I lost another 2.4 pounds! That brings the total weight loss to 6.4 pounds in 4 week. Not too shabby, eh? Especially since I used all my bonus points … AGAIN!

The thing that gets me is that the weight loss is painstakingly SLOW!! But I have to keep reminding myself that Weight Watchers isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. It’s supposed to teach me how to make smarter choices and eat better and in exchange, weight will fall right off my fat ass.

So yay. Also, I’m back to pre-pregnancy weight. This is also good. And I’m 2.9 pounds away from my first goal. I’ll have to figure out a proper goal now that our spending habits are being forced to change. Tim suggested a giant ice cream sundae. I might pick that option.

Today I’d like to share with you the FABULOUS dinner I made last night: Chicken Parmigiana and Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce (a 13 point dinner which is QUITE filling).

Oh heck yeah. It really is as good at it looks.

Chicken Parmigiana from the Weight Watchers website:

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
1/3 c dried bread crumbs
1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Black Pepper, to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 breasts)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 1-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Beat the egg with the water in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, and pepper on a sheet of wax paper.
• Dip the chicken breasts first in the egg mixture, then coat lightly on both sides with the bread crumb mixture, shaking off the excess, and place them in the baking dish. (Discard any leftover egg or bread crumb mixture.) Bake until cooked through, golden and crisp-edged, about 15 minutes. Yields one breast per serving.

Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce from a Weight Watchers cookbook:

Ingredients:
2 C penne pasta
4 tsp Olive Oil
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons vodka
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
4 tsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

1. 1 In a large pot of boiling water, cook the penne according to package directions. Drain and place in a serving bowl; keep warm.
2. 2 Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat 30 seconds; melt the margarine 30 seconds more. Add the shallots; cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the broth, tomato paste and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute, until combined.
3. 3 Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream and vodka; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes, until heated through; do not let the mixture boil. Pour the sauce over the penne and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the parsley and cheese. Divide evenly among 4 plates and serve.

The chicken is 5 points for one breast, and the pasta is 8 points per serving. And yes, I did use regular spaghetti instead of penne, but you know what? It was still so good

What were your successes this week?

I’m trying out “Hot Momma Monday” as the name for my Monday updates. So far I like it. What do you think?

Well, I have some good news and some bad news to report on the weight loss front today. The good news is that despite going on a road trip to Iowa in which it was near impossible to stick to a diet, I didn’t gain a single pound from last week’s weigh-in.

The bad news? Thursday morning before I left, I was another 1.4 pounds down. Which means I gained it back over the weekend.

BUT!! The fact remains that I didn’t gain any weight from last week which means I haven’t taken a step backwards.

I learned quite a lot this weekend. I learned that I have literally no will power. It’s really easy to stick to a diet when you’re in your normal routine. When I’m home, I get up, have a cup of coffee while making my healthy lunch to take to work, then drink a SlimFast shake on the way in to work. Dinner is a snap since I’ve already planned it out the week before, I just have to come home and cook it.

But on a road trip? Yeah right. Apparently when there is fattening, deep fried food in front of me, I’m powerless against it. I just get so HUNGRY! It’s like a smoker allowing themselves to have “just one” cigarette while out with friends, and one turns to two, then three, then four, then they’re out buying a pack of their own. I couldn’t have just one french fry. I needed them all. I couldn’t have just one bite of my sister’s deep fried fish. I needed an entire patty. It was actually kind of embarrassing.

I’m home now, thankfully. Back to the routine. Back to skipping the deep fried lunch options and enjoying a sandwich and a salad. Time to hop back on the wagon.

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In other unrelated news, my sister got a FANTASTIC apartment (which was the purpose of our road trip). Loft style, huge space, hardwood floors, oh, and above a bakery