirements. I will be able to prepare meals that I can share w/MJ and that he'll enjoy. I've done an inventory of what we have in the freezer. I've researched some recipes on Cooking Light. Now, I have to make my menu for the week. The real challenge will come in figuring how many calories I'm taking in. I'll be chronicling my adventures here. I am going to need all the help that I can get. So, please check on my progress. I cannot do this alone. If you have any lowfat ideas, I ask that you share them.

I am going to list some of the basic things that I should have every day.

8 oz. fat free milk or low fat yogurt
2 pcs. fruit
3 or more servings of vegetables
150 cal. snack like popcorn or 100 cal. pack.
8-8 oz. glasses of water

I am going to need to step up my exercising. I gave up my gym membership a while back. So any creative ideas on working out would be good as well. I enjoy walking so I will be doing that as often as I can.

Wish me luck!

Just Breathe

I didn't gain the weight in a day. And I didn't gain it by eating food that always tasted great. Let's face it twinkies, ho-hos, and ding dongs have very little nutritional value no matter how hard you try to justify that flour comes from grain. And corn syrup has corn which is a vegetable/grain. I know that I complain about the meals from JC, but some of them are quite tasty. Take last night's dinner. I had the mac and cheese. It is really tasty. There's a bite to it from sharp cheddar and a hit of spice from red pepper. And it's a bit better than those snack cakes that I used to love.

I've got to get a better attitude about this. You see I sabotage myself and that's so not good. I have to be more responsible about what I eat. Will having a slice of pepperoni pizza kill me? No, but it will add to the time it takes me to reach my goal. What's your weakness? What do you do to curb it? Do you substitute or give in? Hey, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Is It Meat?

That's my question today. My lunch today is Jenny Craig's tortellini soup. There are six tortellini in here. Yes, I counted. It's not bad, but I can't tell if the pieces floating around in the tomato based soup are meat or not. It doesn't say that they aren't, but it doesn't say that they are beef either. Why do I suspect that it's not beef/meat? Well, the texture is a little off. Shoot, even cheap beef feels more real that this. These little meat like nuggets feel a little rubbery. I know I should just shut up and eat my lunch, but I just can't help but wonder. Is this stuff real? You see they tell me that the cheese burrito doesn't have any meat in it and that it contains tofu. Okay, I can deal with that. I can bury the tofu under extra salsa and a little fat free sour cream. This 'beef' though is floating all through the soup. You can't avoid it.

Of course, if I could learn to be more disciplined then I could eat my own food, but I can't be trusted just yet.

I'm Back!

Did you miss me? Well, I missed me, too. I'm on the wagon and fully recuperated. It's been very hard to stay focused. I know what I should do and I've been doing it most of the time. However, I've been having a hard time resisting the cravings. I mean a bacon double cheeseburger can't be all bad, can it? Don't answer that. I have dropped 20 pounds and that's a great feeling. I want to drop 20 more, but that feels like a daunting task. I know take it one meal at a time. Well, when your meal comes in a box, it is hard not to get discouraged. I said this at the beginning. I HAVE CONTROL ISSUES.

And that is the problem. I don't want the little boxes. I want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. There I said it!! And that's another problem. That's what got me in this fix. I need to find some sort of happy medium, a balance, if you will.

I'll keep you posted.

A Treat

Mother's Day isn't exactly my favorite holiday. It's stressful. My DOM passed away a few years ago so it's bittersweet. MJ's mom is hard to please. So, I decided not to try. It was going to be what it was. Of course, I decided this after we had gone to pick up dinner fixins from Harris-Teeter. I'm a huge beef fan. The music from the "Beef, It's What's for Dinner" commercials could be my theme song. We picked up a few ribeyes (on sale), some chicken breasts (BOGO), asparagus (on sale), onions, garlic and a rotisserie chicken for lunch. Well, after lunch I didn't feel like doing anything. And my MIL let us (read me) off the hook. She said that would be enough.

Okay, you know my grill situation. I can't have one b/c of the fire code in Alexandria. Well, those beautiful steaks kept calling me from the fridge and freezer. The slacker in me kept turning the volume down. Then a beautiful thing happened. MJ's brother-in-law walked in. He was hungry. He didn't want to do the prep, but he'd man the grill. A plan started to form. You see I had picked up some packets of grill seasoning from good ol' HT. MJ and I got prepped the meat. I made a quick marinade for the asparagus and we were ready to go. My SIL and I went to pick up some microwaveable sides and life was good.

What do you like on the grill? Do you grill your veggies like I do? Are you a charcoal snob or will you use gas in a pinch? I must say I prefer charcoal, but my SIL's Weber gas grill is kinda nice. There's something to be said for instant temp. control.

Lunch

I just had my Jenny Craig lunch. The container said Beef Chili with Beans. They lied. It was beef flavored bean chili. ICK! You might be asking yourself why did she buy the chili when she knows that she doesn't like beans. Well, I'll eat a few beans, but they are not my favorite by a long shot. And I love chili. I haven't had it in a while. My dad used to make chili that would burn so good. It was thick beef chili. He made two batches, one for TY and me with no beans and one for him and our mom with those alien pods. As it is the little container is no bigger than the soup bowls you get, so I jazzed mine up with some tortilla chips (good use of today's snack pack), salsa (gotta love the free items) and a little fat free sour cream (a limited item). The trouble is I can still taste those beans.

When I am able to create my own meals, I want to make my own chili. And it's not going to be that burn your mouth going and your keister coming out kind either. I want to use a mix of ground beef and turkey to create a leaner, lower fat version. There will be no beans at all in mine. I will be looking for ways to pump up the fiber though. So, for all of my cooking friends, start going over your recipes. I'm looking for any and all suggestions for my chili.

Free Food

Two of my favorite words in the English language. Well, Let's Dish (DC, MD, VA) is giving away a block of their Signature Scones to anyone who donates their Facebook status, Twitters or blogs about the free scones. Hey, it's worth a shot. I hope it is still good when I take this posting into my neighborhood Let's Dish. If not, then I'll pick up a brunch item for Mother's Day and get my freebies that way. If you're in the DMV, check it out.

I'm back

After an unplanned hiatus, some personal issues, and a weight gain, I'm back. For you regulars, I apologize for just dropping out on you like that. For any newcomers, well, I have a tendency to disappear every now and then. I'm going to work on that so that it doesn't interfere with what I do here.

I'm still on Jenny Craig. It's kinda of hard some days. I know in my head what a portion should be, but sometimes what I want to eat just tastes so good that I want a little more. And you know what happens then, a little more becomes a lot more. I'm trying to focus on the things that I like that I know are good for me. I'm not a huge fan of strawberries, but I'm beginning to like them a little better. MJ and I will share a few. I'm helping him get his fruit in and that makes me feel good.

I have never believed that any food should be avoided. However, if you have issues with control, maybe stepping away from the trigger foods isn't such a bad thing. Or is there an alternative to having the trigger food? I know that a turkey burger isn't the same as a sirloin burger, but what's better in the long run?

The Unthinkable Happened

I lost my appetite! Yes, me of all people. Can you believe it?! I certainly couldn't. I have been mildly depressed since Saturday. Let me tell you how bad this was. I didn't even want to look at food. I mean no Tastespotting or FoodGawker. I didn't even want to go into the grocery store. I was starting to think that I was sick.

Well, I found out that it was one of the side effects of losing weight. You see I've lost nearly 18 pounds since I decided to change my eating habits. People have been reassuring me this is a good thing. What if I've lost my cooking mojo? Okay, I'm just being a little overly dramatic. Please forgive me. I know that losing the weight is the important part. I guess I now have an opportunity for a little creative license with my fave dishes. I have a chance to tweak them in a way that I'll get the flavor w/o so many calories or fat. You know I'll keep you posted.

How's your journey going? Have you kept up or fallen off the wagon? What sacrifices are you willing to make for your health?

A Breakthrough

I'm not going to lie to you, but JC food is expensive. However, my consultant and I talked about the cost and this week I'm allowed to have my own cereal. Not only that, I will be able to make my own turkey burgers in the coming weeks. I have to be careful about what I put in and on those burgers. There will be no full fat cheese, mayo (unless it's fat free), bacon, etc. That means I must get creative. C, my consultant, says a good turkey burger can be made w/a pound of lean ground turkey, a can of green chiles (love those), some onion and garlic. For my topping, I'd use a nice mild salsa.

How would you jazz up a pound of ground turkey to make juicy and tasty burgers? And please don't say, switch the turkey for an 80/20 mix of ground sirloin and chuck. You'll make me cry.

Week 4

So far the food has been pretty good. It's not restaurant quality by any means, but most of it isn't tasteless or bland either. What bothers me about this is that I miss making my own food. I'm a hands on kinda gal. There's nothing inherently satisfying about poking a few holes in plastic and popping the dish in the microwave. And then there's that whole size thing. I'm used to so much more. I know that was part of the problem. What's girl to do?

Well, I am allowed to have almost all of the veggies that I want. Corn is kind of a no-no. I stick to your basic greenies with a few orange, red, and purples thrown in. Say for instance tonight's dinner was chicken fettuccine. What can I do to spruce it up? Hmmm, I can saute some mushrooms, onions and garlic and a 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and steam some broccoli or asparagus. Then, toss the fettuccine with the veggies. I'd then have a full colorful plate w/o being deprived.

What do you do to renovate your frozen meals? Do you add your own special seasonings? Do you cut up a few carrots or slice a few scallions? Think about it and get back to me.

Down-6.2 lbs since 01/16/09

I Want A

It's Week 3 and I would give my right arm, left leg, a kidney and half my liver for a really good hamburger right now. Yes, JC has a burger. It's a turkey burger. It's quite good actually even the bun. But there's something about a burger that's freshly prepared with all the right ingredients. I mean the right blend of lean meat and fat, a little salt and pepper, fresh lettuce, a couple of slices of cheddar/swiss/smoked gouda, bacon, grilled red onions and a little mayo.

While I love a grilled hamburger because of the smoky flavor cooking on an open flame gives it, I prefer a burger that's griddled or fried. I've been known to bake a burger. Too much shrinkage that way. I'll work on it though.

As to the accompaniment for my perfect burger, I'll take a fried or roasted potato of some sort any day. I love waffle fries, shoestrings, roasted potato wedges, curly fries, steak fries if they're done right. I'm not terrible picky. They just have to be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Really, who likes cold, pale, limp french fries?

How about you? If you were in my shoes, what meal would you miss the most? How would you prepare it? Better yet, do you love burgers and fries? If so, how do you like them?

I Never Met A...

that I didn't like. The blank can be filled with the food of your choice. For me it was potsticker. I loves those juice little Chinese dumplings. They are my favorite thing to order esp. when I'm sick. Talk about comfort food. Well, I hadn't met one I didn't like until Friday night. And it wasn't so much the dumpling itself as the accompanying side. JC served up fried rice with fake chicken and edamame. It didn't look natural. The edamame looked like little green spaceships. As for the 'chick'n', it felt weird.

On the plus side, at my weigh-in I am down another 1.4 lbs. This week's menu is a little bit better. I am trying to mix up the veggies that I have so that I don't get bogged down in the same thing every night. Although, I could eat broccoli and asparagus every day. Tonight, I'm having a tomato that's been stuffed with spinach, onions and mushrooms. I'll be checking the coming sales for slaw mix. I want to saute it with a little olive oil, chopped onions, black pepper and garlic. I like my veggies crunchy.

What veggies do you like? And how do you like to prepare them? Please share. I'll be looking for more ideas as I travel the road to a healthy new me.

Breakfast

is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. That being said. You should choose wisely when making your selection. I thought I had. Jenny Craig offers a variety of breakfast options from muffins to cereals (hot and cold) to egg sandwiches and platters. Well, when looking at my weekly menu, I thought breakfast scramble cool. I'm not too keen on eggs, but I thought there'd be something in there to make it good. The box said it has egg white product. That should have been my first clue. Does that mean real egg whites? What is an egg white product? The rest of the ingredients were turkey ham (better than turkey bacon), diced potatoes (cool), and cheese/cheese sauce (this rocks). In reality, this thing bit the dust. Since when does egg white look rubber ducky yellow? The ham had a nice bacony flavor, but it was the only redeeming thing in there. The potatoes were super chewy and flavorless. And the cheese stuck like melted rubber bands to the bottom of the bowl.

To be fair, there was a fairly good portion of food. It just wasn't as good as the maple nut hot cereal or the sunshine sandwich. I'll check next week's plan to see if it's on there. I'll be exchanging it for something a little more palate pleasing.

How do you like your eggs? What do you add to them? Can you fry it w/o breaking the yolk? Hit me back with your response. I'll keep you posted on JC.

Hi, My Name Is

AJ and I'm a control freak. This first week on Jenny Craig hasn't been easy, but the hard part doesn't lie in eating the food. Or at least not most of it. Come on, soup should taste like the ingredients not water. I haven't been sleeping well since I started the program. I wake up at about 11 every night hungry. It takes me hours to get to sleep. I can't just get up and go in the kitchen and fix a snack. What's a girl to do?



Well, I suck it up. I eat the food that I'm supposed to eat. My consultant called me and we talked about what I was eating when I was eating. More importantly, why am I hungry. Well, we discovered that I like to chew my food. The act of chewing connects me to my meal and makes it more satisfying. So, we switched a few things around.

Okay, you want to know what makes me a control freak. Well, I prefer to choose my own meals. If I want something, I should be able to have it. Unfortunately, I would eat the whole thing. That's not good. If I truly excerised control, then I wouldn't need Jenny Craig.

So, what brought this on. Well, I had an unplanned dining experience. MJ and I went to Subway after dropping off a prescription at CVS. We went for his dinner. It was too close to our normal time for dinner. So, I took half his sandwich and we split the Diet Coke and Sun Chips. As meals goes, this wasn't too bad. I will be sticking as close to my weekly meal plan as possible.

Week 1=4 pound loss

How is your health plan going? What kind of changes are you making? Have you experienced any unplanned dining experiences?

JC-Day 4

Okay, so the food isn't too bad. The portions on the other hand are another story. I know that was part of the problem. I was taking in too many calories from the wrong foods in large portions. The emphasis is on filling my plate with more veggies and getting in more water, etc. There's a salad at every lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of cold salads. Give me a steaming hot side of broccoli or cauliflower any day. So, that's what I've been doing. I've been supplementing my Jenny meals with steamed green beans, asparagus and broccoli.

As all of you know, I have a huge sweet tooth. Well, from time to time, I get to have dessert. Tonight's was chocolate cake. It was okay. The dab of frosting was a little cloying and lacked the full rich flavor of a finely crafted buttercream. The cake itself was moist not unlike a Hostess cupcake. It was about as exciting as one, too.

I'll keep you posted on how I do and what I like. Sunday will be interesting as there will be no mini-burgers, no Doritos, no cheese fries or triple chocolate espresso brownies. PRAY FOR ME, PLEASE!!!!!!!!

Have You Called Jenny Yet?

I know you've seen the commercial. Kirstie called. Valerie called. Queen Latifah called. And hundreds of thousands of other people have called. Well, I decided to call. Yes, I called Jenny Craig. All of you know that I love to food. I love to cook and I love to eat. I eat well, but I don't always eat healthy. Let's face it who does. However, my body is telling me it's time to start eating well for my health.

I have concerns about it. Taste being the number one issue. If it doesn't taste or smell good, do I really have to eat it? I'll let you know how it goes. I can have fruits and veggies. Most of those are unlimited so I don't have to worry about getting enough to eat.

I don't know about cooking when I first start the program. I think that would be kind of hard. I don't plan to give it up though. I can and will still cook for other people.

So, have any of you tried Jenny, yet? What are you doing to get healthy? Do you modify recipes? Or do you quit cold turkey all the things you like that aren't good for you. Let me know. I'd like all the tips I can get.