After the bliss of success last week, this week’s weigh in revealed a slight gain of a pound and half. A pound is almost a rounding error, a plateau from week to week, but it’s certainly not a step in the right direction.
My immediate response was bitter disappointment, coupled with the strong urge to binge on large quantities of chocolate, but with a few deep breaths, I accepted the ups and downs. I want a slow and steady weight loss, a gradual return to my pre-baby weight. As I am still nursing, I don’t want to shift anything too rapidly and risk affecting my milk supply before Sophie is ready to be weaned. Still, I would have preferred to see the number continue to dip down.
Rather than beat myself up and wonder what happened, I decided to throw a little technological help into my routine. I figured there had to be some sort of app to keep track of my workouts and calorie intake. I chose to download Tap and Track onto my iPhone for $3.99. The large database of foods is easy to browse and log my meals. The design is user friendly and not dependent on an Internet connection.
With just a few days of Tap and Track usage, I’m already learning a lot about the caloric values of different foods. For instance, my big bowls of homemade vegetable soup have crazy low calorie counts! A cup and a half of homemade vegetable soup has only 147 calories. That’s more than a little incentive to throw a big pot of soup together rather than simply grab a cup at Panera. I was also pretty amazed to see just how many calories my favorite cheeses pack. It’s all about indulging in moderation and enjoying every bite. More information won’t limit what I eat but will help me feast intelligently.
You would not believe how low the calorie count in this vegetable soup is! I guarantee that it will keep you feeling full, just as your belly shrinks.
Ingredients
- Any veggies you have lying around the house. My latest pot had:
- 6 carrots
- 3 small butternut squash
- 2 small acorn squash
- 3 apples
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons of ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 4 cups of chicken stock (storebought :( )
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Instructions
- Scour your kitchen for veggies. This is the perfect fate for slightly bruised vegetables!
- Roast the squashes - Cut in half, remove teh seeds, and bake for an hour an 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut and peel the remaining vegetables into large chunks.
- Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into a large stockpot.
- Saute the chopped onion on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Add the roasted squash, carrots, and apples. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, making sure the carrots and other vegetables are soft.
- Puree with a hand blender. Enjoy warm all week long.
Thanks for this post, this can help me for my diet.