Favorite products...

Today I thought I would share my favorite products with you. Laughing cow cheese- I eat this with fruit such as figs and apples. I also use it as a sandwich spread. 1 wedge is 1 smart point G. Hughes sugarfree bbq sauce- love this stuff! I dip chicken in it and use it on sandwiches too. 2 tbsp is zero smart points. They also make sf marinades and dipping sauces. Variety of flavors. Perdue shortcut chicken-I eat right out of the bag and dip in my sf bbq sauce. Use it in salads or make sandwiches with it. 1/2 cup is zero smart points. Skinny Girl salad dressing- they have raspberry vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard and my favorite poppy seed. It’s fat free and sugar free. 2 tbsp is zero smart points. Emerald cocoa roast almonds- YUM! 100 calorie pack is 3 smart points. Good thins- come in a variety of flavors. Some made like potato chips and others made like crackers. Serving sizes range from 17-23 pieces for 4 smart points. Nut thins-come in a box or some flavors you can get in a multi pack of individual bags. Box serving size is about 23 for 4 smart points. The individual bags of mini size are 3 smart points. Depending on where you shop Nut thins could be in the cracker aisle, Nut aisle or gluten free products aisle. WW string cheese- eat as is or as I like to do, cut it up and eat with salsa on triscuits or wheat thins. I can’t believe it’s not butter spray- spray in bread/toast, potato or veggies. 0 smart points. Al Fresco chicken sausages and chicken bacon. Smart points vary per serving. Thin n trim ham steaks or chicken sausages- Smart points vary per serving. Market Basket or Chobani fat free plain Greek yogurt- I do not like at all as is but I use it in recipes and it’s fine. I’ve made onion dip with it instead of sour cream and you would never know the difference. So these are my favorite products that I always have on hand. Try some of them or all of them and let me know what you think!

Little changes can make a big difference...

Today I thought I’d share some of my tips on little changes that can make a difference in your weight loss efforts/healthy eating lifestyle. Peanut Butter- is not the enemy! I remember people saying to me “should you be eating peanut butter?” The truth of the matter is, I had my greatest weight loss when I WAS eating peanut butter….almost every day. The key is, as with anything, portion control. The serving size listed on the jar of peanut butter is 2 tbsp. Well, I’m here to tell you that 2 tbsp of peanut butter doesn’t taste any better or different than 1 tbsp, so lose the extra fat & calories and go with 1 tbsp. If you slather it on your toast or english muffin as soon as it comes out of the toaster, the heat from the toast will make it melty and give you more “spreadage”. Peanut butter is one thing I will not give up or use a substitute for. I have used PB powder but just in recipes. Other than that I want the real deal! Baking- I substitute apple sauce for oil in recipes, measure for measure. This works especially well when making brownies. No one will ever know! I also use Splenda or Stevia in place of sugar. FF plain Greek yogurt is a great sub for sour cream. I’ve also started using sugar free cake and brownie mixes. Spices- Don’t be afraid to experiment! I never cook with salt nor do I salt my food. I use different spices to cook with. For example, onion powder, crushed red pepper, ground black pepper and oregano are great for pizza. I always use minced garlic, bay leaves and thyme in my soups. Mrs. Dash comes in many different flavors, my favorites are the garlic and herb & the extra spicy. I use Mrs. Dash in my scrambled eggs, sprinkled on salads and pizza, even in my spaghetti sauce. Spices add a lot of flavor to dishes, so try them, I guarantee you’ll like them. Mayo-I just gave it up cold turkey. I finally acquired a taste for Miracle whip…….it took a few tries but I love it now. Regular mayo is 3 points per tbsp - not worth it. Laughing Cow Cheese-isn’t just for crackers! I love this stuff. You get 8 wedges in a package. They come in a ton of different flavors- creamy Swiss and French onion are two of my favorites. Only 1 point per wedge. Soft and creamy, this makes a GREAT sandwich spread. My favorite sandwich to make is to take two slices of light bread, spread each with some cheese and a little mustard then add a slice or two of lean ham. Sometimes I will spray a small skillet with non-stick cooking spray and make it a grilled ham & cheese or if I’m feeling lazy I just toast it up in the toaster oven. Delicious! Quote of the Day: "My life tomorrow will be the result of my attitudes and the choices I make today." ~ Author Unknown

Strategies for eating out......

Today I’d like to share with you some strategies that help me stay on track when eating out at restaurants, holiday parties etc. Strategy #1-KNOWLEDGE IS POWER- You wouldn’t go on a job interview without knowing what job you are applying for would you? Well, the same thing applies here. I inquire ahead of time what food or type of food will be served. If we’re going to a restaurant I check the website to see what they offer. Strategy #2-RESEARCH- When you need to buy a new car you do not walk aimlessly into the dealership and point to a car and say “I’ll take that one”. That’s just crazy. You do your research first, find out prices, options, guarantees, etc. You want to make sure you have all the information you need to make your plans. So, with a food list/menu in hand I open my WW app and research the point values for the foods on the menu/list. Strategy #3- PLAN…PLAN….PLAN- Ok, menu/list with point values…check. So now I figure out my total points available for the day. I make sure to take into account other meals for the day and extra points that may be needed for the rest of the week. Once I know how many points I have to spend on my meal, I start making my choices. I start with items that I really want the most so I can fit them in guilt-free. Strategy #4- USE YOUR TOOLS- No matter how good a blueprint is, a house can’t be built without a hammer and nails. Make sure you have the proper tools to make your plan a success. My tool box consists of measuring cups/spoons and my food scale. Depending on the situation/place I sometimes bring(some of) my tools with me. I know you must be thinking “she’s nuts, who the heck brings measuring cups and a food scale to someones house or a restaurant?” My answer…..A SUCCESSFUL weight watcher, that’s who. Strategy #5- BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM- Ok, back to the list/menu. Some of the food is good for you….some of it not so good for you. My solution, increase the odds of good options. If you’re going to someone’s house offer to bring something. Make or bring something that you know you can have that is low in points. When I go to a restaurant I like to choose a plain baked potato (instead of mashed) with butter or sour cream on the side so I can control how much is used. If I get a salad that has croutons and cheese for example I’ll say no croutons and just have cheese on it. Most times if I know I’m having salad I smuggle my own sugar free fat free dressing in. Another thing I have done before is taken my cell phone and snapped a picture of my “before” picture. Set this as my wallpaper on my cell phone and kept my phone in my pocket. This way if I was having a weak moment I could pull out my phone and see the picture and remind myself that I don’t want to go back to old habits. Quote of the Day: "Food belongs on a plate NOT on a pedestal." ~ Author Unknown

Where I'm at.......

As of today, my first blog, I've been on the WW Freestyle plan for 12 weeks and have lost 25.8 pounds. I'm very excited. We all know losing weight is not easy. It takes work. Hard work. You have to put your mind to it and commit. Don't wait. Start now. It's very true when they say the older you get the harder it is. Take the first step. Here is one of my favorite quotes: If you want to be successful, you can start at anytime. But you MUST start. Don't make the mistake of not doing anything because you can only do a little. Do what you can do. It will always be your ATTITUDE at the beginning of any difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. To be aware of what you want and not go after it, to spend years wondering if something could have materialized, and never knowing if it could have been, is a tragic waste of your life. The worst thing you can do is not to try. To reach a distant harbor, you must sail. You must sail, not sit at anchor. You must sail off in the direction of your dreams, not drift. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.---Author Unknown.