Food Fun Family

Three Things I Learned About Weight Loss from Jenny Craig

Lolli — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 01:54:35 +0000

Thank you Jenny Craig for sponsoring this post. — Get serious about losing weight with Jenny Craig!

Earlier this month, I wrote about my commitment to making a change for this new year. As I launch a new business this month – a business that requires me to get in front of the camera much more than I have ever done before – I am not only more conscious of the way I look.

But more importantly, I feel better about myself than I have in a long time, and that confidence is motivating me to take better care of myself, not only for how I look in pictures, but also for the way that I physically feel.

I was shocked that I dropped four pounds in two weeks on Jenny Craig – I felt great about it!

Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss.

**Results not typical. Members following the Jenny Craig program, on average, lose 1-2 lbs. per week. I received promotional consideration.

Note: ALL of the foods pictured in this post are Jenny Craig meals, with “on-plan” veggies and fruits added by me. These are tasty meals!

I learned so much during my two weeks on Jenny Craig, but here are three things that stood out to me the most…

3 things I learned about weight loss from Jenny Craig

Be conscious of WHY you eat. So many of our eating habits are just that – HABITS. My Jenny Craig consultant helped me to identify some of the habits I had – almost all of which revolved around emotional eating. She taught me to give myself a chance to be satisfied. Eat the good things – like a big salad or a serving of veggies at dinner along with the meal – and recognize when I’ve had enough to feel full. I was in the bad habit of eating a bigger serving than I needed to, mostly because I craved that emotional response to food versus the actual physical need for food.

Maybe you eat because you’re uninformed – you’ve never been taught any better. Or you eat socially (I am certainly a victim of social OVEReating sometimes!). Other people may eat unconsciously, like the person who snacks at her desk all day.

When you’re able to recognize WHY you’re eating (or over-eating, or eating the wrong sorts of things) then it’s so much easier to change other habits that allow you to better control those bad eating habits.

Portions matter! I learned that I was not eating enough at breakfast, which caused me to get hungrier sooner, and I was eating more than I needed to at dinner. With Jenny Craig, I got pre-portioned, prepared meals and snacks that spread my eating out perfectly throughout the day. I loved that I was “allowed (ie, encouraged!) to eat snacks in between meals (from Jenny Craig) as well as allowed “unlimited free foods” from a list on the back of each weekly menu.

Those free foods include non-starchy vegetables, sugar free sweets like gum or sugar substitutes, a bunch of condiments, and several drink choices, too. I never felt like I was starving because I always had plenty to eat…I was just eating different things (ie, more veggies and less pasta and meat!).

When I’m off Jenny Craig, I can still stay on target with my dieting goals by applying the principles I learned to eat smaller portions of meats, grains, starchy vegetables, etc, and increasing my intake of the good vegetables.

I need support and hand-holding. I do better with a diet that is spelled out for me. I’ve tried counting calories and recording everything I eat on an app. I’ve tried low carb/high protein. And I’ve found that I don’t do well when I’m left on my own too much. Because I’m an emotional eater, I tend to get easily discouraged and make excuses for “cheating” on my diet. I found it very difficult to lose weight that way!

With Jenny Craig, not only did I have a menu that was already chosen for me, but I had a coach that was there to cheer me on, motivate me, and provide a TON of insight into how I could personally succeed. I loved having my meals laid out for me because it took the guess work away completely. That is exactly what I need!

With Jenny Craig, members develop a healthy relationship with food, build an active lifestyle and create a more balanced approach to living. They understand and overcome the internal/external challenges to healthy eating, identify enjoyable ways to move more, learn positive coping strategies and reframe their beliefs and attitudes to better support their weight management goals.

Have you tried Jenny Craig to lose weight? If so, what did you like most about it? If not, what appeals to you about the program?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Committing to Make a Change (You Can Do It, Too!)

Lolli — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 18:44:09 +0000

It’s a new year, which for many means a chance for a new start. A clean slate. I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like to start the year off on a positive foot.

This year is already shaping up to be a big one for me, with a new family business launching in a few weeks. Starting a business is a lot of work, which takes both physical energy and brain power. Not only am I realizing that I need to take better care of myself physically to keep up with the demands of running a new business (in addition to everything else I’ve got going on), but I also need to pay particular attention to how I look, since the new business requires lots of pictures (and soon videos!) of me. Eek! I need to have energy left over to be present and available for my family. I need to feel AND look my best.

Now committing to make a change in my eating, sleeping, and exercise habits are not only for my personal well-being…it’s for the well-being of my business and my family life as well.

Making real changes in your daily habits and routines can be hard, and a real, lasting change doesn’t happen over night.

I started 2017 with a phone call with Jenny Craig. We talked about some of my problem areas, like snacking and sweets, and some of the goals I had for a healthier start to the new year. I mentioned to the consultant I spoke with that I’d been having constant knee pain, and was thrilled when she said that for every pound you lose, you relieve FOUR pounds of pressure from your knees.

Together, we planned my meals for the next 2 weeks (including allergies and personal preferences) and put an order in for my food. Then we set up a delivery date and scheduled my first Jenny Craig Anywhere consultant call for after the delivery.

Here’s a little bit of what I’ve learned about Jenny Craig:

Jenny Craig is a clinically proven and recommended weight-loss program designed to provide structure and support to help members lose weight and learn how to keep it off. The program takes a holistic approach to weight loss and weight management, focusing on food, body and mind.
Every member is paired with a dedicated consultant (either online/over the phone or locally in a Jenny Craig Center) who provides them with one-on-one support to identify their challenges and goals, and helps them to create unique weekly meal and activity plans.
Jenny Craig has more than 100 premium menu items to love in flavors you can’t resist, created by 40 professional chefs.
Consultants provide education on portion control, healthy eating habits and teach members strategies such as how to combine delicious Jenny Craig Meals and Snacks with Fresh & Free Additions that are rich in water and fiber to keep them feeling full longer with fewer calories.
Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss.
For members who don’t live near a center, Jenny Craig Anywhere offers one-on-one support through consultations over the phone or via video chat.
Each week, your Consultant will work with you on your menu, discuss any challenges from the previous week and determine a plan for the week ahead. Plus, your consultant will keep track of your success with weekly weigh-ins and teach you how to self-monitor.

When my food arrived, I was so excited – it all looked and sounded so good! Because I keep myself really busy (don’t we all?) the idea of knowing exactly what I should eat throughout the day is so appealing to me. I’ve tried calorie counting before and frankly it drove me crazy. I love being able to look on my menu plan and see what I should eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

It really doesn’t get any easier than this to stay on track. In fact, as I’ve started the Jenny Craig program (more on that soon!) I’ve found it the easiest of any diet program I’ve ever been on. That by itself is a recipe for success. If something is easy to accomplish, I’m less likely to get discouraged and want to drop it all together.

Have you ever tried Jenny Craig? What was your experience?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Get In Shape This Year With Aqua Aerobics

Lolli — Thu, 21 May 2015 13:40:50 +0000

Please welcome today’s guest contributor, Kaitlin Gardner. I love her site, An Apple Per Day, which is full of healthy-living tips and ideas. And she’s sharing some tips with us today! (I don’t know about you, but every May I crave pool time. The water looks so inviting and refreshing but the pool can also be amazing exercise.

If a workout is a grind for me, I won’t use it. I’ve proven that to myself time after time. So this year when I resolved once again to get into shape, I decided to give aqua aerobics a try. I’m so glad I did. I enjoy being in the water, and there are a lot of choices for water workouts. I’ve even managed to get my family involved.

It’s easy to start.

I have never been much on swimming, so I didn’t think of the pool for workouts at first. I’ve discovered that if I am doing a movement in the water that gets my heart rate elevated – the aerobic part – that qualifies as aqua aerobics. Just doing some jumping jacks in waist deep water can get my blood pumping pretty nicely, and that’s my goal. Here are some more resources with some great details:

Free Water Aerobic Routines

My Ultimate Guide To Aqua Aerobics

Water Aerobics and Water Fitness Exercises

The variety is great.

I have found so many great water workout options, it’s hard to decide which one I want to do when it’s time to exercise. If I’m in a rambunctious mood, and need to bleed off some stress, I will go for an aqua kick boxing class. If I’m feeling more adventurous, I go to a water Zumba class, and do all the sexy hip swinging moves in the water. For relaxation, I head to aqua yoga or tai chi. When I don’t want to think about what to do next, I go for a group class, where the instructor leads us through a series of exercises that will work arms, legs and core. When I want a solid cardio workout, my standby is aqua jogging.

The benefits of aqua jogging.

There are two ways to go aqua jogging. Deep water jogging involves putting on a flotation belt and getting into the deep end of the pool. The belt holds you up and you just use your best jogging posture until you get tired. Personally, I prefer shallow water jogging. I go to the community pool when the lap lanes are open, and begin to move up and down one in a jogging motion. Because of the resistance provided by water, I have to lean a little forward, like I’m doing a sprint. I wear old tennis shoes to protect my feet, and keep a water bottle at the end of the lane to stay hydrated. Because the workout is low impact, it doesn’t put a stress on my knees or ankles. The coolness and lightness of the water is very pleasant and makes the workout enjoyable. It’s a wonderful workout when the weather is too hot outside.

The kids wanted in.

Remember how Tom Sawyer got the kids to paint the fence, by being so engrossed in his work? I knew if I asked my kids to go aqua jogging with me they would turn up their noses. So I just kept lightly mentioning how much fun I was having at the pool. My boys would see me smile a lot when I talked about my last jog. They’ve had swim lessons, but for them the pool is about hanging out with their friends. Finally, they got curious and asked to go with me. There was no one at the pool that day, so we all took a lane. They laughed and kidded around until they had to work to keep up with Mom. Then it became like a race, and I don’t think they realized how much good exercise they were getting. My next goal is to coax my husband – a dedicated runner – to try a water workout for cross training.

I smile when I think of how much fun I’m having getting in shape these days.

About the author:

Kaitlin Gardner started An Apple Per Day to explore her passion for a green living lifestyle, and healthy family living. She and her husband have just moved to rural Pennsylvania, where they enjoy exploring the countryside to discover interesting and out of the way places. She is also learning how to paint watercolors.

Believe You Can Make a Change #WeightWatchers #WWSponsored

Lolli — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:15:49 +0000

This post was created as part of a relationship in which I was sponsored by Weight Watchers and given a free three month subscription to try their new Personal Coaching product and write about my experience. Though I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own. #WeightWatchers #WWsponsored

Spring has finally arrived in the DC area. The birds are chirping, the blossoms are covering the trees (and the ground!) and the sunshine is out again (most days, at least). It feels SO good to be able to break free from the confines of my house and enjoy a little fresh air again.

Spring really does infuse my body and spirit with a sense of renewal. It’s a time of hope…and often it’s a perfect time for change, too.

In the spirit of change and renewal, I wanted to mention all those free health and fitness apps that most of us have tried on our phones and tablets. There is SO much out there to “help” us meet our healthy living goals, but do they work? Frankly, I have never had much lasting success with health and fitness apps. Why? Probably because they lacked a sense of real human interaction and accountability. Those apps didn’t work for me, but I found something that did.

Weight Watchers.

Yes, Weight Watchers has a handy app that allows you to keep track of your food and activity. I have loved having the app to keep myself on track and get a good sense of what I have been eating each day (which then helps and motivates me to make better decisions going forward). The difference with my Weight Watchers experience that set is aside from those free apps? I had support. I had someone to turn to with questions or for encouragement.

And you know what? For the first time in my life, the weight came off. I lost weight and I felt better (both mentally and physically) than I have in years.

I learned that delicious food can be good for you, and healthy foods can be delicious. And I am strong enough. I am good enough. I can lose weight.

The first step is to believe that you can make a change. Because, guess what? YOU CAN!

The awesome thing about Weight Watchers is that it is proven to work and it is not a “diet.” I didn’t have to give up a bunch of foods or eat things that I’d never normally eat. I eat regular foods (but have learned to make better choices) and I have been able to enjoy food with my family and friends without feelings of frustration or isolation.

Just this month, I had two back-to-back trips to California, and I was able to enjoy those trips without guilt….and I even made it through the travel without gaining a bunch of weight (which, in the past was a huge issue, since I tend to splurge on more fancy, indulgent foods when I’m traveling).

Weight Watchers has taught me better eating habits and how to thrive in real-life situations. I know what my weaknesses are (snacking while I sit at my desk all day, desserts at night, a desire to eat out more often than I should) and now I have my tool box to tackle those weaknesses. But I love that I can still enjoy the occasional snack, dessert, and meal out and still be ok. Weight Watchers is liveable and effective – no matter how much weight you need to lose or what your dietary weaknesses are. I have become stronger than my food cravings. And that makes me so happy.

Join Free* Today and Lose 10lbs On Us**

There’s no better day than today to start your weight loss journey by taking advantage of the Join Free* Today and Lose 10lbs On Us** offer running April 28 – June 1st. This offer is available to new members only, and you must sign up by June 1 to take advantage of the savings. This offer is not just for Personal Coaching, but is valid on any Weight Watchers product so you can choose how you want to follow the plan – what works for your lifestyle and your needs. Options include: OnlinePlus with 24/7 Expert Chat, Meetings or Personal Coaching (which is the plan I’ve been following). See special notes below for details.

Be sure to check out the Weight Watchers-friendly recipes I’ve posted in the last few months:

And then see my tips and tricks posts, too:

Special Weight Watchers Giveaway!

Be sure to check out the INCREDIBLE giveaway I’ve got running on my Facebook page from now thru May 8, where FIVE lucky readers will receive:

1 Month of Free Weight Watchers Personal Coaching
1 Fitbit Flex
1 Tory Burch Fitbit Gold Metal Bracelet

Go visit Better in Bulk’s Facebook page for details and to enter!

Special note: *Starter Fee waived when you purchase select subscription plans by 6/1/15. Plans auto-renew monthly until you cancel. In participating areas only.?**Lose at least 10 lbs within your first 2 months and get a refund of 2 months’ worth of applicable fees. Offer available to new members only. People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/wk. For Meetings: offer not available in all areas where meetings subscriptions are sold and is not available in AZ, ME and other non-participating franchise areas. Visit Weight Watchers for full details and to sign up.

5 Tips To Get Back on Track With Your Weight Loss

Lolli — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 18:23:59 +0000

News flash: It’s not easy to lose weight.

Did that comes as a surprise to any of you? Probably not. Losing weight, changing life-long eating habits, sticking with an exercise routine…it’s “easy” when you’re driven by the excitement of something new, the motivation of a new goal. But it’s also easy to fall back in to old routines and slip a little.

Despite the set-backs of the winter (I felt like I could never stay on a normal schedule thanks to 9 snow days where the kids were home and I was scrambling to figure out how to work, shop, exercise, and everything else with everyone under foot….) I have actually made great progress with my weight loss. My pants are feeling loose, my shirts are looking more flattering, and I see a defined waist again when I look in the mirror. I have so much to be proud of and excited about, and yet the past few weeks, I felt like I was “slipping.” While I wasn’t gaining weight, I wasn’t losing it as quickly, either. I was sticking to my new-found better eating habits, but I wasn’t tracking everything quite as closely as before.

So I reached out to my Weight Watchers personal coach, who always just seems to “get” me. I asked for her advice on how to get back on track with my weight loss goals because I felt like I’d reached a plateau. I do believe she could read through the lines of my plea and knew exactly what was going on, because her advice was spot on.

Five Tips to Help You get Back on Track With Your Weight Loss Goals

Her advice to me was golden, and I gathered a few more tips from the Weight Watchers website. I’m excited to share the tips with all of you, since I know that I’m not the only one who has hit a stumbling block a few months (or weeks) into a weight loss program. Whether you are following Weight Watchers (which I totally recommend, by the way) or going it on your own, these tips can help get you over that “hump” of slowed progress.

Don’t be discouraged

While I was feeling discouraged last week because of my apparent lack of progress, my coach reminded me that what I was seeing as a set-back was probably just a slow down. She gave me tips to speed things up again, and reminded me that I had accomplished a lot so far.

My coach shared this information from Weight Watchers eTools: “Why Do Plateaus Occur? There are several reasons why a plateau happens; Loosened compliance with eating and exercise plans. Physiological changes that occur during weight. A smaller body uses fewer calories because there’s less weight to move around. The loss of lean muscle tissue that commonly accompanies weight loss lowers metabolism, which means fewer calories are burned daily.”

My natural response to discouragement is to want to give up. “Giving up” in this sense meant that I stopped tracking everything that I ate and snuck in a few snacks (read: Girl Scout cookies from my niece) that I had all but given up during the first few months of the year. The trick is to fight those natural urges to give up when you’re facing a set back and continue to move forward.

I love this quote that my coach shared with me:

You’re not alone

Research shows that people who have a support system will lose more weight than people who try to lose it alone. A support system could be a Personal Coach like I have through Weight Watchers, a buddy who is also trying to lose weight, a mentor, a trainer at the gym, a neighbor, etc. If you don’t have a support system already, find one. Ask a friend, a spouse, anyone who can have your back and encourage and remind you in a caring way. It makes all the difference.

Get moving!

When you feel like you’re “slipping” or that you’ve hit a plateau in your weight loss, the best change you can make is to up your exercise. Plateaus are a natural part of weight loss, and something everyone goes through. Exercise is key to jumpstarting a changing body.

Whether you need to head back to the gym more often or take regular walks now that the weather is turning warmer (finally!), get up and get moving. As silly as it sounds, I’ve been consciously jogging in place while I wait for my lunch to heat up in the microwave, or taking walks with my kids in the afternoon. Every step counts.

Determine your obstacles…and then tackle them

In the very beginning of my weight loss journey, I told my coach that one of my biggest struggles is snacking, especially when I’m sitting for long hours at a time in front of a computer (which is basically all week long, of course). My biggest struggle over the last month or so has been stress, and when I’m stressed, I eat.

“Never allow yourself to eat when your mind is otherwise occupied. When you do feel yourself getting hungry, pull yourself away from the computer and focus on the food. Give yourself a five minute break. Mindless eating can do terrible things to a person. I drink water constantly to make sure that what I’m feeling is true hunger and not dehydration.”

This week, I’ve increased the amount of water I’m drinking, and I’ve started adding lemon to my water, which not only tastes more satisfying to me, but has added benefits as well. Did you know that water with lemon is a natural energy booster and that the lemon actually helps improve digestion? I could go on…but I really do feel like adding a bit of lemon to my water has helped curb my day-time snacking urges.

Recommit and move forward

Let your challenges motivate you to recommit to your weight loss plan. Don’t let discouragement make you stop your progress. Use it as a new, fresh start.

“Because pounds shed in the first few weeks of weight loss tend to be made up of about half water, people are often fooled into thinking they are reaching a plateau when, in fact, they’re really just approaching a normal (read: slower) rate of weight loss. Again, it goes back to the ‘is this really a plateau or am I just frustrated that I’m not where I want to be?’ I’ve noticed that when members that I’m working with are not losing, if they begin to track again – and I mean strict tracking, they begin to see the weight come off again.”

She also said (and this really struck a chord with me): “90% of plateaus are due to us loosening up a bit on the plan. If you have either gotten bored with/comfortable with/unmotivated – forgive yourself. Reaffirm your commitment to your weight-loss plan, and move forward. Try a new recipe, go back to weighing and measuring your ‘eyeballed’ portions, or add a daily walk. By mixing up your routine, eating and exercise will be fresh and enjoyable again.”

Now ask yourself – what obstacles are creeping back into your life to keep you from your goals? If you feel like Weight Watchers can help you move to the next level with your weight loss, I encourage you to check out their program. I love that I can get all the support and resources I need from my smartphone and my computer. It’s perfect for me, and I bet it will be perfect for you, too.

Sauteed Polenta with Marinara Sauce

Lolli — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 16:35:32 +0000

Love good-for-you recipes like sauteed polenta with marinara sauce? Be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers-friendly Recipes!

I love shopping at Trader Joe’s, especially when they have delicious samples for me to try. I’ve been surprised, actually, to find several of my favorite diet-friendly meals and snacks from their samples. Recently, my Trader Joe’s was sampling polenta, which I had honestly never tasted before. I was totally hooked and bought 2 rolls of polenta to take home that day.

This is the super simple recipe that I came up with when I came home. Each slice, prepared this way, is 1 Weight Watchers PointsPlus. For me, 3-4 slices of polenta with marinara and a little Parmesan cheese is a perfect lunch meal, and since it cooks up so quickly, it’s definitely lunch-time friendly, too.

Sauteed Polenta with Marinara Sauce – Weight Watcher-friendly recipe

Sauteed Polenta with Marinara

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Lolli

Ingredients

1 (18 ounce) package organic polenta, chilled
½ to 1 tablespoon olive oil
Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute* or spices to your liking
Marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Slice chilled polenta (my slices were about ⅓ inch). Sprinkle both sides with spices.
Heat olive oil in a med-high skillet; add polenta slices. Heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a small pot or a bowl in the microwave.
Top each slice of polenta with a spoonful of marinara sauce and sprinkle with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!

Notes

*Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute is an awesome salt-free spice that includes a blend of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, you can add your favorite spices!

Note: I am currently a paid ambassador for Weight Watchers, but this recipe post is not sponsored or endorsed by Weight Watchers in any way. I am just excited to share the fun and fresh new recipes I’m finding and eating while I am losing weight!

10 Tips to Take Control of Your Food #WeightWatchers

Lolli — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 04:14:38 +0000

During the Big Game this past weekend, Weight Watchers debuted a brand new commercial, called “All You Can Eat,” which really struck a cord with me.

Food is not just the stuff we put into our bodies to survive and grow. Food is linked with emotions, memories, and the culture in which we live. We eat to celebrate (how many of us gorged on Game Day party foods this weekend?); we eat to pass the time. We eat when we’re together. We eat when we’re lonely. It’s an unfortunate fact that popular culture can shape an unhealthy relationship with food.

“There’s often a big disconnect between how we want to eat and how we actually eat, and the environment that surrounds us often sabotages that. In this spot, we’re showing why it’s hard and why we need help. We’re also committing to helping people navigate this world of food. To make our value even more compelling, we are also excited to launch our new ‘lose ten pounds on us’ offer.” – Maurice Herrera, SVP Marketing, Weight Watchers International

I know that I got to my heaviest weight because of the unhealthy relationship with food that I developed over years of bad habits (this past December I was at my highest weight ever…even heavier than pregnancy weight!). I found myself planning my errands for the lunch hour just so I could grab some fast food for lunch. I snacked on things that had zero value during the day because I got fidgety sitting at my desk all day.

I hated the way I felt – I had less energy, I didn’t fit well in my clothes, etc – and I was starting to avoid my reflection, too. Honestly, when I was at my heaviest, I didn’t even have a working scale. It had next to nothing to do with a NUMBER…but it had everything to do with how horrible my body was feeling.

And you know what made me feel better? Candy and fast food and snacking all day long. So I’d eat and eat, and feel bigger and have less energy and get depressed….and then I’d eat a little more.

See how stuck I was?

10 Tips To Take Control of Your Food – Instead of Letting Your Food Control You!

Since I’ve been doing Weight Watchers (I started right at the end of December), I have learned so many things that have helped ME be the one in control. Weight Watchers is not a “magic pill” that makes you lose weight. It’s real food…and a COMMITMENT to make changes. But you’re not in it alone. I have been able to have enormous success (in other words, the pounds are falling off!!) because I have all the support and resources I need to be empowered. And I really do feel empowered (and energetic and smaller and happier and more in control).

This is me this weekend with my brand new nephew. I am noticing the difference in my face a ton! It’s working!

Here are a few of the things I’ve learned in the 5-6 weeks:

Track what you eat. Regardless of what tracking system you use (I’m absolutely in love with the Weight Watchers online etools and app), track everything that goes into your body. I have found that the simple exercise of recording the foods that I eat is often enough of a guilt-trip to stop me from reaching for a bad-for-me snack.
Don’t beat yourself up. There are days when all I can think about is having ice cream or a big piece of chocolate. One of the things that my Personal Coach taught me during our very first coaching session was that I am trying to break 40-year-old habits. Habits that old aren’t going to be broken overnight. There will be tough times and plenty of temptations, but as long as you try to keep moving forward (and don’t give up because of a stumble) then you are succeeding.
Reward yourself sometimes. Just not all the time. It’s ok to meet a friend at a restaurant and indulge in a burger and fries…or eat the whole chocolate bar. It just wouldn’t be ok if you did it every day. I found that I am starting to appreciate the little indulgences more than ever…because they are rare now instead of an everyday crutch.

Yes, I ate a few pieces of my son’s birthday cake this weekend. And it was delicious! But I made sure not to over-indulge.

Eat your favorite foods – in moderation. When I serve myself dinner, I start with a smaller portion. And you know what? Most of the time, the smaller portion is plenty for me. I love using the Weight Watchers app to look up the PointsPlus value of certain foods before I eat. If I really want to eat it, I can determine an “acceptable” serving size. I get to eat that thing that I’m craving without sacrificing my waist line.
Have healthy food options available (and stop buying the bad stuff). When I have good options available, I am so much more likely to reach for those. I have found several new recipes or foods that satisfy my cravings just as well as the “old” things, like my 1-PointsPlus Chocolate Pumpkin Mini Muffins. Check out all of my Weight Watchers recipes here.
Little changes make a big difference. I am cooking the same foods that I always have for my family, but now I will often opt to eat my meat on top of a bed of fresh spinach instead of on top of a big pile of rice. (Note: I have nothing against rice. Rice is delicious and healthy….but it’s one of those things that is not really helpful in trying to lose weight).
Have water with you all the time. Water can often satisfy the feeling of needing to eat something, especially when you’re between meals and don’t really need to eat. Plus…water is just awesome and it has about a thousand health benefits.
Find healthier recipes that can replace some of your favorite unhealthy recipes. Simple ingredient swaps sometimes make all the difference in an old favorite recipe. Check around to see what substitutes you can find (Google is great for that!). Or search for brand new recipes that you can add into your recipe rotation. I’ve been collecting a ton of amazing recipes on round-up posts or on my Weight Watchers Pinterest board.
Recruit a cheerleader or two. I’ve enlisted the support of a few “cheerleaders” – people who I can message or call up when I have had a weight loss success or when I have a question. One of those people is my Weight Watchers personal coach, who I can both chat with on the phone and message her with questions. But I also have a few friends who are also trying to lose weight. We rely on each other to get through the tough parts of losing weight.
When you think you feel hungry, get up and move and have a drink of water. Most of the time, when I would grab a snack in the middle of the work day, I found that I wasn’t actually hungry. I was bored or simply tired of sitting still. One of the things that I’ve realized about myself is that I need to add variety to my work day, and for me that means getting up out of my chair every once in a while. Now, though, I don’t head straight for the kitchen. I just got up and down the stairs, maybe throw some clothes in the dryer, and take a big drink of water. I wasn’t hungry at all!

Weight Watchers helps you get through the hard part – “All You Can Eat,” the new commercial that debuted during the Big Game, is part of the larger “Help with the Hard Part” campaign that Weight Watchers launched this winter to bring to life how Weight Watchers can help with the hard part of losing weight. Weight Watchers now provides more customized choices via its newest offerings, Weight Watchers OnlinePlus and Personal Coaching – with live help from a Coach who been there and lost the weight – available 24/7.

Lose 10 Pounds FREE

Weight Watchers just launched an incredible offer: “Lose 10 lbs. On Us” to show their commitment to helping America to take back control. Not only have they waived the usual sign-up fee, but they will refund two months of membership fees for new members who lose at least ten pounds in the first two months of membership. This offer is available to new members only (ie, not people like me who are currently on Weight Watchers) and you must sign by February 14 to receive the offer.

Note: This offer is valid on any Weight Watchers product so people can choose how they want to follow the plan. Options are Online with 24/7 Chat, Meetings, or Personal Coaching.

Details: Buy a subscription plan between 2/1/15 and 2/14/15, lose at least 10 lbs within your first 2 months and get a refund of 2 months’ worth of applicable fees paid. Offer available to new members only. For Meetings: Offer not available in AZ, ME, and other non-participating franchise areas. Joining fee with waived with purchase of select plans. Visit Weight Watchers for full details and to sign up.

Italian Sausage and Tomato Soup {Groundhog Day Recipe}

Lolli — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 23:51:10 +0000

Earlier today, we were talking with the kids about Groundhog Day – what it means, what happens on Groundhog Day, how long it’s been a tradition in the US. My husband decided that we needed to start a new family tradition and find a new recipe to prepare and eat every Groundhog Day. After a little bit of brainstorming, our 14-year-old son suggested a recipe with ground HOG (ie, ground pork), which we ALL thought was perfect.

My husband put on his thinking cap…and, meanwhile I headed upstairs for a much-needed Sunday afternoon nap. When I woke up, the house smelled heavenly and dinner was ready to eat.

Pictures first, of course!

The only thing we may change for next time we make this soup is to use crushed tomatoes instead of diced, since the kids said that there were too many big chunks of tomato. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for everyone, though. My husband and I loved all of the tomatoes!

Since I am currently doing Weight Watchers, I like to plug everything in to the Weight Watchers recipe builder to calculate the PointsPlus value…and honestly, with the sausage in this soup I was expecting a pretty high PointsPlus value. I was shocked to find that this soup is a LOW 4 PointsPlus per serving (the recipe yields about 10 good-sized bowls of soup!). I even added the tortilla chips to the calculation….so the final Points+ is 4, garnishes and all! To say that I was thrilled with that number is an understatement!

The trick with the healthy factor is this soup is that it is 95% good stuff – veggies and black beans and broth. Since I used 12 ounces of sausage (the sausage I used was 2 PointsPlus per ounce) there’s a very small amount of sausage per serving…but the flavor is BIG!

Ready for the recipe?

Italian Sausage and Tomato Soup {Groundhog Day Recipe}

Italian Sausage and Tomato Soup (Or Groundhog Day Soup)

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Lolli

Serves: 10

Ingredients

12 ounces ground mild Italian sausage
½ cup chopped onion
3 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid
4 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sweet peppers, sliced thin (optional)
Tortilla chips, crushed (optional)

Instructions

Brown Italian sausage and onion over medium-high heat in a large pot, stirring to break up sausage.
Add remaining ingredients except tortilla chips and sweet peppers.
Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Serve with sweet pepper strips and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

PS – as you might have seen from my pictures above, I used Vegetable and Flaxseed chips from Trader Joe’s. If you happen to have a Trader Joe’s nearby, or if you can find something similar, I highly recommend a veggie and flaxseed chip. If you can’t find them, then regular tortilla chips are yummy, too!

Be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers Recipes!

If you like this recipe, you are going to love these recipes, too:

Click on one of the Weight Watchers-Friendly below to see the recipe:

Weight Watchers Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins {1 PointsPlus}

Lolli — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:00:18 +0000

When I get into to something, I tend to go in with both feet. When I started Weight Watchers during the last week of 2014, I had no idea how obsessed I would become with finding and creating delicious recipes that are better for me. OK, it sounds kind of silly when I say it like that. Who wouldn’t want to find delicious good-for-you recipes?

Since I do love to indulge in sweets now and then, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for small bite-sized desserts that could satisfy my sweet tooth without adding bulge to my waist line. I heard people talking all over Pinterest about these 2-ingredient pumpkin-cake mix muffins and I got curious. Since I almost always have a can or two of pumpkin in my cupboards left over from the fall, and I always have a few varieties of cake mix, I decided to give it a try. 2 ingredients? Easy enough!

When people said that the mini muffins were only 1 PointsPlus, and the regular sized muffins were just 2 PointsPlus, I flipped. I usually think of muffins as being horrible, heavy, bad for you (ok, they taste wonderful….but I’m trying to talk myself out of them right now…). I was almost nervous to try these Weight Watchers friendly muffins. I tried them and fell head over heels in love. I have now made 4 batches of pumpkin muffins and experimented with a few varieties.

I decided to investigate how many Points+ would be added if I put chocolate chips in the muffins, and I was thrilled to find that adding just a half cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips brought the regular sized muffins up to about 3 Points+ a piece but kept the mini muffins at 1 Points+. Verdict: the addition of chocolate chips is worth it!

These delicious and simple muffins are easy to make and use NO eggs or oil – that’s how they stay so “good” for you.

Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins (Pumpkin Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice)

5.0 from 2 reviews

Weight Watchers Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins {1 PointsPlus}

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

Make mini muffins for 1 PointsPlus value or regular muffins for 2 PointsPlus (or 3 if you add chocolate chips) for a delicious, healthy treat!

Author: Lolli

Serves: 48

Ingredients

1 box cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix cake mix and pumpkin puree until combined. Add chocolate chips, if desired.
Using a spoon or cookie scoop (I highly recommend using a scoop!), add batter to muffin liners, filling ¾ full.
Bake mini muffins for approximately 16-18 minutes and regular muffins for approximately 22-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
**Makes about 48 mini muffins or 24 regular sized muffins (I end up getting a few less of the big ones because I like to make my muffins pretty full!).

Notes

Using a chocolate cake mix will result in very chocolatey muffins (my teen had no idea there was pumpkin inside!) OR use spice cake or yellow cake mix to let the pumpkin flavor "shine"! You can't lose with any of them. They're all delicious!

Try adding one ripe banana, mashed, to your cake batter. It's a delicious "free" addition!

Don’t you love how easy they are? So now you don’t have to give up a chocolately treat when you’re trying to lose weight.

Do you think you’d try the chocolate muffins or the spice cake/yellow cake muffins first?

Be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers Recipes!

If you like this recipe, you are going to love these recipes, too:

Click on one of the Weight Watchers-Friendly below to see the recipe:

Weight Watchers Lettuce Wraps {3 PointsPlus} #WeightWatchers

Lolli — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 13:00:14 +0000

I am LOVING getting healthy, eating better, and losing weight with Weight Watchers…especially with the help, guidance and support of my Personal Coach.

When I first signed up for Weight Watchers, I was asked to list a few of the foods that I “couldn’t live without.” The very first thing that came to my mind was CHEESE. I love cheese. I realized as I analyzed my eating habits that I was snacking throughout the day on cheese, and while I realize that there could be worse things to snack on, I also realized that the amount of fat I was consuming regularly from just that one snack habit was not conducive to losing weight.

I also mentioned to my coach that I felt like lunch and midday eating were where I had the hardest problem. I was already in the habit of eating a decent breakfast and I cook a homemade meal for my family almost every night. But at lunch time…that’s when I crave fast food or I snack on whatever happens to be in the house. My coach and I decided that lunch would be a focus area for me and an easy area to improve right away.

On one of my recent chats with my Weight Watchers Coach, she mentioned one of her favorite lunches, and now that I’ve tried it, I’ve become officially (and happily) hooked. I love these lettuce wraps so much that I’ve told my daughter at college about them (they’re healthy AND portable!) and convinced my husband to try them out, too.

Easy lettuce wraps in less than 5 minutes!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Weight Watchers Lettuce Wraps {3 PointsPlus}

Prep time

3 mins

Total time

3 mins

Add different flavors of Laughing Cow cheeses (or a generic version) and different deli meats for variety. I love the jalapeno pepper cheese with chicken and roast beef.

Author: Lolli

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 large leaf of Romaine lettuce (0 points+)
2 slices of lean deli meat (2 ounces/slices = 2 points+)
1 triangle of Laughing Cow light cheese (1 points+)
Fresh spinach, optional (0 points+)

Instructions

Rinse and dry Romaine lettuce. Carefully remove the thickest part of the lettuce/stem from the bottom of the leaf. If necessary, split the center vein partially in half to help it roll more easily.
Spread Laughing Cow cheese over the lettuce. Lay deli meat out on lettuce. Top with a handful of fresh spinach, if desired.
Roll lettuce up and enjoy!

Follow along on my Weight Watcher’s journey for tips and recipes with PointsPlus values. Plus, I’ll be posting my experiences here regularly over the next few months, so please let me know if you have any question or if you’ve got specific areas (tips, struggles, etc) you’d like me to share in future posts.

If you like this recipe, you are going to love these recipes, too:

Click on one of the Weight Watchers-Friendly below to see the recipe:

How could Weight Watchers help you achieve your goals for a healthier lifestyle?

Connect with Weight Watchers:

Website: Weightwatchers.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/weightwatchers
Twitter: @weightwatchers
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/weightwatchers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/weightwatchers