The Weight Battle Continues

I spent Saturday lost in the joys of creating a spreadsheet. My husband, the Excel King, was quite helpful with formulas and suggestions, and the thing works splendidly.

I always have trouble keeping track of what I eat, largely because I cook nearly everything from scratch, so I have to look up the nutrition data online and then add it all up. That's a real hassle and I've never been organized about it, so I can never find a recipe when I want it again.

But NOW - ah, now I have a SS where I can figure the nutrition data for a recipe, move the total per serving into a "LIST," and then, in another table, I can LOOKUP the recipe (or food item) from the LIST. And the data is automatically entered into the table where I'm keeping track of what I ate that day!

It adds it up, and I can see where I'm at on calories, fat, protein... all the usual stuff. Best of all, I can use it to plan my day, which just may help me keep within my allotted calories.

So tomorrow, for instance, I can have Oatmeal-with-Peanut-Butter (and a little honey & cream) for breakfast. Lunch is leftover fish, served in a spicy tomato sauce with garlic and capers. Dinner is a carrot soup (carrots from last week's CSA box), with a salad of lettuce, steamed romanesco, and a tablespoon of olive oil over it.

Not only that, but sometime during the day, I also get a few of my favorite whole wheat crackers and an orange. And after dinner, I get dessert - this great chocolate-cottage-cheese thingy I made up. I added that because I'm also tracking my husband's food, and I've discovered that he doesn't get enough protein. So I'm going to work on ways to add it to his diet. Tomorrow, he gets some tuna with his salad, and the cottage cheese for dessert. That brings him up to 98 grams of protein for the day.

My total calories for the day: An even 1100. Protein clocks in at 60, Fat at 38 grams, Carbs are 127, and Fiber is 22.

Pretty darn good. Add in some exercise (yoga and strength, for sure, and some aerobics, assuming I've slept reasonably well), and my weight is slowly beginning to respond. *crosses fingers*

My Favorite Coleslaw

Still trying to use up weekly vegetables, and I'm enjoying every minute! Today, I made this:

It's called Fusion Coleslaw. It's a variation on the recipe found in Earthbound Farm's Food to Live By. Too simple for words:

1 head of cabbage, sliced thin (hopefully a small one)
3 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
2 carrots, grated

The sauce:
3 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chile garlic sauce (or is it garlic chile sauce?)
1/2 tsp salt

whisk the sauce together and pour over the veggies, mixing it all up. Add chopped peanuts before serving, and some golden raisins, if you like them.

This makes a big bowlful, and it tastes so good, I have it for snacks!