My family and I are going back to NC on the 19th to celebrate the holidays with my husband’s family. I haven’t been back in NC since July of 2008, which was just about a month before I got sick of it all and went back to Weight Watchers. They have seen pictures of me at different spots along the journey, but haven’t actually seen me in quite awhile. It will be interesting to see what they think.
I never like to leave a cluttered house when I go away. To me, it makes things easier to leave a clean house and come home to a clean house. That being said, I went into a cleaning frenzy, cleaning out the three junk drawers in my dresser. I started out with one, and somehow through the miracle of science, it spread to three. Still trying to figure that out. Anyhoooo…..
I was going through and sorting things between keepers and trash, and came across a green plastic straw. Instinctively, I was going to throw it away. I quickly stopped myself when I remembered why I kept it in the first place. I had attended a Weight Watchers meeting up in Denton back over the summer, and the topic was “The Last Straw” and Kristin, the leader over there, asked some of us to pick a straw and to talk about just what it was that brought us in the door to Weight Watchers this last time. Our “last straw”, if you will. Most of you all have been with me and my ramblings since the beginning, so you know my story. If you aren’t familiar, it’s below:
Weight has been an ongoing battle for as long as I can remember. While I was able to maintain during my school years, the struggle really began when I entered the work force. I was heavy throughout my 30’s and for the first year of my 40’s. I managed to lose around 40 pounds in the mid-90’s, but eventually gained it back plus an additional 50 pounds. I didn’t have much self confidence and lacked the energy or desire to do any physical activity.
Last summer I was looking at some pictures taken of myself while on vacation, and I was shocked at what I saw in those photos. I didn’t recognize myself. At that point, I hit my limit. I decided that I needed to do something, and I went back to Weight Watchers, but this time with a new attitude and determination that I hadn’t experienced before.
I went back to Weight Watchers because I knew that this was a plan that worked. I told myself that this was the LAST time I was joining, and that I would make Lifetime. I didn’t set any unrealistic goals for myself. I took baby steps. My first goal was to attend the meetings; my next was to keep a food journal; then to reach my 5% goal; and finally, most importantly, to start strength training, exercising, and just being more active. I achieved these goals by telling myself that I am worth it, and by enlisting the help and support of my family, friends, and trainers at the gym.
To date, I have lost over 35 pounds and 36 inches with Weight Watchers. My cholesterol dropped 56 points, my triglycerides decreased 90+ points, and my sugar and blood pressure are normal for the first time in 5 years. I feel and look better than I did in my 30’s. I have so much more energy and am now able to keep up with my toddler and my 9-year old!
I have become an inspiration to my co-workers and friends because of my determination. I issue a weekly newsletter documenting my progress to hopefully motivate others to make healthy changes to their lifestyles! I keep my eye on the prize and maintain a positive attitude toward my weight loss journey and, at the prompting of my own leader, I am considering becoming a Weight Watchers leader after reaching my final goal!
Finding the straw was a very poignant moment for me, as it reaffirmed my reasons for coming back to Weight Watchers this time around. After I got the drawers organized, I put the straw in my Weight Watchers drawer and pulled out my 10% key ring and held it and reflected on the many successes I’ve had during my journey. I realized that the good far outweighed the bad and that even though I have been up and down over the last few months, I am still well on my way to reaching Lifetime. I have gone from a women’s size 22 to a loose misses 14 so far. Definitely going in the right direction. My little cleaning frenzy has actually served to help me refocus and to strive even harder to reach my goals.
Then I got on the scale this morning and was down 2 pounds. Only 2 pounds in the red. A move in the right direction! Yippeeee!!!!
The meeting this week talked about the ‘s’ factor, or stress. Did you know that stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS? Hmmmmm…..think about that one.
- Stress breeds stress
- Stress can cause overeating & therefore weight gain
- Stress can sap our energy and distract us
- Dealing with stress is a key skill
I attached an article recently about distressing your holidays, but due to its timeliness this week, I am attaching again! There are also two dealing with holiday parties and for you Jewish folks out there, some Hanukkah helpers!
“Stress is the trash of modern life-we all generate it,
but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and
overtake your life.”
~Danzae Pace
RECIPES:
Pie Baby! (A low POINT® Hungry Girl Alternative to the McDonalds Baked Hot Apple Pie!)
Not only are these pockets of hot, gooey fruit delicious and guilt-free, but they're also GREAT pre-portioned desserts for holiday get-togethers. YUM!
Yield: 6 servings at a POINTS® Value of 2 per serving
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
3 cups peeled and chopped apples (preferably Fuji
6 large square egg roll wrappers (found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the other Asian items)
18 sprays I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray (in other words, have a bottle handy!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium unheated pot, combine Splenda, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt with 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until the ingredients dissolve. Add apples and stir. Bring to medium-high heat on the stove and, stirring frequently, cook for 7 - 10 minutes, until apples are softened.
Remove the pot from heat and very lightly mash the apples in the pot with a potato masher or a spatula. (You don't want applesauce. It should remain chunky.) Return to low heat on the stove, and cook for 1 - 2 additional minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and gooey. Remove from heat and set aside. This is your pie filling.
Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil and/or spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Lay two egg roll wrappers flat on a dry surface. Set out a small dish of water. Dip your finger into the water, and run it along all of the wrapper edges. (Repeat as needed while preparing your pockets, as it will help seal them.) Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom, place about 1/3 cup pie filling a long the bottom half of each wrapper, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides. Fold the top half of each wrapper over the filling, so that the top edge meets the bottom and the filling is encased with a border on three sides. Dab each border with water, and fold each inward about 1/4 inch to lightly seal. Press firmly along the borders with the prongs of a fork to seal completely. Carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Spray the top of each pocket with 3 sprays of butter. Repeat this process twice with remaining wrappers and filling, leaving you with 6 pie-lets.
Bake in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before digging in!
Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1 pie-let, Calories: 103; Fat: 0.5g; Sodium: 156mg; Carbs: 23g; Fiber: 1.25g; Sugars: 8g; Protein: 2g
Chocolate Haystacks
This recipe was up on the meeting room board on Monday. I see this each year around this time. This is a great low calorie alternative to the version made with chow mein noodles!
Yield: 24 servings (1 haystack) at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving
Ingredients:
8 1/8 ounces general mills Fiber One cereal (one sleeve)
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your choice of flavors if semi-sweet isn’t your bag!)
Directions:
Melt chocolate over low heat. Stir in cereal until well blended. Once well blended, use a tablespoon to scoop out 24 mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until set (about 1/2 hour). Alternatively, you can freeze portions until ready to eat.
Nutrition information: Calories: 86; Fat: 4.5g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g; Cholesterol: 0g; Sodium: 42mg; Potassium: 126 mg; Carbohydrate: 16.8g; Fiber: 5.5g; Sugar: 7.7g; Protein: 1.4g; Vitamin B6: 8%; Vitamin B12: 8%; Vitamin C: 3%; Calcium: 3%; Iron: 10%
Crackle Spice Drops (this recipe was to go in the holiday bash attachment, but I couldn’t get this one to PDF properly!)
These delicious cookies are moist and tender with a hint of spice – great for a snack or holiday party
Yield: 36 servings at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving (Serving size is 1 cookie)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine, soft
1/2 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar
1 large egg(s)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup(s) powdered sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a mixing bowl, on medium speed, beat margarine with brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and spice.
Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar to coat. Place onto baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
Leftover Stuffing Frittata
Adapted from the recipe by Robin Miller of Foodnetwork.com
I stumbled across this one after Thanksgiving when trying to figure out inventive uses for leftover stuffing. This recipe sounds weird, but I thought “bread pudding” and it made more sense. This made for a nice lighter dinner, and it tasted great!
Yield: 4 GENEROUS servings at a POINTS® Value of 5 per serving
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 to 3 cups leftover stuffing (I calculated points using 2 cups)
1 cup shredded Cheddar (regular or reduced-fat)
2 cups Egg Beaters (takes the place of eggs, egg whites and milk in the original recipe)
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions:
Preheat broiler.
Coat an ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put stuffing in the bottom of pan to warm and stir to break up a little. Sprinkle cheese over top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Pour mixture over stuffing and cheese to cover stuffing. Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Cook on stovetop over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, until egg is cooked through and cheese is golden and bubbly.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Serve with sliced tomatoes.
Sonya’s 1 POINT® Baked Tortilla Chips
Take corn tortillas (she uses Mission Extra Thin w/80 calories for 2 tortillas…these come out to 1 point for the two of them). Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning. She likes garlic salt, but have fun with it! Cut into wedges. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes (rotating pan ½ way through cooking time) or until golden and crunchy. She takes these with her when she goes out for Mexican food. It’s a guilt-free way to enjoy chips and salsa!
Serving size is 2 tortillas, wedged at a POINTS® Value of 1
Thanks Sonya!!!!!!
