New Diet: Week Four

Final week on Hungry Girl. Next month I will be using a cook book called The Complete Low Fat Cookbook which I have had for the longest time but never used it.

Here are the Hungry Girl-inspired recipes I will be using this week.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Parfait

In this, I used packets of instant oatmeal instead of the plain oatmeal because I already had it and figured I should use that up. So I didn't use the spices or vanilla extract. I did use the almond milk and splenda. It came out great! I did not add strawberries or yogurt either. Instead, I ate a banana afterwards. It was satisfying.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/ginormous-food-berry-nana-oatmeal-parfait-recipe

Lunch: Sesame Chicken on White Rice

I have not eaten this yet but I can't wait! The recipe called for unsweetened syrup, wheat flour, scallion, chicken broth, and sesame seeds but the sauce still came out tasty. I used the lite butter syrup instead because, again, I had it already and didn't want to buy a whole new thing just for this. I also used vegetable broth instead and that was for the sauce as well. I used regular flour instead of whole wheat since I had a ton of it. So I basically had every other ingredient to make it good. I added 1 cup of cooked rice to the meal and it looks like it will be filling.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/chinese-food-sweet-n-sticky-sesame-chicken-recipe

Dinner: Meatless Burrito

I was going to make the sesame chicken for dinner and something else for lunch but realized that I didn't have any more ingredients to do it so instead I will be making this since I had the ingredients:

Meatless Burrito Ingredients

Calbot - 75% Reduced Fat - Extra Light Cheddar, 0.5 oz	Calories 30	Fat 1	Protein 5	Carbs 0
Goya - Black Beans Low Sodium, 0.25 cup	50	0	4	9
Corn - Sweet, yellow, canned, whole kernel, drained solids, 0.25 cup	33	0	1	8
Sauce - Pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve, 0.25 cup	46	1	1	7
Stop & Shop - 8" Whole Wheat Flour Tortilla, 1 tortilla	129	3	4	22
Yves Meatless Pepperoni - Vegetarian Pepperoni, 4 slices	20	0	4	1
Totals	308	5	19	47

Snack: Movie Night

In this recipe, I had everything except the tootsie rolls. So I doubled up on the kettle corn popcorn.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/movie-night-chewy-smores-snack-mix-recipe

Snack: Hot Cocoa

I have cocoa and I have marshmallows. Good, simple nighttime snack.

Week Three Weigh-in

Weigh-in

My new goal is to loose 49.5 lbs.  As of today, I lost one and a half pounds.  I didn't think I would do better this week because I had too much to eat this Saturday.  Slowly but surely.

Week 1: 1lb.

Week 2: 2lbs.

Week 3: 1.5lbs.

Total left: 45 lbs.

Week Two Weigh-in

Weigh-in

My new goal is to loose 49.5 lbs.  As of today, I lost one pound.  I knew I would do better this week because I had too much homework to do and didn't have a risk of eating poorly while going out.  This week I will be going out Saturday so I have to be good this Friday.

Week One: 1lb.

Week Two: 2lbs.

Total left: 46.5 lbs.

New Diet: Week Three

Breakfast

Omlette with stir-fried onion, bell pepper, and lowfat cheddar cheese.

1/3 c. Egg substitute

1/4 c. Onion

1/4 c. Bell pepper

1 oz lowfat cheddar cheese

1 serving 

Lunch

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/under-200-cheeseburger-mac-attack-recipe

Although this lunch looks (and probably will taste) amazing, it's a small portion size.  I brought the mini cupcakes and crystal light with me in case I get too hungry.

Dinner

Cheesy rice with mushroom and broccoli.

1 c. Cooked white rice

1 wedge Babybel Lowfat Swiss Creamy Cheese or other lowfat creamy cheese

1/2 c. Chopped Mushroom

1/2 c. Chopped Broccoli

PAM or similar

Optional salt, pepper, other seasoning

1 serving

Preparation

1. On medium heat in a sauce pan or deep frying pan, spray with PAM or similar.

2. Add chopped broccoli to pan and stir until cooked (5 minutes or until tender).

3. Stir in mushroom until cooked (3-4 minutes or until lightly browned)

4. Stir in rice and cheese until melted and thoroughly mixed in.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Snack

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/girls-night-big-blue-buffalo-jala-poppers-recipe

I only had 3 peppers so I split them into 8 slices. They look more like French Fries now.  Very tasty!  Also didn't have blue cheese so I used cheddar. Still came out good.  Will be making this again.

Snack

Same mini cupcakes from last week, more chocolate powder though.  Maybe I'll add in chocolate chips and marshmallow if I have time.

Also made some low-fat frozen yogurt with chocolate chips. It came out tasting like Red Mangos frozen yogurt, which I'm not too crazy about. I'm going to make low-fat vanilla ice cream next.

Week One Weigh-in

My new goal is to loose 49.5 lbs.  As of today, I lost one pound.  I was so worried I wasn't going to loose anything because I did pretty badly this weekend.  I know I will be doing better this week though.  

Week One: 1lb.

Total left: 48.5 lbs.

New Diet: Week Two

The first week was okay.  I liked all of the food I ate.  I gave myself Friday to have a cheat day.  Saturday I didn't do too great either since I went to a birthday and another party.  I will find out how much I weigh tomorrow.  Not looking forward to it but I will remain on this diet until the end.

Here is the menu for Week Two:

Week Two

Breakfast: Southwest oven-baked omelette. Again, I altered this recipe. I accidentally put in too many beans so there is no corn to even it out.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/ginormous-food-el-ginormo-southwest-oven-baked-omelette-recipe

Lunch: Salad. I separated the lettuce from the veggies I plan on heating up. I am also using ranch instead of the vinegrette dressing.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/weighin/show/1959#veggieexplosion

Dinner: Mini Thin-Crust Pizzas. I love this recipe! I did add a little more sauce to it's original recipe.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/weighin/show/2626

Snack: Poppin' trail mix. I didn't put in chocolate or soy nuts and put in different cereals instead.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/pick-me-up-party-poppin-trail-mix-recipe

Snack: chocolate marshmellow cupcakes. I didn't have any egg left so I used applesauce instead. Still came out yummy. Even my husband liked it (and he doesn't like very much)!

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/chocolate-911-chocolate-marshmallow-madness-cupcakes-recipe

Ready, Set, Start! First Weigh-in on New Diet

Yesterday I started a new diet and so today I start a new weigh-in.  My new goal is to loose 49.5 lbs.  I already lost 9.5 lbs from the previous diet, so in this diet I plan on following some of the same ideas.  I will probably not loose as much but so long as I loose 1 lb per week, I will be satisfied.

New Diet: Day One

Since the last diet was good with good results, I am going to try to keep some of the same basic ideas.  Although I am not following the Zone Diet exactly, I am going to monitor my diet more closely. So to do that, I plan on making all of my meals on the weekend, if I can.  Saturday, I quickly did my homework, went food shopping, and made 6 3-course meals with two snacks.  Because I enjoy Hungry Girl's ideas and perspectives on food, I used some of her recipes.  Although I did not follow her recipes exactly, they are highly influenced by them.

Week One

Breakfast: Omlete with mozzarella, soyrizo and crushed tomato based on:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/you-wanna-pizza-me-breakfast-pizza-mexicali-recipe

Yeah, I may have overcooked the eggs a little bit, but I had one this morning and it was actually not bad!  It was spicy from the soyrizo.  The only thing that I think could improve this is if I put the cheese in the inside instead of the outside.

Lunch: Eggplant lasagna with portabella mushroom, shell-shaped pasta, and ricota cheese based on:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/ginormous-food-bonus-recipe-ez-cheesy-lasagna-for-two-recipe

This dish came out pretty good as well.  I would have liked more mozzarella but to keep it low-fat, there is only one layer of it with Parmesan cheese sprinkled at the top for flavor. Texture was actually pretty good too.  One thing I did differently was I used a potato peeler to shred the eggplant into thin, lasagna-like slices and layered it.  I thoroughly cooked the eggplant by boiling it in water like I would with pasta.  The original recipe uses less eggplant and bakes it instead but I think either way it will come out fine.  Another thing is that I do not add salt and some people may want to do that.  I like less salt because low-fat and fat free cheeses sometimes come with salt so I don't bother adding it.  Lastly, although I think I could have made this without the pasta, it's good either way.

For my mid-day snack, I simply had a banana.

Dinner: mashed potato, veggie chicken patties, veggie hot wings, cheddar cheese, and crushed tomato based on:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/under-five-minutes-bonus-market-find-recipe-cheeseburger-mashed-potato-parfaits-recipe

I was skeptical about this dish but it actually turned out very good.  I don't think I can eat veggie burgers any other way now. hah!

Snack: Artichoke hummus based on:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/girls-night-hungry-hungry-artichoke-hummus-recipe

Snack: Corn chips based on:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/to-the-mex-crazy-good-corn-chips-recipe

I slightly overcooked the chips.  The first time, I followed the instructions and ate a chip but it wasn't crunchy enough so I put it in for 5 more minutes and they came out perfectly crunchy.  They are not burnt but I think if I put them in for a minute less tomorrow, it might come out exactly how I like them.  Again, I didn't put any salt on these and they could use some but the hummus adds some flavor to it so it's not that bad.  The hummus dip did come out a little thin to my liking and I think I would like it better if there is no artichoke in it.  It's still good but I would rather have more of a chickpea flavor than artichoke.

Another change is I will be doing 6-days of the diet and 1-day to eat whatever I want.  We will see how this goes.  If I can loose 1 lb per week, I'll be satisfied.

Future recipe idea: Soyrizo Frittata

Day 31: Sept 4th was the Last Day on this Diet

On the last day of the diet, it was very good. I can't complain about anything I received but I was excited to be off of the diet. That being said, I will go back on a diet, just not this one because it really is out of my price range.

Breakfast

Omelet Caprese with Fresh Mozzarella, Roma Tomato, Basil Pesto and Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch

Lemon Pepper Grilled Shrimp Salad with Yellow Tomato, Cucumber, Alfalfa Sprouts, Baby Lettuce & Citrus Dressing

Dinner

Miso Orange Glazed Halibutwith Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous and Pesto Butternut Squash Puree

Snack

Pineapple Cranberry and Carrot Cupcake with Lemon Tofu Cream Frosting

Dessert

Mango Cheesecake

Day 30: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Breakfast

Asparagus,Basil & Mozzarella Egg Bake with Fresh Pineapple

Lunch

Smoked Mozzarella Salad with Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, Arugula, Roasted Bell Pepper, and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Dinner

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Lemon, Pepper, Garlic Saucewith Brown Basmati Rice with Cashews and Fresh Spices and Roasted Green Beans with Parsley

Snack

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Dessert

Apple Pistachio Muffin

This is practically the same meal from day one.  The only difference is I swapped the noodles I had in the dinner for rice.  Everything was yummy.  I LOVE the chocolate cheesecake.  I wish I had more.

Just one more day on this and I begin my own homemade diet plan!

Day 29: Chia and Peppercorn Crusted Salmon with Minted Balsamic Glazewith Creamy Parmesan, Parsnip and Potato Mash and Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Fresh Lemon Zest

This dinner was good.  The sauce was a little strong but good.

The cheesecake was great.

Week 4: Weigh-in

At the beginning of the Fresh Diet, I planned on loosing 63 lbs. So here is a breakdown of how much I'm loosing.

WEEK	LBS LOST
Week 1	4.5 lb.
Week 2	1.0 lb.
Week 3	3.0 lb.
Week 4	1.0 lb.
Total lost	9.5 lb.
Total left	53.5 lb.

I didn't have a chance to go on the elliptical this week.  There were times when I was extremely exhausted and went to bed at 9pm.  I even fell asleep on my keyboard a minute after I finished a homework assignment on Thursday.  So although I have lost 9.5 lbs, I have not gained any energy.  I am not sure what to do.  

I do know I am cancelling this program.  Although I am seeing great results, it is not reasonably priced.  So I am making a list of things to eat for the week then I will shop and make it on Saturdays.

Day 29: Coffee French Macarons

I didn't realize I picked this.  I don't like coffee, but I ate them anyway because they were not all that bad.

Day 29: White Albacore Tuna Salad & Baby Lettuce on Spinach Tortilla Wrap

This was good.  I was able to eat this without heating it up.

Day 29: Southwestern Style Scrambled Eggs with Fire Roasted Corn, Fresh Salsa, Bell Peppers, Pepper-Jack Cheese & Nine Grain Toast

This was good.  I've had it before.

Day 28: Grilled Chicken Breast with Fresh Chimichurri saucewith Butternut Squash Puree and Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms

I was thoroughly satisfied with this dinner.  I'm not sure why but it was good.  The butternut squash was a bit on the strong flavored size but that is known for this vegetable.

Cheesecake was for dessert. Yum!

Day 28: Pineapple Coconut Muffin

There were big slices of pineapple in this.  I felt that those slices disrupted the texture a little bit.  I think it would have been great if the pineapple was ground or something.

Day 28: Maple Glazed Ham Salad with Red Beets, Toasted Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Romaine & Raspberry Vinaigrette

This salad was good.  The dressing and cranberries give it a sweetness to the point that I don't think having both was necessary.  One or the other may have been fine.

Day 28: Whole Wheat Waffles with Honey Sweet Ham, Fresh Cantaloupe and Sugar-Free Syrup

The whole wheat waffles were too wheaty.  Everything else was fine though.