Ohmygod, what gives?? I got on the scale this morning and was greeted with a very rude 188.6 reading! I'll admit...I had two pieces of pizza last night for dinner, but come on...a 2.4 lb. gain from that? I don't think so. I'm convinced it was water weight from too much sodium intake this weekend.
While I'm at it, I'll also admit that I really don't diet on the weekends. I don't know why - it's not because I think I deserve a break, really I don't. It really boils down to convenience. The weekends go by so quickly and it's often difficult to get everything you've put off all week done in just two days. So, more often than not, we eat out starting Friday night. I will say though that even though I'm eating out all weekend, I am conscious of what I order. For Lent I gave up all sweets and fried foods (and meat on Fridays, of course). When I order out my choices reflect those sacrifices. I would be lying if I said that the Lenten season hasn't benefitted and influenced my "diet."
I had a gigantic extra-large diet Pepsi from Taco Bell earlier and now I feel so gross and bloated. I'm not all that much of a pop drinker, but you'd never guess from the way I guzzled it down. I don't know what that was all about but I do know I would be much better off had I chosen an extra-large ice water instead. I'm an iced tea drinker, that's for sure, but pop? When and why did I start craving carbonated beverages?
Anyway, other than that, my husband found a great recipe for a reuben alternative in this month's "Men's Health" magazine. Made with lean smoked turkey, it's a much more healthful alternative to the traditional corned beef version.
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"The Ultimate Reuben" courtesy of Men's Health.
1/4 cup canned sauerkraut, drained
1 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp low-fat Thousand Island dressing
2 slices rye bread
2 slices reduced sodium smoked deli turkey, such as Healthy Choice
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
Coat the bottom of a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the kraut, feta cheese, and dressing. Spread the mixture on one slice of bread. Top with turkey, Swiss and the other bread slice. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side. Makes 1 serving.
Per serving: 335 calories
23 grams protein
42 grams carbohydrates
9 grams fat
5 grams fiber
1,625 milligrams sodium
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A couple of things about this recipe...I believe you could reduce your sodium content by cutting out the canned sauerkraut altogether. "But then it wouldn't be a reuben," you say. True, without the sauerkraut it would be a lesser reuben, but maybe you could replace the sauerkraut with fresh sprouts - alphalpha or bean. Canned anything = a pool of salt.
The low-fat Swiss cheese is a nice touch as well as the low-fat dressing. But once again, dressing can run high in sodium as well, so take note. Lastly, deli meats - even turkey - are all high in sodium, thus the reason this recipe is suggesting low-sodium versions. If salt isn't an issue, I would guess one sandwich isn't going to cause major problems but even small amounts of salt can = weight gain, bloating, dry mouth and the temporary non-budging or even increases on the scales. Just writing about it makes me want a glass of water. No more pop for me!
My weekly loss/total score is going to be a disappointment tomorrow but I refuse to let it discourage me. I may have not made the best food choices this week, but at least I'm conscious of them and with consciousness comes change, right?
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