Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Results......

Not seeing the results? Here are some reasons it could be......

://healthyandfitnotetoself.tumblr.com/

You’re not eating as “healthy” as you think you are
Underestimating or overestimating your calorie intake
Underestimating or overestimating your calorie expenditure
Not measuring portions
Not getting enough sleep
Not drinking enough water
Skipping meals
Doing too much cardio
Not lifting weights
Drinking alcohol
Drinking your calories
Not getting enough protein or other nutrients

There are obviously other reasons it could be… but these are a few to consider if you aren’t seeing results!

Had a terrific walk ....run this morning. It is so amazing to me when nothing seems right , a good walk makes everything ok...... for a while. Gotta love the fresh air! I thank the Lord daily for the health I have now, and the want to be healthy. It would be so easy some days to just say "the heck with it, I'm going to eat that anyway".......so far, as of this morning, I am ok.......ok is what I am.

Weight Watchers Cranberry Corn Bread
Points: 4 weight watchers pointsplus
Servings: 10
Serving Size: 1/10 cake
Nutritional Information: 155 calories, 2.9 g of fat, 31.4 g of carbohydrates, 1.6 g of fiber, 2.4 g of protein

Ingredients
1 package corn bread mix
1 can creamed corn
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup honey

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the creamed corn, egg whites, and honey. Add in the corn bread mix and stir together until just mixed. Fold in the cranberries.

3. Cook for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and slightly brown on the top.
http://www.slenderkitchen.com/cranberry-corn-bread/

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

apple crisp....come to mama

Summer quote of the day: It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
....Oh My Goodness. The tomatoes are to die for right now. I am loving them. We also have a lady in town who is on vacation that is letting me raid the garden at her home while she is gone~ crocked neck squash......yummy!

Went to Newton to class tonight. It is hard for me to make it to my Saturday class a lot....so I also love the leader in Newton Lynette Hartman....there is nothing to NOT love about this woman~!!! Oh Lord. You just have to meet her once and you will most defiantly be hooked. She is a ball of fire, wealth of knowledge. inspiration.....she is a firecracker! Come to Newton Tuesday night class sometime to find out what you are missing!

Make choices today that will keep you moving forward and towards the Happy and Healthy life you deserve! ♥Say something positive to yourself before you fall asleep tonight.

Keep those good thoughts working even while you sleep.

Sleep well, Friends. See you tomorrow. ♥

From Snack Girl

Mini Apple Crisp Recipe

(3 small servings)

1 medium apple
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 F. Peel and core the apple and chop into 1/4 inch squares. Mix in a small bowl with sugar, oats, and cinnamon and put into a small baking dish or ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy hot, cold, or room temperature.

50 calories, 0.2 g fat, 12.8 g carbohydrates, 0.4 g protein, 1.8 g fiber, 280 mg sodium, 1 PointsPlus

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Weight Watchers Tips

Weight Watchers offer many tips and secret to members to assist them with their weight loss.

Do not set unachievable goals
Decide upon a realistic target weight loss and try to achieve it in manageable chunks. Reward yourself each time you reach a key milestone (e.g. every half a stone lost).

Don't eat anything until you find out the point count
That "fat free muffin" that you see at the bakery probably has twice the points that you think it does. Do your research before eating it.
Stick to your recommended points limit. Under-eating can be as bad as overeating, and can slow down your metabolism making effective weight loss difficult.

Don't waste points on non-filling items
Things like orange juice; non-diet soda, etc. use up a lot of points, but don't really fill you up or satisfy your hunger very much. I also recommend that you not use points strictly for "flavor" (i.e. sauces, full-fat dressings, etc.) Save your points for items that will be filling and satisfying. Don't forget to count points when you drink as well as when you eat. It is all too easy to forget that the odd glass of wine or tumbler of juice contains points as well, but they can add up so make sure you take them into account.

Do use your points on filling items
Rice cakes are a good example of this. They are pretty filling and are only 1 point each.

Keep a food diary
Writing down what you eat and how many points you've had with each meal helps you to monitor your eating habits and keep track of how many points you've consumed. This gives you more control and shows where you might be going wrong if you begin to gain weight again.

Rethink what you like
Many people say "I don't like salad" or "I can't eat vegetables." You are trying to improve you health and fitness, now is the time to re-access your likes and dislikes. I don't like vegetables very much, but I try and have them with every lunch and dinner, because I know they will fill me up without points.

Do some exercise
This will not only keep you toned whilst you lose weight, but can help to increase your metabolism and speed up weight loss. You can also earn bonus points through exercise.

Know your yogurt
Yogurt comes in a mind-numbing number of varieties. Ranging from full-fat, fully sweetened to non-fat, non-sugared and everything in between. The point counts can vary tremendously, so read the labels carefully. I've seen two different brands of plain, non-fat yogurt have 100 and 130 calories (both for a 1 cup serving). Save the gimmick yogurts with the sprinkles or crunchy add-ins for your kids.

Drink plenty of water
Water contains no points and will promote a feeling of fullness, keeping hunger pangs at bay. It is also necessary to keep you hydrated whilst dieting and exercising.

Beware the fruit
Fruit is healthy and you should try to include it in your daily-diet, but they have points and some of them (bananas, pineapple) have quite a few points. You cannot eat an infinite amount of fruit and lose weight. The same goes for carrots, if you are going to be munching handfuls of carrot sticks, make sure you count the points.

Eat a variety of food
Since no foods are banned on this diet, you should make the most of it and plan interesting and well-balanced meals. Many diets can get tiresome and boring because of the lack of variety, but this will help to keep you interested and motivated.

Just Do It
Diet alone will only get you limited results. If you are overweight, chances are you are not getting much exercise. Do it. Do it every day. Joining a gym is fine, but are you really going to get there every day? Try to find something that you can do at home, whenever your schedule permits.

Review your cooking methods
Try to avoid frying and stick with steaming, grilling, stir-frying, microwaving and boiling. These are lower fat methods of cooking and will help to cut fat intake.

Proud to be Hungry
This tip is kind of philosophical. There will be times (perhaps many times) that you will be hungry. Instead of exceeding your points and eating something, wear your hunger as a badge of honor. The hunger you feel lets you know that the program is working. I'd be surprised if you can go around feeling full all the time and still lose weight. However, this should be the exception rather than the rule. If you find you are hungry all or most of the time, speak with your Weight Watchers leader.

Weight Watchers Recipe Easy Southwest Salad

Mixed Greens

sliced red onion

sliced roma tomato

1/4 cup black beans (1 PP)

1/2 cup southwestern style carved chicken breast (2 PP)

1/2 ounce Doritos crushed (2 PP) (This is 2 PointsPlus, I imagine you can find a lower fat, baked chip for 1 point)

2 Tbsp. Lite Salsa Ranch (2 PP)

Total PointsPlus Value 7. Serves 1.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Emotional Eating.....oh yeah

If you are up to putting in some elbow grease in the kitchen and making an incredibly delicious and healthy pasta casserole recipe, well then this Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta Casserole Recipe with Caramelized Onions is for you. Loaded with delicious veggies and a fabulous creamy bechamel sauce, each serving is just 5 Points +. It does require lots of separate pots and pans for cooking various components of the casserole, but it is oh so worth it. The garlic sauteed spinach, the onions caramelized in butter, and the roasted butternut squash all combine perfectly in this vegetarian pasta casserole recipe. I used a fresh, whole milk buffalo mozzarella to top it with and it was amazing! It’s a big recipe, so we had lots of leftovers, and it re-heated very nicely as well. This is definitely a Weight Watchers casserole recipe that will impress. And though I made it in the middle of a high temp summer, I’d ideally make this tomato-free pasta recipe in the fall, as the sage and nutmeg give it a fall-like flavor.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta Casserole Recipe with Caramelized Onions

Some serious effort in the kitchen goes a long way in this amazing Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta Casserole Recipe with Caramelized Onions. Delicious and filling, each serving is just 5 Points+ making it a great Weight Watchers dinner recipe idea.

Ingredients

2 cups dry, high fiber pasta
4 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
3 large onions, thinly sliced
16 oz fresh spinach leaves
8oz fresh, whole milk mozzarella, sliced
15oz container fat free ricotta
2 tbsp light butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups fat free milk
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dried sage powder
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

To roast the butternut squash, preheat oven to 425F. Lightly spray the butternut squash with an olive oil mister and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the butternut squash for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, set a non-stick skillet over medium heat and heat olive oil. Then add cloves of garlic and a pinch of chili flakes.
Heat until garlic begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add in spinach and sauté until spinach is completely wilted. Set aside on a paper towel to drain.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
To caramelize the onions, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions with a tsp of salt and cook down for about 20-30 minutes, until onions turn brown. Set aside.
To make the creamy sauce, bring the milk, nutmeg, sage, ½ tsp pepper, and remaining chili flakes to a simmer.
In a separate sauce pan, make the rue by melting the remaining tbsp. of butter and then adding in the flour. Stir until doughy (about one minute).
Whisk the milk into the butter and flour mix (the rue). It should be smooth and velvety, not chunky or too thick. If it is, just add some more milk to thin it out. Add in the Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, basil, remaining garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes.
Now, preheat the oven to 375.
In a large, 5qt casserole dish, place a layer of noodles, spinach, butternut squash, onions, and then dot with a third of ricotta. Then cover with about 1/4 of the cream sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until are used up.
Then top evenly with the sliced mozzarella.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling.
Turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes, or until browned on top.
Remove from oven and let cool for about 15-20 minutes.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate

Number of servings (yield): 12

Culinary tradition: Italian

Entire recipe makes 12 servings
Serving size is 1/12th of casserole
Each serving = 5 Points +
PER SERVING: 192 calories; 4g fat; 30g carbohydrates; 12g protein; 4g fiber

Emotional Eating: Feeding Your Feelings

Eating to feed a feeling, and not a growling stomach, is emotional eating.

Heather Hatfield

When you're happy, your food of choice could be steak or pizza, when you're sad it could be ice cream or cookies, and when you're bored it could be potato chips. Food does more than fill our stomachs -- it also satisfies feelings, and when you quench those feelings with comfort food when your stomach isn't growling, that's emotional eating

How to Tell the Difference

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

Comfort Foods

When emotional hunger rumbles, one of its distinguishing characteristics is that you're focused on a particular food, which is likely a comfort food.

Ice cream is first on the comfort food list. After ice cream, comfort foods break down by sex: For women it's chocolate and cookies; for men it's pizza, steak, and casserole.

And what you reach for when eating to satisfy an emotion depends on the emotion."The types of comfort foods a person is drawn toward varies depending on their mood. People in happy moods tended to prefer ... foods such as pizza or steak (32%). Sad people reached for ice cream and cookies 39% of the time, and 36% of bored people opened up a bag of potato chips."

Overfeeding Emotions

"We all eat for emotional reasons sometimes......"

When eating becomes the only or main strategy a person uses to manage emotions then problems arise -- especially if the foods a person is choosing to eat to satisfy emotions aren't exactly healthy.

75% of overeating is caused by emotions, so dealing with emotions appropriately is important.

Recognizing Emotional Eating

The first thing one needs to do to overcome emotional eating is to recognize it. Keeping a food record and ranking your hunger from 1-10 each time you put something in your mouth will bring to light if and when you are eating for reasons other than hunger.

Next, you need to learn techniques that help manage emotions besides eating.

Oftentimes when a child is sad, we cheer them up with a sweet treat. This behavior gets reinforced year after year until we are practicing the same behavior as adults. We never learned how to deal with the sad feeling because we always pushed it away with a sweet treat. Learning how to deal with feelings without food is a new skill many of us need to learn.

Managing Emotional Eating

Here are a few tips to help you deal with emotional eating:

Recognize emotional eating and learn what triggers this behavior in you.
Make a list of things to do when you get the urge to eat and you're not hungry, and carry it with you, When you feel overwhelmed, you can put off that desire by doing another enjoyable activity.
Try taking a walk, calling a friend, playing cards, cleaning your room, doing laundry, or something productive to take your mind off the craving -- even taking a nap, according to the Tufts Nutrition web site.
When you do get the urge to eat when you're not hungry, find a comfort food that's healthy instead of junk food. Comfort foods don't need to be unhealthy.
For some, leaving comfort foods behind when you're dieting can be emotionally difficult. The key is moderation, not elimination. Dividing comfort foods into smaller portions. For instance, if you have a large bag of chips, divide it into smaller containers or baggies and the temptation to eat more than one serving can be avoided.
When it comes to comfort foods that aren't always healthy, like fattening desserts, Your memory of a food peaks after about four bites, so if you only have those bites, a week later you'll recall it as just a good experience than if you polished off the whole thing." So have a few bites of cheesecake, then call it quits, and you'll get equal the pleasure with lower cost.

Lastly, remember that emotional eating is something that most people do when they're bored, happy, or sad. It might be a bag of chips or a steak, but whatever the food choice, learning how to control it and using moderation are key.