Little Update

So, I went to the Crafty night with some of my good friends. I decided before I left that I would eat a little something, so I wouldn't be starved when I got there and more likely to deviate and go over my points. I'm sure glad I did. The main course for the girls night out get together was pizza from Costco. I don't know if any of you know, but it's not a good thing to eat if I wanna stay in my points. I mean, one piece would use all my flex points for the week. . . Well, not really, but pretty darn close. Anyways, I wasn't famished when I got there, so that made it easy to not eat any pizza. It was buffet casual style, so it wasn't a big noticeable thing that I didn't eat any of the pizza that was offered. I did eat a couple of strawberries and a few slices of apple. I also brought along the Chips Ahoy Dessert that I mentioned I was going to bring. That was nice, as I knew what the points were in it and it was delicious! It was a big hit! I made a double batch and it was almost gone. It just goes to show that even if something is low in points, it sure can be tasty!! So, I'm I was happy to come home feeling good about myself rather than feeling all guilty for eating something  I really don't like in the first place all that much.

One more thing I wanted to mention real quick. I went to Costco today and found these new little treats. I decided to give them a try as they are only 1 point and I am a sucker for anything sweet and delicious! They did not disappoint!! Not only were they good and only 1 point, but they are cholesterol free, trans fat free, non dairy, contain no butter, no eggs and are low in sodium. How cool is that? My almost 3 year old daughter LOVES them. I think they are great as they fulfill my sweet tooth/sugar cravings. They come in two different flavors: Maple French Toast and California Almond. YUMMY! It's always nice to have something low in points you can snack on when you just don't feel like chewing another piece of Extra Sugar Free Chewing gum or eating another Fruitie  (as good as they both are). 

Oh and I made a yummy dinner tonight. I'll have to post the recipe a little later as it's almost 2 am and way past my bed time!! Sleep is necessary for weight loss too. I gotta get better at going to bed on time.  Anyways,  I made Chicken Enchilada's. It's a recipe I've made for years, I just slimmed down the points a bit and they still tasted great. The big secret to slimming down your points for Enchiladas is using low point tortillas. My favorites are the Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita size flour tortillas. They are only 1 point and have 8 grams of fiber in each tortilla and unlike some of the other Wheat Tortillas I have tried, they actually taste really really good and are not too grainy or have the "full of fiber" taste if you know what I mean.  I'll try to get the recipe posted soon.

I hope everyone is sticking to their plans and doing well!!

What would you do?

Tonight I am going to a "Craft Night" with a few of my friends. I am SO excited to get out of the house and hang out with the girls without screaming children. Don't get me wrong, I love my children dearly, but sometimes we all need a little break.  With this being said, we are also having dinner served at this get together. I don't know who the host is, nor do I know what is being served, so I'm trying to figure out the best route for this evening. Do I eat most of my points at home and then graciously not participate in the meal? Or do I save the points and eat the meal, which will most likely put me over my points and then some? These kind of situations are usually hard for me. I want to be strong and continue on the road to weight loss, but I don't wanna hurt any feelings as I do this. I do know that one of my bloggy friends will be there (she's the one that invited me) and she is doing WW, so I may just do as she does as I know she will have a great plan! I know this because I've seen her success and also because we've all been asked to bring a dessert and she is bringing fruit!! Yay Leeann!! I was so excited to hear that! I did make the Chip's Ahoy Dessert recipe I got from Lorie (posted below) and that is only 2 points a serving and is completely delicious!!

I guess I'll just eat my WW compliant meal here at home, but leave some room for some of the dessert points and hopefully not offend anyone when I don't eat the dinner. I'm thinking it's more of a pot luck type deal anyways. Who knows, there may even be things offered that won't kill me in points or at least that's what I'm hoping. I'm not confronted with this type of situation often as I usually know the person's whose house I am going to and therefore, can somewhat plan ahead. Or, I know the restaurant I'll be going to and know the dish I will be ordering before I go there, thanks to DWLZ! If you haven't checked it out, be sure to do so. It has points for almost every restaurant and food you could ever dream of eating at. So, not being able to really plan ahead like I usually do is really hard for me. I still have quit a few points to use for tonight, so hopefully I'll remember my Extra Sugar Free chewing gum and focus on what we are there for, to make a fun craft! :)

I'll be sure to post about it afterwards. This will help me to be more accountable for what I eat as I know I'll have to write about it. I may just be writing to myself, but by putting it down for the world to see, it helps me to stay focused.

What do any of you do in these type of situations? How do you plan ahead or figure your points for the day? I really don't wanna use all my "flex points" (I think that's what they call them now?) at this party. It's a new week and I try and leave the points available for most of the week and rarely ever use them anyways. 

Okay, I've babbled long enough and have probably not made a lick of sense as I have my darling baby on my lap jabbering about as well as swattin' at the keyboard :) 

Fitness on Fridays!

Okay, so it's been over a week since I returned home from vacation. Since being home, I'm even more determined to LOSE weight. My first goal is to get back down to my Weight Watchers goal weight. I know I feel so much better about myself when I'm at that weight, so I'm looking forward to getting there! I know I can do it as I've done it before twice. I'm a life time member of Weight Watchers and TRULY love everything about the program. It's exactly what they say. . . It's  "not a diet, It's a way of life!! I was able to lose a lot of weight originally on this program and then after having my first baby, I was able to get back to my goal weight. I'm currently trying to get back to this goal weight after having my second baby. I slacked off for a bit, but there are NO EXCUSES now! I just keep picturing myself at that weight and CAN'T WAIT to be there again! I am more determined than ever to lose lose lose!

Once at my goal, I'm hoping to lose a bit more and even feel better! At Weight Watchers, there is a range that you can be in that is considered healthy for your height. My goal is not at the tip top of the range, but is also not at the very bottom. However, it is closer to the top of the range than bottom though, thus, I can lose more after getting to goal and still be A-okay! But, FOR NOW, my focus is to get to my original goal weight.

What have I done this week to accomplish this? Well. . . I've stayed within my points EVERYDAY! I've also tried to drink more, but could still figure in more water. I exercised, but not as much as I had planned, so that is my goal for this coming week. I plan to exercise at least 5 days this week and drink more water/Diet V-8 Splash ;) ;)  I did however, lose all the weight I unfortunately gained on vacation (which won't happen again btw!!) and am thrilled about that :) Everytime I stand on the scale (which is WAY to often), I'm excited to see the number go down even if it's only a half a pound or whatever. It's still a loss and not a gain! 

This past week, I've also been enjoying visiting tons of new blogs and websites and reading about other people's journeys with weight loss. I find this really helps to motivate me! By surrounding myself with people on the same journey I am, I find I am more motivated than ever!!! I've linked to a few of the sites I've found and need to link to more and will hopefully get that done this week. (I do have a lot of them bookmarked :) I've found LOTS of delicious recipes and am really enjoying making new things that taste great, yet are low in points. I'll try and get some of the recipes posted later on this week as well. Right now, I need to go to sleep as it's almost 2 am and SLEEP is, believe it or not, a important component in losing weight as well. 

Last, but certainly NOT least, I leave you all with a quote from a great friend of mine named Leeann who posted this on her blog recently (take a moment to go read her entire post, it's VERY inspiring!)

Nothing in this world, tastes as good as confidence and respect for yourself!!!

Good luck to you all this week and I'm looking forward to reading other Fitness on Friday entries for motivation :)

Today's Plan

Okay, I just wanted to post my goals for today! Once again, to make myself more accountable! :) Today, I my goals are to make a delicious meal that is low in points, yet one of my hubby's favorite meals! I'm going to make Turkey Meatballs (see recipe below). I'm also making a goal for myself to workout on the treadmill for at least 1 hour!! 

These may seem like small goals, but every little bit helps. I didn't exercise yesterday as I went and had a play date with a good friend. We had a wonderful time, but now I gotta get back and focus!! No excuses!! Exercise Exercise Exercise! 

What are some goals you have each day? 

Turkey Meatballs in Wine sauce (I just use chicken broth here as I don't have wine on hand :(--

1 egg white

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tablespoons skim milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon thyme, crushed

Dash pepper

1 pound ground raw turkey

Nonstick spray coating

2 cups sliced mushrooms (we're not mushroom fans, so we don't add these)

3 cups water

6 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules

1 cup dry white wine. (I just add an extra cup water instead when making the cornstarch mixture to equal 4 cups of water total)

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1 box hot cooked noodles

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together egg white, soft bread crumbs (I use the ones you get for cheap that are crunchy at the store and the work just fine), 1/4 cup of the onion, milk, salt, thyme and pepper. Add turkey; mix well. Shape mixture into 1 inch meatballs.

Spray a 13X9 inch baking pan or baking dish with nonstick spray coating. Place meatballs in the baking pan or dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. (I find with the oven I have now, they cook in as little as 27 minutes) or till meatballs are no longer pink. Drain any juices; cool meatballs. Then, cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. I almost ALWAYS skip this step. I've done them both ways and really don't see the benefit of chilling them especially when I'm in a hurry. 

Before serving, spray a cold large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Add mushrooms and remaining 1/4 cup onion. Cook til mushrooms and onions are tender. Stir together water (including extra 1 cup of water as substitute for wine here), cornstarch, and bouillon granules. Carefully add the cornstarch mixture to the mushroom/onion mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add chilled (or not chilled ;) meatballs and wine (or no wine here if already added extra cup of water above); heat through. Stir in parsley. Serve over hot cooked noodles. YUMMY!

5 servings

5 points a serving 

Add points for noodles :)

P.S. I've found that the NEW Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta's work REALLY well!! They are packed full of fiber and nutrients (thus lowering your points), yet they look and taste like regular noodles. I haven't found any egg noodles by them yet, but have found their Rotini or Penne work just as well for this recipe :)

I'M GONNA LOSE WEIGHT!

So, I've decided to start this blog as a way for me to motivate myself even more to lose weight. I feel more accountable by posting my progress and my accomplishments as well as set backs. It's my hope that by keeping up with my posts here, I can get back to my goal weight with WW quickly and then lose more beyond that! 

I've been REALLY motivated this past week after getting back from vacation to have NO EXCUSES and eat right, drink my water and exercise! It's helped me a lot to visit other blogs who talk about losing weight and the journey they are on. I've found great motivation there!! I've got tons of new recipes and have made some good bloggy friends who help me to keep on going with my determination to lose weight.

I am a participant in Fitness on Friday, which you can find on Bye Bye Fat Mom! It's a great place to check in with others who are trying to lose weight and be more active. If you haven't stopped by, be sure to check it out. 

For now, I thought I'd share some recipes I found on Honey I Shrank Myself. I LOVE this blog and all the encouragement it gives me. Plus, she's always posting terrific recipes that are not only WW compliant, but TOTALLY delicious!! 

I made these yesterday:

Slow Cooker Lasagna:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
6 no cook lasagna noodles
~
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add beef, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into 5 quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting at least 6 hours.Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over top of mixture. Cover and continue cooking until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes.
Makes 6 generous servings.
8 WW Points Make sure you check the points based on the ingredients you use.

OKAY AND WHEN THIS SAYS GENEROUS SERVINGS, IT'S LITERALLY TRUE!! YAY!!!

I also made:

Chips Ahoy Dessert

~
1/2 cup fat free milk
18 reduced fat Chips Ahoy Cookies
2 cups fat free milk
1 8 oz. fat free Cool Whip
1 small box chocolate fat free, sugar free pudding mix
~
Pour 1/2 cup of the milk in a shallow bowl. Dip cookies in the milk very briefly and line 8 X 8 dish with them. Take 1/2 the Cool Whip and spread over cookies. Mix the chocolate pudding with 2 cups milk. Layer over top of Cool Whip. Dip next 9 cookies in the milk and lay on top of pudding. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes 9 servings, 2 WW points.

ALL of these were delicious and SO FILLING!! Loved them!

Oh and today my hubby and I took our kids swimming, so while it may have NOT been a total work out, at least we weren't home sitting around :)

Okay, there's my first post! I'll get more added on here soon! I'm excited at least have this blog up and running! YIPPEE!