Week 7 - Smater"er" Food Choices

Yesterday I went off schedule again. I was bored so I took the baby to my parent's house. I had lunch there. Even though we had a lunch that I usually make for myself, I am amazed at how just the slighest change to the choices you make, really effect the point value and your success at losing weight.

For instance, yesterday we had fried egg sandwiches. When I make this for myself at lunch (as I normally do) the TOTAL point value is 4. Yesterday's total point value was 9. Let us compare. When I make my sandwich the first obvious choice is the kind of bread. I use 100% whole wheat bread for 1 point each slice. My parent's use only white bread, 2 points per slice. It took a while for me to get used to whole wheat, but now I find I prefer it. When I make my lunch, I use one egg for two points. My parent's use 2 eggs for 4 points. The trick here is making one egg seem like more. I use the mircrowave. Using a little glass bowl, I break an egg into it, scramble it up a little and put it in the microwave for 45 seconds. The egg puffs up, put it on the toast and kind of squish it around and VOILA! Lots of egg to cover toast. Then of course I use a table spoon of ketchup for 0 points. MMmm...tasty. Parent's version has butter. I'm estimating a point for this. Doing it my way cuts out 5 extra unnecessary points. Sure, their way may taste a little better, but honestly you get used to it and don't mind what you are missing if you get results in the end. Ah, and of course, my way you add 0 point extras to it. I've been having 10 baby carrots for 0 points...dipped in to either low calorie salad dressing or hummas (for 1 point) or add a dill pickle for 0 points or a salad with low calorie dressing for 1-2 points. Suddenly your sandwich that maybe wasn't all the exciting or filling becomes a whole lot better! Don't get me wrong...it is nice to have the fuller fat, fuller calorie version once in a while...plus I will NEVER complain about someone else making me lunch!I was left with only 8 points for dinner (Oh, forgot to mention I had one oatmeal chocolate chip cookie while I was there). So we had homemade french "fries" for dinner and Healthy Bake fish (two fillets for 3 points!). And I was good for the night. No desire to snack. That is a good feeling. Knowing that even though I didn't have many points left, I was able to make a dinner that was both satisfying and tasted okay.Today I'm looking at the same old same old. Tomorrow I'm meeting friends for lunch so I'll see how that goes. I plan on going on line to check out the menu later today, work out the point values and plan ahead. VERY important to do when eating out. Otherwise, you'll screw yourself over.