Food Fun Family

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.

Light Applesauce Blueberry Muffins

Lolli — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:45:37 +0000

Despite the fact that I’m eating much better lately, I still do have a sweet tooth and a strange desire to bake. Call it kitchen therapy. The act of stirring ingredients, experimenting with different flavors, and smelling my homemade treats heating up in the oven relaxes me and makes me happy unlike anything else.

Last week, I made some blueberry crumble bars using some blueberry pie filling, which got me craving blueberries. I began to wonder if I could make a light blueberry muffin, and after the success of my pumpkin muffins a few weeks ago, I was eager to try making muffins with applesauce. I grabbed a white cake mix, some berry applesauce, an egg white, and some frozen blueberries and crossed my fingers.

Not only did they smell delicious while they were baking, but they tasted incredible. I plugged the ingredients into my Weight Watchers recipe builder to see how they stacked up for Weight Watchers PointsPlus, and was thrilled that one mini muffin was less than a point. When I found that out, I popped 2 more in my mouth. For those of you not on Weight Watchers, what this basically means is that each mini muffin is low in fat. Of course, there’s still sugar and carbs in the cake mix, but by using applesauce instead of oil or butter and an egg white instead of a whole egg, you can cut back on a lot of the “bad” things.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Quick and Light Mini Applesauce Blueberry Muffins

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

If you don't have a mini cupcake tin, you can always cook these up as regular-sized muffins. Each full sized muffin is 2-3 PointsPlus. Mini muffins are just under a point a piece!

Author: Lolli

Serves: 44

Ingredients

1 white cake mix
1 egg white
1 cup berry applesauce
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

Instructions

Line mini cupcake tin with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix cake mix, egg white, and applesauce in a medium bowl until the cake mix is wet. Fold in blueberries.
Scoop a spoonful of batter into each mini cupcake cup (I filled to just below the top). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until middle of muffin is set (you can use a toothpick inserted in the center to see if the batter is cooked through).

Enjoy!

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

Weight Watchers Friendly Meals – A Collection of 35+ Recipes

Lolli — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 04:41:45 +0000

This collection of Weight Watchers-friendly meals is sponsored by Foodie.com, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Even though I am currently working on a campaign with Weight Watchers, this post and collection are in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers. I am just personally interested and invested in finding (and sharing!) great Weight Watchers recipes!

Since I’ve started using Weight Watchers to eat better and shed pounds, I’ve been amazed at how differently I look at food. I am craving more vegetables and fruits, and I’m thrilled that I can eat and eat fruits and veggies to my heart’s content. There were so many incredible looking recipes in this collection that were loaded with wholesome vegetables and other good-for-me ingredients.

I can’t wait to try them all! From breakfast to lunch to dinner – I am so excited to be eating better without having to sacrifice what I love the most – food that tastes great!

I will be adding more recipes to my collection as well as adding NEW Weight Watchers recipes right here on Better in Bulk. Be sure to check back for more good-for-you food!

Which Weight Watchers recipe are you most excited to try?

Veggie Crunch Salad {Weight Watchers 2 PointsPlus}

Lolli — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 12:00:24 +0000

I was shopping at Trader Joe’s yesterday and was offered a sample. Never one to turn down a Trader Joe’s sample, I took a bite and was amazed. I don’t typically grab the sample products as readily as I did yesterday, but I HAD to make this salad at home. Not only was it full of flavor and a fun crunch, but I knew that the ingredients would fit perfectly with my Weight Watchers “diet.” I already had a few of the ingredients on hand at home, grabbed what I didn’t already have, and set off for my kitchen to make some for dinner.

Before I mixed everything up, I plugged in all of the ingredients to my Weight Watchers calculator and was so impressed that a heaping cup of this salad was only 2 Points Plus value. 2 Points? That’s awesome! And because it’s full of hearty, fresh vegetables, beans, and a little bit of cheese, it’s a rather filling salad.

I stored what my husband and I didn’t eat this evening for lunches for the next few days. My mouth is already watering for lunch tomorrow.

Veggie Crunch Salad – {2 WWP+}

Veggie Crunch Salad {Weight Watchers 2 Points Plus}

Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

Author: Lolli

Serves: 6

Ingredients

½ cup chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped green cabbage
½ cup chopped red cabbage
½ cup chopped jicama
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped radish
½ cup chopped celery
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
⅔ cup fat free feta cheese
¼ cup "light" or low-fat vinaigrette dressing (I used a champagne vinaigrette from Trader Joe's)

Instructions

Chop vegetables. If you prefer one or a few of the veggies in this blend over others, feel free to use any combination of amounts as long as the final amount of chopped vegetables equals 4 cups.
Add drained black beans, feta cheese, and vinaigrette to veggies and toss. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Stores well for a few days.
Note: Makes approximately 6 cups of salad. 2 Points+ Value based on 1-cup serving size. Using regular vinaigrette or regular feta cheese will effect the Points+ Value.
Variation: add diced, cooked chicken breast, tuna, or diced lunch meat for a change (adding meat will effect the PP value).

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:

Note: I was formerly a Weight Watchers Ambassador (see my welcome post here) but this recipe was in no way sponsored by Weight Watchers. I just happened to be interested in finding more tasty, filling, and healthy recipes to make for myself that fit within the goals that I have for my health, and I love to share the recipes I find! I was paid to post this.