water!...our friend

 

Why Drinking Water Is Important for Weight Loss

Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially if you are dieting:

• Initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water, and you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• The process of burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Burning calories creates toxins (think of the exhaust coming out of your car), and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume; a reduction in blood volume causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles; and a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles can make you feel tired.
• Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract, and it lubricates your joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness when exercising.
• A healthy (weight loss) diet includes a good amount of fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.
• Drinking water with a meal may make you feel full sooner and therefore satisfied eating less. Note, however, that drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need bulk, calories and nutrients.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

You have probably heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. How much water you actually need depends on your weight, level of activity, the temperature and humidity of your environment, and your diet. Your diet makes a difference because if you eat plenty of water-dense foods like fruits and vegetables your need to drink water will be diminished.
You can do some research and use a calculator and measuring cup if you like, but nature's pretty good at letting you know the right amount to drink. When you drink enough water, your urine will usually be pale yellow, though vitamin supplements and antibiotics can discolor it. On the other hand, you shouldn't need to run to the bathroom too frequently. When in doubt, drink a little more.
Do not worry that drinking water will give your body a bloated look. There are a number of causes of water retention, including consuming too much salt. But drinking water is not one of them.
It is possible to harm yourself by drinking too much water, but it takes quite an effort. Either through obsessive-compulsive behavior or extended athletic activity, drinking large amounts of water can dilute the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) in your blood to the point that it interferes with brain, heart and muscle function. Athletes compound the problem with the loss of sodium

Almond Joy Cookies

Makes 48-52 cookies ( 4 points + each)

1 c. butter, softened

• 1-1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 c. flaked, sweetened coconut
• 1 c. peeled, slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350.
Beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture. Add chocolate chips, coconut and almonds, mixing until a thick dough forms. ( do not overmix)

Using a cookie scoop ( about 2 T.) drop dough onto cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. These cookies will firm upon standing, so do not overbake. http://pointlessmeals.blogspot.com/

zucchini

Summer is on....I have a friend who knows that I am a huge fan of zucchini.......so....she keeps me stocked up! :) My freezer is full!




Recipe: Baked Zucchini Chips, 0 PP

Written by teachergirl40 (carol) on 7/20/2012 5:23 PM

If you are a zucchini fan, like me, you'll want to read this! :) I just received this simple recipe from a friend and can't wait to try it. It says it's worth 0 PP!



------------------------------------------------------
Baked Zucchini Chips

1 zucchini
canola cooking spray
seasoned salt, or other seasoning(s) of your choice

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil, and spray with canola oil. Set aside.

Slice zucchini into thin medallions, about the thickness of a quarter. (You can either use a knife & a very steady hand, or a mandoline slicer.)

Lay out slices on prepared baking sheet, and spray tops lightly with additional cooking spray. Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. (A note on seasoning, however - use LESS than what seems appropriate. These shrink considerably in the oven, and if you use too much it gets very concentrated. It's better to end up underseasoning and add more later.)

Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, and bake an additional 30-50 minutes, until chips are browned and crisped to your liking. These are best eaten within a couple hours of removing from the oven, as they start to get chewy if left out. One zucchini makes one serving (1/4 C. - 1/3 C. of chips depending on the size of your squash).

http://community.weightwatchers.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?threadID=1676132



Zucchini Chicken Pasta in Tomato Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked wheat or high fiber penne (I used Barilla Plus)

14.5 oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (if you can only find diced fire-roasted tomatoes, don’t fret! You can pour them in a bowl and break them down in a few seconds using an immersion blender like I did or just toss them in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to smooth them out a bit)

8 oz can tomato sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced horizontally into half circles

Salt & pepper to taste

¼ cup fat free half and half

2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I grate mine on the smallest holed side of my box grater)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the water is boiling for step one, combine the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, Italian Seasoning, dried basil, lemon juice and crushed red pepper I a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.

3. Pour the tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or saute pan and bring it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook an additional minute until garlic is browned and fragrant. Reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer and pour the tomato sauce mixture over the chicken breasts. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and easy to shred.

4. When the chicken has about 6-7 minutes left to simmer, heat the reserved teaspoon of oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Cook the zucchini for 5-6 minutes or until it softens and starts to brown. Set aside.

5. When the chicken is done simmering, shred the breasts using two forks and stir them back into the sauce. Remove from heat and add the half and half and Parmesan cheese (you may want to reserve a bit of the Parmesan for garnish). Stir in thoroughly until well combined. Add the reserved penne and zucchini to the chicken and stir until coated and combined. Serve garnished with reserved Parmesan and chopped parsley is desired.

Yields 6 (1 ½ cup) servings. WW P+: 8 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 324 calories, 36 g carbs, 8 g fat, 30 g protein, 5 g fiberhttp://www.emilybites.com

        

Crock Pot Chicken Burritos Recipe – 5 Points +

• 1lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 4oz can diced chiles
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 8 whole wheat, low carb flour tortillas (I used THESE)
• 1 15oz can red enchilada sauce
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup reduced fat Mexican-style cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray an 11 x 13 inch baking dish with nonfat cooking spray.
2. Place chicken, tomatoes, chiles, green peppers, onion, garlic, and taco seasoning packet into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks and stir. Drain off excess liquid.
3. To make burritos, spoon about 3/4 cup burrito mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with 1 tbsp shredded cheese. Fold up burrito and place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
4. Pour enchilada sauce over burritos and top with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
5. Place in oven and cook until cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 10-12 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 6 hour(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 8

Culinary tradition: Mexican

Calories: 210

Fat: 7

Protein: 23

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1 burrito
Each serving = 5 Points +
PER SERVING: 210 calories; 7g fat; 21g carbohydrates; 23g protein; 9g fiber


Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/07/16/crock-pot-chicken-burritos-recipe/#ixzz2ZyWgdQ52http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2811628570710997625#editor

Ok I have not fallen off the end of the earth!!! busy busy busy......here is just a little bit of what I have been doin'....fair time!!!! AND I might add....we did well.  I will say, sorry I will not share these recipes for the cookies/pies....they will make your hips swell!!! xxoo el

Hang in there ! you make you better.....we can do this! WE ARE WORTH IT!!!!!!!

If you thought that classic fried fair food fare would never make it way onto your diabetic meal plan then think again! This easy Funnel Cake recipe is a surprising addition to your repertoire of diabetic dessert recipes. The key here is that the dessert is baked as opposed to deep fried. After one bite of this oven-fried treat, you may decide to forever avoid fried versions.

Makes: 6

Ingredients

• Cooking Spray
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon confectioner's (powdered) sugar
• Piping bag or plastic resealable bag and scissors
• Saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Baking Sheet
• Wire rack
• Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine water, butter, and salt in saucepan. Heat until boiling, about 30 seconds.
3. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously until mixture forms ball.
4. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating them into the mixture as you go.
6. Put batter into piping bag or re-sealable plastic bag, and snip a tiny hole in the corner.
7. Pipe 6 circles 3 to 4 inches in diameter on baking sheet pre-greased with cooking spray
8. Use the remainder of batter to make little swirls and decorations to look like funnel cakes.
9. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until fluffed and golden brown.
10. Sift powdered sugar evenly onto cakes. Place them on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath for easy clean-up.

Nutritional Information

One Serving=1 Funnel Cake

134 Calories
9g Carbs
3g protein
9g total fat
5g saturated fat
91 mg Cholesterol
103 mg Sodium

Read more at http://www.favehealthyrecipes.com/Pastries/Funnel-Cake-Recipe#hi55z2g8juOfF6po.99

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

______________________________

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

Print Post

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.

Never was this truer than in the case of weight loss. When it comes to losing weight, everyone wants to get results as soon as they possibly can. Now nobody can be blamed for wanting this. We all want our needs fulfilled quickly as we can,it's a trait that most of us posses.

However if you are looking to lose weight quickly, then the ultimate result will end in failure. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed possible to lose large amounts of weight in short periods of time. The results of quick weight loss will mean short term results and any weight that you may have lost, eventually returning. Often with a vengeance.

Your body is not something that you can clean up and change in a few weeks. Your body is a living entity, and this being the case it needs time to change. It needs time to adapt to the changes in diet and it needs time to adapt to increased activity.

It took us a long time to evolve from cretures crawling on all fours to become creatures that walk upright,it didn't take place over a period of a few months. When we want to change the way our bodies look, we are basically evolving into something else. This evolving is obviously on a much smaller scale; it won't take thousands of years for you to get thin. It will however take longer than a few weeks or a few months. This is a fact you need to accept, because once you understand and accept this concept, you won't give up or start to panic if you haven't lost a pound for a couple of days.

So many people fall into the trap that is set by certain companies that sell weight loss products. How often do you see products claiming to help you lose miraculous amounts of weight in a short time? Because we want to lose weight quickly we buy into this. What people don't realise is the effect that this type of weight loss will have on their bodies.

Can you imagine what it would do to your body if you had to lose more than 21000 calories a week? This is what would be required if you tried to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. To lose a pound of weight you will need to get rid of 3500 calories through diet or exercise. Of course you will lose weight for a few weeks, and you will feel happy about the results. After this initial time of success the weight loss will stop. By cutting back calories in such a huge amount,your body goes into a defensive mode and refuses to burn any more calories unless it really has to.

Just think about it; if you are used to eating a certain amount of food, and then this is cut down drastically, it comes as a shock to your body. This leads your body to defend itself from the shock by stopping you burning calories efficiently. Hence the weight loss comes to a standstill.

On top of this problem there is another problem that is going stop you losing weight. This other problem is your mind. Your brain uses 30% of the glucose that you consume. Glucose is converted from the carbohydrates that you consume. So if you decrease your calories by a large amount, it means less glucose for your brain. You will be left feeling tired,easily annoyed,and fed up. These types of feelings will quickly make you give up any weight loss program and revert to your original behaviours.

Traditional dieting methods rarely work. If his wasn't the case then why do people find it so hard to lose weight? You need to coax your body into losing weight and not force it. This is done in small stages, which will not put too much stress on your body or mind.

You should be looking at losing between 2-3 pounds a week. Your body is capable of accepting minor changes without any fuss,anything more and it goes to war with you. It can easily get used to losing a couple of pounds a week because compared to its whole; it is such a small amount. Many will say that losing this amount of weight sems to minimal, but how many of these people have succeeded to lose weight in the past with traditional dieting.

2 pounds a week over a 12 month period equates to a loss of 104 pounds. I know a year sounds like a long time but the truth is that doing it this way will be a workable situation. If you don't do it this way then you will continue to use fad diets which work for a short time and then stop working. The odds are that in a year you will find yourself in the same plac where you are today.

The simple truth is that by using some crash diet will result in your body crashing after a few weeks. Give your body the time it needs to adapt to any changes. Take your time and do it in small steps. Your body and your mind will be happier by doing it in this way. Most importantly the results will be much longer lasting. On the other hand you can stick with the crash diets and you will only get what you have always got.http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/43505/lose_weight/it_takes_time_to_lose_weight.html

Steel Cut Oatmeal Muffins

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April 15, 2013Kristen0 Comments4 PointsPlus Recipes, All Recipes, Baking Recipes, Breakfast Recipes

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Lately I have been having a bit of a focus problem. It basically goes like this. Sit at my computer, make a to-do-list for the day, ignore said to-do-list and spend an hour (and a half) catching up on my favorite blogs. Break for breakfast and coffee. Sit back at my computer determined to refocus. Spend an exorbitant amount of time in my inbox with zero efficiency. Break for a mid-morning snack and more coffee. Sit back down and maybe crank out 30 minutes of solid work before distraction returns. You get the idea. I could go on like this for another five paragraphs but I will save you the time, and distraction. Moral of the story is that I need to get my focus “mojo” back.
Cue the irony. So instead just trying to focus and work on Friday, I spent more time than I care to admit, googling tips for focusing, one of which suggested that steel cut oats and blueberries, among other foods, can help you focus. Cue today’s post and these yummy steel cut oat muffins. I can’t vouch yet that they will improve my focus but they did keep me full and tasted delicious. You can use any toppings you like, but I suggest making a variety to keep things interesting. One quick note on the recipe, if you can’t find quick cooking steel cut oats, soak your oats for 24 hours in water first.
Weight Watchers Steel Cut Oatmeal Cups
Points: 4 weight watchers points plus
Servings: 6 servings
Serving Size: about 1 muffin
Nutritional Info: 154.4 calories, 1.8g of fat, 31.5g of carbohydrates, 3.4g of fiber, 6.1g of protein
Ingredients

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 cups nonfat milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup quick cooking steel oats *
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• Toppings of your choice
• 0 point: Fresh berries, peaches, apples, pumpkin puree, other fruit
• 1 point: ½ tbsp. chocolate chips, 1 tbsp. sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp. almonds or other nuts, 1 tbsp. sweetened shredded coconut, 1 tbsp. dried fruit
• 2 point: 1 tbsp. reduced fat nut butter
• * If you can’t find quick cooking steel cut oats, soak the oats in water for 24 hours first and drain well

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix together the banana, apple sauce, egg, milk, honey, and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl mix together the oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon.
4. Line your muffin tin with six liners. Spray with cooking spray. Add half of the mixture to the bottom of the muffin tins. Add toppings of your choice. Fill with the remaining oatmeal batter. Sprinkle with toppings.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

http://www.slenderkitchen.com/steel-cut-oatmeal-muffin/