Points

Relationship detected

It’s something I should have known already. Maybe I did know it at some point … but somehow I’d forgotten.

These last couple of days, I’ve noticed a link between exercise and eating right.

Don’t “duh” me. I know it’s such a simple concept that I should have realized it already: I have more determination, drive and desire to make good food choices when I get in a good walk.

Case in point: On Monday, I took Bandit on a short (10 min., tops) walk around the block before heading to Starbucks for a write-in. A walk of that duration gave me the willpower to eschew the goodies in the pastry case and stick to a venti iced green tea with one Splenda. (It helped that I had my breakfast bowl of Overnight Oats in my purse.)

However, I did not end up taking Bandit for the longer, post-lunch walk I’d planned … and when I got to work, I ate not one but two of the (not small) chocolate chip cookies hanging out in the newsroom. (I didn’t eat them both at the same time, but when they were still hanging out a few hours after the first, I went back for another. Thankfully, one of my coworkers spared me from enjoying a third …)

Today, when we went for a 30-minute walk, it was much easier for me to make good food choices. There were more cookies and I didn’t even take one. In fact, I should be right at about 29-30 Points for the day.

Dinner was new for me: Spaghetti squash topped with ground turkey, onion, zucchini and sauce. Didn’t have the same mouth feel as real spaghetti, but it was pretty tasty all the same.

Other eats:

Lunch: Bean & Zucchini Quesadilla and Banana Ice Cream with the last piece of chocolate-pumpkin brownie/cake.

Snack: Honeycrisp apple cut into wedges and NV peanut butter granola bars

Dinner: 1 cup spaghetti squash, 3 oz. ground turkey, onion & zucchini, 3/4 cup Prego sauce

Dessert: Partial serving of Indian Corn (that’s the last of it)

Snack: Greek yogurt mixed with honey, 2 T oats and 1/2 T sliced almonds

After-work treat while writing: Mug of Starbucks Via Cinnamon flavored coffee plus a square of dark chocolate

OK. I’ll admit the Indian Corn wasn’t the smartest choice. And I probably didn’t need an apple AND granola bars between lunch and dinner. (Then again, I slept through breakfast, so I really still only ate three times.)

That’s it for tonight’s update. Now, I’m going to get back to writing. Crossed 20,000 words with the NaNoWriMo novel today … almost halfway there!

Better than Taco Bell

Well, I can’t say the prep time involved is better — but the end result was at least 10 times healthier than a Mexican Pizza at the Bell, which is what I craved.

After breakfast, I spent a couple of hours doing laundry and other organizational stuff. Then  I decided I was hungry again.

It’s the day before payday, so I had no money to grab anything. Besides, grabbing something out is not a wise way to lose weight. I get way too tempted by the not-so-great choices and end up eating something I shouldn’t.

So I decided to make myself a Mexican Pizza knockoff. I won’t pretend it tasted like the Taco Bell version. I didn’t even use beans, having just had Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas for dinner last night.

What I did use:

• 3 oz. lean ground turkey
• Diced zucchini
• Part of a package of taco seasoning
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup cheddar Jack cheese
• Salsa
• Spinach

This was the result:

 

 

IIt was pretty easy to assemble. I simply browned the ground turkey with the zucchini. When no pink remained in the meat, I added a little taco seasoning (probably not even a teaspoon. I’ve been using the same packet for months!) and a couple of tablespoons of water and let it simmer until the water was absorbed.

While the meat did its thing, I baked two corn tortillas at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, shredded some spinach and measured out the cheese. After 10 minutes, the tortillas were starting to crisp. I topped each one with half the meat/veggies and about 1/3 of the cheese.

Back into the oven for 5 minutes, to reheat the filling and melt the cheese. Then I topped one tortilla with salsa, spinach and some of the remaining cheese, stacked the other tortilla on top and added more salsa, spinach and cheese.

I’d say the process took about 30 minutes (it seemed longer because I was starved. I’m wondering if there’s something about the dark chocolate almond milk that keeps the oats from being as filling …)

The way I made it, I calculated the pizza at 8 WW Points. I didn’t look it up, but I’m sure the TB Mexican Pizza has more Points than that. This is a passable substitute the next time I want one of those.

Another semi success

Monday was another pretty good day on the eating and exercise fronts. That’s right: Because I’m Bandit-sitting,  I get more walks.

I can tell I’ve really gotten out of shape, though. Even a fairly short walk seems to take forever.

As for eating, you might remember my plan:

Zucchini potato scramble w/ turkey bacon (8)

Black Bean Zucchini Quesadillas (8)

1/2 C pumpkin ice cream (3?)

Veggie burger on Sandwich Thin w/ Honeycrisp apple (5)

Banana w/almond butter (4)

Total: 28 Points

It didn’t happen quite that way (nor did I stick to 28 Points). My after-work snack took me to 34 — but I was hungry. I needed something with protein.

What I really ate (after sleeping through breakfast):

* Black bean and zucchini quesadilla (8)

* 1/2 cup pumpkin ice cream (3)

A small-ish blueberry muffin, homemade by one of my coworkers (4)

Greek yogurt w/ honey & oats (4)

1/2 serving Wheat Thins (1)

* Veggie burger on a Sandwich Thin  (3)

w/ Foreman fries (2)

1 square dark mint chocolate (1)

NV Chocolate Granola Thin (2)

That does total 28 Points. But I unfortunately didn’t stop there. (You can see why, with all those Points devoted to sweets, I wanted something else when I got home.)

1/2 cup dark chocolate almond milk (1)

w/ an egg on sourdough toast w/ a Laughing Cow Mozzarella-Sun-dried Tomato Wedge (5)

Total: 34

Let’s try another menu for Tuesday, and see if I can stick to it a little better.

Breakfast — Overnight Oats (6)

Lunch — Zucchini-potato scramble w/ turkey bacon (8)

Dinner — Pita pizza w/ roasted red peppers, chicken & feta (?)

Snack — Banana ice cream (3)

Snack — Chocolate mint square (1)

Snack — Sweet Potato Dip w/ toasted pita wedges (3)

Total: 27 Points

I spent some time tonight trying to organize all the recipes I’ve printed out to try. With nearly 5,000 e-mails still in my Yahoo inbox — most of them with diet-fitness news to comb through — I need to do something!