Away but not lost

I have been away from my blog for awhile now..about 11 days or so. Been busy getting ready for the IN-laws who came this weekend and for my nephew's wedding next weekend! I will be AFK again in a few days!
The past week or so has been fairly well for me. I am having sciatica pain in my left leg again/still. This makes walking very painful. Good news is--my back pain has stopped, so I don't know which is worse LOL! I did do walking this weekend with MIL, we went shopping and to an Arts Fest. But we also ate out alot! I did not eat until I was sick--good! But I did eat some off my list of things I eat..not so good! Olive Garden always seems to make me feel sick afterwards. I told David last night that I don't think I want to eat there anymore. The soup did not seem to bother me but it is the pasta sauces that do. Saturday we grilled steak, potatoes and had a nice salad to celebrate my in-law's 45th anniversary, I ate half my steak and am planning on having the rest on top of a nice salad today for my lunch. David did a great job on the grilling too!
I was looking at First Place 4 Health again today. I just don't feel right about a Christian Weight loss group charging so much money for the books etc. I guess I will continue my own Bible search for weight and food issues.

Some thinking

I have been thinking about something. A couple weeks ago I started attending a Women's Bible study at church. My neighbor leads it and it has been a great study and group of ladies so far! This last week's has been on Lot's wife. She was the one you may remember who looked back when feeing Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt. The real question was "why did she turn back to look?". Not much is really known about her, where she came from, etc. It is thought that she must have had some connections with the people of Sodom, maybe she came from there. We don't know. Anyways--some of the questions at the end asked what we held inportant, what takes up our time that we don't spend it with God. One of the suggestions was weight and diet. Have I been so absorbed in trying to lose weight and keeping the journals that I am forgetting to stop and pray about my food and exercise? I think maybe I have! Maybe the stress of that is why I am not losing as much as I would think. So, I am going to be a little more laid back in the food journals. I have been keeping them and have lost 8 pounds since May. The number of calories I am on I should be losing 2 pounds a week! So from now on I will talk about the food here but maybe not as much as I was.

Fitness this week!

I think this week was pretty good fitness wise!
Monday
10 minutes on stationary bike
10 minutes Gazelle
10 minutes walk/jog
10 chest presses on soloflex
10 lat. pulss on soloflex
TUESDAY
some yoga from Biggest Losers weight loss yoga DVD
WEDS
30 minutes walking
THURS.
30 minutes walking
FRIDAY
Biked with friends on Rails to Trails path 10 miles

Tuesday -Friday food

Tuesday
BREAKFAST
cooked cereal 200
SNACK
banana 110
LUNCH
homemade stirfry veggies 100
chicken breast 185
1/4 cup chow mein noodles 65
brown rice 150
DINNER
Homemade pizza 420
Snack
Philly swirl pop 14
Total 1344

WEDS.
Breakfast
cooked cereal 200
SNACK
hard boiled egg 70
LUNCH
Rye bread 70
turkey 100
Swiss cheese 70
fresh peach 80
Snack
Cocoa puffs 250
cheese 70
muffin (see recipe) 100
DINNER
chicken 159
potato 150
Olivio spread 50
muffin 100
SNACK
Cheerios and milk 250
Total 1710

Thursdays
1 cup of 1% milk 100
muffin 100
peanut butter 150
SNACK
hard boiled egg 70
LUNCH
tortillas 150
chicken 150
cheese 140
Dinner
Mac and cheese (homemade) 400
bread 70
Olivio 50
TOTAL 1380
FRIDAY!!
BREAKFAST
Homemade chili 100
toast with jam 200
LUNCH at Andie's
Whole grain bread 200
tomatoe slices 15
bacon 250
lettuce 5
mayo 50
DINNER
Chili 500
SNACK
Popcorn 250
TOTAL 1570

Muffin recipe

Most of you know I list muffins in my food journal. The recipe I had been using was 165 calories. I found a different recipe in a Weight Watchers recipe book I had that is 91-96 calories each depending on the version you make. here is the recipe for the plain ones.

Just PLain Muffins
makes 12
1 and 3/4 cups flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fat free milk
1 egg
4 teaspoons unsalted butter..melted

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Spray 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.
Mix dry ingrediants first and then add wet to make a batter. Spoon evenly into muffin tins. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean.

Now for my changes! LOL! I use part whole wheat and part Spelt flour. You could use oat flour or any other you want to experiment with. I also use honey instead of sugar and Canola oil instead of butter.
The book says the basic recipe is 91 calories each.
Fo chocolate muffins...
Use 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 Tablespoons of sugar. Also add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to mix.

The lowly potato

I have been thinking lately about potatoes. Now I know that may sound odd but the past few years, diet "experts" have vilianized the poor potato. Why is it included in "bad" foods? Jillian and many other experts say "If it has a momma or comes out of the ground" then it is ok. Well--people--potatoes come out of the ground!! And on top of that--God created it! I found the following on a website Worlds Healthiest Foods. It has alot more info on the website about various foods and is interesting reading. http://www.whfoods.com

Potatoes' Phytochemicals Rival Those in Broccoli
Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). How much kukoamine is needed for a blood pressure lowering effect in humans must be assessed before it can be determined whether an average portion of potatoes delivers enough to impact cardiovascular health. Still, potatoes' phytochemical profiles show it's time to shed their starch-only image; spuds-baked, steamed or healthy sautéed but not fried-deserve a place in your healthy way of eating."Phytochemical Profilers Investigate Potato Benefits,"Agricultural Research, September 2007

This is just some of the info about potatoes. It isn't the potato--it is what we traditionally put ON the potato.
Just some food for thought!

Monday's food

Breakfast:
small baked potato 150
2 eggs 140
1 oz. beef round 46
1TBS Olivio spread 50
SNACK
small banana 110
LUNCH
1 slice rye bread 70
turkey 80
lowfat swiss 70
tomato 30
pretzels 110
SNACK
Cheerios and milk 160
DINNER
3 oz round steak 140
potato 150
green beans 30
tomato 30
olivio spread 50
SNACK
cheerios 150

Total for day 1566