Trimdown Thursday: Eating for Weight Loss AND Nursing

Ok, soooo I kinda slacked this week on photos, so I'm sorry if you follow on Instagram and already saw this. It rained yesterday, and my husband was out of town part of the weekend. I also had to schedule almost all of my "scheduled" exercise for the end of this week. This means for the next three days I'll be working my lil' seat off. Literally. Cardio...Pure Barre...Pilates. It's not over yet (although I kinda sorta wish it was. Did I tell you I zipped my skinny jeans this week? Major.). I'm due to lose all the baby weight the week I leave for NY, which is the goal I've set. Can I just tell you that a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity awaits?

Speaking of diet. Since I haven't done the bulk of my exercising yet this week, I thought I'd talk a little bit about Weight Watchers (who has not paid me a dime to say this, by the way). I started the WW for nursing moms program in mid-March and have since lost 23 pounds (hey, there was a beach vacay in there, so cut me some slack.). Like I've said before, I wouldn't be taking my time and being near as strict about points if I wasn't nursing. But I need to make sure I'm losing at a healthy pace, which is 1-2 pounds per week. I love WW because I can still eat good, healthy meals and know I'm eating enough for both me and baby. I'm not starving myself as fad diets do! Just eating sensibly.
So what do I do on WW and what do I eat? I initially signed up for three months to get me going, and for the last couple months I've been paying month to month. If all goes well, I only have one more month! Since I'm doing the program online (versus attending meetings I don't have time for), Weight Watchers has this neat iPhone app where I just input my food every day. That's the key...every. day. You can't slip!
I love how easy the app is. This is my third time to do WW, but my first to try online/the app and it's by far my fav way. It only takes a second to track your weight once a week and I love seeing it visually on the chart/table. You can also look up tons of restaurants and know what's ok to eat without going over your daily points. I use this all the time and practically have things memorized. My fav Starbucks coffee = 3 points.
Here are some things I've been eating. Right now the variety sucks, but that's always been my weight loss strategy. Stick to the things you know are good; that work. You can spice things up later! Eye on the prize.
1. Weight Watchers frozen meals These might sound gross to you, but they're actually not bad. (Although I'm not an incredibly picky eater.) Problem? There's just not much to them. Thus, the reason WW has def taught me portion control. These meals usually range from 6-8 points and include lots of chicken pasta, Thai pasta, enchiladas, etc. I eat them for dinner a lot so I only have to worry about everyone else when I'm tired. Three minutes in the microwave for me and voila. They're two for $5, so not cheap. (P.S. Not so much a fan of their desserts. Might as well eat a couple mini Kit Kats and save the 3 points.)
2. Almond butter and apples This is my go-to snack so I can get in my fruit. I'm obsessed with Maranatha nut butters...soooo good. And just 5 points.
3. Starbucks Like I said, my fav frappuccino is just 3 points. It's a nice treat for me, a necessary pick-me-up and much better than chocolate cake. ;)
4. KIND bars These are my world. My everything. I looooove these bars. I eat one for breakfast every day for just 6 points, and of course I love the ones with chocolate. They're also a great snack, but def not cheap. I love how they're low glycemic and the protein keeps me full.
5. Salads Chick-Fil-A has a Grilled Market Salad that I eat at least once a week. It's only 3 points and you can't beat that. It has blueberries, strawberries, apples and nuts, in addition to the grilled chicken and blue cheese. I order light Italian dressing because there's no points and the sugar is low compared to the honey mustard (which has about 20 grams...eek!).
Any time I can order a salad somewhere, I do. But the next best thing is ordering vegetables. I order extra and that way little C and I both get our nutrition.
6. Smoothies I also like to get a peanut butter and banana (and almond milk) smoothie at the gym, or a kale smoothie at Tropical Smoothie...an easy way to get the good stuff!
Now...just 10 more pounds to go! I can totally do this. What do you like to eat when losing weight...what have you had success with?
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, so please consult yours before starting any new diet or exercise plan.