THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 19, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
4 whole wheat toast – 4 points
1-1/2 TBSP Peanut butter – 3 points

Lunch at the Palatal Express Restaurant

Large Mongolian Style Beef & Chicken Stir Fry – 9 points
add: 4 TBSP Sweet and Sour sauce (1 point per 2 TBSP) – 2 points

Snacks during the day

large oranges – 1 point
Single 100 calorie Pringles – 2 points
Single 100 calorie Pringles – 2 points
large oranges – 1 point
Late Night Snack – large bowl of dry cheerios – 4 points

Dinner

Garden Salad – 0 points
with green onions – 0 points
with white onions – 0 points
with red peppers – 0 points
with bacon bits – 1 point
with sunflower seeds – 1 point
with 14 crouton – 2 points
with 100 gram Turkey Breast slices – 2 points
with 2 TBSP Bblue Menu Ranch dressing – 2 points
Single 100 calorie Pringles – 2 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 39 points
>> OVER by 7 points, 24 splurge flex points remain

>>> For some reason I had an urge for Pringles today. I was out and about and stopped at my favorite stir fry place. You line up like a Subway and choose your ingredients (I select egg noodles, 2 scoops onions, 2 scoops carrots, bok choi, green pepper, zuchini, beef & chicken and 2 scoops express special sauce and 1 scoop teriyaki sauce. I count a large as 9 points, and a regular as 7 points. Sweet & Sour is extra.

Pictures of My Lunch and Dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 18, 2007

Breakfast

Cheerios (two types, two bowls plus refill) – 5 points
Milk 2% – 3 points

Lunch

Orange – 1 point
8 melba toast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points

Snacks during the day

orange – 1 point
All-Bran honey oats bar – 2 points
Pringles Singles – 2 points

Dinner

Chili and Salad
HART’s FAMOUS CHILI, 1 cup – 4 points
Garden salad – 0 points
with red peppers – 0 points
with green onions – 0 points
with 14 croutons – 2 points
with 1 TBSP of sunflower seeds – 1 point
with 2 TBSP of bacon bits – taking 1 point
with 2 TBSP blue menu Soy & Ginger dressing – 2 points
DESSERT – Smartscoop Icecream – 1 cup – 4 points
Smuckers syrop chocolate/caramel – 2 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 34 points
>> OVER 2 points, 31 splurge flex points remain

>> My “Snacks during the day” were more like “Snacks all at once”, and about 2 hours before dinner.

Picture of my dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 17, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Bowl of Cheerios plus refill – 4 points
1 cup of 2% milk – 3 points

Lunch

Orange – 1 point

Snacks during the day

Orange – 1 point

Dinner

Dinner in the microwave.
with 6 low calorie Italian meatballs – 3 points
with 6 low calorie chicken & cheese meatballs – 3 points
with 2-1/2 cups of Zen Vegetables – taking 3 points
with 1 TBSP margarine – taking 3 points
Dessert – Low Fat Jello Pudding – entire box incl. 2 cups 2% milk – 8 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 30 points
>>UNDER my daily limit

>>> My vegetables tasted better microwaved than they did a few days ago boiled on the stovetop. However, I forgot it was 1 teaspoon of margarine = 1 point .. and I used 1 tablespoon instead. Too much.
>>> Today, I did what I’ve been trying NOT to do – eat once or twice, when I remembered. I know better, but I was “on a roll” with my work and lost track of time.

Picture of my Dessert

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 16, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Cheerio 2 bowls – 4 points
2% milk, 3/4 cup – 3 points

Lunch

Orange – 1 point
Toasted Turkey Sandwich:
with 2 whole wheat toast – 2 points
with 100g shaved turkey breast – 2 points

Snacks during the day

Orange – 1 point
Orange – 1 point
8 Melba Toast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points

Dinner

Chicken Caesar Salad!
with Garden Salad – 0 point
with orange peppers – 0 point
with 14 croutons – 2 points
with green onions – 0 points
with 1 TBSP sunflower seeds – 1 point
with 2 TBSP Bacon bits – taking 1 point
with 1 TBSP Grated Cheddar cheese – 1/2 point
with 1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese – 1/2 point
with 2 TBSP Blue Menu Caesar dressing – 2 points
with 1 grams George Forman Grilled Chicken Breasts – 2 points
Smartscoop Icecream 1 cup – 4 points
with Smuckers Caramel Syrop – 2 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 34 points
>> OVER by 2 points > 33 splurge flex points remain

>>> That George Forman is great for grilling chicken breasts – 2 points per 100grams

Pictures of my dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 15, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Large orange -1 point
2 whole wheat toast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP peanut butter – 2 points

Lunch

Reeses Peanut Butter Crunch bar – 5 points
100 calorie Pringles Singles – 2 points
Large orange – 1 point

Snacks during the day

Large orange – 1 point
Oreo Thinsations – 2 point
Pringle Singles – 2 points

Dinner

Boiled Stir Fry with Meatballs..
5 Blue menu Italian Beef Meatballs (2pts/4meatball) – 2-1/2 points
5 Blue menu Chicken with cheese Meatballs (same) – 2-1/2 points
almost 2-1/2 cups Zen Vegetables (Peas, corn, etc) boiled (1 pt per 3/4 cup) – taking 3 points
Large Orange – 1 point

SUMMARY

>> Total 27 points for today
>> UNDER, so all of my 35 splurge points remain

>>> I was out and about today and as you can tell my lunch wasn’t too healthy. I decided to stop at Sobey’s to get some more #4012 oranges. I noticed the blue menu items in the freezer and picked up some frozen vegetables to make it into a meal! The beef meatballs were quite tasty but the chicken with cheese was actually delicious! In the microwave .. (my wife had 8 and I had 10) .. it just took 4min 15sec to prepare.
>>> I boiled the vegetables, it wasn’t that great. I made the mistake of just putting it in water and THEN turning the stove top on. Instead – I should have just boiled the water first. But, I love peas and corn and carrots and it was something new and still tasted okay.

Pictures of my Dinner

THE HART-SERIES: Monday Weigh In: Week 2

Monday January 15, 2007 Weigh-In

276.5 lbs

>> I’m DOWN 4.0 lbs … Woohoo!
>> YTD Down 5.5 lbs

Reflection

Despite movie popcorn day on Saturday and an open faced chili burger Sunday dinner … I think this past week is what I would like my typical eating week to be like. Rather than me averaging out the extra 35 weekly splurge or “flex” points and have something like 37 points per day limit, I want to try to keep under my daily 32 points .. and maybe (if it happens) splurge on a Saturday night with my bonus points. And, then keep it back in control for Sunday and my Monday morning weigh in.

I’ve added a ticker at the top of this column, from TickerFactory.com .. to visually display the cumulative amount of weight that I will have lost since January 1, 2007. I will update it every week as I go along! I just set the maximum time length to be 100 pounds, although I think technically, according to some standards – that’s probably close to how much weight I should be losing anyway .. and not be classified as “obese”.

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 14, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Cheerios plus refill – 4 points
1/2 cup 2% milk – 2 points

Lunch

1 large orange – 1 point
100 Calorie Pringles Singles – 2 points

Snacks during the day

1 large orange – 1 point

Dinner

Open Faced Chili Burger
Blue Menu 1/2 lb Beef Burger – 5 points
with 1 whole wheat toast – 1 point
with 1 cup HART’s FAMOUS CHILI – 4 points
Breyers Smart Scoop Ice Cream 1-1/4 cups – 5 points
with a lot of Smuckers low fat chocolate syrop! – taking 2 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 28 Points
>> UNDER

>>> I ended up this week with not using 11 splurge flex points. I weigh myself Monday morning.
>>> I saw our George Formans Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine in the cupboard .. and I’ve been thinking “Open Faced Turkey Sandwich” all day, but saw the burgers in the freezer! It was good .. on 3/4 high power, and took about 10 minutes…

Pictures of my dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 13, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
4 whole wheat toast – 4 points
with 2 TBSP Peanut Butter – 4 points

Lunch

Campbells Healthy Request Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup – 540ml – 4 points
1 large orange – 1 point

We Went to a Saturday Matinee Movie Today

Shared Popcorn – taking 5 points (out of 9)
Shared M&M Peanuts 150gram – taking 10 points (out of 18 points)
New Reeses Peanut Butter Crunch Bar – taking 5 (out of 6 points)

Dinner

1-1/2 cup of HART’s FAMOUS CHILI – 6 points
Shoestring Fries, 190gram – 6 points

SUMMARY

>> Total 46 points today
>> OVER by 14 points – 11 splurge flex points remain for Sunday

>>> Yakshemash! My wife and I went to see the afternoon matinee BORAT today … If you come back with me to my country, … I will give you television and remote control. .. it was okay 🙂

Picture of My Lunch

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 12, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Bowl of Cheerio + refill – 4 points
1/2 cup 2% milk – 2 points

Lunch

large orange – 1 point
Hunts Pudding Snack Pack -2 points
100 Calorie Pringles Pack – 2 points

Snacks during the day

100 Calorie Pringles Pack – 2 points
Oreo Thinsations – 2 points
1 Handful of Dry Cheerios for nibbling right out of the box! – 1 point

Dinner

Toasted Cucumber and Peanut Butter Sandwich
with 1/2 large cucumber = 0 points
with 2 whole wheat toast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points
A Bowl of Baby Carrots and Red Peppers – 0 points
with dipping sauce-3 TBSP Kraft 3-Cheese Dressing (2pt/1TSBP) – 6 points
dessert – 3 homemade donuts (no yeast) – 6 points

SUMMARY

>> Total 33 Points
>> OVER .. I now have 25 splurge “flex” points available for the weekend.

>>> Don’t laugh at my Toasted Peanut Butter Cucumber sandwich until you’ve tried it! :p

Picture of my dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 11, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
2 small oranges (4013) – 1 point

Lunch

1-1/2 cup of HART’s FAMOUS CHILI – 6 points
3 whole wheat toast (dry) – 3 points
1 Large orange (4012) – 1 point

Snacks during the day

1 large orange – 1 point
100 calorie single pringles – 2 points
100 calorie Oreo Thinsations – 2 points
small bag lite popcorn – 3 points
1 large orange – 1 point

Dinner

Garden Salad – 0 points
with red peppers – 0 points
with green onions – 0 points
with cucumbers – 0 points
with 100g turkey breast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP Sunflower seeds – 1 point
with 14g Bacon Bits/chunks – taking 1 point
with 2 TBSP of Kraft Poppyseed Dressing – 4 points (1 TBSP=2points)

SUMMARY

>> Total 28 points
>> UNDER

Picture of my dinner .. Sophie approved!

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 10, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
4 whole wheat toast – 4 points
with 1 TBSP Peanut butter (2 toast)- 2 point
with 1 TBSP regular Becel (2 toast) – 1 point
with 2 TBSP Brown Sugar – 2 points
with Sprinklings Cinnamon – 0 point

Homemade Lunch with Client

Fried Chicken Fingers (based on 6pc of 2″x3/4″=8 pts) >> probably 12 points
with Homemade Fries sidedish (based on 20pc 4-1/2″=10 points) >> probably 5 points
with Salad just lettuce and green peppers, dry – 0 points
with 1 MGD Beer – Miller’s Genuine Draft bottle – 3 points

Late Night Snack (no dinner)

Bowl of Cheerios plus refill – 4 points
1/2 cup of 2% milk – 2 points
2 small oranges – 1 point

SUMMARY

>> Total 37 points
>> OVER by 5 points, 26 splurge “flex” points remain for the week

>>> Homemade lunch was great, but unexpected .. otherwise I would have just snacked in the morning if the meeting was planned in advance.
>>> I worked all night last night, and rather than work in the late afternoon and have dinner, I took a nap and had a snack instead of making a mess in the kitchen.

Pictures

none taken today

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 9, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Cheerios + refill – 4 points
2% Milk, 3/4 cup – 3 points

Lunch

8 Melba Toast – 2 points
with Peanut Butter – 2 points
2 small oranges – 1 point

Snacks during the day

French Bread, 90 grams – 4 points
with Peanut butter – 2 points

Dinner

Garden Salad – 0 points
with diced red peppers – 0 points
with diced onions – 0 points
with 200g diced Turkey breast – 2 points
with 1 TBSP Sunflower seeds – 1 point
with 1 TBSP Grated Cheddar cheese – 1/2 point
with 1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese – 1/2 point
with Blue Menu Caesar dressing – 2 points
with French Bread, 90 grams – 4 points
Dessert – Smart Scoop Ice Cream, 250ml (1 cup) – 4 points
with 1 TBSP Smuckers Fat-Free chocolate syrop – 1 point

SUMMARY

>> Total 35 points
>> OVER by 3 points, 31 weekly flex points remain

>>> The impulse shopping of yesterday’s French Bread had to be eaten before it gets stale~ Duh!

Pictures of my Lunch and Dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 8, 2007

Breakfast

4 whole wheat toast – 4 points
with 2 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points

Lunch

HART’s Famous Chili, 1 cup – 4 points
Flavoured Starbucks Coffee – 2 points

Snacks during the day

2 small Oranges – 1 point
Simply Fit Nutritional bar – 3-1/2 points (last one!)
(part of the bread included in the dinner portion)

Dinner

HART’s Famous Chili, 1 cup – 4 points
French Bread – 135grams cut – 6 points (2 points per 45 grams) (I ate half of that later in evening)
McCain Superfries Julienne Shoestring, 170grams – 6 points! (3 points per 85gram)

SUMMARY

>> Total 32.5 points
>> OVER 1/2 point, I’ve taken off 1 splurge weekly flex point – 34 remain.

>> MmmmmMmMMmmmMmm… HART’s Famous Chili over Shoestring French Fries ..

Picture of my dinner

THE HART SERIES: Monday Weigh In: Week 1

Monday January 8, 2007 Weigh-In

280.5 lbs

>> I’m DOWN 1.5 lbs … Woohoo!
>> YTD Down 1.5 lbs

Reflection

Well DOWN is good. If I can lose 1.5 lbs per week that’s 78 lbs by Xmas 2007! I still felt bloated this morning, but I was eating broccolli last night and drinking lots of water so, it could be related.

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 7, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Cinnamon bun – 6 points

Lunch

Orange – 1 point
8 melba toast – 2 points
with 2 TBSP peanut butter – 2 points

Snacks during day

Simply Fit Nutritional bar – 2-1/2 points
1-1/2 cups of Cheerios – 3 points
with 1/2 cup milk – 2 points

Dinner

HART’s FAMOUS CHILI, 1-1/2 cups – 6 points
with 1 TBSP – Peppermaster’s Tellicherry black pepper sauce – 0 points
Garden salad – 0 points
with orange peppers – 0 points
with broccolli – 0 points
with 1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese – 1/2 point
with 2 TBSP Blue Menu Caesar Dressing – 2 points
with singles Pringles 100 calorie package – 2 points (I was out of croutons)

SUMMARY

>> TOTAL 30 points
>> UNDER

>>> Monday morning will be start of a new week, with weigh in and fresh 35 weekly splurge points. I ended off the week with 28 splurge points unused.

Picture of today’s dinner

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 6, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Orange – 1 point

Lunch (See picture below)

Homemade Oatmeal Blueberry Muffin – 9 points
Homemade Cinnamon Bun – 6 points

Snacks During Day

Another Cinnamon Bun – 6 points
Oreo Thinsations 100 calorie bag – 2 points
HART’s FAMOUS CHILI RECIPE, 1 cup – 4 points (after dinner)

Dinner

Garden Salad – 0 points
with baby carrots – 0 points
with red peppers – 0 points
1 TBSP Sunflower seeds – 1 point
10 Croutons – 1-1/2 points
Sprinkling of Grated Cheddar cheese – 1/2 point
Blue Menu Soy & Ginger Dressing – 2 points
1/2 celery stick – 0 points

SUMMARY

>>Total 34 points
>> OVER by 2points, 28 weekly splurge points left

>>> My wife was at the market and got some homemade bakery products! Yuuuum.
>> After eating 2 cinnamon buns I decided to go shopping and pick up ingredients and cooked me some of HART’s FAMOUS CHILI Recipe

Pictures of my Lunch and Dinner!

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 5, 2007

Breakfast

4 whole wheat toast – 4 points
with 2 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points
Coffee – 1 point

Lunch

Bowl of Cheerios plus refill – 4 points
1/2 cup 2% milk – 2 points

Various Snacks throughout the day

Orange – 1 point
8 Melba Toast pieces – 2 points
with 2 TBSP Peanut Butter – 2 points
Single Pringles 100 Calories snack – 2 points
Dry Cheerios large bowl, no milk (during movie!) – 4 points

Supper

2 Toasted Turkey Breast sandwiches (see pics)
4 whole wheat bread – 4 points
200 grams in total of Turkey Breast – 4 points
2 TBSP of Blue Menu Mayonaisse – 2 points

SUMMARY

>> Total Points today 34
>> OVER By 2 points,
>> I’ve got 30 points left from my 35 weekly splurge points .. that’s nice going into a weekend.

>>> Actually, the ‘breakfast’ meal was late last night or in the morning around 3am to let the dogs out, and had some toast while they were eating their own kibbles – I’ve been up since. My ‘lunch’ was when I joined her around 7am with my wife before she left for work. Today is how I should be doing it, spreading out my snacks throughout the day.

Pictures of my Dinner

THE HART SERIES: PRE-flection

My wife was watching me take pictures of my salad last night .. with the ingredients and the final product. She first asked me WHY I was taking pictures of my dinner, and I told her my reasons. She then asked me if I planned to take pictures of my dinner every night?

Hmmm … That’s a good idea!

Really, I am documenting what I eat everyday … following the weight watcher diet (counting points) … to help myself and discipline to keep it up,. Hopefully .. readers who are also looking to lose a few pounds can see that it’s really not WHAT you eat . its your eating habits. My plan is to eat healthy, but I know there will be times that I will not always be eating healthy (unless you call a Double Mozza Burger from A&W healthy!).

* THAT’S OKAY .. as long as I count ALL of the points and DO NOT exceed my daily point count that I’ve assigned myself (32 points) plus the weekly splurge points available (35 points).

I’m not documenting all the water I drink during the day (I have a water cooler in my home office here) .. nor will I be documenting any exercise or lack of exercise that I will be doing on a daily basis, but it’s all part of this process .. I’m not going to be a couch potato, and I will be trying to meet my water, fruit and vegetable, oil and even excercise goals each day. And, speaking of oils .. it’s important to mention that I sometimes add a cap of Olive Oil onto my salad directly to give it that extra taste, and get my daily oil as well, because the Superstore “Blue Menu” dressings that we use kind of lack the oils I should be getting.

Another thing too .. that I haven’t really been following that well this week, but conscious and trying. It’s also important to eat regularly and snack all the time. If you don’t eat regularly, your metabolism goes into sleep mode and doesn’t burn off the energy or fat it normally does when you eat. That’s the hardest thing for me to accept and my biggest challenge. Rather than eating 3 squares a day – I should be eating 3 smaller portioned meals and many snacks all day.

As for the pictures .. I think that’s a great idea to take a picture of the final product of what I’m putting into my body .. it helps keep me focused. If I do it everyday .. it would force me to do it everyday. I wouldn’t want to well .. skip a day of taking pictures the day I splurged and ate an entire Chocolate Moose Double Fudge Cake (hypothetically speaking of course) and mislead myself (and everybody else following my progress).

So .. I hope I can look back after a year and give a good “RE”flection of how my plan worked .. and can only hope that this “PRE”flection helps keep me on track.

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 4, 2007

Breakfast

Cheerios, bowl w/refill – 4 points
with 1/2 cup 2% milk – 1-1/2 points
Coffee – 1 point

Lunch / Snacks during day

Simply Fit Nutritional Bar – 3-1/2 points
Apple – 2 points
with 3 TBSP honey – 3 points

Supper

Basic Garden Salad – 0 points
with (in order of preparation – see accompanying pictures)
with 1/2 large green pepper – 0 point
with 1 hard boiled egg – 2 point
with 14 croutons – 2 points
with 1/2 TBSP grated cheddar cheese – 1/2 point
with snipplets of real dill – 0 points
with 2 TBSP of Blue Menu Caesar dressing – 2 points
with 100g Ziggy’s chicken breast slices – 2 points
with 1/2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese – 1/2 point
with 1 TBSP sunflower seeds
Bowl of Neopolitan ice cream 300 ml – 5 points
with 2 TBSP low fat chocolate syrop – 2 points

SUMMARY

>> Total points today 31 points
>> UNDER by 1 point

Pictures of my salad

I couldn’t resist ..

THE HART SERIES: Counting: January 3, 2007

Breakfast

Coffee – 1 point
Whole Wheat toast, 2 pieces – 2 points
with peanut butter – 1 point

Lunch

Simply Fit nutrition bar – 3-1/2 points
Pringles 100 calorie – 2 points
Red Delicious Apple – 2 points
with 3 TBSP of Soft Honey for dipping – 3 points

Supper

HART’s Famous Hashbrowns and 3 eggs – 16.5 points

SUMMARY

>> Total points 34.5 points
>> OVER DAILY POINT BY 2.5 points
>> removed 3 points (I rounded up) from the 35 weekly splurge points, 32 remains.

>>> I felt that I was nibbling all day yesterday, and didn’t really have substance. Rather than have a few points here and there I decided to just make me a decent meal that filled me up, and to hell with the points! (sort of)

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