Here's for you Donna-

Weren't you asking about no cook meals? I just got a facebook post from weight watchers with this link for 10 no cook meals and thought of you. I listed a few I'd like to try below! (Sorry no pictures, haven't tried yet. Will post when/if I make one.)
Cranberry-Nut Turkey Roll Ups
Spread two medium low-fat whole-wheat tortillas each with 1 tablespoon whole-berry cranberry sauce and 1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise. Top each with 3 ounces thickly sliced deli turkey breast, 1 leaf romaine lettuce, and 1 teaspoon chopped pecans. Roll up and serve.
POINTS value: 4

Bombay Tuna Salad
Drain a 6-ounce can of chunk white tuna packed in water and place in a bowl. Mix with 1/4-cup fat-free mayonnaise; 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons minced red onion; 2 tablespoons sliced almonds; 2 tablespoons golden raisins; 2 teaspoons curry powder; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place a bed of Boston or Bibb lettuce on each of two plates and divide tuna between them.
POINTS value: 4

Melon and Berries with Poppyseed Dressing
Combine 1 cup diced watermelon, seeded or seedless; 1 cup diced honeydew melon; 1 cup sliced strawberries; and 1 cup raspberries. Toss with 1/4-cup bottled low-fat poppy seed dressing. Serve over 1/2 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese.
Serving size: 2 cups
POINTS value: 5

Chunky Roast Chicken Slaw
Pull 6 ounces of white meat off a store-bought roast chicken. Mix with 1 small Napa cabbage, finely shredded; 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and shredded; 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced; 1 small shallot, minced; and 1/4-cup low-fat ranch dressing.
Serving size: 2 cups
POINTS value: 5

Two Bean Chili Salad with Smoked Chicken
Drain and rinse one 14 1/2-ounce can French-style green beans and place them in a large bowl. Toss with 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 6 ounces chopped store-bought smoked chicken breast; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons olive oil; salt to taste; and ground pepper to taste.
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
POINTS value: 6

Mozzarella and Tomato
Thinly slice two large beefsteak tomatoes. Layer the slices with 4 ounces thinly sliced part-skim mozzarella and 12 basil leaves. Sprinkle the stacks with 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
POINTS value: 4

Optional: Accompany each serving with 4 ounces cooked large shrimp, drizzled with a splash of white wine vinegar.
POINTS value: 6

Chef's Orchard Salad
Place 1 1/2 cups mixed greens on each of two plates. Top each set of greens with 1/2 peach, pitted and thinly sliced; 1/4-cup blueberries; 1/4-cup small red seedless grapes; 3 ounces thinly-sliced deli roast beef; and 2 tablespoons bottled fat-free vinaigrette. POINTS value: 5

Being Lifetime

Thanks to all my WWBFF's for making my day so special. Getting together on Thursdays is so great. I will never forget today and it made a really bad week really great!

Thanks Kim

Congratulations on LIFETIME Kim!!

You have been and remain such an inspiration. I hope I can use the momentum I gained from your awesome, amazing and well earned and deserved achievement to inspire me to continue to reach my goal. I hope you are going to celebrate big! Feel free to post pictures from today. You make me want to reach my goal now too!
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, KIM!!!

Don't make the same mistake I did today...

I got an email from hungry girl that told me about tangy shrimp and vegetables in panda bowl for only 5 pts! I didn't know they offered more than one shrimp dish and was so excited to go and get honey walnut shrimp-that's tangy right? Well it was delish! Problem was, I came home to post about it and in copying the hg info. realized I ordered the WRONG shrimp! Darn it, an extra 4 pts on my lunch. Shoot. Good thing I had the veggie bowl! Read hg's email excerpt at the bottom.


Panda Express Panda Bowl, Tangy Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables
PER SERVING (1 bowl): 260 calories, 7.5g fat, 1,350mg sodium, 32g carbs, 7g fiber, 18g sugars, 17g protein -- POINTS® value 5*

We dig the Panda Bowl. Why? Because so often at quickie Chinese joints, you find yourself staring at a Styrofoam container packed with THREE different entrées and a giant mound of rice. This reasonably sized, one-entrée/one-side option is MUCH more sensible. And the fact that you can get mixed veggies instead of rice or noodles is enough to make us want to hug a panda. (OK, we pretty much ALWAYS want to hug a panda.) BTW, if you count sodium, you NEED to avoid this one.

Do you ever wonder what's in season?

An excerpt from a Spark People article: You’ll get the most nutrition—not to mention the most affordable enjoyment—by eating seasonally. Although the exact season for specific items varies from region to region (you’ll almost certainly get that big beefsteak tomato much earlier in Georgia than in Ohio), follow these basic guidelines for optimal nutrition and taste:

* In spring, pick the new growth of the season: tender leafy vegetables such as spinach, Romaine or leaf lettuces, Swiss chard, and early peas, as well as fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and dill.
* For summer, try lighter produce, with fruits such as strawberries, pears, apples, and plums, and vegetables such as summer squash, broccoli, corn, and cauliflower. You can also incorporate other summer-type herbs, such as mint or cilantro.
* During fall, choose hearty harvest foods, including sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic. When cooking, emphasize “warmer” spices and seasonings such as peppercorns, ginger, and mustard seeds.
* In winter, also pick hearty foods. Keep in mind the principle that foods which take longer to grow are generally more sustaining than foods that grow quickly. In this category are most root vegetables, including carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic, as well as eggs, corn, and nuts.

Ugh! Struggling...

It is really amazing that a year's worth of hard work can begin to unravel so quickly. One bad picture and it did it in for me. I went back to my old "I'm already fat" mentality and have been slowly gaining ever since. It feels terrible. A combination of pms, stress and old negative thinking. I think I'm going to go eat my 4th cupcake and go to bed! Here's to a new day and a new outlook tomorrow.

I thought I'd never buy these!

I've never been a big fan of "fake" meat or any kind of food for that matter. You aren't going to see soy burgers in this girl's grocery cart! But, the other day costco was sampling veggie patties and I tried it. No fake meat, just veggies. I must admit, to my surprise, I liked it! Yeah, a new food to add to my menu options. I don't know that my family will go for it but it will make some easy lunches for me.

The best way to describe them: Like the filling from a freshly made egg roll taken out and fried in a pan. Even a little crunch with sunflower seeds add to the celery, onion, carrots, bell pepper and bread crumbs. 3 ww pts. So, anyone game to try these?

Easy Zucchini Parmesan

Thanks for the recipe, Spark People!

This quick and healthy snack tastes like a gormet side-dish, but just takes minutes to prepare! And as a bonus, it's an easy way to get the kids to eat their vegetables.

Ingredients

Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced
Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 tbsp
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Original Buttery Spray, 10 sprays
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some non-stick cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for a few minutes - until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy it while it's warm!

Make a larger batch for a delicious and healthy side dish for any meal! Your family will love it!

Number of Servings: 1

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 1
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 51.6
* Total Fat: 1.6 g
* Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g

Oh my gosh, I'm going to make this!

I am all about the chocolate and chips right now and this carrot cake is looking really good. For the recipe link, click here! Thank-you to Gina's WW recipe's for the recipe and picture!

"Here's a super moist, low fat carrot cake recipe perfect for Easter or anytime of the year. This is made with a can of crushed pineapple which makes it very moist. I baked this in my new 8 inch round cake pan which I love because it's 3 inches deep but you can use a bundt cake pan or 2 smaller round pans for this instead (baking time will vary). I noticed other ww carrot cake recipes had much smaller serving sizes, but I think it's easiest to cut this into 16 equal slices however if you want to make this into cupcakes or 24 slices, it would be 3 points each..."

Stop Feeling Guilty About Every Mistake

End the Toxic Guilt Trip: Exercise Your Healthy Lifestyle Conscience
Don't Let Toxic Guilt Wipe Out Your Willpower
-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert
Read the full article HERE.

Fortunately, the solution to the problem of toxic guilt is really quite simple, at least in theory. All you have to do are three simple things:

1. When that quiet, nagging voice in your head starts saying that you are about to do something it doesn't approve of, listen to it. Stop what you're doing for a few moments to ask yourself, "Is this what I really want to do?"

2. If you agree with the voice, decide not do the thing in question. If you disagree, decide to do it. And if you're not sure (or if you halfway want to and halfway don't), try to postpone your decision (and action) until you've had a chance to sort things out a little more.

3. After you've made your decision, act! Then take a few more seconds to notice how you feel about what you just did. Nothing fancy here, no psychoanalyzing yourself, no reading yourself the riot act if you didn't do what you wanted. Just note what you decided, what you actually did, and how you felt afterwards. File this in the memory banks for future reference.

Do you eat away your stress?

I know it's the biggest obstacle of them all for me. It's when I start experiencing hight stress that I just want to throw in the towel. Luckily, I have a new attitude now, the never give up attitude that keeps me going! A recent article suggests the following:

Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide. Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions:

* Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach
* Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress.
* Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises
* Keep a reminder of your goal handy
* Talk to a friend
* Visit and post on the support message boards
* Surround yourself with positive reinforcers, like pictures and people
* Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments
* Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food.

If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives--foods that have good nutritious value and are smaller in size. Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach:

* Apple or orange slices
* Carrot sticks
* Banana
* Broccoli
* Whole wheat toast
* Bran muffin
* Fruit smoothie
* Applesauce

Make living healthy a positive experience

Click HERE for the full article from Sparkpeople's own "Spark Guy" Here are a few excerpts.
For many of us, getting healthy means giving up all the foods we like to eat and starving ourselves for long stretches throughout the day.

Getting healthy...has to do with much more than eating right – it’s about simple things that you will enjoy.

Sure, you may have to watch out for some foods in your diet, but it’s more important to simply incorporate healthy foods – fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates – into what you eat. At the same time, exercise does not have to be a rigorous, three-hour workout. The key is finding exercise you enjoy, such as playing racquetball, riding a bike or throwing a football.

And that’s just the point – getting healthy is something to enjoy, not to detest. Getting healthy is not something you should look at as a chore; it’s something that can be a fun and great experience. It can a positive experience that will not be a short-lived fad, but a new way of life for you.

Stop Dieting and Start Living-Isn't that what WW's keeps telling us?

Click HEREto read a great sparkpeople article about dieting vs lifestyle changes. No really, READ THIS ONE! This is a really great read. This writer is SO right!

Here are a few sneak peeks:

The basic difference between a diet mentality and a lifestyle mentality is simply a matter of perspective.

A diet is all about numbers
A lifestyle change is all about you.

The diet mentality assumes that reaching a certain weight is the key to finding happiness and solving other problems.

The lifestyle approach assumes that being overweight is usually the result of other problems, not the cause.

Going on a diet involves an external and temporary change in eating technique.

Making a lifestyle change involves an internal and permanent change in your relationship with food, eating, and physical activity.

Just want to say a great big:

To everyone at Thursday morning weight watchers who gives me so much support and encouragement each week. You truly are a major part of my success and the biggest reason for sticking with weight watchers.
Thanks to June, Marie, Viki, Donna, Kim, Elizabeth, Kimberly and everyone else for making it such a great meeting. I admire and am inspired by all of you every week. Whether you are experience success or struggling, it's nice to know we're in it together! So, once again a great big THANKS!

Thrifty Rainbow Sherbet

Did you know that you can have 1/2 cup of delicious thrifty rainbow sherbet for only 2 pts? That is 2 points well spent if you ask me!

You've got to get some of these:

If you haven't already made these a staple in your house, I think you should consider it. You can have 9 scrumptious cheese "quakes" for 70 calories. 1 pt! The caramel flavor is delicious as well! Bonus: No added guilt that I often get with chips!

Almost the end of our tracking week!

Some weeks I am especially thankful that there is only one more day left in my "tracking" week. This is one of them. Thankfully not that I am doing poorly. On the contrary, I am doing really well, I think (?) and want to lock in a good week. Anyone relate to me?
My wii fit actually suggested that I wait until tomorrow to do more exercise! Wow, that's a first! Come to think of it, my right thigh is really aching. Got to love that initial boost of momentum to something new.

On the menu tonight? Spaghetti.
I wish I knew how to create an ongoing spot on the blog(besides just a new tab) and maybe call it "what's for dinner?" I think we all forget from time to time some of the good meal ideas we've had in the past. Not to mention what others are having!

Build a good Habit

Almost 80 percent of successful members started with small steps, and once they built a firm foundation, they went from there. Dieters were more likely to start with big goals and go all-out trying to lose weight fast. Trying to overhaul your life overnight isn't necessary for weight loss. But by building small habits over time, you will feel successful and develop habits that you can sustain over time.

Whether it's eating breakfast, tracking or setting aside a REGULAR time to get activity, I think the real key is making it a habit. This week I will get atleast 10 minutes of activity before my shower. I might just do my wii step while watching tv (no wii necessary!) or actually break out the wii and do one of the 3 fitness games I bought hoping it was the key to my losing weight. I guess you actually have to use them. Darn.

Corner Bakery: Uptown turkey on harvest bread

My sandwich looked better than these! I didn't take a picture of mine though.

Weekend lunch: Corner Bakery-Uptown turkey on toasted harvest bread. "A delicious combination of hickory smoked turkey breast, crisp applewood smoked bacon, sliced avocado, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise." It was so good. (I asked for no mayo. and I'm sure that cuts the points atleast half? :) j/k!
I wasn't sure what the points were and ordered blindly. Luckily, when I went home and researched it, I was only set back about 12 points. Not bad for a meal I felt totally indulged by! I know that's typically a lot for one meal but it's almost 6:00pm and I'm still full from my noontime lunch! Will definitely order that again. Maybe 1/2 order next time with soup?


What did you eat when you ate out this weekend. Please share! Thanks!

WW's Smart Ones Anytime Selections

Have you tried these? Mmmmmm! So good! Use your $1 off 5 from your "weekly" handouts at stater bros this week where they are on sale 4/$8.

I also like the chicken and cheese and the breakfast ones. Great for those days your hungry for something NOW and don't know what to have!

Be Patient

According to an article I read in Women's Health Magazine while on the plane, there are a few tips to avoiding yo-yo dieting. One I particularly like: BE PATIENT! "Don't try to lose to much weight to soon. A healthy goal for slimming down,according to the National Institutes of Health, is to REDUCE YOUR WEIGHT BY APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OVER SIX MONTHS! For me that would be between 2 and 3 pounds a month. I think that is pretty realistic. While I always hope to lose the maximum 2 lbs a week ww's says we can lose up to(for healthy weight loss) it just doesn't happen hardly ever. Here's to patience and keeping the scale going in the right direction even if it doesn't happen as fast as we'd like!

Do you remember that commercial?

Are you all familiar with the older commercial where an overweight man, dressed to work out, gets on the scale and then goes and runs around the gym. He comes right back to weigh himself. To his disappointment, it's still the same. So funny! I can totally relate. Are we expecting to much from our simple weightloss efforts? I know I often do. I am reminded of the statement, I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it. Healthy eating and looking good, definitely worth it!

I'm willing to try this...

Lose Weight Faster with This Premeal Habit
By RealAge Read the article.

Kick your slim-down efforts into high gear by starting each meal with about 16 ounces of water.

In a study of dieters, those who started each meal with a tall glass of water dropped more weight over 12 weeks -- and shed it more quickly -- compared with the dieters who skipped the water and just dug in.

Along the same lines: (read the article)
Trying to lose weight? Go ahead and spoil your appetite. It makes sense to nibble on these foods before you eat.

Sorry, haven't posted much lately...

I went to Virginia to help my little sister with her 2 month old, adorable, sweet baby girl. It was such a fun time. Now to get back to tracking and posting. I read a few good articles on the plane that have a couple things I'll be posting. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, forgave yourself, if necessary and are ready for a new week! See you all Thursday!

TRACKING!!!!!!

Well I just shot myself in the foot! I bought gluten free flour and it's only 1 pt for 1/4 cup that's the good news. The 2 sticks of butter and chocolate chips I put in the cookies I made was the bad news. Gained 2.6 pounds yesterday eating 6 large cookies, homemade pizza and fruit salad. Then to top it off had 1/2 cup ice cream with more chocolate chips. OK now starts the test I am tracking everything that goes in my mouth and see if that by doing that I can regain my maintenance. I am still under my goal but not by much! I feel better writing down what happen yesterday. Glad to have a blog to go to for support.
Your WW BFF Kim

Chic-fil-a Yogurt Parfaits - Yum!

I was so happy to see such a delicious item on the menu at chic-fil-a. What a great alternative to french fries.(If you want) It would be wonderful as a snack or great side to make a meal. It was totally decadent and indulgent and left me feeling like I did something good for myself. While it comes plain or with granola or cookie crumbs and strawberries, I like the strawberry with cookie crumbs and it's only 4 points. Enjoy!