Can you guys believe that its 4th of July weekend already? This summer is going by so fast. I didn’t post my WI yesterday because I was disappointed in myself. Check it out:
But I sat and thought about my last week, and there are some things that need improvement.
- I never count points on the weekend. I think this is a big mistake, because I think subconsiously I eat a bit more knowing I am not counting points.
- I don’t drink enough water on the weekends. It’s easy to get the water in at work, but I need to keep it up over the weekends.
- Not enough exercise. I only exercized 2 hours and 15 minutes last week. I need to do something on the weekends too – its silly when I have all the time to even just take a walk. I read somewhere that you need to exercise a minimum of 280 minutes a week to lose weight.
- Too much wine. It’s easy for me to get in the habit of having my wine while making dinner, then sitting outside and having a couple more glasses. It’s empty calories I just don’t need.
So today is a new day, and I am going to regroup and move on. So tell me, how are all of you doing? Need a pep talk – or did you run a race we need to know about?
I’ll leave you with my Blue Moon baked bean recipe. It started from the Bitten Word, but you know I left out the onions and I added 1/2 cup of K.C. Masterpiece bbq sauce at the end – after I baked it for a couple hours, it needed more of a kick. These were a hit on Friday at my office lunch!
Beer Baked Beans
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes plus soaking
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 sprig rosemary
1 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, picked over, soaked overnight, and drained
2 bottles Belgian-style white ale (12 ounces each), such as Blue Moon or Hoegaarden
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, cook bacon over medium until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp and browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Increase heat to medium-high; add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 4 minutes. Add mustard and honey; cook 1 minute. Add rosemary, beans, beer, and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; cover and transfer to oven.
Bake until beans are tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 2 hours. Season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. To serve, stir in reserved cooked bacon.
I love Blue Moon beer – but I think its like 5 points a bottle! š
I plan on making these for our bbq tomorrow. There are so many layers of flavors – you can definitely taste the rosemary, a hint of sweet from the honey, and then the kick from the apple cider vinegar at the end. It comes in at 4 points per half cup.
I probably won’t post again until Tuesday – hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July! Hugs! š
I gained this week too (0.9) but I know we will both be able to get it back off soon. It isn’t as easy now that we don’t have so much to lose but sometimes it is just fluctuations, salt, water retention, etc. OR it could be the wine (?) but do you really want to give that up? Have you tried adding some ice or seltzer water to your wine to make it last longer and still be able to enjoy a glass or two? My late again update is at http://finallyfiguringitout.blogspot.com/2011/07/sizzling-slimmer-this-summer-and-101.html
Glad you enjoyed the weekend. Stay cool.
A little late this week in commenting, sorry!
I had a good week cooking-wise with lots more in terms of home-cooked meals and avoiding eating out for the most part. My best meal was some Indian chicken and Moroccan carrot salad on the side. So good!!
Exercise totally fell by the wayside this week, unfortunately. I was out of town, the sick, and then it was the holiday weekend – no excuse really, but in any case I NEED to get back on the wagon and hit the gym this week! We do have gorgeous sunny weather where I am right now, so hopefully I can get some good swimming in at the outdoor pool at my school.
Always disappointing to see the scale going in the wrong direction, but it sounds like you have identified some good ways to improve for next week – that’s the key! š
Wow I can’t believe we’re already @ week 5. I seriously need to step up my game! Sucks that you had a gain, but you thought about it and know what it is you have to do! I’m sure the gain will be gone soon! š
This week my goal was to drink more water and I DID THAT!! At one point I had my hand on the root beer bottle in the fridge, then I thought of all of you and put it back and got water instead. I’ve cut back on the sugary drinks at work and have made sure to bring my water bottle every day. If I do have a drink at work, it’s usually espresso to energize myself. I didn’t have any sno-balls at work this week either!
I’m not sure if it’s all the running around, or all the sweating, but I do feel a bit thinner. I tightened a notch on my belt today. And my mom asked if I lost any weight. But the scale doesn’t show any loss (although I’m not sure b/c last time I weighed myself was on my scale and this last weigh in was on my parent’s scale).
I keep hoping that I’ll hit some groove of a routine and be able to catch up on everything and make time for an exercise regimen. But it seems like all my life consists of right now is work and then when I’m off I’m absolutely exhausted and am down for the count. It really stinks.
Hi Biz…bah…you’ll be back on track in NO time!!!! Hope you’ve had a GREAT long weekend!!!! Happy 4th to you, Tony and Hannah!!
I LOVE blue moon beer too…probably the one I go to when I do drink…which isn’t very often. 5p+ per bottle…eeegads! lol I guess I should do MGD64…lol I’d like to try that new lemonade beer though….
Anyhow…ya, I hear ya. I missed my ww meeting this week…again. It was the whole anniversary thing…but I have been having WAY too many days of fuzzy tracking…and I hear ya on not getting in the water and exercise on the weekends. In some respect, I think it’s actually harder to stay the course in the summer months than it is in the fall/spring/winter. IDK….I need to try harder too. Hang in girlfriend. You can do it. Refocus.
So sorry about the gain. Keep doing what you’re doing – you’re my inspiration – I love your recipes, workouts, etc. As I know all too well these damn gains pop up every now & again.
Those beans….they look like a perfect addition to any BBQ!
With regards to the challenge – can you believe another gain for me this week? 0.2…moving on. I have lots of changes ahead. Been thinking a lot about it & I think it’s time. More to come on that. I’m back on the running bug again – and LOVING it! I’m hoping it sticks with me! I’m all for the gift exchange – I think it would be lots of fun!
oh those baked beans sound amazing!
Weekends are difficult for me as well. I try to remember that I can indulge, but I shouldn’t go out of control.
Alcohol is what I tend to struggle with. I have been trying to have a glass of water inbetween each drink.
Have a great 4th!
Hmmm, a gain – so hard to believe because you’re such an inspiration! You do everything right and exercise a ton. I wonder if you’ve been redistributing a bit due to all of the exercise? Anyway, way to go regrouping this week!!
My week was pretty good. I was able to get in all of my exercise – a couple of bike rides with the family, a couple of days on the elliptical, and one day at the gym. I also managed to maintain but I’m not sure after this long holiday weekend! There has been a lot of eating so far and today’s festivities haven’t even started. š I’ll regroup tomorrow though!
I like the exchange idea, I’m in!
Sorry to hear about your gain – but you’ve got a good plan to get back on track! I got your box & can you believe that it was beat up too? š Those beans look great – I love Blue Moon, but recently, I’ve found it to be very heavy!
My week was good – I went to yoga 5 times (and practiced headstands without the wall) ran 4.35 miles outside (only 3.65 miles more to 8!) and really focused on enjoying myself.
And oh yeah, an exchange sounds fun!
Hey Lady have a great day today! Keep your chin up about the weight, it will come off because you are so strong and dedicated! The beans look great and I am still wondering what to bring to our potluck today- maybe beans!
Sometimes your body just does something you weren’t expecting so don’t sweat (no pun intended) the little gain. It’ll come off big next week. I bet you won’t see 0.6lbs on the scale at next weigh-in!
I was down a pound at weigh-in on Thursday and had been tracking my food until Saturday night. We went to our favorite bar to celebrate a friend’s bday and stayed for like 5 hours. That meant more food and drink than anticipated. I’m heading to the gym shortly…LOL!
I was on vacation last week and I’m sorry to say I took a vacation from healthy eating also. I ate more junk food in a week than I’ve had in the last six months. Really paying for it on the scale – up 5 pounds. I’m getting right back on the horse though and starting again. On of the reasons I don’t retire is that I need the routine of working to keep me on track with my eating as well as other aspects of my life. If everyday was the weekend, I’m afraid I would weigh 300 pounds rather quickly.
My son is going to want you for a mom. Blue Moon in your baked beans would get you an A+++ in his book.
I was doing SO good with the eating and tracking until Thursday. I’m in stress the f&*% out mode and that tends to happen. But it’s for a good cause!
My goals for the week:
Track every day
Eat healthy while traveling and when I get to NY. I’m probably going to be living in a hotel for the time I’m there BUT I plan on taking my Magic Bullet and making sure I have fruit, bars, easy breakfast, lunch, and snack stuff handy. Ryan has already talked about Texas Roadhouse and this awesome sushi place.
Take advantage of the gym on Post. They have awesome Zumba classes
This is all assuming I get *the* call. If not, just track, exercise 5-6 times, and don’t stress eat š
Have a great week everyone!
good luck! I always lose momentum on exercise/diets when I go on a trip!
You have done amazing, Biz! Turn that frown upside down! The weekends are, without a doubt, the hardest time for me. It’s very hard to manage dinner and drinks while staying within points, even if I do try and really plan accordingly. Things just add up so quickly!
If you love Blue Moon you MUST try Bud Light Wheat. It tastes exactly like Blue Moon (PROMISE!) and it’s 95 calories vs. the 150/160+ that’s in Blue Moon. š And I agree…summer is FLYING by š
Don’t worry about the gain!! YOu know what went wrong and you ARE down already so that is great.
I am actually up from a few weeks ago – I finally did weigh in – but it didn’t all happen this week. I think it happened the week I got back from France and was so pleased with myself for not gaining anything on vacation! That was not a good excuse to eat lots and lots of food š
This week I did good though – I weighed in last Saturday (up 2.5 from when I got back from France, which was how much I’d been down total) and I’m now down a pound from that, so I’m down a total of 1 pound from the beginning of this challenge. Oops. The way I lost the pound this week was daily BodyRock workouts and almost no snacking at night. Woo hoo! Just have to keep this up. Happy 4th to everyone!!
Beer baked beans sounds like they would go really good with my BBQ today. Keep up the good work Biz!! š Have a wonderful 4th of July!
Sorry about the gain, Biz. Weekends have always been the toughest for me too. It’s too easy to get out of routine. Tomorrow’s a new week so go give those 1.6 lbs back!!!
Have a great 4th!!!
I reached my exercise goal, but barely! I did my 30 minute boot camp, 1 hour power sculpting and 1 hour body sculpting – but they didn’t include much cardio this week (body sculpting did, but the others were more weights). Anyway, still haven’t lost an ounce. I know I’m going to have to start counting calories or keeping a food journal or something. Which I loathe. I’ll be drinking my calories tomorrow, so I’m not starting until later š Happy 4th everyone!
Here I am, red as a beetroot! š
Mood-wise, my week was much better than the one before. I walked on 7 days and my average step count is still over 10,000. I also did three Flavia’s Full-body-licious workouts. They are really, really hard (that’s why I am a beetroot). Does anyone use a stability ball in your workout? It kind of has a life of it’s own.
Biz: the 1.6 lb weight gain is so small it could be a random fluctuation. But it’s also true what they say: “don’t drink your calories”! š
Happy 4th of July to everyone!
Ha ha, those stability balls can be tricky!!! I used mine for pushups the other day, and almost fell on my face as the lower half of my body rolled off the ball. It takes so much more ab control to keep the ball in place and do the exercises at the same time!
The weeks where it is a gain are always a bummer, and it is hard to remember that this is more of a roller coaster than a down-escalator – we lose, we maintain, we gain, so on and so forth. I’m sure next week you will see another loss!
As for my week, my long run was 6 miles, and I felt really really good about it. I didn’t walk any of it, and stopped twice to grab a quick drink at the water fountain and once to stretch. I was amazed that I did it! The other two runs were 4 milers, and weren’t as good, but I completed them. I am really struggling with doing the other training days, which consist of strength and cross training. I just can’t seem to make myself complete them, even though I know that doing those would improve my running. I seem to be at war with myself, and I don’t understand it. I wish I had someone doing it all along with me so I would be accountable to someone! This week I one day of cross (a walk/jog with my hubby, which was really nice) and then some strength after my run yesterday. I will try to do even better this week – I have a 7 mile run on Tuesday, ack!
Oh and I like the idea of a gift exchange too!
Oh, I just realized you’re training for a half-marathon! Really cool. š
It is sturdy, easy to put togehter and the cans roll well. Works good for my house because I buy a few of each type at a time not a dozen .so I really didnt need a rotater. I’m giving it 4 stars because it only comes with 6 dividers so the picture is a bit misleading. I ended up using three dividers on the bottom shelf which included small tomato paste cans and short pineapple cans. That meant only one divider on the top shelf. Not really a problem though because I’m ordering another one
Sorry about the weight gain Biz – I think if you keep track on the weekends, then that will make all the difference in the world. You can do it.
I actually was down 1.6 which is great and I’m on day 29 of exercise. I took your advice – go big or go home and really challenged myself with new workouts. Bob Harper Yoga, Pilates, etc.
I love the idea of a gift exchange at the end of the challenge! I’m in for that. Have a great 4th!
congrats on the 1.6 lbs Jenn! So exciting to read each update that you’re still going strong on your exercise challenge!
Have a happy 4th!
I’m horrible on the weekends too…it’s like all good sense goes out the window and calories, etc. don’t count on those days. I hope that next week is better…try not to get down because your total loss is amazing! You are doing wonderfully!
I hope you have a fabulous weekend, Biz!
I am really shocked that you gained. Your meals this week looked great. I’m thinking you’re right, it must be the wine. Regardless, you look great so don’t fret over it!
I did good this week, getting in my yoga and walking times. Now that it’s finally warm out, I’m adding daily swimming to my goals. I’m also trying to make the people around me laugh, which makes me laugh! Fake it till you make it, right?
You’ll get it back next week! I know it! Its a beautiful weekend- so get out there and walk! š
The baked beans look totally delicious. I’d be all over those. I hope you have a fantastic fourth
I’m also bad about not tracking what I eat on the weekends, for some reason I feel like the weekends are a free for all. I really need to get out of that state of mind!
This week was very BLAH for me, in fact the last couple weeks have been, which is why I didn’t post any updates. My latest post on my page was about not being ready to lose the weight. I’ve been making tons of excuses by myself, so this week I really need to work hard and not make any excuses!
Yeah – the gourmet beers get me every time with their 200+ calorie labels. boo. Love the idea of using it in beer though – awesome!
As far as your tiny bit of weight gain, it sounds like you’ve really identified your weight gain culprits. We all have them, and recognizing them comes first! Sounds like you have the right attitude, too – can’t change the past but can make future changes so next time you’ll be excited to post your results!! Best of luck on your plans!!
That’s too bad about the gain. Never a happy start to the weekend when you see a number like that! š
I’m surprised that you only exercised for 2 hours and 15 minutes – it sure seemed like you did more than that. And yeah, if you end up having to spend the week “atoning” for weekend behavior, then it’s probably time to make a few tweaks (dammit! š )
I am seeing muscles, so I’m hoping that the addition of sprints on the kickboard are helping my swim workouts. Plus, I actually ate vegetables for snacks last week – go me! Things seem to be progressing, albeit at a snail’s pace. But hey, unless I work it Biggest Loser style, that’s pretty much how it goes for me.
Boy I hear you. There’s something about being “busy” during the work week that we get in a groove. Right? You have your exercise scheduled, your meals planned, your water consumption is regular.
But the weekend messes it all up. I’m not sure why it’s hard for me to work in exercise on the weekend. Guilt? Same with vacation. I mean, I’m on vacation, I should be able to squeeze in an hour, my spouse can handle the kiddo that long for sure. But I also struggle with drinking enough water on weekends too.
Wine is my downfall. Frankly, the only time I lose weight is when I count calories or points, and it’s really hard for me to do that right now with increased work responsibilities and home life.