Hard work pays off

 

 

 

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Stop thinking about it and just START. You don't have to do it perfectly, progress and 'perfection' will come with time. The important thing is to start and continue repeating that new action, whether it's eating smaller portions, lifting weights, drinking more water, increasing your exercise intensity...stop thinking about it and JUST START.

 

 

A few things I have realized.....hard work....pays...OFF!! I am sure we all know this, but really think about it, use it, take ~and just do it!

Pizza Logs

Oh my goodness. I am so excited to share these with you that I can barely contain myself and think of how to put it into words. I decided this concession stand staple needed a healthy makeover when I passed a tray of them wandering through the Wegmans prepared food section the other day. They looked oh-so-good but also oh-so-bad for me and I immediately got to work on lightening them up. I wish I had realized earlier that these would be so quick and easy to make because they taste every single bit as delicious as their fried counterparts. I should have been making these for years! I’m not going to lie…I can see myself making up for lost time by just making these weekly for the next several months. Yum.

These seriously taste even better than the fried version and each pizza log is less than 100 calories and only 2 Weight Watchers Points+! Don’t be skeptical about halving the string cheese – it’s absolutely perfect. The cheese spreads out and gets gooey and stringy and the ratio of pepperoni to egg roll wrapper to cheese couldn’t be better. Traditional pizza logs don’t have sauce in them but I decided to try putting a little in half of these to see what I thought and I liked those ones way better. It makes them juicier. On of the great things about these is you can easily make as many or as few of these as you like. Snack for one? Just make two logs. Party for 10? You can easily make 20-30. Your guests will never guess these are a healthy version and you’ll be a very popular host!

Pizza Logs

Source: Emily Bites Original

Ingredients:

8 egg roll wrappers (larger than wonton wrappers)

8 teaspoons store-bought pizza sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

24 turkey pepperoni slice (I used Hormel)

4 light Mozzarella string cheese sticks, each cut in half horizontally to make two shorter sticks (I used Weight Watchers brand – recommended!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and spread a teaspoon of pizza sauce horizontally across the center of the wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning across the sauce and add a row of 3 pepperoni slices over the sauce. Place half a cheese stick on top of the pepperoni. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled pizza log over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped pizza log onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. When all of the pizza logs are wrapped and on the baking sheets, mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10-14 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown.

Serving suggestion: Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping if desired (not included in nutrition calculations)

Yields 8 pizza logs. WW P+: 2 per pizza log (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per egg roll from myfitnesspal.com: 97 calories, 13 g carbs, 2 g fat, 7 g protein, 1 g fiber

emilybites.comhttp://www.emilybites.com/2013/06/pizza-logs.html?pfstyle=wp

Clean Blueberryberry Protein Muffins

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Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 124
Fat: 3.8 g
Carbs: 6.9 g
Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 16.2 g
Old Points: 2.3 pts
Points+: 3 pts

______________________________

Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Tone It Up

2 1/2 cups protein powder

1 1/2 cups eggs whites

3 Tbsp almond flour

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbsp water

1 mashed banana

1/4 cup organic (no sugar added) applesauce

2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

3 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mash banana with almond milk until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients up to the blueberries and mix well. Gently fold in your blueberries.

Spoon mixture into a muffin tin sprayed with coconut oil and fill close to the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Sprinkle powdered stevia on top and enjoy!http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/04/clean-blueberry-protein-muffins.html

Cherry Cobbler
 Weight Watchers Recipe
 Posted by Internet News | 12:15 PM | Cherry Cobbler Weight Watchers Recipe

No baking required! Here’s a delicious dessert recipe that is not baked in the oven, but is actually made in a crock pot.

Ingredients:
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Spray inside of 2 -3 1/2 qt. Slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour pie filling into cooker. Beat remaining ingredients with spoon until smooth. Spread batter over pie filling. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Makes 6 servings.
Each serving = 6 Weight Watchers Points

Cherry Cobbler Weight Watchers Recipe



Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

-6 Weight Watchers Points
 Posted by Internet News | 3:30 PM | Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan-6 Weight Watchers Points

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3 oz.) each
1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. Sugar
Pinch of celery seeds
2 tbs. dry red wine
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over med.-high heat. Add the chicken and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 min. Combine the chicken and next 5 ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometers registers 170 degrees – approximately 6-8 hrs. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Don’t stir. Cook until the cheeses are melted, about 15 min.
Serves 4
Each Serving = 6 Weight Watchers Points
Try serving it up with a low calorie salad or some steamed vegetables.

Proud....say it with me!!!!!!!

Apricot Crisp

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Apricot Crisp
Servings: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
Nutritional Info: 134.4 calories, 5.5g of fat, 20.7g of carbohydrates, 2.1g of fiber, 2.8g of protein * 4 P+

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. apricots, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. sliced almonds
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the apricots with 1 tbsp. of brown sugar and almond extract. Pour into a baking dish covered with cooking spray and let rest for 15-25 minutes while the oven preheats.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar. Then add the oats and stir together. Next add the flour. Finally stir in the almonds, salt, and cinnamon/nutmeg. Larger clumps should form.
4. Spread this out on top of the apricots. Bake for 30 minutes or until top becomes golden brown.

http://www.slenderkitchen.com/apricot-crisp/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Proud! 

Say it with me!

 We are strong, and capable of doing anything we put our minds to. 
I have been through a.......LOT this last few months. And I am still going. I have fought with a few pounds....menopause symptoms....and more.  Just hang in there, that's all I can say. Some days are good some not....welcome to life. BUT, I did not get fat in one week, so, I will not always be able to take off a couple of pounds that fast! I have hung in there and still working out. It pays off, I promise!

Sometimes your body needs a vacation from working out, and dieting, I feel. But keep going, switch it up.....trick your body....it will LOVELOVELOVE you back!

 

 

 

 

 

Breaking Weight Loss Plateaus

These tips will help you break past weight loss plateaus. Getting over the hump can sometimes feel impossible and you may be ready to give up.

Now is the time to try something different to shake up your diet plan.

Your weight loss diet plan was working so well, but all of a sudden, things are not going as planned.

Have you hit a plateau or even started to gain some weight? With any diet you will eventually hit a plateau in weight loss or run the risk of falling off track.

We all hit that point where we are doing everything right, but with little or no results.

Don’t be discouraged. When you first start off you will lose weight more quickly, but as you shed the first few pounds, the body begins to adjust.

In order to push past your plateau in weight loss you may want to make some changes. Try these tips to get over the hump and get you losing weight once again.

Mix Up Your Exercise Routine

If you are like many people your exercise routine is similar from day to day. Perhaps you always exercise in the morning for 30 minutes alternating between aerobics and strength training. Exercise is great and you don't want to stop this step.

If you want to get past your weight loss plateaus, then now is the time to mix it up.

Instead of doing only 30 minutes add 15 more minutes to your workout.

Try doing 30 minutes of aerobics followed by 15 minutes of strength training in the same day.

Change the time you workout. Try switching to working out in the evenings before dinner instead of first thing in the morning.

Or divide your exercise time into two sessions.


Change the intensity as well. If you have been doing low impact aerobics then kick it up a notch.

Your body has gotten used to the low intense workout and therefore is not as challenging.

So challenge yourself and your body so you can burn more calories and say goodbye to your plateau in weight loss.

Change Your Eating Habits

You've been eating the right foods and the right portions. You are counting your calories and tracking the foods you eat. Yet you have still hit a few weight loss plateaus and the pounds are no longer falling off.

Just like with exercising now is the time to make some changes.

If you have been eating 3 meals a day try breaking these into 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Eating smaller meals more often keeps your metabolism revved up to burn more calories.

Try altering the snacks and foods as well. If you usually have a yogurt as a snack try a high protein snack instead.

Try adding a bit more protein and less carbs to your meals.

It's also time to adjust your calorie intake. As you lose weight the amount of calories you need is less.

So double check your calorie intake for weight loss. Use this free weight loss calculator to redetermine your calorie needs.

If you are finding it hard to curb your appetite, be sure to check out this article.

Don't Diet

For this tip on get over weight loss plateaus you may be saying that I'm crazy. You are probably thinking, I'm trying to lose weight so of course I'm dieting.

Well this tip is all about the way you think about losing weight. A weight loss plan implies life long changes and not just short term adjustments.

Whereas a diet implies a short term temporary situation. So when I say don't diet, I mean don't think short term.

Instead, make it a lifestyle change.

Think of your weight loss in the long term and change your habits from "dieting" to eating healthy.

Perhaps now is the time to relax and let your body adjust to your new metabolism and weight.

Don't worry about losing that next pound but instead take it easy for a week or so.

Then get back to tracking your calories and your foods.

By relaxing a bit will often get you past those weight loss plateaus.

Mix Up Your Calories

One way to overcome weight loss plateaus is to confuse your metabolism. To do this, you are going to mix up the calories.

So, instead of tracking your daily calories try tracking them for the week.

Alter your calorie intake daily to keep your body guessing.

What do I mean by this? Well on one day eat a few hundred calories less than your normal intake.

Then the next day eat a few hundred more calories.

This zig-zagging, orcalorie shifting is a method that just may push you past your plateau. It's a way to keep your metabolism guessing which in turn should keep it working to burn calories.

Just make sure your weekly total does not exceed your calorie intake for weight loss.

Track and Record

Often when people start to see success in their weight loss they relax a bit on measuring, tracking and recording.

Although it is not necessary to trweight loss plateaus. Maybe you think you are consuming the right amount of calories and burning the right amount of calories.

However, if you are not tracking and recording this you are just assuming and guessing at the numbers.

So double check you have everything right and go back to recording your calories.

Track both what you eat in terms of calories and how much you are exercising and burning.

Even if it's just for a few weeks to get you past the plateau in weight loss and back to losing weight.

http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/weight-loss-plateaus.html

keeping motivation......gOiNG

The key to staying motivated is similar to fuel in a car—you don't need the motivation tank to be full to drive, you just need to prevent it from running empty,

If you notice that your motivation is waning, give yourself a break from your diet or exercisefor one to three days, "The problem with motivation is that the more people try to ‘catch' it, the more elusive it becomes; by allowing it to run its natural course and at the same time having a set of habit-changing skills (such as a meal plan for the week), you'll stay on track and your motivation levels will run their natural course."





http://pointlessmeals.blogspot.com/2

This pie just says, "Summer"!
Fresh Strawberry Pie
serves 8 ( 8 points +)

• 25 Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers
• 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
• ⅓ c. powdered sugar
• ¾ tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. Cool Whip Free
• 2 T. seedless strawberry or raspberry preserves
• ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 lb. small strawberries, hulled and cut in half

Place chocolate wafers in a food processor and process until finely ground. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe dish and microwave 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds. Add melted chocolate and canola oil to the food processor; process until well combined.
Press chocolate mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Carefully spread over crust.

Place preserves in a large bowl. Microwave 10-15 seconds or until softened. Add lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Add berries and toss to coat. Arrange berries over pie.

Chill 30 minutes or until ready to serve.