Week 4 Weigh In...

Drum Roll...I have lost a big 13.6 pounds in a month! More importantly, I am learning to love to eat healthy food! It has been so much fun going to the Weight Watchers meetings with friends and I am loving the challenge of finding good food for low points! I even lost over the Easter holiday, and I ate some of my favorite chocolate in moderation!! I am realizing that while the "fad" diets help you lose quickly, what I am doing is helping me to change not only my life, but the lives of my children! It really isn't about the weight...it is about the control I am feeling in my life. I am choosing to control what I eat, which in turn affects the rest of me. I have started using essential oils and I was telling a friend that I haven't had a headache in over a month. I was trying to give credit to the oils and while I strongly believe they are helpful...I honestly believe that my overall health is being greatly effected by my food choices. My headaches and anxiety have been strangely absent as I have consistently chosen healthy fruit and veggies over chocolate and sugar. This is a huge aha moment for me! And while I am excited over the 13 pound weight loss...this new found control and feeling of wellness is more exciting!

Week 3

So we are almost to the end of week 3 following the Weight Watchers plan...typically this is my quitting point, however, I am feeling great! Love, Love the Weight Watchers plan!! I haven't felt deprived and if anything I have made it a personal challenge to find foods I like that are healthy too! Today, I was feeling in the mood for some serious comfort food. A grilled cheese sandwich is what I wanted, but cheese is a big point committment..one I didn't want to make. So I got creative. I used the laughing cow cheese, spread it on the bread (a little hard to do once it is buttered but it was worth the mess) Then I added a little ham and wa-la...yummy cheesy goodness! It really hit the spot!
I am looking forward to our Easter celebration with good food, and my wonderful family. I have been looking for recipes that can help with the food counting. I found a great recipe for deviled eggs that I am going to try! The biggest weapon in my arsenol is going to be the fruit and veggie trays!! NO points!! Which leaves plenty of points to spend on BBQ chicken and dutch oven potatoes!! YAY for holiday spent with families!!

Its all about ME!!!

Tonight I went to WW meeting. I didn't really want to stay but didn't really want to go home either...so I stayed and am so happy that I did. The discussion was about making time for ourselves. Christine had a jar that she filled with marbles representing all the things we do for others. She then tried to fit in 3 golf balls that represented things we do for ourselves..they wouldn't fit! We discussed the importance of putting our own needs on our list of things to do. At the end, Christine emptied the jar and refilled it, but this time she put the golf balls in first, and then the marbles. Everything fit. The point is that we are happier and can fulfill our roles better when we take time to take care of ourselves. I don't do that as well as I would like to but it is something I am definately going to work on! As part of that goal, this week I am going to pen my exercise schedule into my planner and make sure that it is a priority rather than an after thought.

Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese wedges

Have you tried the laughing cow light swiss cheese wedges? They are amazing all by themselves. Rich swiss cheese that really hits the spot for only 1 point per wedge. Today for lunch I decided to experiment. I warmed up 2 wedges (1 point each) for about 30 seconds. Then I added 1/2 cup of tuna fish (3 points) and stirred it all up. I put the tuna mixture on my whole wheat light bread...2 slices=2 points, put them on a cookie sheet with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese (1 point) and broiled them until the cheese was bubbly. I had my tuna melts, sugar snap peas, and an apple for 8 beautiful points!! Try it and see how many fun things you can do with laughing cow cheese!! I'm thinking macaroni and swiss cheese, or an egg omelet...Mmmm!!

Bananas

I really dislike bananas. Really. But, they are a fruit and they are filling, and well I am trying very hard to be healthy. So my challenge for the week was to find a way to eat a banana that didn't make me want to puke. First, I tried dipping them in yogurt...no good. I am not a huge yogurt fan either so that wasn't going to work. Then I tried peanut butter, which I liked. But my favorite thing is what I have lovingly called a banana sundae. I cut up my banana and then dumped a fat free chocolate pudding on top. I then added a 2 tbs dollop of fat free cool whip and 1 crushed up graham cracker to the top and wha-la...banana sundae for 3 points! It was an amazing treat! Now I better stock up on bananas!

Sanity

Fudge bars are my sanity...specifically the ones from Schwans! I have been so good at not cheating and every night I reward myself with one of these heavenly bars for 3 tiny points! So worth it!!

Mashed Potatoes

I am not very good at sharing recipes...most times I just throw things together and hope for the best. Last week, Weight Watchers online had a recipe for "Mashed Potatoes." The recipe called for yukon gold potatoes and cauliflower...I didn't have yukon gold, so I made it with regular Idaho spuds. I mashed the potatoes like I would normally using 2tbs Brummel and Brown butter spread, 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream, and some 1% milk (this is why I am no good at recipes...some isn't an exact amount) Then I steamed 1 cup of cauliflower and added 1/2 cup mashed potatoes to it. Can I just say...YUMMY! I really loved it! In fact, my whole family loved it! We may never eat boring old mashed potatoes again! The beautiful thing about these were that I could eat twice as many for the same amount of points! Plus, I fit in an extra serving of veggies!

Weight Loss...the journey

So...I finally am doing it, the right way! I joined Weight Watchers almost 2 weeks ago and I am doing great! I feel better, and I have even lost a few pounds...6 to be exact!! I was determined not to create another blog about my life, however, I began thinking it would be nice to have a place to write about amazing recipes, and even more importantly a place where I could celebrate the small changes I have made for those weeks when weight loss isn't easy.