Happy Friday all!
Although this was a good week from an activity perspective, it was an up week at Weight Watchers, but I am hoping it’s a temporary thing. What’s frustrating is that my trusty scale that has been with me since the beginning of my journey has died. Conair is fantastic though. All of their scales have a ten-year warranty on them, and the scale is now in the process of being replaced. Amazing how much things can shake up your world when you don’t have them for a little while. I was able to break out a spare, and still have a way to gauge my progress, until old faithful is returned to me, all shiny and new!
I began to embrace the fitness center at Hidden Ridge. I found out that not all change is bad. I discovered that although I may not have my free training three days a week here (I do get one free session per month), they do offer some incredible classes. This week, I tried the Abs/Core class, and a Body Sculpt class. What did I discover? They are NOT easy, by any stretch. Although the abs classes were only 20 minutes long, the exercises we did were enough to give me a nice reminder (read: pain!) for the next three days. The Body Sculpt class was a 60 minute class. I was able to do 35 minutes of this class the first time out. Not terrible, considering it was my first time out, and was still getting over this upper respiratory junk. I was proud of myself, and I think that taking classes like this may be just the change that is needed to give that ‘something different’ to my routine.
Good things come to those who wait. I was so adamant about not wanting to move to Irving, for fear that it would jeopardize my efforts to lose weight due to the lack of personal training availability at this location. I sat back and caught my breath for a bit. Checked out the center, realized it wasn’t all that bad and I embraced what was available. You know what? It wasn’t that bad. What IS bad, however, is the drive home from Irving. Can anyone help me with that??? LOL…
Next Wednesday I will be taking part in the Dallas Jingle Bell Run. This one should be fun. No, it’s not in the dark on a bike trail, and it’s not a 10K. This is a 5K race being held in downtown, starting at the Hilton Anatole. Civilized. On level ground, and considering the time of year, it will be well lit, even if it’s just with holiday lights. I am really looking forward to that one.
This week was pretty uneventful, except for the 10-year old who seemed to come down with an upper respiratory infection right around the same time that 3 ½ year old started to feel better from his ear infection. Ugh! Kids—or germ farm…you make the call!
I know that many of you are probably in and out next week, so I would like to wish you and your families a very happy holiday. It’s so hard to believe that 2010 is quickly drawing to a close. I don’t know about all of you, but it seems like the older I get, the faster the years go by. It’s crazy, and it doesn’t slow down. Ever! Just try to take a break every now and then, breathe and reboot. It’s important.
I’d like to offer you a few words of advice for the holidays. Treat the day like any other day. Try to make good choices and try to keep up with those power foods to keep you satisfied. Indulge if you want (that’s what the 49 extra PointsPlus™ are for!), but don’t go overboard. Remember that it’s a holiDAY. If you keep that in mind, you will be fine.
My friend Wendy wanted to have me to mention that while you are busy giving gifts to those you love, to please remember to give yourself some gifts as well:
- The gift of temperance
- The gift of exercise
- The gift of relaxation
It’s okay to be good to yourself. In the end, you will be happy you did!
On a closing note, as you embark on your holiday voyage this week, remember this:
“Love the giver more than the gift.”
-Brigham Young
RECIPES
Chocolate-Splattered Pretzels
I was looking for some inspiration for a recipe to post. My good friend Wendy said ‘how about something salty, sweet and crunchy?’ I did a bit of research and found this yummy gem!
The pairing of salty and sweet flavors makes this recipe a great treat, any time! Create your own designs on pretzel twists or sticks using white or dark chocolate. My personal favorite is dark chocolate!
Yield: 4 servings at a PointsPlus™ Value of 3 per serving
Preparation Time: 9 min
Cooking Time: 1 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
2 1/8 oz pretzel(s), about 28 pretzel nuggets
2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place the pretzels on the wax paper close together but not quite touching.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl and microwave on High, stirring every 15 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Fill a small, resealable plastic bag with melted chocolate and carefully snip off a small corner of the bag with scissors. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over the pretzels using a back and forth motion.
4. Refrigerate 3 minutes or until the chocolate is firm, or allow the chocolate to firm up at room temperature, about 3 hours. Yields 7 pretzels per serving.
