Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt.. The Good and The Ugly!

While purusing the yogurt offerings at my local grocer, Harris Teeter, I ran across something new, different. I am used to the same old, same old when it comes to yogurt, very rarely is there a new flavor... Several of these new flavors caught my eye, one imparticular I struggled with whether to try or not.... Dannon Light & Fit Watermelon, Limited Edition, (which turns out to be a good thing). I really thought that this would not be good, but I am trying to expand my palate.. and for .60 cents, why not..

I was really hoping it was the kind of thing that just seemed gross in my head.. after one bite I knew that it was... GROSS that is... Awful, couldn't eat a second bite. A very watery watermelon flavor but the texture of yogurt. Not a good combination..

I also purchased Limited Edition, Dannon Light & Fit Pineapple Coconut and another new flavor, Key Lime. I really enjoyed the Pineapple Coconut, think pina colada, but less calories. Quite tasty and hope this one sticks around.

The last "new" flavor I purchased was Dannon Light & Fit Key Lime. I thought it was good, but not as good as Yoplait's Key Lime Pie. Although Dannon Light & Fit has 20 less calories than Yoplait Light, I feel that those 20 calories are worth the taste and texture difference... Yoplait is much creamier in my opinion.

So Dannon Light & Fit is only winning 1 out of 3, with the flavors I tried. After checking their website I noticed there are 3 other new flavors. They other new flavors are Cherry, Mixed Berry ( I am having a hard time believeing they didn't already have these tow flavors- doesn't every yogurt come in mixed berry?) and Pomegranate Berry. I am not rushing out for the first two- but I'll have my eye out for the Pomegranate Berry.

Most inspirational comment ever.... Thanks Lori!

So earlier today I was complaining and whining about only losing one pound. I was discouraged because I worked so hard... All day I have just been BLAH!! I ate 2 oreo's ) double stuff- 4 points a little while ago and was thinking- who cares- it won't matter... then I read my comments and got the best bit of inspiration from Lori at What I'm Eating and No Pink Weights and I fell much better- even proud of my 1 pound loss! Thanks Lori- you are the best!

Well here is what she left for me....

"Hello, do you know me? If you don't you should. I'm a pound of fat, and I'm the happiest pound of fat that you would ever want to meet. Want to know why? It's because no one ever wants to lose me; I'm Only One Pound, just a pound. Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds or fifteen pounds, but never only one, so I just stick around and happily keep you fat. Then I add to myself ever so slyly so that you never seem to notice it, that is until I've grown to ten, twenty or even more pounds in weight. Yes, it's fun being Only One Pound of fat, left to do as I please. So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying "Oh, I only lost one pound." ( as if that were such a terrible thing!) For you see, if you do this you'll encourage others to keep me around because they will think I'm not worth losing. And I love being around you - your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips and every part of you. Happy Days!! After all, I'm Only One Pound of fat!!!"

Isn't that great? One pound is onederful!!!

This SUCKS!!!... 1 pound WEIGHT LOSS!

I have done EVERYTHING right this week.. everything. I tracked every morsel I put in my mouth. I ate a variety of foods, ya know, mixed my regular same old, same old up in the food department. Exercised more than I have in years... and I am still a little sore from the new activity. It's the kind of sore that makes you feel good because you know that your body is changing.

All of that... and I weigh in this morning and I lost 1 pound!! ONE POUND, are you freaking kidding me. I worked my ass off and ONE POUND??? I know, it's better than gaining but come on scale gods.. gimme something more for my effort. This sucks!

Carribean Chicken

I was searching for recipe's on Foodbuzz and came across this one from "Foodie on Weight Watchers". She was kind enough to agree to let me share this. It really looks good and I can't wait to try it.

Caribbean Chicken

Modified from Clean Eating Magazine May/June 2009

4 Servings4 Points/Serving (Maybe. This is the points value of the original recipe according to the calories printed in the magazine.)

Marinade:
½ cup pineapple juice
3 cloves of garlic, through the press
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
zest and juice of one lime
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Fruit Salsa:
1 cup pineapple, chopped
1 cup mango, chopped
zest and juice of half a lime (slice the other half for serving)
1 splash of pineapple juice
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and place in a large plastic bag and marinate overnight.

2. Combine the ingredients for the fruit salsa and store overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Prepare the grill and cook the chicken.

4. Serve each chicken breast with ½ cup of the fruit.

UMMM... GOOD!

Tips for Eating Healthy on Vacation

The last day of school is upon us and that makes me think about summer traveling... Vacations.. and how I am going to keep on track during these trips. I gained 20 pounds last summer. Eating out is my number one downfall. My family really enjoys fine dining- my 10 year old even made up a rap song about it..."I like fine dining, it's so divine, Morton's, Ruth Chris and New York Prime." So most evenings we will be dining out and I need to start thinking about how I can eat on vacation and still stay on track.

There are three reasons why eating in restaurants, as we tend to do most of the time while traveling, is so dangerous for your diet.

Restaurants often serve large portions, and we tend to eat more when more food is in front of us.

Restaurant menu items are often high in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and low in fiber.

At restaurants, you usually have no idea how many calories or grams of saturated fat are in the dishes you order.

Restaurant dining makes it difficult to track points. I tend to pad what I calculate with an extra point or to for the unknown ingredients.

I have done a little research and the top 5 tips I am going to use this summer are:

1. You don't have to clean your plate.... I have always been a member of the clean plate club, I really have to analyze my portions at meals in restaurants. There is always enough food for 2 meals on each plate. I am thinking about asking to have half of it wrapped before they bring it out and then take it with us for lunch the next day. Many restaurants we go to on vacation are ala carte style dining. This makes portions easier because we all share different items.
Desserts seem to materialize after every meal on vacation. And to make it worse, all the meals are little richer, and snacks are a little more frequent. But just because the food is there doesn't mean you have to eat it all. Slow down and consider what you're eating. WW gives you 35 discretionary points (and activity points). Think of these calories as your "fun" calories to be used for treats. Before you snack, decide whether you're truly hungry or just mindlessly noshing. Keep your discretionary and activity points in check by splitting your dessert with your family. Make the healthiest choices when you can, and take small portions when the meal choices are high calorie and out of your control.

(My waiter's are never this HOTT!! IF I get this one... I may be too busy looking at him to ask any questions!!)

2. Ask Your Waiter 4 Questions

Ask how a dish is prepared and served. Then, you can request that your selection be prepared or served differently, if necessary. For example, meats that are fried can often be ordered grilled instead.

Ask for sauces, gravies, and dressings to be served on the side so you can use a modest portion.

Ask that your entree be served with fresh vegetables (no butter or sauce, please) or a side salad instead of the usual french fries.

Request whole grains whenever possible. Some restaurants offer 100% whole-wheat bread and buns, whole-grain blend pasta, tortillas, and steamed brown rice.

3. Order Fruits and Veggies Every Chance You Get
Look for opportunities to order dishes that include high-nutrient, high-fiber fruits and veggies. Entree salads or side salads made with spinach or romaine lettuce are a great way to get your vegetables. Grilled or roasted veggies with a little EVOO are a great choice too. If you're ordering something like a shrimp or chicken quesadilla, you can ask the restaurant to add some grilled or roasted veggies to it, it will be filling and leave less room for dessert.

(This is what I want to look like-- someday, someday soon!)

4. Your shoes are made for walking
Ask about safe walking routes around your hotel or rental home, then lace up your shoes and get going! There's no better way than walking to see and really experience the area you're visiting. Plus, it's handy for burning off some of last night's dinner, too. Take advantage of the gyms. The place we stay at has a state of the art gym- that I have never been in. That will change this year.

5. Pack a snack....
When you're traveling, always keep a healthy snack on hand. The best combinations contain a little protein and a high fiber carbohydrate to keep you feeling full as long as possible. A trusty PB&J on whole wheat tucked in your carry-on bag will keep you cruising by the fat-filled (and expensive!) cinnamon buns in the airport. Unsalted nuts, fruits, and whole grain crackers are great for the car, and are real aces for keeping your stomach from rumbling while you're searching for lunch from somewhere healthier than the ubiquitous fast food place. There are so many great snack choices for healthy eating, my favorites are Kind Bars, Fiber One bars and Smart Food popcorn, all are in convenient single serve portions that are super easy to throw in my purse or beach bag.

Well next week is our first trip away from home- I am going to stick to these tips and get a lot of exercise and I am hoping that I can stay on program and continue to lose all summer.

Everything but the SCALE is good

So I have worked really hard this week. I have done everything right and I weigh myself this morning and up 2 pounds. What is that all about? It is very discouraging. I have read that increased exercise will cause water weight gain and that if your muscles are sore (and mine are) they retain water to soothe themselves. Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm going to keep it up today but geez... it really sucks when the number looks bad. I am hoping that it will get better with more regular exercise. I had not been doing as much lately.

On other notes my elliptical machine is making a horrible squeaky noise. It's a Horizon gym quality machine from Dick's Sporting Goods and is about 18 months old. I know we got an extended warranty on it but am not sure what it covers. I hope they can fix it.

In lieu of the malfunction I am going to do a 4 mile walk this evening and some strength training this morning.

I have some great new recipe's to share but need to get some photo's so I will be posting those later.

Better get going... gotta get stuff done and the kids will be home at 10:30... Looks like a great day to go to the pool.

Having a great week!

I don't know if it is because the sun is shining and it is so hot or if it is I am finally getting into this lifestyle, but this has been a great week for me. I have done everything right! I am getting my food, exercise, and water all right- everything has just worked this week.
I credit some of it to the great fruits and veggies at the local farmer's market. Nothing tastes as good as fresh locally grown produce!
It's been a busy week. My youngest daughter had her last soccer game last night, they lost in the semi-final but had a great year. She is also getting ready to preform for the next 2 weekends in Disney's 101 Dalmatian's- so we have had 2+ hour practices every night. Today is the last full day of school, three more two hour days and they are done, except my high schooler- she is done tomorrow.
Hubby is away for several days- so I am free to not cook- which is great but I probably will anyhow, I am craving some roasted veggies and shrimp.
My exercise routine is becoming well routine and I think I need to mix it up a little. I am really tinkering with the idea of running? I never have liked to run but it seems that it is a great exercise and really makes you strong. So maybe...
I have to clean/organize the home office today. My husband did the garage this weekend and it looks amazing- it went from really cluttered to really organized- we even bought a labeler- and labeled all of our storage bins. He labeled them before- but with post it's- so with in 2 weeks they had all fallen off and we couldn't find anything.
I am off to the elliptical- burning at least 250 calories this AM- then on to some cleaning and my last day with alone time until August- but I am glad school's out- here's to doing whatever, whenever and no schedules!!! YEAH!