Chicken Salad-Arugula Pita Sandwich for only 4 Weight Watchers points

When I'm in a pinch, I think back to what was easy about the NutriSystem plan when I tried that, and the chicken salad pouches that I would add a little more chicken to was one of them. I just counted the extra chicken I added to it as a PowerFuel because it was otherwise a little runny for my taste. 

When I was doing NutriSystem, I would often look at the Food provided and ponder how I never ate the things that they themselves were providing me when I dieted, especially a sweet every single day. But chicken salad sandwiches? I could do that, so I am. I have never eaten sweets every single day, so I'm not doing that, and I'm Fine with that.

Yes, you can use chicken from rotisserie chickens, chicken breasts, roasted chickens, etc., for chicken salad sandwiches but when in a bind and needing to move quickly/short on time, canned chicken works well. I consider a bind the moments when my kids want something other than what I could or should consume myself, so they get their lunch, and I get a low-points-value lunch in a snap.

The canned chicken will tell you there are approximately 2-1/2 servings per can, but when weighing the drained meat alone, I come up with an average of around 2.75 ounces and therefore use the whole can in one single sandwich.

I use about an ounce of diced onion and 0.5 ounces of arugula.  Normally, I wouldn't weigh the arugula and just eyeball the amount I want to put in, but since I'm counting calories via MyFitnessPal, I Figured that all out for 0.5 ounces.  Arugula is 0 points on my Weight Watchers plans though, so eyeballing would be fine too. I just put it all into a container and mix it up like so.

Then I just fill up half of a wheat pita, and voila! Nice, big, Flavorful, and Filling lunch for only 4 Weight Watchers points. Heck, for 4 points, this can serve as a Filling snack as well!

Ingredients:

Half of a 7" wheat pita
5 oz. can of no-salt-added canned chicken breast
2 Tbsp. low-fat mayo
0.5 oz. baby arugula
1 oz. diced onion
salt and pepper to taste

Servings: 1
Points: 4

Nutritional Information (Approximate): 178 calories, 3 g total fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 24.5 g total carb, 1.2 dietary fiber, <3 .3="" 12="" g="" i="" protein="" sugars="">

A Few Fab Grabs by Quaker and Planters to Share

Yes, you can buy granola cereal in many forms, but this is a great grab-and-go option when you are on the run, pre-measured to boot.

I had some coupons for the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal (which you can eat cold by the way or even add to some plain nonfat vanilla yogurt) that allowed me to buy a bunch of boxes for $1.50 each when combined with a sale.  The Apple Cinnamon version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 3 points per serving.

The Cranberry Almond version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 4 Weight Watchers points for me.

 

When I look back at the 1.4-oz., 3-point packet of granola cereal I got on the NutriSystem plan, the Apple Cinnamon at 1.69 oz. and the Cranberry Almond at 1.76 oz. seems fair, as each provides a bit more per serving.

Another great Fab Grab is the NUT-rition bars Planters makes.  For example, this cranberry-almond-peanut bar is only 3 points for me.  Fits great in a purse! It is 1.23 ounces. 

 So there you go....three new Fab Grab Options for those busy moments when you don't want to cave and grab something Fast and totally crappy for you.

Blueberry Muffins for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I made my kids a batch of blueberry muffins from a recipe my youngest brought home from school when they had a blueberry day.  A coworker's of Mr. F's owns a blueberry Farm, and I have about 8 pounds of blueberries yet to use up in my Freezer from last season.

I decided to Figure the points out when I remembered that blueberry muffins were an actual breakfast entree while on the NutriSystem plan (as I covered in this post).  Turns out the points value for me was 3 points per muffin.  Guess what?  They were 3 points on the NutriSystem plan too, so why not?  Mine were Fluffier, less dense, bigger, and tasted better with none of that "diet" taste.  I had a hard time swallowing their version and HAD to drink something to help it go down. lol

Here is what the muffins looked like on the NutriSystem plan (and that is a 1-cup measuring cup), and as you can see, I counted my Weight Watchers points while on their plan:

Their packaging says each muffin was 2 ounces. Each of my muffins weighed in at 1.8 to 2.0 ounces too.

As you have probably noticed by now, I prefer to use "normal" ingredients.  Faux sugar/sugar substitutes scare me (and give me heart palpitations), so I stick with normal, unmodified sugar, which is 15 calories per tablespoon with 0 grams of Fat and Fiber.  Because 1/2 cup of sugar (equal to 8 tablespoons) would be 120 calories, I assign the sugar in this recipe 8 points (1 point per Tbs.). Because this recipe makes a dozen muffins, there is less than a tablespoon of sugar in each muffin.  They may technically be less than 3 points each at 2.5 points.

Ingredients:

1 c. blueberries - 1 point
1/4 c. melted butter, - 12 points (I use Challenge organic butter, which is
           higher in points than Land O'Lakes)
1-3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour - 14 points
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder - 0 points
1/4 tsp. salt - 0 points
1/2 c. sugar - 0 points/Tbs, but I give 1 point per Tbs. at 120 calories, so
          8 points
1 egg - 2 points (could use egg white substitute and save a point)
1/2 c. 1% milk - 1 point

(38 points total divided by 12 muffins = 3.1666~)

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Add egg and milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.  Divide evenly among muffins tins.  Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Makes 12 muffins.
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Points: 3 points per muffin

F Words Today: Failed at Freestyle February

Signing in a little disappointed today.  February didn't turn out so well for me for the most part.  I got sick of tracking points and decided to take a stab at following a more NutriSystem-style approach.  I ate a lot of smaller snack-style bits of foods.  For example, I measured my servings and kept each down to no more than a cupful. I ate much of the same meals I did on their plan, although I paid no attention to the "glycemic index" that they do.  

I also drank a lot of the Tea & Honey drinks (sick of plain water) with the artificial sweetener in it, which most weight loss plans recommend because it's low in calories.  I've heard that it can make you hungrier or crave sugar, and boy did I ever on both fronts.  I was hungrier than I've ever felt before, and I usually don't get hungry, not even when eating once a day.  Despite feeling like I did well, I only lost 3 pounds for the whole month.

I didn't weigh myself daily or even weekly.  I usually weigh-in in the mornings prior to eating and showering (because wet hair HAS to weigh more than dry hair), but it was just so darned cold I avoided heading into the basement to weigh in on the doctor's scale I have down there.  Perhaps I could've been alerted sooner that something was off or my Freelancing was working out so well had I just done it.

I also didn't blog because I moved my laptop back downstairs into my office that I've been avoiding due to the extreme cold.  This meant not even the computer tempted me to go down there.

Anyway, I'm back to tracking my food and hope to see at least a 10-pound loss for the month of March.  I'm back to biting the bullet, with shivering teeth, to weigh in each day.

How are you faring this harsh winter?

I updated this post....I changed Freelance to Freestyle.   That's what happens when you blog when tired I guess. lol

Tuna Tomato for 6 Weight Watcher Points

You can probably manipulate the points by using a Fat-Free version of the ranch, but I don't have to right now on my current allowance, so I don't.

For this dish, all you need is:

1 nice firm and ripe whole tomato                  0 points
A 5-ounce can of albacore tuna in water        1 point/ounce (total 3.3 pts.)
3 Tablespoons of low-fat mayo                      (I add this w/the almonds to make a point)
A healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds     (I add this w/the mayo to make 1 whole point)
1/2 Tablespoon of ranch dressing                   1 point
Lettuce                                                             0 points

My low-fat Hellman's mayo comes out to zero points per tablespoon, but I assign it a point for using 3 tablespoons and count the pinch of almonds with it as well.  Since it comes out to 5.3 points for me, I round up to 6 just in case.

I have no idea where I got this recipe from.  It was easy enough for me to remember and I like it enough to eat when not dieting.  I will also serve this up to the ladies who join me for a lunch.

When I was doing NutriSystem, this is one of the three options I had for the pouch of tuna salad they provided as a lunch.  Sometimes I used the almonds and ranch dressing and others I didn't, depending on whether or not I had the allowance of the Extras.  The other options I made for that tuna salad pouch were a simple tuna fish sandwich with onions added in, and this Tuna Melt recipe. 

In the picture above, I used too many almonds and too much ranch. I was winging it based on suggested serving sizes according to the packaging of the ingredients I used because I couldn't remember the points, but I adjusted the recipe I am sharing accordingly for your use.

Wash your tomato and cut off the bottom if it doesn't sit well without rolling.   Core the stem piece out. Cut your tomato into 8 wedges (think pizza style), but do NOT go all the way through.  Go about 3/4 the way down with each cut.  Then gently open the tomato so it rests all flowered out.  Fill it with your tuna mixture of all of the tuna fish and 3 tablespoons of lite mayo.  Top with a drizzle (no more than 1/2 tablespoon) of ranch dressing and a healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds (no more than 0.12 ounces). Put a bed of lettuce down onto a plate and place your finished tuna tomato on top.  Cut with a knife and fork down and through the lettuce for each bite.

I will come back at a later date and show you another way to prepare and eat this dish. 

Voila! All done. 

Fab Grab Breakfast of Instant Oatmeal for 3 points - Maple & Brown Sugar

'Nuf said I suppose.  I'm posting to share due to the ease.  I used to eat this flavor of oatmeal on NutriSystem too with their morning shake, but this serving is a bit more.  It's also only 3 Weight Watcher points for me!

I also like to keep my breakfast and lunch low in points when I know my dinner will be higher.  For instance, tonight I had a HUGE taco salad. 

Family-Friendly Pizza Night on a Diet for Just 4 Points Per Slice

Back when I was on the NutriSystem plan, they would provide a couple of pizza options, of which I chose the Italian Herb Flatbread pizza.  Their pizza came out to 6 points per slice BEFORE jazzing it up like I show here, and the same way I jazzed up some store-bought premade pizza dough tonight!

The ready-made pizza dough I bought from the store indicates that a 1/6 slice of pizza dough is only 2 points (prior to additions).  Wow, right!?  So I went for it.

All Five of us were NOT home for this single pizza.  It was only me, my youngest, and one of his friends.  Otherwise, I would have made at least two pizzas. 

I spread it out in a 10 x 15" baking sheet.  I then divided the dough into thirds visibly and with a little cut to the edge of the dough (since I was working with 1/6 of a pizza for 2 points) and discovered that if I divided my third of the entire pizza into 3 whole slices, each of those slices was the same size as the NutriSystem pizza I used to make.

I added the following to the whole 1/3 portion of dough for me worth 4 points total (3 slices or 2 large 1/6 slices):

1 oz. of chicken breast (can add more) for 1 point
a bunch of spinach (since it wilts down) for 0 points
red onion for 0.5 points
mushrooms for 0 points
2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce for 2 points
1/2 c. regular (yes regular!) mozzarella cheese for 4 points

(my version worked out to 3.7 points per slice, but I rounded up)

I just can't even believe each slice was 2 whole points LESS than the NutriSystem slice! What a surprise.  I only ate 2 of the 3 slices too for a whopping, complete dinner worth 8 points.

 

Gyro Sandwich on a Diet!? Yaaaaaaaaasssssssss!

I love me a gyro sandwich.  Until I tried NutriSystem, I thought that it was something I should avoid.

On NutriSystem, thanks to the NS community, I found a recipe on their site on how to turn the rehydrated beef patty into a mock gyro.  I really liked it, and that was my go-to idea for the beef patties, but it was time consuming to make the mock-Tzatziki sauce.

Fast forward to now.....I went to my local Gordon's Food Service and found they had a bulk package of gyro meet.  I could see that the serving size was 4 slices and figured it may work.  I bought it, figured out my points (only 5 points for 4 slices) and prepackaged it in serving sizes to freeze.  Grab & go is what I need to be successful.  The NutriSystem flame-broiled beef patty was 2 points, so this is only 3 points more for me.

Just like with NutriSystem, I put it into a whole wheat pita bread half and stuffed it full of lettuce, onions, and tomato for 1 point.  Instead of making the Tzatziki sauce myself, I had come across a Tzatziki spread at my grocery store.  I bought that and figured out my points....only 1 point per tablespoon!

All of the items in the picture below are only 3 points for me (2 for 2 tablespoons for Tzatziki sauce and 1 for the pita bread). 

Here is my gyro lunch for only 8 points

Does this help you have a gyro too?

Whuh!? Weigh Me Dammit!

Today's F Word:  Figures. 

Just kidding.

Today I went for a two-week follow-up appointment for the new medication they put me on for my hot Flashes.  They didn't even ask me to get on the scale!  I hate getting on the doctor's scale, but they usually always request that I weigh in.  I've lost some weight since I've seen them last so......  Not that big of a deal.....it....just....Figures. lol

Today was a good dieting day.  I had a turkey sausage patty and a banana bread mini muffin for breakfast at 2 points each, a mid-morning snack of 1/4 cup egg whites scrambled up with some baby spinach, mushrooms, and garlic powder for a whopping total of 1 point, a lunch of orzo salad with ham and peas for 4 points, a mid-afternoon snack of 12 wheat thins and 1 tablespoon of roasted pine nut hummus for 3 points, a dinner of 4 ounces of pork satay and a huge helping of my favorite salad (with bacon bits and regular dressing) for a total of 10 points, and an evening snack of the sweet snacking sandwich for 3 points.

I used to eat the 1/4 cup of scrambled egg and veggies for my protein serving when I was doing NutriSystem too.

Obviously, today was more of a smaller and more frequent meal type of day. Do you normally dread the doctor scales too?

I

What kind of dieting day did you have?

Dieting Tip - Grab-N-Go Preportioned Serving Sizes

I take my diet-friendly meals and divide them up into individual serving sizes so I can grab and go or grab and eat.  I do this whether I am counting out my Weight Watcher points or following more of a NutriSystem-style eating day.  It is a life saver for me!

I would love to hear some of your tips for success and life-saving measures!

Weekly Weigh In - Week #27

So the soluble stitches I had really caused me some grief this last month, so much so that I wound up being a bit of a couch potato and totally slacked on feeding myself appropriately along with the family. I just wanted to get mealtime over with and go soak in the tub again. I'm feeling pretty good and am back on the NutriSystem wagon with my latest delivery of supplies, as of yesterday. I somehow managed to lose a pound despite eating things like pizza and ice cream. Granted, I didn't treat myself every day, but if I didn't want to deal with thinking and planning for myself, let alone prepping more food, I just had what the hubs served up. Ready to get back to the business of losing!

NutriSystem Food - Breakfast - Maple Sausage Patty

I turn this patty into my mid-morning snack with the egg scramble being the mid-morning protein serving, and always with veggies to work in more filling veggies.

I forgot to take a picture of the package first, but I'll add it later when I get some more.  My messy omelet is on a salad-size plate, but you can see how it is substantially more food than just the patty itself, which only requires heating in a microwave. You can also put it all into a whole wheat tortilla wrap if you don't mind using up one of your Smart Carbs for the day.

NutriSystem Food - Breakfast - Biscuit & Gravy Mix

This is one of my favorite breakfasts because it comes close to my favorite treat - biscuits & gravy (which I usually ate 3 times a year).  Sure, it has a "diet" flavor/flair to it, but close enough for me. It is probably the most tedious entree to fix up, as you must mix the biscuit mix, shape, and microwave it, and if you want to brown it on top, then spray it with nonstick cooking spray and broil while waiting for the boiling water you've added to the gravy mix rehydrates the sausage bits, etc.

NutriSystem Food - Dinner - Rotini & Meatballs

You can bake up some garlic zucchini and squash, etc. to add to this dish to make it more filling and you get to eat a Smart Carb with it. I always team up my Italian dinners with a piece of whole wheat bread and a pat of butter (an Extra). Here it is plain.  It fits into a 1-cup measure and appears to possibly be 3/4-cup serving size.

NutriSystem Food - Breakfast - NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal

This is a filler item I buy from Big Lots on the cheap when I find myself out of breakfast entrees and yet still have entrees left for the remainder of the day.  This serving size fits into a 1/2-cup measure. I don't like milk, but I add just enough to wet it a bit, and you have to eat it quickly before it gets soggy, so don't dally on the cereals.

NutriSystem Food - Breakfast - Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

What can you say about oatmeal?  I use water and don't measure.  I just like mine runny versus thick, so I make it the way I like it. Here it is.

NutriSystem Food - Snack - Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Here they are, the NutriSystem version of Oreos.  They taste good & fit a crunchy craving.