Weigh In Wednesday: My Favorite Stability Ball Workouts

 According to my Weight Watcher's app I have been in my healthy eating zone every single day this month except for Sunday where I enjoyed a delicious slice of chocolate cream pie (for me that's anywhere between 15 & 33 points a day)!  I had to force myself to have a snack last Wednesday or else I would have had too few points for a "blue dot day."  My goal each month is to have no more than 3 or 4 non-blue days.  So I'm doing great!


I haven't kept up with my 5 day a week exercise routine but I'm going strong at 4 days a week with a hike or two thrown in each week for a bit of additional exercise so I'm feeling like I am crushing it.  

I actually bought so many fresh vegetables at the grocery store last week that I had a hard time eating them all.  And I even managed to eat out at Longhorn Steakhouse with my husband and still not derail all my progress (I had salmon, broccoli, asparagus, and a baked potato). 

I made a ham and asparagus crustless quiche last Wednesday and ate that for breakfast or lunch nearly every day.  At just 1 point for 2 slices (because of the ham) it's a great protein rich meal.  This is the recipe I always use and just swap out my veggies and things for different tastes or to use up what we have on hand.  


I often pair my quiche with even more veggies, a salad, or even a low calorie English Muffin. 


I made a broccoli, spinach, and ham quiche on Sunday


Other foods this week include large salads; I like to top them with Boca Chick'n patties and fresh fruit or a little tuna fish or grilled chicken, etc.  Something to add some filling protein to my meal. 

a 4 point meal

For dinner on Friday night I heated leftover turkey in marinara sauce and served it over whole grain pasta with green beans and salad for a delicious and filling meal with only about 7 points total.


Of course I rarely go a day without my fruit/ yogurt/ granola bowl (depending on the 1/4 cup of granola I use this either 3 or 4 points).  It's filling enough to be a meal and yet delicious enough to be a snack. 


Saturday I made a crock pot turkey lasagna and then filled another small crock pot with diced butternut squash so dinner was all set when we got home from the show.  Another filling meal for very few points (though I splurged and added a garlic knot so it was 10 points but I had only used up 6 for the day and needed to add points).  


I used this recipe but swapped out fat free ricotta (or cottage cheese works great too!) and fat free mozzarella then added in ground 99% lean turkey this time.


Sunday I cooked up a sausage & tortellini soup in the crock pot but I added in 1 cup of mashed butternut squash to thicken the soup and substituted almond milk for the 1/2 & 1/2 so each serving of soup was just 5 points (for a very large bowl; we only got 8 servings total). 



I feel like I am doing really well with tracking points and eating well but I'm still struggling to get all my exercise in. I rarely want to leave my nice warm bed to exercise in the morning but I've learned if I don't get that done by 6 o'clock then I'm just not going to end up working out that day.  

I thought each week I'd focus on a type of exercise I do enjoy and link a few of my favorite workouts here.  This week I'm focusing on stability ball exercises; this is arguably my favorite form of exercise since it works so many muscle groups at once and yet I rarely get hot and sweaty. 

Each of these workouts is between 25 & 35 minutes long:








What are some of your favorite workouts? 

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Comments

  1. The crustless quiche looks good! Good job on staying within your point allotment. I am boring and run or walk almost exclusively for my exercise. I know that is not a total body workout- I should do something with weights for my core and my arms. I know what you mean about first thing. That is me on the weekends. If I don't get up and run, it usually doesn't happen. During the week, I can fit it in at various times but weekends it needs to happen first thing or else it doesn't happen.

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    1. I try to lift weights at least once a week and mix up what I'm doing but I really don't enjoy it... like ever. LOL.

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  2. Your meals always look amazing and so healthy- you go girl! I have been walking outside but the snow is coming so may have to watch a video over the weekend-we shall see!

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    1. So far our weather is still looking like mostly rain but we shall see... it's still hard to get out when it's raining and cold though.

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  3. The food looks delicious! Stability balls are amazing.

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    1. Thank you! They really are; I love that there is so much I can do with them too.

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  4. I haven't worked out with a ball in awhile! These days I'm doing core and stretching type workouts at the gym.

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    1. I work on my core and stretching a few days a week, weights at least once a week, and cardio pretty sporadically.

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  5. Thanks for sharing those recipes! I'm going to have to try a couple of them I thought my husband would love. I don't have a "workout" that I love per se, but one thing I've been doing is just MOVING more. I go up and down our stairs more, I get up more often and do things quickly around the house, I've been lifting small weights as I stand and wait on our dogs while they play outside...little things like that have made a big difference. I'm lifting weights to try and tone my arms up some...do you have a rec for helping with the under the arm flab? I'm trying to target that area. What I do is definitely doing something, but I'm not seeing much of a difference yet.

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    1. Yeah, I find wearing my step counter helps me want to move more. I typically lift weights to tone my arms but believe it or not if you search "weight training for underarm flab" into YouTube a whole bunch of videos show up. I can definitely feel muscle tone in my upper arms now... but I still have a bit of underarm flab anyway.

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  6. Your meals all look so delicious! I agree with you about the yogurt cup with granola and fruit is filling enough for a meal and good enough to count as a treat! The green beans and squash look so delicious! I usually make Asian stir fry green beans, might just steam them next time.

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    1. Thank you! I like to oven roast (or air fry) my green beans with a hint of garlic salt on them too.

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  7. I love a crust less quiche. I’ve never used a stability ball, always think I’ll be super uncoordinated with it. Lol. But I’ve heard they are so great.

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    1. They're actually pretty easy to use when following along with some simple beginner workouts.

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  8. It sounds like you're doing really well with the Weight Watcher's app and everything else that you are doing. That quiche looks so good and the salads too.
    I like any of the workouts from YouTube which have good music that I can sing along to. x

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    1. I feel like I am doing really well... now if only the scale would reflect that!

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  9. I love my stability ball. I used to sit on it at the computer but have gotten out of the habit.
    XOXO
    Jodie

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    1. I have never tried to use mine as a chair; mostly because it feels so short to me. But I have sat on it just to watch TV.

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  10. Great job at keeping up with points! I have just started back this week tracking after taking almost a year off from doing so, so it is a slow go. I am going to look at that recipe to try soon.

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  11. You've made so many good meals with so few points...great job! I love sitting on my balance ball. One year, many of my students brought theirs in...it went well until one of them realized they bounced!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  12. Thanks for sharing these recipes! It's always a struggle finding new ones to try!

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  13. Hooray for another good week! I love crustless quiche but haven't made one in a while. I think that will happen next week - thanks! And cooking your squash in the crock pot. Seems genius. But it doesn't get mushy, huh? I am all about the crock pot!:)

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    1. It does get a bit mushy which I was a bit disappointed in since I hadn't planned on mashing it but I knew I'd never have time to cook it once we got home. We didn't even walk in the door until 6:30.

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  14. You're doing great! I have a stability ball that sits in the corner of my office as a "guest chair". I really should use it for exercise purposes.

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  15. Congratulations on a great month! The crustless quiche is my go-to recipe. I have that for lunch most days with a side of veggies. Love the stability ball workouts I think I need to try some :)

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  16. All your meals look so healthy and delicious! I have been a sloth all summer long but I'll be going back to work soon and back to doing lots of walking.
    Ruth@playworkeatrepeat

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  17. Everything you're eating looks so yummy and healthy, too! I've never thought to work out with a ball like that before, but now I'm going to have to look into that. I'm always looking for new ways to work out since I quit the gym during Covid.

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  18. This is such wonderful inspiration! Thank you for sharing!

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  19. All the food looks so good. I've always had a hard time with Weight Watchers because I just don't get their point system.

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    1. Thank you! I've always found their point system pretty easy to understand as very filling, nutritious foods that are difficult to overeat are worth 0 points (which is what I try to base all my meals on-- fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats like chicken, seafood, white turkey meat, and beans) and then things like carbohydrates, sugar, red meats, etc. that most people tend to overeat with are worth a variety of points based on fat content and other nutrition information (the higher the sugar, the higher the fat, the more processed the higher the points tend to be). With the app it's pretty easy to scan barcodes for any processed foods or quickly type in foods at restaurant chains and grocery stores to check their point values.

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  20. I'm trying to put our rowing machine to good use but it is HARD. I should try early morning workouts -- while I hate getting up early, I love having my exercise done for the day!

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    1. Yeah, it's always a struggle not to just skip the workout and sleep in! But I feel so much better when I've gotten my exercise done and out of the way.

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  21. I should start writing a Weight Watchers post to hold me accountable. So proud of your tracking and exercise. We have really slacked off this month. Were doing so well through the holidays and now we are not eating well and barely moving!! I did get on the treadmill today. Maybe I am going to turn the corner. I remember seeing you eat that delicious looking yogurt, fruit and granola on your porch or deck. Need to try it. Haven't heard about the healthy eating zone...probably because I haven't been tracking. Tomorrow...ha, always tomorrow...I am going to get back at it. You inspire me.

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