Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

I made these for the second time last night, and they keep getting better and better! They turn out really flavorful, and are super easy. I omit the cilantro and scallions in the mix, but add about 1 cup chopped white onion. Delish! Let me know if you try it out and what you think. Happy eating!

 

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

 

Course: main meals POINTS® Value:    6 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  12 min Cooking Time:  16 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

These sesame-teriyaki burgers are super flavorful — even more so when topped with grilled scallions.

Ingredients

	1 1/4 pound(s) lean ground turkey
	1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, finely chopped
	1 Tbsp minced garlic
	1 tsp sesame oil
	1/4 cup(s) teriyaki sauce
	1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), chopped
	2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped
	1 large egg white(s)
	2 spray(s) cooking spray
	8 medium scallion(s), root ends trimmed
	4 item(s) reduced-calorie hamburger roll(s)

Instructions

• Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high.
  
• In a large bowl, combine turkey, ginger, garlic, oil, teriyaki sauce, scallions, cilantro and egg white; mix until just combined. Make four burgers, about 3/4-inch-thick each.
  
• Offheat, coat both sides of burgers with cooking spray.
  
• Grill burgers, flipping once, until fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. A few minutes before burgers are done, place whole scallions on center of grill and cook, turning once, until bright green and charred, about 2 minutes.
  
• Remove burgers and scallions to a plate; lightly toast rolls on grill. Serve each burger on a roll topped with 2 scallions. Yields 1 burger per serving.

Weight Loss Adventures...

In an earlier post I talked about my goal of losing 25lbs by January. I'm starting to document this journey a little more at my weight loss blog.

If you're interested here you go. :) Or you can find it at weightlossadventuresofmrsawesome.blogspot.com

I made it pretty too, so don't worry. I know you were. Don't lie.

Top 2 Tuesday...

Top 2 Things you want to accomplish before the end of the year

I really like this topic. Most of the time, we set goals in January and don't review them until December. (Ok, I do at least.) I really want to change this, and review my goals quarterly. I also read somewhere printing them out and looking at them on a daily basis helps. Done and done. Does that count as one?

1. Lose 25 Pounds...seriously

Even though I HATE math, I used my skills to figure this one out. There are 14 weeks (-2 that I will be on vacation...not counting that to be realistic) until the end of the year. That is approximately 1.79 pounds per week. Totally do-able if you really think about it. I just need to use those sweet math skills I just demonstrated and stay on my POINTS. Daily 1 hour cardio sessions will help also!!!! I just need to make myself a priority. 

I usually hate posting the exact amount of how much I want to lose, but I feel like it's necessary. I need my family and friends help. If I say no to having dinner with you, don't be offended. I can't be trusted with a menu of temptation. Glass of wine, yes. Dinner, notsomuch. Thanks in advance.

2. See #1

I don't want to get too over-zealous here. I'm making a commitment, and I think 25 pounds will incorporate a lot. Cooking healthy meals at home, working out and making myself a priority. Let's focus on that and re-evaluate in January. :)

Business Trips + Losing Weight = HARD

I was just worrying about this. Perfect. Weight Watchers rocks my world.

Staying Slim on Business Trips



It's so easy to suspend your sensible-eating and exercise habits when you're on the road. But there are ways to stay on track while traveling - even when your job routinely jets you from coast to coast.
Even though you've been eating so well lately, this is where it ends. You just learned that next week you've got to hit the road for work. Might as well kiss all that progress goodbye — business travel and weight-loss do not play well together.


As a management and organization consultant, Gail Griffith spends about four days a month on the road. But, as a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, she makes the extra effort to stay on track when she's traveling. Ironically, says the Baltimore-based executive, "sometimes traveling can be easier because it requires so much more planning. I never go anywhere without food."

• Pack a Smart Snack

A compact cooler stocked with carrots, vegetables and healthy snacks accompanies Griffith in her car up and down the East Coast. Because she snacks, she's not starving by the time that calorie-filled business dinner rolls around. A wise tactic, observes Dale Huss, a registered dietitian and American Council on Exercise spokesperson. Skipping meals is a very common diet trap. It leaves you ravenous by mealtime and more likely to overeat.

• Cocktail Hour Traps

But overeating at mealtime is just one thing to watch out for when you are on the go. "Alcohol is one of the biggest ways to get off track," says Huss. Aside from adding nutritionally bankrupt calories, he says, drinking lowers your ability to resist tempting foods, "so you're likely to consume more."

• Workout Worries

On the road, exercise can become a low priority. What's worse, when you finally get home, it can take a week to build back up to your usual routine. There are so many distractions: Work has piled up in the office, the house needs attention and the kids missed you. It's easy to let exercise take a back seat.



Healthy Tricks of the Travel Trade


There are, however, ways to beat the temptations:

• Don't forget your sneakers. Pack workout clothes so you don't have an excuse to blow off exercise.

• Healthy hotels. Book a hotel with a gym. If it's not possible, do a few sets of push-ups and sit-ups in your room. Or ask the concierge to direct you to the nearest safe park for a daily walk or jog.

• Light in flight. Request low-fat meals on airplanes. Or, go a different route: Buy a salad with grilled chicken at the airport and eat it onboard with your own low-fat dressing.

• Snack power. Power bars and peanuts (in moderation), bottled water, fresh vegetable sticks and fruit can prevent hunger between meals.

• Buffeting buffets. The good thing about huge buffets is that, well, they're huge. Usually you can put together a diet-friendly meal somewhere along the mile-long display.

• Just say no. Request water or seltzer with a twist instead of alcohol when traveling, especially on the plane. Water keeps you hydrated and may help you recover from jet lag faster. The result: You'll have more energy and motivation to exercise.

• Moving plans. Put exercise on your schedule, and treat it like a business meeting that cannot be missed.

• In the swim. Most large hotels and conference centers have a pool. Use it. It's a great whole-body workout. (But, if a dip is in your plans, don't forget to pack a swimsuit and goggles along with your workout clothes.)

• Think out of the box. This might be your best defense. On a recent trip to Chicago, Gail Griffith realized that there wouldn't be time to exercise unless she made time. While packed shuttles transported her colleagues to nearby meetings, Griffith opted to walk. "I'd rather move than sit," she says. One night in Pittsburgh, she scheduled a 'walking meeting' with a coworker in a park. Walking meetings have now become part of their routine.

Italian Soup

So it may not be as pretty as in the post before, but it sure looks yummy! And for '0' points, imma eat me some soup!

"Zero Point" Soups Comin' Right Up!

On my new adventure we call, Weight Watchers, you try and maximize your food v. point intake. Basically, you want to get as much food for the points. And save those for ones you REALLY want. Like, 1-point-per-thin-mint-cookies. Mmmmm, totally worth it.

I really love Italian soup, so I'm going to try this recipe. If it's good I'll post the recipe for you all to try. It's a "free" 1-cup serving to help fill you up before meals, or even an evening snack if you're still hungry. Or dinner if you went crazy at the office potluck. Don't lie, you know what I'm talking about.

I'm also going to try the "Zero Point" butternut squash soup. Sounds yummy AND filling. Bon Apetit!

The Second Week

Sooooo, the second week weigh in didn't go as I'd hoped. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible but not what I was expecting. I gained .4 of a pound so not an ENTIRE pound, but it's also not a loss. I re-evaluated my eating and activity levels and know what I need to do. Lets hope week 3 goes well!

Do you know what you're eating??!!

So, I finally gave in and signed up for Weight Watchers online. I don't need want have time to attend the meetings, so the online version is perfect for me.

Ok, let me be honest on why I love the online version so much. The computer does all the math for me. I hate math. I tell Mr. Awesome almost on a daily basis that, "I'm too pretty to do math." It calculates your points for you, and lets you know exactly where you're at.

The point of this post was to share the most wonderful link with all of you (a.k.a. the 4 people who read this) and enlighten you with what is in the food we eat. Knowledge is power. My friend once told me that looking at the scale is like looking at your credit card statement; once you know you can make the changes to correct it. I look at food the same way. Knowing what I am eating is really helping me make changes in my life. Read: My pants are going to fit.

Anyway, here is the link. Go to restaurants and you can see all of the nutrition facts for your favorite foods at your favorite places. You can also download the spreadsheets onto your phone for easy access. I hope you all enjoy and find the site as useful as I do. :)

http://www.dwlz.com/

p.s. I'm down 4.4 lbs!