In One Year, Out the Other

This year, try giving resolutions a rest and just do your best.
Here's a New Year's resolution anyone can keep: Resolve not to make any more New Year's resolutions.

Now, wasn't that easy?

If you're trying to pay down your credit cards, quit smoking, get a new job, find a mate, or shed some excess poundage, abandoning New Year's resolutions won't get you off the hook.

But by setting more realistic goals for yourself and not limiting yourself to a once-a-year, do-or-die, all-out assault on that Everest of debt, those flabby thighs, or the hideous wallpaper you keep meaning to replace, you may find that the finish line isn't so far away after all.

Or as the Rolling Stones put it, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need."

"Resolutions are all about taking something away from someone," "No one ever says 'I'm going to get healthy." I think if people framed it differently and made it more of a positive experience, then it would be easier for people to keep resolutions, and psychologically it would make them feel a lot better about themselves."

Don't let your goals run wild. ...be realistic......no you may not run a marathon(or you might)but increase your running each month! Even by just a little. Not good~ "I will lose all that weight" how about....I will try to loose 1 to 2 pounds a week. These are a little more attainable. Taking small steps (just not to small~do challenge "you")will not only hold your interest, but it will get you to that goal

Lean on a support crew when struggling. Think of the friends and family who truly want to see you succeed. Enlisting those with whom you have authentic relationships is key when your motivation begins to wane. Choose people who may have seen you fail in the past and who know how much success means to you

Make yourself a priority. Put your needs first, even when it feels utterly selfish. You will derail your progress if you sacrifice yourself for others in order to please them (such as eating a cupcake that a coworker baked even though you’re on a diet).

Challenge yourself―and change things up. It’s hard to remain enthusiastic when everything stays the same

Remember the deeper meaning.~~~do not forget who you are doing this for. I am losing weight to.....not just look better...but to be healthy!

Creamy Chicken Stew Crock Pot Recipe
The perfect low calorie chicken stew recipe for winter, this tasty dish makes you forget you are a Weight Watcher. The creamy sauce and fresh herbs make this delicious stew a real treat. And at just 4 Points + per cup, it’s a pretty good bargain.

Ingredients
•2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite sized chunks
•1 pound mushrooms, chopped
•1 cup zucchini, chopped
•1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, rinsed under cold water to thaw
•1 cup carrots, sliced
•1/2 cup celery, chopped
•1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
•4 cups fat free chicken broth
•1/4 cup fat free half and half
•1/2 cup water
•1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
•1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
•1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
•3 bay leaves
•1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
•2 tbsp cornstarch
•2 tbsp lemon juice
•1 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1.In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, combine mushrooms, shallots, and 1/4 cup water.
2.Cover and cook over high heat, stirring often, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
3.Add broth, celery, zucchini, carrots, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves; bring to a boil.
4.Place chicken in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and sprinkle lemon zest on top. Turn heat to high. Carefully pour in the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
5.Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a bowl; discard bay leaves.
6.Skim fat and pour the juices into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes.
7.Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.
8.Add half and half and lemon juice; stir until boiling.
9.Return the chicken and vegetables to the sauce and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
10.Just before serving, stir in peas and parsley.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)

Cooking time: 4 hour(s)


Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1 cup
Each serving = 4 Points +

PER SERVING: 200 calories; 4 g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein; 2 g fiber



Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/09/28/creamy-chicken-stew-crock-pot-recipe/#ixzz1hr5OKQw5

Dear Santa..........

Dear Mr. Claus:

I know I haven't written in about 40 years or so. I offer you my heartfelt apology. It's just that...I was thinking that since I haven't asked for any presents in such a long time, you could grant me my one Christmas wish. My weigh-in day is Christmas morning and I'd really like to lose another two pounds.

Speaking of weight loss, don't you think a certain someone should cut down on the refined sugars and saturated fats if they are going to keep shimmying down chimneys for all of eternity? Your huge gut means you are at a high risk for heart disease and diabetes. I'd like you to be alive and kicking for a while for my grandchildren.

I'm afraid that in this household you are not going to find cookies under the tree this year, but perhaps only a 0 point fruit plate.

Thanks!

Sincerely,

ellen

Pimento Cheese Dip Recipe
This slimmed down version of a popular Southern recipe is a real treat for dieting dip lovers. Each serving has just 1 Points +, making it an ideal low calorie dip recipe to use on just about anything.

Ingredients
•1 cup reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
•1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
•1/4 cup fat free cream cheese, room temperature
•1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
•1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos, drained and chopped
•2 tbsp red onion, grated
•1/4 tsp sea salt
•1 tsp garlic powder
•Dash of pepper
Instructions
1.Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheeses until smooth and fluffy. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat until well blended.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 0 minutes

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat

Number of servings (yield): 12

Culinary tradition: USA (Southern)

Entire recipe is 12 servings
Serving size is 2 tbsp
Each serving = 1 Points +

PER SERVING: 41 calories; 2 g fat; 2 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 0 g fiber



Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/08/22/pimento-cheese-dip-recipe/#ixzz1hO5KXIsE

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
This easy broccoli recipe offers a great way to get in a healthy serving of broccoli along with a wonderful, cheesy broth. Hearty and healthy, it’s a low calorie Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe that makes a great meal idea for the whole family.

Ingredients
•8 oz broccoli crowns, cut into bit sized pieces
•2 14-ounce cans fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
•1 cup reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 large carrot, diced
•2 stalks celery, diced
•1 large potato, peeled and diced
•1/2 cup fat free sour cream
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 tablespoon whole wheat all-purpose flour
•1/2 tsp dry mustard
•1/4 tsp paprika
•1/4 tsp nutmeg
•1 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1.Spray a Dutch oven or large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium-high heat.
2.Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
3.Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4.Stir in flour, dry mustard, nutmeg and paprika; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
5.Add broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6.Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more.
7.Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.
8.Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate

Number of servings (yield): 6

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 1 cup
Each serving = 3 Points +

PER SERVING: 167 calories; 2 g fat ; 19 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 4 g fiber



Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/07/26/broccoli-cheese-soup-recipe/#ixzz1hO6Tlrjm

Note to self.......

Note to self...

you are not hungry....you are just TIRED! That is what happens when you wake up at 2 am and workout...speaking of that.....good job, no GREAT job! I told you getting up and working out was a good idea...didnt I? Just laying there in bed when you can't sleep anyway....bad idea. I like the no excuses plan you have set in! Great job! Since we are in the patting yourself on the back kind of mood. Good job tracking this week. It really does make a difference...you make a difference!!!! This week is a tough one...a lot of Holiday...well, crap going on. Not only our retail business, but our jewelry line..(wow)!!! and the catering business! (this is also when the "no excuses" line/little plan comes in handy.) You are doing well with all that is going on....NO this is not an excuse to go crazy and binge this week, it is about trusting yourself, and living in the moment.

Do you talk to yourself???....are you your best cheerleader???....if not, maybe its time. Just remember to put a POSITIVE spin on it...as well as being honest with YOU!

This is a time of year we forget "us" Please do not. This is when all hell brakes loose! Stay in control! I find a little self talk always helps me...give it a try!!
Love and best wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas and a healthy ~ happier New Year!










Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie....ooohhhhlala

•1 cup Better’n Peanut Butter
•3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•1/4 cup rolled oats
•1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
•1/4 cup peanut butter chips
•1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
•1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
•1/4 cup canola oil
•4 tbsp fat free plain Greek yogurt
•1 tbsp vanilla extract
•1 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Beat Better n’ Peanut Butter, oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the sugars are blended. Beat in egg substitute, yogurt and vanilla until combined.
3.Whisk flour, cocoa, oats, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture until blended. (It will be sticky.) Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips.
4.Using a small cookie scoop or slightly rounded tablespoons of dough, place cookies 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheets.
5.Dip the bottom of a glass in water and then in Turbinado sugar. Use the sugared glass to flatten the cookies slightly, leaving a thin layer of sugar on top, re-wetting the glass as needed.
6.Bake the cookies in batches until they are just set and the tops appear cracked, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not over-bake or they will be dry.)
7.Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Quick Notes
Turbinado sugar is a coarse looking sugar and is light brown in color. Find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets or at natural-foods stores.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 36
Entire recipe makes 3 dozen
Serving size is 1 cookie
Each serving = 2 Points +
PER SERVING: 96 calories; 3g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 3g protein; 1 g fiber



Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/12/13/chewy-chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe/#ixzz1hBLfr4FP

Winter workout......

Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

Weight Watchers Recipe


6PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4
Sweet corn soup can't be beat. Highlight it in this chowder along with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky Canadian bacon.

1 medium uncooked yukon gold potato(es)
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) uncooked celery, chopped
1/4 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), chopped (or 1 large shallot)
2 cups corn

1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced
4 oz uncooked Canadian-style bacon, diced
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Instructions
Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.
Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil). Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh vegetables like asparagus and broccoli for the red pepper. Or to save time, substitute 2 cups of frozen corn and 1 cup of frozen, diced bell pepper for the fresh corn and red pepper

In winter when temperatures drop and the streets fill up with rain or snow, getting out of bed for a trip to the gym may seem impossible. However, slacking off on any fitness regimen can lead to unwanted weight gain and stress. Design your winter home exercise program following some simple guidelines and using equipment you may already have.
Cardio
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity or 20 minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular activity 5 days a week. Cardio exercise increases heart rate and burns calories. When you can't go for a run outside, jump rope or run in place, up stairs or on a treadmill at home. Short bursts of cardio, 10 minutes at a time, can be as effective as 30 minutes of sustained activity.
Resistance Training
Resistance training helps you shed fat and increase lean body mass over time. Design your at-home program to work all the major muscle groups in the upper body, midsection and lower body. Strength training exercises include push-ups for the chest, sit-ups for abdominal muscles and squats and lunges for the lower body. The ACSM recommends performing 8 to 10 strength-training exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise 2 to 3 times per week.
Equipment
Exercise at home can be accomplished on any budget. With a bigger budget, you can invest in cardio equipment such as treadmills and stationary bikes. Resistance training equipment includes weight machines or dumbbells. With a more moderate budget, purchase exercise videos or books to learn proper form, or use equipment around your house. The "Men's Health Home Workout Bible" suggests using stairs for cardio and benches, chairs, sandbags and buckets and jugs filled with water for strength training.
Good news: There are ways to exercise in less time. First, studies indicate that you don’t need to stretch before exercising. Instead, just do a light warm-up—a few minutes of jogging before a run or five minutes of cardio before weight training. Second, you can get a quick, full-body workout without even leaving home. Try to do 15 repetitions each of crunches, push-ups, triceps dips (off a stable chair), squats, and lunges. Do each rep in a slow and controlled manner (count three seconds on the way up for a crunch and three seconds on the way down), and do three sets of each move. This will help strengthen your biggest muscles, including your abdominals, back, arms, and legs.

Be....YOU

This is true no matter what your current situation. Say, for instance, you’re aware that you’re an alcoholic, a drug addict, a compulsive gambler, or an abusive person, but you’ve decided that you don’t want that. Forgive yourself by accepting that you’re capable of making changes, and then take control. Use the power of your mind to say:
I’m strong. I do deserve a new start. It’s okay to be me. It’s okay to have had my experiences. I accept that this is how I’ve lived, and I’m aware of how it has affected me. I forgive myself now for living that life, and I choose to never go back to it. I will break the patterns and cycles of the past.
You’re not letting yourself off the hook and telling yourself that it’s okay to be an alcoholic, a drug addict, a compulsive gambler, or an abusive person. You’re not giving yourself permission to do any of that again, believing it doesn’t matter. What you are doing is letting yourself know that the past is over and it’s okay for you to have experienced what you did because you learned your lesson. Now that it’s completely understood, you’re never going back there again. You’re not going to repeat these patterns. You’ve changed, and it’s okay to move on.
You can be happy with yourself. You can enjoy peace because you choose to no longer be controlled by your ego. It’s okay to be you. It’s good to love and forgive yourself for everything that was and start living for tomorrow. Create the destiny that you truly know you’re capable of.
You can become the person you want to be. You can change—if you do the work. Even if you’ve been very negative and hurtful, you can choose to transform and not be like that any longer. You can become a committed, honest, loving, compassionate individual; you never have to go back and re-create negativity in your life or the lives of others. Tell yourself:
I no longer live in that mind-set. I no longer think those thoughts. I’m no longer controlled by my ego’s presence. I forgive myself for negative choices of the past by living in honesty today. I now choose to live in truth.
What does it mean to live in truth? It means to live honestly at all levels. It’s not just about what you say; it’s about thoughts, actions, and the way you live. This involves authenticity—to live in alignment with who you know your true self to be. What you’ll receive is very empowering. You become free to live and explore the truth of who you really are as you move toward the future. You’re at liberty to change, develop, and go further in you own life within your own true spirit and mind



Weight Watcher Ginger Snap

COOKIES!!

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold strong coffee or water

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream together first seven ingredients until smooth.
3. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture; mix well.
5. Add the coffee and knead the dough until all ingredients are incorporated and the dough forms into one ball that holds together.
6. Cut ball into 4 equal pieces.
7. Divide each pieces into 12 equal pieces.
8. Wet the palms of your hands slightly while doing the next step.
9. Roll the dough into a ball between the palms of your hands then press and flatted the dough onto the cookie (about 1/8-inch thick).
10. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
11. Bake cookies for 10 minutes (or until edges begin to brown and cookies crisp up when cool).

WW POINTS+ for one cookie: 2

50 reasons..............

SALSA ROLL UPS 2 Points Plus!!!!
Recipe from: Weight Watchers Recipes
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.)
Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. of your favorite salsa
4 flour tortillas (6 inch)
1/2 cup mexican style 2% milk finely shredded cheese
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Mix philadelphia cream cheese and salsa; spread onto tortillas. Top with remaining ingredients.Roll up tortillas tightly. Cut each crosswise into 5 slicesMakes 10 Appetizers (2 roll-ups per serving)
Nutrition Information:Calories 90, Fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbs 8 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 3 g
Enjoy!

Here are my 50 Thoughts on Weight Watchers and how I Have Succeeded Thus Far! I wouldn't say that all of these tips are Weight Watchers related but combine all the tips and tricks with the program and you can SUCCEED on Weight Watchers too!!

1. Journal journal journal. You absolutely cannot keep track mentally of what you consume on a daily basis. You are bound to forget that handful of pretzels or that snickerdoodle. Write it down and own up to eating it. BITE IT WRITE IT!

2. Drink drink drink. Sip water all day. Eventually it adds up to the required 6 glasses you need. Not only will you feel more full at mealtime, your body will be happy because it is hydrated.

3. Have a glass of soda when hunger strikes. This is a personal tip I use to curb hunger. A diet Pepsi is sweet enough to curb my longing for a treat and the carbonation will help you feel satisfied.

4. Buy precut, pre-bagged finger veggies like carrots and peppers. Then when you feel a need to gorge on food, you can gorge on these for crunch and for a satisfying VOLUME of food. This only works if you need massive quantities of food, not if you have a chocolate attack.

5. Buy bagged salads. They are infinitely better than a head of iceberg lettuce. It adds a touch of gourmet flair to your meal and gives you more vitamins and nutrition than plain old varieties of lettuce. And they are delicious. Shoot for baby greens and arrugula blends.

6. Buy grape tomatoes instead of large beefsteak ones. They look better tossed in salad, they are sweeter and they don’t need to be cut. Also, they are good snacking foods!

7. Buy I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter butter spray. It is very low in calories and provides the same great taste as regular margarine.

8. Use Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone for point values of tons of popular restaurants and for snack ideas. Her website is www.dwlz.com

9. Air pop your popcorn instead of buying microwave popcorn. Then add the butter spray and you get TONS more popcorn for less points.

10. Buy Skinny Cow flying saucers when you want flavor variety for your dessert. Weight Watchers, I’ve found, only come in vanilla and chocolate. Skinny Cow brand comes in those two flavors AND coffee, strawberry, and strawberry cheesecake. And all for just 2 points!

11. Use the Fiber One Just 2 Pointsplus bars for your treats! They are delicious and they are packed with fiber.

12. Buy the Weight Watchers Fruities treats. And they are the perfect treat for the movies.

13. Cook with fat free chicken broth. It adds flavor and is no points.

14. Don’t deprive yourself. Don’t switch to skim milk in your coffee. Simply pour yourself a cup of coffee instead of a mug of coffee and then measure 1 points’ worth of creamer!

15. Buy a scale. I genuinely recommend the Weight Watchers scale. It weighs in grams and in ounces (and I have used both settings). Nothing is more of a reality check than actually seeing what 4 ounces of chicken really looks like!

16. Measure everything! Measure your creamer. Measure your margarine. Measure your rice! Going overboard just a little on things adds up in the end.

17. Don’t cut up all your food at once when eating. Cut each piece as you go along. This seems simple but sometimes it is easier to cut up your entire piece of chicken at one shot but don’t do it! Cut as you eat!

18. Make cauliflower your friend!! When cooked until soft, you can mash it and add lots of fun stuff like reduced fat cheese, garlic, broccoli… and then you can bake it!! It has the same consistency as mashed potatoes!

19. Handle buffets better by only eating things that are special for instance, instead of gorging on the sausage and peppers (ordinary) or the baked ziti (also just ordinary), help yourself to the dishes you wouldn’t normally prepare yourself! This way it is more of a treat to be at the buffet and not just another meal. Have picatta, marsala, any fish, the filet mignon…. Whatever is unique to you so that your indulgence is not wasted on the ordinary.

20. Eat more shellfish! Shrimp is unbelievably low in points especially for the volume you get! And it’s good for you! Enjoy scallops too! These are low fat high protein and LOW POINT alternatives for dinner.

21. Don’t deprive yourself of indulgence. If you really want that dessert (cheesecake, carrot cake, etc) order it to share with someone. Then take the FIRST bite and while you are appreciating that, let the other person eat the rest and save the LAST bite for you! In essence, you really only taste the first initial bite of something and you really only remember the last so save yourself all those calories and fat in between!

22. Find a friend you can share your successes and setbacks with. This person does not have to be on program, they just need to be there for you when you need someone to talk to and bounce things off of. I found that the friends I made at my meetings were the best to talk to!

23. Recognize that each moment stands alone and that no one binge or one gorged meal wrecks anything! It is part of living and learning and that a bad eating decision doesn’t have to snowball into a weeks long or months long setback. It’s like riding a bike, when you fall down, you get right back up!! You don’t walk the bike 10 miles up the road and THEN get back on! You get back on right away! Consider each moment as just that and know that you never really go OFF program. Weight Watchers allows you to incorporate setbacks into your lifestyle without punishment and guilt.

24. Make informed decisions. Use the pointsplus calculator to figure out exactly how much something is valued at. Don’t guess. Knowing exactly how many points a food item is allows you to fit it into your daily intake without sacrificing it and without overdoing it.

25. EXERCISE! Exercise works to benefit you in many ways. It helps you to lose weight, build muscle, burn fat, AND it enables you to eat more if you choose to! Activity points can be added onto your daily intake so the more you exercise, the more you can eat (but seriously, make it a heathly intake so that you can truly benefit).

26. Build more activity into your lifestyle. Walk more, climb the stairs more, stretch your legs more. MOVE MORE! Any movement is better than no movement.

27. Experiment with new recipes. Be creative in the kitchen (like I said with the cauliflower!). Try root vegetables, try different squashes, try different potatoes, try flatbreads instead of chips.

28. Buy reduced calorie light bread.

29. Drink flavored hot tea as an afternoon indulgence. It is no points!

30. Order your Chinese food steamed with your sauce on the side. You will be able to eat much more and you will feel so much less bloated from the MSG and salt.

31. For a sweet treat, try to find Barry’s Bakery French Twists. They are low pointplus each and are a true sweet treat!

32. Treat yourself to frozen yogurt . It is fabulous and treat yourself to the chocolate sprinkles!

33. Switch from skim milk to Skim Plus if it is available in your area. It tastes great and it packs more nutrition.

34. Buy Fat Free, Sugar Free Jello chocolate pudding to satisfy your nighttime chocolate cravings. It needs NO time to set when mixed!

35. Weigh in at meetings. Don’t skip a weigh in if you think you gained weight. You must own it!

36. Prepay for the 10 weeks. It makes a mental difference on your commitment level.

37. Don’t hang out in your kitchen. You will only hear the pantry calling for you. Move to the den!

38. Avoid buying the junk food if possible. You truly can NOT eat it if it isn’t in the house. Save your indulgences for when you eat out. Make them special instead of the norm.

39. Eat a small protein within half an hour of exercising. This helps your body’s metabolism work better.

40. Avoid those quick energy bars as snacks. Eat them only if you plan on using that energy for activity! If not, it is nothing more than an empty carb that you could probably have better enjoyed somehow else.

41. READ LABELS when shopping! Make sure you check the fat content and the carbohydrate content. You don’t want to eat TOO much sugar! Bring your points finder with you to help you make the right choices for you.

42. Understand serving sizes. If the label says that a serving is 4 oz. then measure those 4oz. out so you familiarize yourself with what 4 oz. actually looks like.

43. Do NOT punish yourself for a weight gain one week. That sets off a snowball effect that could take you YEARS to get under control. Instead, try to change one thing in the next week to counteract your gain.

44. STAY FOCUSED. Your goal is to lose weight and get healthy! The occasional trip to McDonalds is ok and the occasional chocolate bar is fine but IN MODERATION. Keep focused on the end result and the good choices will counter balance the poorer or weaker ones in the long run.

45. Don’t think of yourself as constantly “on a diet”. This is a setup to failure because it categorizes you and if you decide to have something not considered “dietary”, then you feel like you cheated. You NEVER cheat! You DECIDE! Weight Watchers is built in such a way that it incorporates every food into a point value and YOU get to DECIDE how to spend those points. But trust me, using your points daily for McDonald’s is going to be a slower weight loss than grilled chicken points.

46. You cannot eat unlimited amounts of zero point foods. 0 + 0 + 0 does not necessarily equal 0. Every food has calories and if you eat unmeasured unlimited amounts of zero point foods, they ultimately total up to a calorie count that warrants a point. Just be careful.

47. Use Weight Watchers.com for help with recipes! They have wonderful ideas for low point recipes that I have used.

48. Try Weight Watchers.com etools to figure out the point values for your home recipes and for online journaling if you hate writing down your food and are married to your computer! Online journaling has a database of food point values so it makes it easy to figure out your daily points.

49. BUY THE FOOD COMPANION. This is priceless. I use it as my bible. You may also want the Dining Out Guide.

50. Live your life! It isn’t about what you eat and don’t eat, it’s about making food choices on your own and putting the power in your own hands. It’s CONTROL. You control what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. Just account for everything and you will see where you can cut back, eliminate, and enhance and you WILL lose weight!


Well, I didn't think I'd really have 50 things to say but frankly, I could probably have gone on with a few more! I have lost 76 pounds to date and am shooting for 10 more but trust me, these last 10 ain't easy!

Good luck to you! Weight Watchers is there to help, not just as a business but as a support group. Find that great leader that inspires you and you will succeed.

What I miss from 145 pounds ago

What I miss from 145 pounds ago................
I miss some aspects of life when I was big. 145lbs ago.
I miss the reckless abandon.

I miss the volume of food, the horizon of eats that lay before me on a table, knowing full well that the only thing stopping me was my fist-sized stomach. And even then there was always stretch.
I miss the way the fourth slice of pizza tastes. The fifth even more.
I miss bricks of brownie + ice cream + caramel + whipped cream + the crumblies of a Reese’s twosome. For a snack after lunch.
I miss fried food!!!!!!!!!
I miss when menus at restaurants were just lists of delicious dinners. And nothing more nutritionally threatening.
I miss not thinking for more than four seconds before deciding that, why yes, I’d absolutely adore donuts for breakfast.
I miss plunging my forearm into a bucket of thrice buttered pop corn at the movie theater. Shoveling mouthfuls of salted and soggy kernels into my gullet. Then Snow Caps. Then Sprite.

I miss brunching with sausage, egg, and cheese on greased and griddled everything bagels ........with hash browns and a mind on lunch.

I miss not caring when or how my next meal came, only that it came. And stayed. And never left.
I miss the way Cap’n Crunch-ed so loudly I couldn’t hear anyone hollering for me.
I miss that feeling I had when every fiber of my anatomy believed food to be the kindest, most loving spirit a girl could know.

I don’t miss the way heat felt suffocating. The way temperatures teasing 70 threatened me.

I don't miss not being able to play with the grandkids...

I don't miss wondering if I will see my kids and grandkids grow old.

I don't miss the way I felt........all the time.
I don’t miss the caramel creams ....and how I would get sick eating them.
I don’t miss the Lucky Charms and the Corn Pops and the Honeycomb that helped me with me cope. They never filled the answers like I’d begged them to.
I don’t miss wondering if invisibility would be a more comfortable state. There are no places to live there.

I don’t miss the way my legs chafed, the way shorts rode up until I discreetly tugged them down.
I don't miss ripping pants out....in public.
I don’t miss the way my legs fell asleep if I dared sit cross-legged on the floor.
I don’t miss feeling like a wallflower.
I don’t miss watching people move, and act, and sing, and dance and wishing, oh wishing, I felt that free.
I don’t miss sealing my hopes and dreams into an envelope and mailing it to the future. I never knew how to get there. Or why it never came.

I don’t miss thinking, “Someday they’ll see. I’m better than they know. One day…”
I don’t miss my stomach calling my brain to tell her I’d eaten enough and I just couldn’t (couldn’t!) eat another bite. She never answered.
I don’t miss the staring.
I don’t miss loading a gun with ‘fat’ and ‘pig’ and ‘whale’ and handing it to others to pull the trigger. They never heard mercy.
I don’t miss the excuses and the regrets and the feeling like I’d wasted precious years.
I don’t miss the tears.
I don’t miss dreading, oh dreading, any occasion with dresses, or dressing up, or dressing, really. Not the girdles.
I don’t miss thinking that size 16, 18, and 20 ....24....26 would fit differently, more acceptingly, in different stores.

I don’t miss waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Then waiting some more.
For life to begin.
Because she was hanging out all along.
And when I found her sitting quietly, off to the side, just waiting on me to begin her
I had missed her.

What’s the moral here?
What’s the matter with missing 145lbs? With letting every one of them go completely and asking, gently, that they never come back? It’s not you, it’s me.
The matter is that, fat or thin, big or bitty, I’ll always be both. No, I won’t look in the mirror and see the other. No, I won’t praise one too highly. Because they’re all I know.
Each is valuable.
When you’re big for thirty plus years, the only thirty you’ve ever known. You’ll know that who you are was formed in there, and that’s beautiful.
Hear me.
Beautiful.
I hear accounts of those who’ve lost a tremendous amount of weight. Maybe they were on the Biggest Loser; maybe the cover of People. Most often, they speak about their former selves, the bigger ones, in a very detached way. As if the here and now is infinitely better and more lovely than the past. And maybe it is in lots of ways. But here’s the thing: it was you all along.
I don’t think back on my past and want to redo it. I don’t flip pages of my baby book and think, ‘dear, what cankles you had.’ I don’t see my adolescent self, my teenage self, and wish those pictures, scrapbooked and framed, would disappear. Really? My life, big, was always all I knew. And that is perfect in its own right.
Yes, I know now that with 145 extra pounds, something more was wrong than my weight. The scales I tipped should have tipped me off to emotional suffering. But not all of it was sad, or scared.
Some of the weight was happy and as well rounded as it came across.
Some of it meant that I developed a personality first.
A sense of humor before a sense of entitlement.
Empathy before ego.
Some of the weight meant that I didn’t care about myself. But in turn, maybe I cared deeply about a number of meaningful external parts of life. I poured my heart into relationships, molded to fit friends and circumstances. A big ball, I rolled with the changes. I doubt I’d be able to do that now, so much more rigid and spindly. I had a protective layer. Something to pull over my eyes , and the world, threatened to break me.
I found spirit.
I cared deeply about the way people perceived me. But maybe that made me more in tune and intuitive. Maybe that’s why, now and always, I could and would like to sit for hours and days on end, just listening to someone else. What’s your story? Where are you from? And, are you content? love and peace xxoo


I find there’s a fine line between like and obsessed. A whisper-thin, sliver of a line. Take my reverence for Target, for example. What began nearly ten years ago as a casual, “Hey I really think that place is the cat’s pajamas” slipped almost too quickly into me considering ways to spend an entire weekend within its red doors. How lovely a weekend that would be.
My relationship with my muffin tin is similarly alarming. We can call it obsessive if we must. The thing is, I just can’t quite seem to help myself.
Because, I mean, well… everything can be cupcaked…made petite…muffined even. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert can all be popped, hot, from the twelve cup tin.
So then- shouldn’t they be?





Petite Lasagnas
recipe slightly adapted from Hungry Girl
(makes 12)
12 oz raw ground turkey
¼ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped mushrooms
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano, divided
½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.
Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!

Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna: 5 PointsPlus
Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein 14.1g