Day 2

Greetings!  Today was a great day.  I went out again to run some errands so lunch was at Panda Express. It's a GREAT place to find healthy choices.  As long as you don't pick the deep fried stuff (Yes, sadly, the orange chicken), there are plenty of amazing entrees under 250 calories.  They call it their "Wok Smart" menu.  Love it.  I had  Broccoli Beef, Mandarin Chicken, and Veggies on the side.  Their veggie side is 70 calories and delicious.  They stir-fry them in a little oil and seasoning.  After I got home, I made a batch of Crispy Cranberry Oatmeal cookies.  They are so good! I got the recipe from weightwatchers.com and it's a piece of cake (or cookie).  It calls for one egg white and apple sauce to replace the usual whole eggs.  I used a low-fat baking butter with half the fat and cholesterol of normal butter.  And the best part: a silky powdered sugar glaze to go on top.  MMMMM!!!!!  After cookie time, I took a long walk on a bike path behind my house.  It's probably a mile long walk all the way around.  It was just getting to be dusk, and it was refreshing and got my heart rate up.  Anyway, here is the breakdown:

BREAKFAST

1 slice of leftover veggie pizza, 5 pts, 250 calories
1 cup coffee, 0 pts, 0 calories
1 tbsp coffee creamer, 1 pt, 35 calories
BREAKFAST TOTALS: 6 pts, 285 calories

When I was a teenager I went and saw a registered dietician here in Reno.  She told me something very interesting and unexpected.  Leftover cold pizza makes a great breakfast.  I thought she was joking but upon further examination, the idea didn't seem so ridiculous.  As long as you don't go overboard with meats and cheese, its really not bad.  One slice of traditional crust pepperoni pizza has about 250 calories and 10 grams of fat.  Add all the veggies you want and you have protein and nutrients to start your day.  Plus who doesn't love melted mozzarella?  Make it at home with a whole grain crust and reduced fat cheese, and you're golden.

LUNCH

Panda Express:
     - 1 serving Mandarin Chicken, 6 pts, 310 calories
     - Mandarin Sauce, 2 pts, 80 calories
     - Broccoli Beef, 3 pts, 150 calories
     - Mixed Veggies, 1 pt, 70 calories
     - Fortune cookie, 1 pt, 32 calories
Diet Pepsi
LUNCH TOTAL: 13 points, 642 calories

SNACK

Crispy Oatmeal Cranberry cookies, 6 pts, 300 calories
Crystal Light, 0 pts, 0 calories
SNACK TOTAL: 6 pts, 300 calories

DINNER

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders - 6 points, 298 calories
Mixed romaine salad - 1 pt, 20 calories
Lite Honey Mustard Dressing - 2 points, 90 calories
DINNER TOTAL: 9 points, 410 calories

SNACK/DESSERT

1/2 cup non-fat frozen yogurt - 2 points, 110 calories
SNACK/DESSERT TOTAL: 2 pts, 110 calories

DAY TOTALS:  36 points, 1,747 calories

Healthy choices at Panda Express.  I skipped the rice or chow mein and chose mixed vegetables instead.  I avoided a boatload of carbs, as well as a blow to my energy.  There are so many great choices when it comes to Asian food, just gotta do your homework!

These cookies were so good.  They had tons of nutritious oats in them (FIBER!!), as well as dried cranberries and cinnamon.  The fat was cut into smithereens by using light baking butter, egg white and applesauce.

This park course behind my house has been a great source of exercise for my family and me.  Today I took a mile-long walk up the trail and down the street back to my house.  Beautiful scenery and calories destroyed!

This was my dinner.  A huge salad of romaine and veggies topped with crispy coconut chicken fingers.  The recipe is so simple.  Find it at myrecipes.com.  The chicken is dredged in flour, and then dipped in a buttermilk and egg mixture, rolled in coconut and then lightly pan fried in canola oil.  I topped off the whole shebang with a lite honey mustard dressing.  Easy meals like this make me jump for joy.

All in all, today was an easy day.  I got to eat some great food, as well as some indulgent sweets, without overdoing it.  I got some great exercise and got my heart rate up, and got to get some fresh air at the same time.  Just remember, dieting does NOT need to be boring.  There are so many amazing foods that you can eat. Cardboard just isn't an option, nor an excuse. Just get creative and do your research.  The internet is the perfect tool.  If you're unsure about an ingredient, or the nutrition information at one of your favorite restaurants, google it!  I'm still in the process of editing some videos to post, so stay tuned.  Goodnight and good luck!  Check out the Grammys!