46.........I will turn 46 tomorrow.........a healthy 46 I might add. I have never felt so healthy.  I feel great...I am working at it everyday though. I work hard at feeling  this good, as a job~ I have decided to do this right. Yes it took half my life to get there. But I am there...today. Tomorrow we will see. This is not easy, no, it is not. As a big loser.....we are expected to do a lot. We are expected to know it all. Well, I don't. To me this is part of the challenge....even the FuN of it. So on to the fun. May this year bring me.....health and FuN!

Baked Zucchini Chips

Category: Appetizer

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini (long and thin), sliced very thinly
• cooking spray
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Line baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Lay zucchini slices on baking sheets and spray top of slices very lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at your oven’s lowest temperature (150-200 F is ideal) until completely crisp, about 2-3 hours. Let cool on baking sheet then store in a covered container at room temperature.

Notes

These chips are crispiest when eaten straight from the oven. Once they cool, and over time, they become slightly chewy again, so eat them warm!

tweak it.......

  I really do swear by Weight Watchers. But I also feel....it is up to you.  If the current plan is not working for you ....tweak it a little. And as a member of WW ~I can say that a lot of people who reach their goal don't stay there. But with weight loss as with quitting smoking, it often takes many attempts to change behavior and mindset to be successful.(which I have done both). Each day, might I add....is a fight! and.....I am enjoying every second of it!

 

 

Cheesy Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad

3 Points plus
I used it for a base in a quick salad dressing. It came out fantastic! And went perfectly with cucumber, tomatoes, and, of course, fresh basil.

Here’s what I did.

• 1 The Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Wedge
• 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Honey
• About 1/2 Pint Grape Tomatoes Halved
• About 1/2 Cucumber chopped
• 10 leaves of basil
  

Mash The Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Wedge with the vinegars, olive oil, and honey. This will be easier if the cheese is room temp, or you can squish it a bit in the packaging before adding to the bowl. Don’t worry if it looks lumpy, just keep mixing as it will all incorporate.

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and toss!

What excercise does for you.

There are two parts to being as healthy as you can be….nutrition
and exercise!
I look forward to helping myself and you become
more fit, lean, and energetic.
Benefits of Exercise
We know that we need exercise and that we will benefit
from it, but sometimes we just need to hear what those benefits are
to motivate us to get moving!
1. Metabolism Boost
You will burn more calories all day long if you increase your
muscle mass. So, if you want to burn more calories without even
trying (i.e. while you sleep), then carve out a few minutes every day
to get rid of fat and add some muscle!
2. Mood Boost
Exercise can be a natural anti-anxiety and anti-depression “drug”
that doesn’t even have side effects that medications do! Almost
everyone has some stress in their lives, and stress can lead to
depression and anxiety. Exercise can relieve tension and even creates
a post-exercise relaxation response by affecting neurotransmitters.
To prove how much exercise can affect your brain, studies proove that
it actually causes neurogenesis (new neurons in the brain)!
3. Confidence Boost
Who doesn’t want to look more fit? Most of us (especially moms)
have had new “pooches” or “muffin tops” added to our bodies
after having kids. Exercise can cause noticeable changes in our
bodies in a short amount of time, especially when paired with
dietary changes!
These are just a few of the benefits of exercise, but the list
does go on!
The good news for us busy moms is that if we exercise smart
we don’t have to spend as much time doing it. I don’t know about
you, but 15 or 20 minutes is about as long as I have some days to fit
it in.







Weight Watchers Skinny and Spicy Macaroni and Cheese
Points: 7 weight watchers pointsplus
Servings: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutritional Information: 222.3 calories, 5 g of fat, 39 g of carbohydrates, 4.9 of fiber, 10.4 g of protein
Ingredients
12 oz high fiber shells like Ronzoni Smart Taste
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup diced poblano peppers
1 cup skim milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup diced reduced fat Queso Oaxaca, Requeson, or Pepper Jack Cheese
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, draining when it is just cooked since it will cook further in the oven.
3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and using a whisk create a roux where the flour and butter combine and the mixture turns light brown.
4. Add the onions and poblano peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn.
5. Add the milk and chicken broth and bring to a slow boil on medium heat.
6. Turn the heat to low and add the cheese. Whisk constantly until the cheese is completely melted into the sauce.
Taste and add salt and pepper until it is well seasoned.
7. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and add your pasta. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix together.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it is bubbling. Turn the oven up to broil and allow to broil for 2-5 minutes to brown the top.
slender kitchen

If you want it enough, you can make it happen.

....are you there yet?....are you sick and tired of being ....sick and tired!

Here are some realities I’ve discovered through about 45 years of fighting with obesity and learning to live in weight maintenance.
Obesity is not fun. The realities of struggling with lowered energy levels, the inability the fit into clothes or cars properly, the sad realities of medical problems such as high blood pressure, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and joint problems beat me up throughout the years.
Weight maintenance is not a temporary moment in time, but rather a permanent moment in time.

Weight loss is less about “talking about it” and more about “doing it.”
Weight maintenance is all about doing the right things — most of the time.
Obesity caused me to shrink from life at times, leaving me with fewer friends then I really wanted.
Weight maintenance gives me freedom from constantly worrying that people only “see” my weight rather than my personality.
I tell you all of these things to give you something to think about this week. Weight loss, obesity and most of the associated downsides can be temporary if you turn your life around now. I’d encourage you to examine whether you are standing in your own way from getting where you want to be. Banish your excuses, make a newly renewed commitment to achieving your goals, and share your passion with someone you care about.

The Pineapple Bun
By: Roni | Posted in: 6 WWP, 6 WWPP,


This isn’t a recipe just an idea I had to share. I can’t believe how good it was!

I’ve never had grilled pineapple. Can you believe it? I just never really had the desire to grill it before. When you love something raw sometimes it doesn’t occur to you to cook it. Why mess with a good thing?

Well, I was wrong.



Grilled pineapple is fantabulous! It’s warm, sweet and meaty. Sandwich a burger patty in-between and you’ve got a whole twist on dinner. Sure, sometimes I want to pick up a burger on a bun but other times I want to have a little fun. This was fun.

4 oz lean beef
2 slices of pineapple about 1/2 in thick
Grill the patty according to your taste. I’m a medium-rare girl myself. Halfway though cooking add the pineapple to the grill. Grill about 3-4 minutes a side.

Remove everything from the grill and sandwich the patty between the 2 slices of pineapple.

Dip~please My Mama rocks!

Change requires the belief that change is possible for you. You are far more powerful than you believe yourself to be. You would not have made it this far if you were not capable of change.

You must be willing to be uncomfortable as you push past your previous limitations. To lose weight permanently requires faith, faith that there is a bigger life waiting for you beyond food and weight. Faith is an eternal remembrance of home. Home is where the heart is.

Weight is often a hiding place. Losing weight for good means to stop distracting yourself with food and face your fears head on. It is only by facing pain and fear that you can move through it.

A little something for your time
Obviously ranch dressing is not healthy, especially considering it's only a condiment of sorts. So in the meantime, I have been searching for an alternative. I, ladies and gentlemen, have found our salvation in Greek yogurt. So below I share with you this humble recipe.
My mom brought this to Easter~way Yummy! You rock Mama!


Healthy Ranch Dip

1 cup Dannon Oikos plain nonfat greek yogurt
1 packet hidden valley ranch (dressing, not dip)
1/2 cup 1% milk

Whisk together in bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving. As you can see below this filled my canning jar. There is a lot of talk about HOW much milk to use, to get the right consistency and I found this dead on for 'regular' ranch or any other creamy dressing.

The best part....this ENTIRE jar of dressing, is only 255 calories, 1.75 grams of fat, 42 carbs and 34 protein. That calculates to 8pts on the new points plus system. For an entire jar of dressing. I would hazard a guess that this would yield about 20-24 servings.

pie...pie...pie

Creamy Lemon Pie
Weight Watchers

4PointsPlus Value



Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 10

Rich and creamy, you'll never guess that this pie is light. Make two — serve one and freeze the other for up to two weeks.

Ingredients
6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
2 Tbsp salted butter
11 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest

Don't count the days...make the days count!

How to stay motivated!
Do you often find yourself motivated for a couple of days and then you can’t seem to find the urge to get out of bed…let alone eat healthy or workout? It’s almost as if the fire that was lit inside of you has fizzled out and turned into a huge cloud of black smoke. Here are some ways to take that match, light the fire, and keep the eternal flame.

1.) Write it out and keep it visible! Make a stop and start list with your ULTIMATE GOAL as the title. Below your goal, write a list following a format similar to this, “STOP __________ and START __________.” Check off anything you have fully accomplished.
For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose weight, your list should look something like this:
ULTIMATE GOAL: Lose weight!
-STOP drinking pop and START drinking water.
-STOP sitting around and START walking.
-STOP eating white bread and START eating whole grains.
This will give you a visual perspective of your goal(s), the opportunity to assess your current habits, and allow you to break up the big picture into small puzzle pieces.

2.) A blast from the past! Have you made attempts in the past to reach a certain dream that you still desire? If so, think back to everything you did and where you may have went wrong. What happened? What made you want to quit? Too strict? Too tired? Confused? It will be easier to avoid hitting a dead end if you know what warning signs to look for. Come up with a plan to work around those issue(s).

3.) Get excited! So, you may not like healthy foods or working out right from the beginning. Most people don’t. You have to remind yourself that the choices you’re making today will change your life in the future. Keep your focus on the positive, not the negative! Picture this: you’re running on a treadmill and thinking, “I only ran 3 minutes! I want to die! I can’t do this! AHH!” This doesn’t sound very fun, does it? Instead of being negative , think like this: “I can do this! I’M FEARLESS! I will feel amazing after I finish!”

4.) Building blocks! The Great Wall wasn’t built in a day. Neither is a healthy lifestyle, a marathoner, a Doctor, etc. Most challenges in life are a building process and the more you build, the closer you will be towards reaching your ultimate goal. What you can do is build upon each of your successes and bask in the glory of each success, no matter how big or small.

5.) Think small. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment of starting any new and exciting journey, but putting too much on your plate is a recipe for disaster. Make gradual changes to your life. The word “change” makes a lot of people uneasy. It’s because of the fear of the unknown. What if you fail? What if you succeed? What if? What if? What if? It can become daunting after a while. Small changes seem less intimidating and more feasible.
**THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL IS TO NEVER GIVE UP!


Healthy Company Potatoes
These potatoes are super! I hope you like them!


serves 16 ( 4 points+)


5 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed ( leave skins on)
2 T. butter
1 c. fat-free sour cream
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
paprika
Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter, sour cream, cream cheese and salt. Place in a 13 x 9 pan coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika.
Bake at 350, covered, for 25 minutes.

getting back to basics.......

WW Pesto Recipe – makes 1 cup – you only need ½ cup for the pizza

2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 cups basil, leaves, fresh
1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp table salt
Pizza

1 store bought bag of pizza dough or homemade if you like
1/2 cup pesto, recipe above
1/2 onion sliced into strips
1 cup cooked chicken breasts cut into small pieces
2 cups of reduced fat mozzarella cheese
Optional – chopped fresh tomato
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Sauté chicken pieces and onion in olive oil in a medium size frying pan, until browned and cooked well.

3. Lightly flour your pan.

4. Stretch pizza dough to cover the pan you are using, about 12 inches around. (we use a pizza stone)

5. Bake just the crust for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.

6. Spread ½ cup of pesto over the crust.

7. Sprinkle the chicken and onion mixture over the pesto.

8. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the entire pizza.

9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

10. Cut into 8 pieces.

Makes 8 slices, 6 points + per slice.

Friends for weight loss

I am going to focus on in getting back to the basics. What will you focus on this week to help you get back to the basics?

get out and get movin’ – it doesn’t matter what you do, but, do something active most days – make it at least 10 minutes or more…Let’s get our booties groovin’ to some exercise.

– Drink, drink, and drink some more…water that is – let’s all meet our minimum 64 oz water requirement each day….since you will be exercising, this should help.

. TRACK IT ~ as in track every single bite, lick and/or taste (BLT’s). If you take a bite of something that isn’t a zero points+ food, then, count a minimum of 1 points+ for it. I find this also helps me take less BLT’s because I don’t want to “waste” my points+ on things that are not worth it!

a few words.....

There is no magic wand to cure obesity. Burning excess fat needs the spark of motivation and the fuel of will to sustain the fire that will eventually melt it. It means addressing issues about lifestyle, behavior and drivers of a general sense of well-being like adequate sleep and gainful, fulfilling physical activity, etc. The specific triggering motivators could differ between individuals and identifying them spells the difference between success and failure of a weight loss program.


Journals get to the point.
If nothing else, don't let yourself slack off on the journaling. It is essential to keep yourself in check. At least through your first year. Jot down those points, even on "bad" days. If you have no boundaries, how do you know when to stop? If you fall off the wagon, get back on. The program works if you work with the program. If you get off track, don't let yourself be discouraged. You are not a failure if you are trying.


Fancy meeting you here
If at all possible, attend local Weight Watchers meetings. I know Weight Watchers has a great web-based program, but nothing can replace the camaraderie of meeting with like-minded people. Then there is the sometimes dreaded, but more often enjoyed "weigh-in." The leaders usually have great recipe ideas and there are always great success stories to inspire you.

Hydrate That Body - Drink Water
Drink your water! Yeah, I know it isn't as tasty as a Diet Coke, but it is better for you. You will have to force yourself at first, but in time, your body will crave it and it will become easier. I've found that it works best for me to keep a water bottle at my desk (in my case, a MegaMug formerly used for coffee). I drink it down and then go fill it up again. Yes, I have to dash to the bathroom more often than I used to, but once you drink the water you should be drinking, there is a difference you can see. Clear = good! You can still have your soda and coffee, but work the water in somehow.

You are Beautiful - Diet with a Smile
Regardless of the weight you have to loose, you are still a wonderful and unique person. If you want to loose the weight do so because you want to and you are ready. You can't do it just to please someone else. Remember, you are amazing just as you are.

Ellen's PIZZA

I do not eat pizza now....usually.

I have made up my own style.I love this little devil!

1 Low Fat Tortilla

Salsa

1/4 c Low fat shredded cheese

3 oz. shredded chicken

mushrooms, broccoli, onions, peppers...what ever veggie you want!

Place the tortilla on a lightly greased cooking sheet. Spread salsa on the tortilla (draining off most of the liquid) place the shredded chicken, and veggies on top. Finally sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Bake 350 for 15 min or until golden brown. (if you can wait this long)

Points will vary to ingredients~ but very low!