Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 41

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 41 and I lost .5 lb again this week, so that puts me at 39 lbs. total! I am happy to have had a loss, but was expecting it to be over 40 lbs. at this weigh in. I did not post WW Wed. last week because I had a terrible stomach bug. I ate very little for 2+ days, and barely managed to stay hydrated. (I stayed on the couch and slept a lot. Thank goodness for Lon's family who helped with the boys!) Of course when I got on the scales Saturday it said I'd had a huge loss. I was thrilled. Fast forward 4 days, and when I weighed this morning I was back to my normal range. I guess I see how much of a difference all that water really makes at a weigh in. I could never be on The Biggest Loser!

Anyway, overall it has been a good week. I have maintained a good food journal and finally gotten my notebook started. (If you have been following along with me on this journey, then you know I have been intending to put together a master Weight Watchers notebook thinking being organized would help me keep track of my food more accurately.) I kept putting off making the notebook because I wanted it to be "just so". Eventually I decided anything would be better than notheing and grabbed a 3 ring binder at Wal-Mart. So far, I have recipe sheets, food journal logs, and a running grocery list in it. I bought a little zippered pocket that holds my Weight Watchers tools like a points calculator, Core Foods list, and ink pen. The binder has proven to be very helpful this week.

On another note, it has been a terribly rainy and ugly couple of days, so not too much outdoor activity going on. I brought my bike back from the river this weekend so I am gonna start riding a few times a week in addition to the walking.

Since I have been on the subject of the "Core" Plan for the past few weeks, I thought I would post a link to a wonderful list of Core Foods that I found online. It is by far the best one I have found to date.

I hope all my Weight Watchers buddies had a great week! I can't wait to hear your progress!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 39

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday(actually Friday oops!), Week 39 and this week I lost .5 lbs. for a running total of 38 lbs.
Just like last week I am participating in The Domestic Princess In Training's Linky Party to keep myself accountable. Here are her questions and my answers.
1. How did your week go?

I am thankful for my loss, but I must admit I did not make the changes I had planned on making this week. I have still not switched to the Core Plan. I did not journal everything as I was supposed to, but I did make enough good choices that I squeezed in a loss, so I feel good about that.

2. Were you faced with any challenges? If so what were they?

I have been insanely busy this week with the boys, church, Halloween festivities, and other obligations, but NO EXCUSES. I did not follow through with what I said I was gonna do and I have to hold myself accountable. I started on my journal and will have it done by next Weight Watchers Wednesday. That is the goal for this week.

3. How do you plan to work on conquering these challenges in the upcoming weeks? If you were a rock star and went through the week without any concerns you can talk about that here as well.
This upcoming week I am going to take the time to make a better grocery list so that I can stick to the Core Plan and I am gonna finish my Weight Watchers Notebook.

4.What were a few things you did this week to get you moving in the right direction? (If you took a picture/pictures of you doing any of these activities you can include them here.)
I still exercised and I stayed busy.

I am gonna be heading to the Charleston County Fair tonight, so send up a little prayer that I can steer clear of the Fried Snickers bars that always call my name at the fair! Also being that it's Halloween, I have to be extra mindful.

Instead of a recipe this week, I am gonna share a Halloween Candy Points List that I found online. Here is the link to an awesome Weight Watchers Blog and her post about Halloween Candy.

I hope all my Weight Watchers Buddies had a great week and I look forward to hearing from you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 38...

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 38 and this week I lost 0 lbs. for a running total of 37.5 lbs. I am ecstatic about this!! Why you ask, because after eating carni food all weekend at the Court Days festival I attended I was dreading a gain this week. I guess the fact that we walked all day every day cancelled out all that crazy food. Can I get a hallelujah?!

I am doing something a little different in this week's WW post, as well as in the next few weeks to come. I have recently made a fabulous new blog friend (the Domestic Princess in Training), and she is hosting a weekly weightloss challenge from now until November 12. I have been needing something to get me more motivated lately, and I think this is just the ticket. In a nutshell, she has a few questions she posts on Mondays and we answer the questions, list our goals, and follow up with the others who have linked up for the week. It is a great idea for some accountability and I am in desperate need of that this week. SO, here is the list of questions and my answers:

1. What is the goal are you trying to reach by November 12th?

My goal is twofold. First I want to accurately journal every.single.morsel of food I put in my mouth. Secondly, I am switching over to the Core Plan instead of the Flex Plan. I was supposed to do that last week, but being that I traveled more than I was home it just didn't happen. I am focusing mainly on my food because I have found a good rhythm regarding exercise but my food choices are still a struggle and I have to be better about journaling. One other benefit to keeping a food journal is that I can keep track of different things I eat and swith them up so I don't get as bored.

2. What are you going to do to support yourself in reaching your goal?

I have made some new food journal sheets in Excel and I am printing a stack of them off tonight and decorating a cutie-patootie notebook with the thought that I will be more likely to use it if it is cute. That is just how I am. I make no apologies.

I am also going tomorrow to find a small notebook to put in my purse that I can have when I am out and eat something so that I won't forget to journal stuff.

3. This one is optional but if you like include a picture/pictures of the things that you are going to use to get you moving in the right direction.

If you do Weight Watchers and want a free food journal you can print out, here is a link to a good one.

I found this adorable binder on Etsy, and I will probably do something very similar.

If you want to buy this little beauty, here is the link. I don't know this seller personally, but they have some awesome notebooks. I will post pictures of my notebook either when I finish it or next week on WW Wednesday.

Last but not least, if this accountability thing sounds like something that interests you, here is a link to the Domestic Princess In Training. She is awesome and so sweet to host this for the next few weeks. I hope all my WW buddies had a great week and I can't wait to hear from you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 37

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 37 and this week I lost .5 lbs. for a running total of 36.5 lbs. I am off of my goal for the week by 1/2 lb. so I am gonna have to really be good this weekend travelling and stay on track. I can do it!

For those of you that do not follow Weight Watchers, they have 2 types of plans. The Core Plan and Flex Plan. The Core is based on eating healthy foods until you are full, and you don't have to count points as long as you only eat the foods you are allowed. On the Flex plan you eat a daily allowance of points that are determined by a food's fat, fiber, and calorie content. I have been intending to switch to the Core plan for a while now. The only time I get my veggies in is when I am on the Core plan not the Flex plan. I am weak. I use my Flex points on junk food no matter how I look at it. I only eat my points, but they are not spent on veggies or lean protein. I would much rather have a Snickers bar for 7 points than a healthier alternative. I obviously lose better when eating healthy foods, so this week is gonna be the switch I've been putting off.

On the exercise front, it's been raining here. I have been a real slacker this week. I had a great work out Sunday and then skipped Monday. I worked like a crazy woman pulling weeds and raking Tuesday, but didn't get diddley exercise in today. I am exercising tomorrow and Friday to get my time in.

For a recipe this week, I am sharing more of a tip than a recipe. As I have told you many times before, I am a coffee-aholic. I LOVE it. I could drink it all day everyday. I am also a pumpkin fanantic. I look so forward to this time of year because Starbuck's has their Pumpkin Spice Latte. I would hate to know how many points one of those is. Hence I came up with my own version. I brew Pumpkin Spice coffee, add Splenda, Sugarfree Vanilla creamer, and I top it with Fat Free Cool Whip. Can I just tell you it is delicious and definitely worth 2 points!

I hope all my WW buddies had a great week and I look forward to hearing your progress. By the way, if you are on WW, do you do Flex or Core?

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 36

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 36 and this week I am at a big fat 0 lbs. lost and 0 lbs. gained, for a running total of 36 lbs. lost. Okay, if I am gonna reach my goal of 52 lbs. this year I am gonna HAVE TO lose atleast one pound every week the rest of the year. This makes me a little nervous since all the really good eat everything in sight because it all tastes so delicious and you only get this great food once a year holidays are coming up. I guess I am gonna just have to try to stick to my meal planning really closely and only splurge on holidays.

I have still been exercising. I have not been quite as disciplined about it this week, but I did get in 3 workouts. I am gonna change up the walking to aerobics for a day or two and see if a little variety makes me more motivated.

For this week's recipe I am gonna post an Apple Crisp recipe from one of my favorite sites. It is a blog I follow called Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and Gina is a wonderful cook. I have tried several of her recipes and they are always super! I am gonna try this one later on this week because it is fall and I always want apples in the fall.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 7/8 cup • Calories: 222 • Points: 4.5 ptsFilling:
5 medium apples, peeled and diced
1.5 oz raisins (small box)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup agave nectarTopping:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup (half stick) butter, melted
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine apples, raisins, cinnamon, agave nectar and lemon juice in large bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch. Toss until fruit is coated. Place fruit in an ungreased baking dish.Mix remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake about 40 minutes or until topping is goldenbrown and fruit is tender.Serve with a scoop of low fat ice cream or fat free frozen yogurt.

I hope all my Weight Watchers Buddies had a great week and I will be back next week with a loss, or I'll die trying!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 35

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 35 and this week I lost 1 lb. for a running total of 36 lbs. Hooray! I keep chugging along and still hope to reach my goal of atleast 52 lbs. by the end of the year which is 1 lb. per week.

I did good on my eating except for on the weekend. Mom and Dad were here and I always have to make her cook a little. French Toast before church Sunday morning was definitely not a weith watchers recipe!

I squeezed in a good amount of exercise last week, but I have not done so well in the past few days. I am gonna have to get back in gear tomorrow. I already have Daisy's leash ready for in the morning!

As for this week's recipe, I am gonna share the "Big Shake". I found this on a Weight Watchers discussion board a while back, and it is great. You can make it and sip on it for a long time. That little trick makes me feel full much longer. This recipe is very versatile, but calls for DaVinci syrup. If you have never tried this stuff, you have not lived! It is available at Wal-Mart in the coffee aisle, and Target carries it too. You can find a larger selection online, and it is a little pricey but worth every cent. I only have Sugar-free Vanilla, but am gonna try German Chocolate Cake next.

3 Point "Big Shake"

1 cup FF milk

2 Tbsp. FF SF Jello Pudding Mix (any flavor as long as it's FF and SF)

10-12 ice cubes

1 tsp. DaVinci Sugar-free Syrup or vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. water (I only do this if the shake is getting too thick for me!!)

Put in blender for at least 2 minutes to chop ice up. Poor into BIG glass and enjoy! It makes somewhere around 3 cups for 3 points. Another variation was to use Cheesecake flavored pudding and I put in 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries. It tastes like a big muffin for 3 points.

I hope all my Weight Watchers buddies had a great week, and I look forward to hearing your progress!

Busy Bee...

I'm still here. I know, it's been a while! Last week when I posted Weight Watchers Wednesday on Saturday I felt terrible for being so behind. Well, this week is over and I have not posted since Tuesday. I will do better. I promise! So, just in case you are curious about what we have been so busy doing, here is a quick update.

Weight Watchers Wednesday... I lost .5 lb. for a running total of 35.2 lbs. Very happy with the progress and at this rate I should be able to hit 52 lbs. by the end of the year (1 lb. a week).

Lonnie got inducted into his high school's Football Hall of Fame on Friday night, and we had company for the weekend. Here are a couple pics from Friday.

Here we are below his plaque.

I was just as proud as a peacock of my hubby. He is a very humble person, but this honor is saved for a select few and he was so honored they chose him.

I went Saturday morning to a huge community yard sale in Bluffton (right outside Hilton Head) with my mother in law and a couple friends. We had a great time and scored some great deals. I'll share those on Tuesday!

I somehow managed to talk Lonnie into helping me with one of my projects this afternoon. While Connor LOVES tools and helping Mom with her projects...
He looks like such a little monkey with his goggles on pushing down his ears!
Lon is not such a fan. He was a good sport about it though, and we managed to get started on my old door transformation. We are trying to turn it into a corner shelf, but when we started cutting it it started falling apart. I guess there is a reason it was free. We are making some progress and I am not one to give up, so I will post about it later this week when I finish it.

I hope you have had a wonderful week and I hope to be catching up with all my blogging soon, so much to share with you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 33

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 33 (actually Saturday, oops!) and this week I had a loss of .3 lbs. That brings my total loss to 34.8 lbs. I have resorted to counting decimals, but it was a loss so I thought I would share it.

It has been a very stressful week, and Walker has been wanting to do some baking. For the first weekend in a long time we are not going to the river, so we decided to tackle a Chocolate Peanutbutter Cake that I have had on the brain. I've been wanting to try it since Aunt Wendi told us about it, but have been good. I finally cracked! Walker helped me with it and can I just tell you it is to.die.for! I will spare you the recipe since this is Weight Watchers Wednesday, not "blow your diet Wednesday", but if you want the recipe let me know and I'll post it later. I had one small piece and it hit the spot, so now I will be trying to push it off on family and friends to get it out of the house fast.

My exercise buddy and I have been on opposite schedules a lot lately, so I have resorted to exercising with a new partner, Walker. He is not quite as coordinated as Mary, but he makes me laugh through the whole work out, and that makes it go by pretty quickly.

Walker has been such a little trooper at school, so I wanted to do something special for him. He decided he wanted me to watch a movie with him, so we decided together to make it a "Campout" in the family room and pitch a tent made out of sheets. We had all the lights out and played with flashlights. I watched his little movie beginning to end, with out doing laundry or loading the dishwasher, etc. and it was such a relaxing evening. I have got to learn to be more present and that so much of what I stress over can wait. Baby steps people, baby steps.

For the recipe this week I am gonna tell you how I make one of our family favorites lighter. All 3 of my guys LOVE Sloppy Joes and french fries. Not the most diet friendly food, right? Well I have altered it and they have no idea and because it is still delish. I use whole wheat buns, ground turkey instead of hamburger, and then bake the french fries. I also buy the Sloppy Joe spice packet and tomato paste seperately insead of buying it pre-mixed because it is less calories that way. Your exact point total will vary according to the buns you choose and the quality of turkey, but I can make this meal for 8 pts. a person and it really tastes the same. That is cutting the calories and fat by almost half, and whether you are a person that watches your weight or not, that is a good change!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 32

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 32 and this week I lost 0 lbs. for a running total of 34.5 lbs. Why am I doing the happy dance over no loss you ask? Well if you saw how I ate on the trip to TN you would understand exactly why. My Mom's cooking is incredible, plus we ate out quite a bit. I just knew I was gonna have gained this week, but I WAS WRONG! I guess the exercising is still paying off!

While I didn't eat properly, I did still exercise. I crave the movement if I don't atleast walk. That's an amazing change for me! Squeezing it in has been more difficult now that the boys have started school. Connor goes from 8:45- 11:45, and Walker goes from 11:45-2:30, so I am trying to learn to juggle all these schedules. I'll get used to it, but thus far I feel like we haven't stopped.
I have intended on sharing a new picture for a while now, but just haven't taken one, well I finally got one yesterday with the boys before school.
When I was home this past weekend, I got to spend some time with one of my dearest childhood friends. She had been to a great blueberry patch right before I came over so I helped her bag some of her berries up for the freezer. She sent me home with 3 bags, LUCKY ME! Mom helped Walker make a homemade pie with one bag, and Mom kept one bag, so I have one bag left for smoothies. Here is one of my favorite blueberry smoothie recipes.

Blueberry Smoothie, 2 pts.
1 C frozen blueberries
1/4 C light vanilla yogurt
1/2 C skim milk
1 Tbsp ff/sf vanilla pudding powder
Ice as needed.

Blend, enjoy! At 2 points this is a great option for a treat or dessert. I hope all my WW buddies had a great week! I look forward to hearing from you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 30

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, and yes you read correctly, it is Week 30!! I have actually been doing this for over 7 months! This week I had a loss of .5 lbs for a running total of 34.5. I am just so stinkin' proud that I am still sticking to this new lifestyle and exercising that I can hardly stand myself. HA! Just teasing. In all seriousness, I am stoked to have had a loss this past week because it has been extremely stressful and I didn't eat every pint of Ben and Jerry's at Bi-Lo. I did have some Chubby Hubby on Sunday though, just keepin' it real!

Walker's dental appointment on Tuesday was a complete and total nightmare. For a little background, he had his first dentist visit last month and it was terrifying to him. We researched and took him to one of the best pediatric dentists in our area, but Walker was still traumatized after the visit. The way that child was screaming, I am surprised they didn't kick us out.

Anyway, they found 2 cavities in his molars so the dentist said our best bet would be to have him sedated and get the work done. We had to be there really early and he got his Demerol, but because he was so anxious his body metabolized the meds funny and it acted more as a steroid. He was bouncing all over the walls. You would have thought they gave him a double espresso.

To make a long and painful story very short, after they velcroed him to the table and he still thrashed around it was determined that he was gonna need to have the work done in a hospital operating room with complete anesthesia. Can I just say that having your child scream and cry for your help is heart wrenching. The dentist was wonderful and so patient, but it was just too much for Walker, and when they tried to give him a shot in his mouth he jerked so hard that they almost got him in the cheek. That was what sealed the deal on the hospital visit. It just wasn't going to be safe to proceed at the dentist office. Thank you Jesus! I don't think I could handle much more, and neither could poor Walker. So, $4oo later we still have cavities and we get to look forward to another fun dental adventure. But no need to worry. Walker is back to his regular self.

What does all this have to do with the price of tea in China, you ask? In another time, I would have literally eaten and eaten and eaten. This time, I shed a few tears, talked to a few girlfriends/ family and felt better! This is huge people!

Mary and I are still exercising 3 -4 times a week, and doing it first thing in the morning has been a wonderful way to do it. I am too tired to make excuses and I know that at 6:30 in the am I don't really have anywhere else to be.

For this week's recipe, I am gonna share a Pineapple Banana Smoothie Recipe, 2 points. When I was a kid my mom always made Pineapple Banana homemade ice cream, and this reminds me of it.

Pineapple Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed pineapple -- fresh or canned

1/4 cup pineapple-orange juice -- from frozen concentrate

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt nonfat

1/4 cup water

2 ice cubes

1 packet of Splenda

1/2 of a banana

Instructions:
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients, blend until smooth and frothy.

2. Pour into glasses.
Makes 2 servings, 3 POINTS per serving

I hope all my WW buddies had a great week. I look forward to hearing from you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 29

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 29, and this week I lost 1 lb. for a running total of 34 lbs. Yippee!! As always, I am happy that I had a loss, especially since I have not been completely motivated to eat perfect for the past week. I have done pretty good, but I'm sure I used more than the "Flex" points I am alotted weekly.

I have been exercising regularly with my exercise buddy Mary (Happy birthday friend!). I have decided that the accountability is key for me. Having Mary to call me at 6:20 am, 4 days a week as she is enroute to my house makes me get up and moving when I would rather just roll over. We did Hip Hop Abs this morning and it was the usual laugh fest. We have decided that we should memorize the whole routine and go bust it out at a club. Kind of like they did in the House Party movies. We're crazy I tell you, crazy.

I am gonna skip the recipe this week, and post a couple really helpful tools for those of you trying to do Weight Watcher's on your own.

Weight Watchers Points Calculator

A to Z Weight Watchers Food List

Restaurant Points Guide

I do feel obligated to tell you that none of these sites are endorsed by Weight Watchers, but I use them frequently on my own and have found their points to be accurate. I hope all my WW buddies had a great week!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 28

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 28 and this week I lost .5 lbs. so I am now up to 33 lbs. I am stoked about having had a loss because being out of town this weekend was challenging, but also the weather has been bad this week and we have been inside baking every.single.day. Walker has always been a big fan of cooking, and Connor has now decided he likes it too, so that means double the goodies around to munch on.

I am still exercising 4 days a week. Mary and I have been meeting at 6:30 am for Hip Hop Abs or to walk. Tomorrow morning is hip hop, so I will be getting in bed shortly. That is one hard workout. I think our abs get more of a work out from all of the laughing we do at ourselves than they do the actual video. Hilarious I tell you!

For the recipe this week, I am gonna share a Lowfat Banana Oatmeal Bread that the boys and I baked. I made it into muffins instead of bread, and they were really good. Great to grab one and go.
Low Fat Banana Oatmeal Bread (muffins )
Makes 12 servings @ 2 points each

Ingredients :
3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar (I used Splenda)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned oats, not quick cook)
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Add sugar to mashed bananas and mix. Add beaten egg and mix. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix well. Mix in applesauce. Spoon into medium size muffin tin (I use paper muffin cups so they won't stick) and fill 3/4's full. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

I cheated a bit, and sprinkled chocolate chips on a few of them just to see how they were. YUM! I didn't count this change in my points though. I figured since I used Splenda instead of sugar, the chocolate chips would even it out again. Probably not the smartest way to do it, but I only added the chocolate to 4 of the 12 muffins.

I hope all my Weight Watchers buddies had a great week. I'll try to get some good pics next post.

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 27

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 27 and this week I lost 1 lb. for a running total of 32.5 lbs. I am very happy with my loss this week. We were at the river all weekend, and while I was conscious of my eating, I just didn't worry about it too much. For the first time in a while, I feel like this past week is one I could live with the rest of my life and not think I am missing out. This Weight Watchers thing must finally be becoming the "lifestyle change" I've been looking for.

In the area of exercise, believe it or not I finally made a commitment. My walking buddy Mary and I weren't able to go exercise a single evening last week because of conflicting schedules, and with VBS this week, we knew it wouldn't happen in the evenings again. So, we started exercising in the morning before Mary goes to work. We have been meeting at 6:30 am, and either walking or doing Hip Hop Abs. Getting up and going that early has been a HUGE change for me. I am always up by 7:00, but then I snuggle with Connor (the early bird) and drink coffee for an hour or so. Jumpstarting my morning has been different, but it is something I am gonna stick to because I am so much more conscious of my eating all day if I work that hard first thing in the morning.

For this week's recipe, I am gonna share my Chicken Veggie Bake. This is a creation I came up with (still trying to use all that zucchini) as a lighter variation to some other chicken dishes I saw online. We ate it for dinner last week, and I ate leftovers the next day and they were delish!

Chicken Veggie Bake, 6 points

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 zucchini, sliced

1 squash, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1 cup Spaghetti Sauce

1/4 cup Reduced Fat Parmesean Cheese

Salt and pepper

Aluminum Foil

Tear off 4 sheets of aluminum foil, and spray them with cooking spray, I use Pam. Wet the chicken with water, and roll in bread crumbs. Sprinkle with Salt and pepper. Lay on foil, layer zucchini, squash, and tomatoes on top of each breast. Spread 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce on each, and sprinkle the parmesean cheese on the top. Fold the foil closed along the top, close tightly on the ends. Bake the "pockets" on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 mins.

Now I am huge fan of chicken and pasta together, and since I wanted Alfredo sauce (yes I know how fattening that is) I decided the most calorie conscious way to do that was to just buy a frozen Alfredo entree by Lean Cuisine. It is 4 points, and wonderful. It made my whole meal 10 points, but it was exactly what I wanted. Even Lonnie said it was delicious. Give it a try!

I hope all my Weight Watcher's buddies had a great week. I look forward to hearing your progress!

Weight Watcher Wednesday Week 26

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 26 and this week I lost .5 lbs. for a running total of 31.5 lbs. I am pleased that I had a loss, but am a little disappointed it was not any more because I have been exercising a lot. That's okay though, just a little plateau. Next week I'm sure it will go better.

Just like last week, I have still been walking and believe it or not, my body craves the movement when I skip a day. In addition to the walking, I rode the paddleboat 2x at the river this weekend and Mom and I took a good little bike ride on Sunday morning. I definitely felt it in my legs after paddleboating the day before.

In the area of food, I have been doing pretty good. I am eating a good breakfast (protein shake and fruit or oatmeal), and then a light lunch. If I get hungry before dinner I try to eat fruit or almonds. My hardest thing this week has been my food journal. I have been slipping in that area, and I know from past experience that I.HAVE.TO. write all my foods down, or my caloric intake sneaks up on me.

One thing I do not watch is carbs, while I know I should, I tend to be a carbaholic, so that is just a sacrifice I hate to make. My sister is doing phenomenally well watching carbs though (Kudos Wendi!), so I am gonna plan next week's menu with a little more protein and see how it goes.

Keeping that in mind, and also the fact that I am still trying to use up my zucchini, I am gonna give you a recipe off of Gina's site, for Turkey Stuffed Zucchini. I have been working my way through some of Gina's recipes, and have been very pleased so I am gonna try this one.

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

(Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes)

Servings: 4 (2 halves) • Time: 50 minutes • Points: 4 ww points

4 medium zucchini
1 tsp butter
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp white wine
1.3 lb (20.8 oz) ground turkey (99% fat free)
1 large egg white
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp dried basil

Salt and fresh pepperPreheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Arrange in a baking dish. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces.In a large saute pan, melt butter and add onion, shallot and garlic. Cook on a medium-low flame for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and season with a pinch of salt, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook until it reduces. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper, cooking until turkey is white, breaking up in smaller pieces. Add paprika, garlic powder, marjoram and basil. Mix well and cook another minute.Place turkey meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add parmesan cheese and egg white, mix well. Using a spoon, fill hollowed zucchinis with stuffing, pressing firmly and top with bread crumbs. Place chicken broth in bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 minutes.

I hope all my WW buddies had a great week. I look forward to hearing from you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 25

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 25 and this week I lost 1 lb. for a running total of 31 lbs. I was pleased with my loss. Of course I wish it were more, but I am finally over the 30 lb. and now my new goal is 50 lbs.

I have been walking regularly. My friend Mary is coming over a few nights a week and we walk between 4 and 5 miles. I also have been walking some on my own . I did a walk/jog combo yesterday, and felt the burn for sure! I will be a runner one day. It may not be tomorrow, but eventually I will. I am also trying to teach Daisy to walk on a leash, so that is a lot of extra walking too.

I have felt so good about the week thus far. I have been eating right and exercising, but it has been fairly easy because we have been at home. We are going to the river for the weekend, and having company too. That always leads to a little more temptation for me. I guess I will just have to take an extra long paddleboat ride to make up for any extra calories I consume in homemade ice cream.

The only pic I have of me is one from this morning as we were heading out the door to the boys' first dentist appt. (It was a disaster. I'll have to cover that in another post.) We are in the kitchen floor, but I think you can tell I have lost weight through my face. Con looks a little stunned, and I'm not sure why.
For this week's recipe, I was gonna post a lite ice cream recipe that I want to try out in my ice cream maker, but since I haven't done it yet I am gonna go with something a little safer. Here is a link to a "Chameleon" ice cream. The woman who wrote the recipe says this about it, "CHAMELEON ICE CREAM is my new ‘standard but never-the-same-twice’ ice cream. It begs for creativity! " It has several different recipes listed. I am gonna be making the Coffee Spice or Coconut first. Just follow this link, and you can thank me later.

I hope you had a great week and I look forward to hearing from all my WW pals!

Gal Pals...

When I started this blog last year, it was mainly so that my friends and family in TN and WV could keep up with us on a daily basis. I think I have accomplished that. For example, every morning my grandma logs on to the internet and catches up on what has been going on in my life. (Sorry the posts have been so sporadic lately Grandma! It is harder to blog in the Summer!) Anyway, I was doing the blog for other people more than myself. I never would have guessed that in the long run, I would be the one to get the most out of it.

Besides the fact that this blog is a journal of sorts, it has also been a way to connect with others. Over these past 8 months I have met some incredible women from all over the country that I never would have known otherwise. These friendships that we have forged are as real and dependable as the ones with my girlfriends that I know from my daily life. It has been so wonderful to get to know these women and share struggles, creative ideas, laughter, and all of the ins and outs of life.

A perfect example of this is my friend Stacie. How Stacie stumbled on my blog is a mystery, but she has become a true friend in every sense of the word. She is funny, smart, a heck of a good cook, and crafty as can be. Her blog is called Park Avenue because she is a girl from the city and gettin' by in the country these days.(I'll warn you that if you visit her blog you are gonna find some ridiculously good recipes. NOT Weight Watchers ones either!) She has been especially encouraging in my efforts at losing weight, so it should not have surprised me this week when I got a package from her in the mail. I had to share this with you because it was so darn cute.

In that little striped box, she put these earrings that she MADE. Told you she was crafty. They are FABOO!
I hope this is close enough for you to read. It is a weight loss survival kit. This made me laugh out loud! Especially the little scrap of material "for next year's bikini". Such a hoot!

To all my gal pals that I have met via this blog, thanks so much for being such a special part of my life and for helping me to realize I am not alone in my day to day quest to be the best version of Mandi that I can be. I treasure you all!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 24

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 24 and this week I lost a whopping .3 lbs, for a running total of, brace yourself here, 30 lbs.!! It has been a long time coming and I have had as much time off the "diet" as on, but I am relieved to finally reach 30 lbs. I still hope to lose a lot more weight, but this is the most I have ever lost so it is a milestone for me.

In the area of exercise, I have been busy busy after the boys and their 2 cousins from TN this week. We went swimming in the river, to the beach, swimming in the pool, and riding on my paddleboat. I've also discovered that the trampoline is a great workout. We just put it back up this week, and jumping and chasing the kids had me sweating like crazy!

I haven't shared pics of myself in a while, and haven't gotten any really good ones, so here are a couple fun ones from the past week. Those two specs are my MIL and I swimming from our dock to theirs at the river. I swore I would never do a bathing suit shot, but I thought this was HILARIOUS! I went down the slide at the river and Mom got the funniest pic of me holding my nose, and sporting Lon's huge lifejacket. While I can swim pretty good, the river is unpredictable and we make the boys ALWAYS wear life jackets so I do too. I'm a bit of a nervous nelly that way.
And here we are taking the paddleboat out for it's maiden voyage.
For this week's recipe I am gonna just send you to another blog I found. It is called Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, and let me tell you it is INCREDIBLE! I am making my grocery list from this site today. She not only has mouthwatering recipes, but her pics are gorgeous and she has a ton of useful info. like a WW calculator, Restaurant food lists, etc. This is truly a goldmine if you are on Weight Watchers. So go over and visit Gina. Show her some comment love and tell her that her newest fan sent you!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 23

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 23, and I lost 1 lb. for a running total of 29.7 lbs. I am gonna hit 30 lbs. this week, finally! I am pleased with this loss because as you remember, I have been at the beach for a week, and in TN for 3 days. I did not journal my points or even track them during vacation. BUT, I did drink my protein shake every morning and tried to eat a decent lunch every day. I splurged on dinner at night, but we did so much walking and swimming that it all evened out. It is good to be home again so I can get back on the straight and narrow.

I am walking again. I hope to get in 3 miles a day, 4 times a week. It will be easy to do these next few days because Connor is still in TN. Walker will exercise with me or stay home with Lon, but Connor has to stay right under my feet. Who am I kidding, it is a welcome distraction! He did not want to come home yesterday, so he is staying with Mimi (my grandma) during the day and Nonnie and Poppy pick him up when they get off work. I was shocked that he stayed because he has never been away from me for more than a weekend. He's having a great time, and Nonnie will bring him back to SC on Saturday for Walker's party.

Speaking of Mimi, she has a wonderful garden, so while I was in TN she packed me a basket packed full of zucchini, squash, and cucumbers. Now fried squash is my FAVORITE, but not the healthiest, so my Mom came up with another way to make it. All she did was thinly slice the squash and roll it in cornmeal and a dash of sugar. She baked it in the oven on 350 degrees until it was tender. It was so good that I made a batch last night. I have not calculated the points yet, but I know it has to be better than fried squash/zucchini.

Here is my Dad holding a portion of what Mimi gave me. Some of them are huge!

Walker and Nonnie also made Zucchini Bread, which was not quite so WW friendly, but it was delicious!

Even Con man got in on the baking goodness...

I did not get her recipe, but here is one I found online that I am gonna try to make.

Zucchini Bread, 3 points

Ingredients:
1 cup egg substitute

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbls. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup oil

1/2 tsp. ginger

2 cups zucchini, ground (use smallest holes on grater)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. ground allspice
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix first 5 ingredients together (egg substitute through zucchini); set aside.
Combine dry ingredients (flour through allspice) in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and pour into 2 (9 x 5) loaf pans.
Bake at 350° for 45 to 60 minutes. Each loaf yields 12 slices @ 3 pts. per slice.

I am gonna try to do it with the baking Splenda instead of sugar and whole wheat flour. Those 2 changes will alter the points value, and they may make it gross, but it's worth a shot. It may also alter whether or not I get this face when it is done: Chances are I may get this face instead:

I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. I hope all my WW buddies had a good week, and I look forward to hearing your progress!

Weight Watchers Wednesday,Week 22

Just a reminder that I am at the beach this week. We don't have internet access at our house there, and unless I can find it somewhere then I will not be posting. I am still gonna eat properly and exercise, but it will probably be Sunday before you hear from me. Hope you are having a fantastic week!

Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 21

It is Weight Watchers Wednesday, Week 21, and for the first time in months I am excited to post about it! This week I lost 3 pounds for a running total of 28.7!!! It has taken real effort to get back on the bandwagon, but I am so glad I have. I feel more energetic and know I am doing what is right for my body. Journaling my points again has been a big eye opener and made a difference in my choices. It is amazing how those little 1 and 2 pt. things add up. I also planned the menu for the week as opposed to winging it, and grocery shopped ahead of time.

Another big change I made this week, is that I have started drinking a protein shake for breakfast everyday, as opposed to my typical oatmeal. I was getting hungry again within an hour or so of eating my breakfast, so I decided a protein shake might curb my appetite longer. I use skim milk, and add 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries to the mix. It makes the shake 5 points, but it fills me up until lunch and even then I am not starving.

In the exercise arena, I spent Saturday at the river and my MIL had me doing all kinds of things like running in the water and swimming. It was so funny, but I'm sure it burned calories. Other than that, I have worked in the yard and done my typical puttering around and staying busy. I did manage to get in one day of walking. I have a walking date set up with a friend for this evening, so I'm getting there.

This week's recipe is for Asian Burgers. They were in my Weight Watchers Magazine this month and I made the recipe and enjoyed it for lunch a couple times.

Asian Burgers

1 lb. ground skinless chicken

6 Tbsp. Lowfat Asian Sesame Salad dressing

3 Tbsp. plain breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp. salt

2 scallions, diced

broccoli coleslaw mix (already bagged in your produce dept.)

Combine chicken, 3 Tbsp. of the dressing, half of the salt, the bread crumbs, and the scallions. Patty into 4 burgers. Broil 5 inches from the top for 5 mins. on each side (10 mins. total) or until done. Mine took about 12 mins. While that cooks, put slaw mix in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. of water and cover. Microwave for 3 mins. or until crisp tender. Drain and add 3 Tbsp. of remaining dressing in slaw and toss together. Drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp. of dressing over the burgers.

3/4 cup of slaw and one burger are 5 pts. I ended up using a little more dressing, so it upped my point count to 6, but I am a saucy kind of gal.

I also wanted to share a link this week to Dottie's Weightloss Zone. I am sure there are few people who do not already know about this site, but her restaurant points list is the best of any I have ever seen. If you are on Weight Watcher's, bookmark this link!!

Thanks to all you gal pals who were so encouraging after last week's post. Your sweet words meant the world to me and y'all are such a constant source of support. I hope all of you had a wonderful week and did something really great for yourselves!