And wouldn't you know it, today I had lost all the weight I gained plus a teensy bit more. It's back to daily weighing for me.

This will probably be my last post for close to a week, though. On Friday at the crack of dawn, I leave for San Diego for the weekend. I'll be at my cousins' B'nai Mitzvah, which means that every meal while I'm in California -- dinner Friday, lunch Saturday, dinner Saturday, and brunch Sunday -- will be provided for me. I probably couldn't stay on points if I wanted to, but quite frankly, I don't want to. I believe that vacations are not for WW.

I know I'll gain weight while I'm there, but I'm also looking at this as a fresh start. Last time I went to San Diego, in January 2004, was when I really fell off the program for the first time and never got back to it. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to go there and come home and get right back to it.

Crispy Zucchini Coins

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 pound)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.
Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well.

Dip the zucchini slices in egg whites; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Turn zucchini over; bake an additional 15 minutes or until outside is crispy and browned.

Yield: 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 94(17% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 6.5g; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 83mg; SODIUM 498mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.6g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1997

And now it's a new week! Too bad my new week is going to start with dinner at the house of someone who certainly won't be cooking healthy...

I'm happy to say that this week, I found several new foods that I'm absolutely in love with. I'm sure they're going to be staples in our house, although I'm going to have to be careful to make sure I'm still eating a well-rounded diet.

First, Laughing Cow cheeses. I've been enjoying both the light Mini Babybels, which are 1 point each and great with crackers, with fruit, or on their own, and the spreadable light wedges, which are also 1 point apiece and good on crackers. Yum. It's very nice to feel like I can have some really good cheeses while staying on points.

Second, Trader Joe's own hummus and Apocryphal pitas, which are about 4 inches in diameter. For 2 points, I can have one pita and two tablespoons of hummus. This is probably the best hummus ever for me, because it's aromatic and flavorful without being overpowering (I try to be worldly about food, but let's face it, I grew up somewhere where salt is considered a major spice). I went through an entire container in less than a week.

Third, meringues. I had never had a meringue until the first time I did WW, and at the time, I didn't like them much. Right now, however, I'm loving them. I've had Trader Joe's large lemon and cuppaccino flavors, which are 2 for 1 point, as well as their mini "very chocolate" ones, which dissolve in a completely decadent way and are 13 for 2 points. I went a little overboard on the meringues for a couple days this week, so I'm trying to slow down. I also made some really good meringues in December, but right now I'm waiting for my mixer to get here before I can make more. When I do, I'll post the recipe.

Next, Trader Joe's freeze-dried strawberries. Lauren hates these, as does the cahsier who rang us up. Both of them love strawberries. I, on the other hand, don't really care for strawberries, but I'm really enjoying these. They're not the best thing I've ever tasted, and I will admit that they have a slight cardboard consistency, but I like how they dissolve, and they're very flavorful, which makes having just a few of them satisfying. Also, they're very low point; a 1.4 oz container is only 2 points, so they're great for munching. I tend to grab a few when I need to shove something that it's gum into my mouth and then add on an extra point at the end of the day.

And finally, Better'n Peanut Butter, which truly is almost better than peanut butter. I haven't used it for anything yet, but I tasted it, and it's amazing. I've spent a good chunk of time since tasting it trying to come up with a low-point smoothie recipe that includes peanut butter, just so I can use it. The only thing I can think that someone might complain about is that it's not quite as smooth and creamy as peanut butter, but that doesn't bother me at all. Yummy.

Anyway, it's been really nice to find foods that make me happy already. We haven't had much luck finding meals that I'm enjoying, so it's especially nice to have snacks around that make me happy. I just need to be careful not to neglect other kinds of foods just because I love these so much, and I should be ok. I've been making a real effort to make sure I'm getting some fruit, some dairy, some greens, and some protein every day, and that's pretty major for me.

Mini Frittatas
from Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: about 40 mini frittatas

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

It doesn't hurt that I've lost some weight each day, either. Yes, I weigh myself daily. It works for me. This has been a very successful week so far, and I'm looking forward to keeping it up.

I'm still not craving any bad-choice foods, and have been very satisfied by things like three spoonfuls of Lauren's ice cream, or one serving at dinner. Actually, though, I need to be eating more meals, since I'm having trouble eating enough points. Normally I only eat one meal a day, and I snack the rest of the day. That's a really bad habit, and, thinking back, I think it was my downfall last time. That was how I ate then, and when I started working and couldn't munch the same way and had to plan my food in advance, I fell apart. I'm going to try to change this behavior now, so that when I start working again when we move home, I can continue being successful.

Oh, and I've set Tuesday as my weigh-in day, the same day I set when we first started in 2003. So I'll post the outcome of that both in an entry and in my progress chart every Tuesday. I'm also going to start posting reviews of my favorite foods soon. I hate that I spent a solid 7 or 8 months finding great WW-friendly foods last time I did this, and now that it's two years later, I don't remember most of them. I want to keep track of what I do and don't like.

Now I'm going to go shower so I can be all clean to try on the clothes I bought for my cousins' B'nai Mitzvah next month -- and so I can take some progress pictures.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add broth and wine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 teaspoon cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 160(17% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 27.7g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 39mg; SODIUM 314mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.5g

Cooking Light, MAY 1999

Pasta with Broccoli and Cauliflower Zucchini and Yellow Squash in Mustard Sauce

It's hard to find light recipes with a taste all their own, but this one has a unique flavor. I love to serve it for company because it's such an unusual combination. CLReader.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons country-style Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound uncooked linguine
2 cups small cauliflower florets zucchini
2 cups small broccoli florets yellow squash
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato, parsley, mustard, vinegar, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Set aside, and keep warm.
Cook linguine in boiling water 5 minutes, omitting salt and fat. Add cauliflower and broccoli; cook an additional 3 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Combine pasta mixture and tomato mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 158(19% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 6.2g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 64mg; SODIUM 173mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.2g

Cooking Light, MAY 1995

Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

Honey amplifies the natural sugars of the caramelized vegetables in this dish. If you can't find tupelo honey, substitute another medium-color, floral variety, such as dandelion, loosestrife, or orange blossom.

2  cups coarsely chopped peeled sweet potato (about 1 large)
1 1/2  cups coarsely chopped peeled turnip (about 2 medium)
1 1/2  cups coarsely chopped parsnip (about 2 medium)
1 1/2  cups coarsely chopped carrot (about 2 medium)
1/4  cup tupelo honey
2  tablespoons olive oil
1/2  teaspoon salt
3  shallots, halved
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray in a large bowl; toss to coat. Place vegetable mixture on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown, stirring every 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 118(27% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 1.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 33mg; SODIUM 171mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 0.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g

Marcia Whyte Smart
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

Last night we tried another new recipe from Steve Raichlen's Big Flavor Cookbook, and once again, we were disappointed. It was decent, but not great. I think we'll try a few more, and then if we're not impressed, we'll return the book and stick with Cooking Light.

Tonight we're having turkey tacos, one of our standards from our first time around. I'm surprised to say I'm looking forward to it. After this week's ventures, I'm glad to know that I can already anticipate the flavor of tonight's dinner. Plus, I'm a sucker for that stupid, packaged Uncle Ben's red rice.

We won't be making again the stuffed artichokes from this same book. They were definitely not our cup of tea.

Chicken Saltimbocca
from Steve Raichlen’s Big Flavor Cookbook

Saltimbocca is a traditional Roman dish, a tiny veal scaloppine rolled with a sage leaf and prosciutto. My low-fat version features thinly sliced chicken breast that is cooked in wine and chicken stock instead of butter. The result is so tasty, it “jumps in your mouth,” which is what the word saltimbocca literally means in Italian. For ease in slicing, buy the largest chicken breasts you can find. If fresh sage is unavailable, you can use fresh basil or another herb.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 paper-thin slices prosciutto (1 to 1 1/2 ounces)
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
about 1/2 cup flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

1. Cut each half chicken breast very sharply on the diagonal into 1/4-inch scaloppine. You should wind up with four slices per breast -- sixteen slices in all. Place one slice between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a scaloppine pounder or the side of a cleaver to form a rectangle 3- to 4-inches long and 2-inches wide. Pound the remaining slices in this way. Cut the prosciutto into 2- by 3-inch rectangles.

2. Place a piece of prosciutto on each chicken slice. Lay two to three sage leaves on top. Starting at one narrow end, roll the chicken into a compact roll and pin it shut with a lightly oiled toothpick. Prepare the other saltimboccas the same way. Season the saltimboccas with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour, shaking off the excess.

3. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Lightly brown the saltimboccas on all sides. Add the marsala and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer the chicken for 10 minutes, or until tender. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Remove the toothpicks.

4. Boil the cooking liquid until reduced by half. (It should be thick and flavorful.) Correct the seasoning of the sauce, adding salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve at once.

Serves 4

263 calories per serving; 33 g protein; 7 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 9 g carbohydrate; 191 mg sodium; 86 mg cholesterol

It's interesting to see which things are different now and which are the same. For instance, my commitment level is very different. I think in some ways, I'm more committed because I've tasted what under 200 lbs can feel like and I want it back so very badly, but in other ways, I'm a little jaded. Last time around, I was unshakable. I was going to make my goal and no one was going to tell me different. This time, I know it won't be so easy, and that's making it hard to be so gung ho.

Also, I'm already annoyed at how quickly I get sick of good foods. I think the fact that I'm interested in cooking now and wasn't 2 years ago is going to make a difference. Unfortunately, though, I already feel like I never want to see another turkey sloppy joe for the rest of my life. The desire at the end of the day to go get a candy bar is harder to shake. I'm committed, however, to eating all my points instead of just giving up after eating 2/3 of them.

Anyway, I guess we'll have to see how it goes. I have a feeling that it's going to be much slower this time around, but hopefully that will mean that it's also much more permanent. I'm glad I got this site back up and running so quickly, because I think it's a really good tool for me. I also have all those links to other people's weight loss journals that I should start reading again. Not going to meetings works just fine for me, but it always helps to not feel alone.

I feel good about this, even though I'm a bit skeptical. I feel, this time, like there is no option but to succeed, but that I'm going to have to stop being so lazy, emotionally. In the end, though, that should make me a healthier person all around.