Check out my TAB

A very smart blogger friend, she knows who she is, helped me with my new RECIPE TAB! :) THANK YOU! I have been wanting to provide a place that keeps all of my recipes handy and now there it is! (look above this post) :) SEE? I did not organize it just added stuff- take a peek! :) Only took me a year and a half to figure that out! Hey this thing does not come with directions ya know! hehe

Gotta say thanks for all of the nice comments yesterday. :) Sean says thanks too! :) I can see the physical changes in my body and I know that is all that should count, but I can't help to want the number on the scale to decrease with my efforts. So I push on, never giving up! One thing that I gotta say is that with all of the scale battles I have had, not once have I let my emotions cause me to revert back to my old eating habits. SO many times I see or hear of people going off program after a gain, or from frustration along their journey. I have been super proud of the fact that I no longer let myself drift. I don't know exactly what keeps me going, but there is something that keeps me from drifting. :)

Last week when we went to Costco I added a couple of magazines to the cart. No, I did not make anything new to share.. lol BUT, Look at what happened to me!!! Sorry I rotated this pic but it does not want to TURN! lol Can you see the DATES? SAME MAGAZINE!! 2 different covers!!! :( I was so bummed out when I sat down to enjoy reading my new issue and realized that it was all too familiar to me! :( Boooo

Yesterday I walked to the library to pick up a book that I had requested from another branch. They send you an email to let you know it was transfered...kinda cool! I got drenched on the way home because it started to pour, but it made me walk faster and I got a good "extra" workout- besides my pool routine. :) Here is what I got: How cool am I? lol Actually I love all of the ideas in this book, not to mention all of the GREAT things they say about water exercise! I had no idea how good this was for me and how many calories I COULD possibly be burning! Whoohoooo! Check out some of the recommended attire for the pool: humm which outfit should I get? DO ya think this book is a lil old? lol A few pics made me laugh: Milk jugs? Seriously? lol Oh and this guy- I like his mustache! lol

We had THESE chicken meatball lettuce wraps again tonight for dinner since I shopped at home this week before going to get fresh stuff. I have another meal out of that package of meatballs! WOW! They stretched far! I am enjoying the chicken tortilla soup for lunches this week. I will definitely be making that again. Super EASY! If you ever make or try anything that I have mentioned let me know! I love to hear about your experience! Tell me all about it! :)

I went to the pool again today...loved it as usual. I am getting a WELL NEEDED hair cut tomorrow (it's only been 8 months) and have told my Mom that the next time I decide to grow my hair out remind me how much I complained. LOL My hair is super fuzzy and does absolutely NOTHING when it is long. Oh well! Besides who wants to wash the gray out of LONG hair every 3 months anyway! GGrrrrr Hey maybe the hair cut will help me on the scale next week huh? lol It's a long shot! :)

Hope everyone had a GREAT day! BYE! :)

It's Not Always About What The Scale Says.

After I weigh in each Tuesday I send Sean a text message.

ME: I'm up a pound. :-/ I feel like I am on a roller coaster.

SEAN: It's ok. I think you are building muscle which will pay off soon but not initially. Do not forget it's about shaping your body to what you want, not just a number.

ME: :)
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So yeah, I gained a pound. I am slightly frustrated at that. But I am going to continue on, like I have been doing for all of these years. I am loving the pool exercises that I have been doing. I'm at a month and a half of 4X a week. I really am proud of myself for doing it. I just got back from the library where I had them send over a book on pool exercises from another branch. I'm excited to learn some new moves! :)

Without too much focus on the NEGATIVE I thought I would look at how far I have come. I take pictures of myself. Kinda like those EXPOSED blog posts that so many of you have done. I can't tell you how brave all of you are for doing them, first off it is so unlike me to even share full length body pictures, let alone them be of me in my undies! lol So no, I will not be posting any of them, but for me to see those pictures and NOTICE a difference in my body is a HUGE victory for me. I highly recommend taking before pics and LOTS of during pictures to help yourself see your true body along your weight loss journey. It has helped me so much!

Another thing that I think about is the clothing I use to wear. I had to shop at a special store or the plus size section. My pants were a size 20, my tops were a 1X. I love the fact that I can walk into a store and grab a size 10 and a MEDIUM top and not be frustrated that I can't pull the pants up over my thighs, or that the top needed to be stretchy so my arms could fit in them. I had a friend tell me that I was 1/2 my size in clothing terms, I guess she is kinda correct. lol

Both the photographs and the clothing sizes are changes that I need to be happy about. I need to be aware that even though that scale is not doing much these days I feel good, and I can see my body changing. :)

If the scale was not your friend this week, take a look at how far you have come. Join me in celebrating all of the positive changes that we have made to become healthier. :) I always need the support, the more the merrier! :) This is going to be a great week, I can tell! :)

Thanks Everyone!! XOXO

Soups On!

Did anyone I SPY the rotisserie chicken that I picked up from Costco yesterday? Well when we got home I pulled the breast meat off (sad, but that is the only meat I like- I tossed the rest. I know it is a waste of food- but for $5 it is a good deal for the amount of meat that comes off of that chicken for me. Not to mention how easy it is. Ok, so anyway...I pulled all the meat off and shredded it up to throw in the soup I made to eat for lunches this week. :) Here is what I made:



Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 1/2 C= 4 points PLUS points for chips

5 Cups Low sodium chicken broth
16 ounces cooked shredded chicken- white meat only
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 11 ounce can corn, drained
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small can diced green chiles -I forget the ounces! ooppss it's the small ones
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I also sprinkle more in my bowl- for an extra kick)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt
*OPTIONAL- fresh cilantro (not for me-yuck!) lol
*Mission EXTRA THIN corn tortillas (I use these because they are 2 for 1 WW point)

In a medium pot spray with PAM- add onion & garlic. Cook until onion is slightly translucent. Add in cumin & cayenne-stir for a couple of minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients (except cilantro- you can toss that in your bowl as you serve it, and do not add the tortillas)

Cover and bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavor. All ingredients are cooked, so this is a FAST recipe. Meanwhile cut your tortillas into triangles or strips. Place on a baking sheet and spray with PAM & season with salt if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for just about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Watch them- because each oven varies. Serve your bowl of soup with the chips in it or on the side. You may also like shredded cheese as a topping too. :) ENJOY!

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This was a GREAT lunch for this week of rain that we are having. I was FULL with the 1 1/2 Cups and my 1 point worth of chips. YUM! I also loved the protein...crazy but I crave it sometimes. :) Oh by the way Sean said the chicken STUNK yesterday at Costco, in the car on the way home, AND when I started to take the meat off. Complain, complain! I told him I would not make him eat it. lol He is missing out, the soup is fantastic! Shhh don't tell him. :)

Had to go to the mall today to exchange a couple of things. I decided to walk around a bit. I looked up and saw my old favorite. Aunt Annie's Pretzels. I stopped to take a picture for you. lol Ya know back in the day I would not hesitate to get a butter soaked pretzel. Now I sometimes hold my breath as I walk by. Good bye Aunt Annie's, It was fun, but you stick to my butt...see ya! :)

Ok...making some baked oatmeal. I like my simple recipe:
2 C rolled oats
2 C unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Add all to a bowl- stir, then add mixture to a 8x8 PAM sprayed pyrex dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. I plan on topping it with that jam I picked up at Costco. Can't wait for breakfast tomorrow! :)

I've said it before, but the possibilities are endless with this recipe. You can add cinnamon, dried fruit, nuts, whatever kinda milk you prefer. I just keep it simple and low in points to top it with whatever I am craving. Sliced bananas are good, I also have a lot of strawberries right now. Lots of ideas!


Hope everyone had a GREAT Monday! I loved my pool workout today. I am pretty sore and super tired. I tend to stiffen up if I don't move after that is why I walked around the mall. I also need to do some stretches soon. Tomorrow is my Weight Watcher meeting/ Weigh in! I also started to follow Sheryl's great idea of TWEET WHAT I EAT TUESDAY So if you follow me already on Twitter that is what my TWIET followed by foods and points mean. lol If you don't already follow, please do! The more support the merrier! :) BYE!

Sunday Re-Cap

Hi! Hope all of you had a GREAT weekend! Sunday I asked Sean to take me to COSTCO! Every girls dream right? Well for me it is a HUGE help. I can not push that cart!! :( It is WAY to heavy for me and navigating it around all of those people is a nightmare for me. SO I was grateful for Sean's help. :) I have a love hate relationship with this store. First of all we have ZERO room in our fridge/freezer to stock up on ANYTHING! When we shop here I pass so many great deals up because I can not fit them in my MINI fridge. lol I also loose my patience quite easily in there. I despise the food samples. Wait, let me be more specific. I hate the fact that people will line up (with their HUGE cart) to surround a microwave, in hopes of getting half a bite of CRAP! lol Come on people it's 1/2 of a pot sticker!! lol Seriously it makes my shopping experience a NIGHTMARE. So I zone out while I am in there, try to relax and NOT let the crowds bother me. lol We did get there just a little bit after they opened so it was not too bad. But my favorite time to go is at night when the sample people are long gone! whoohooo! Ok so enough of my weirdness. lol

Wanna see my Costco LOOT...sure ya do! See that Jam? Thanks Heather for the heads up on that one- YUM!



Those magazines snuck in the cart too! :) Not seen- toilet paper and paper towels. lol

After all that Costco shopping we were HUNGRY. Did I rush over to get a hot dog and soda? Maybe a slice of pizza from the Costco cafe? Oh hell no! I have not eaten from that place in 3 years! I use to...that is for sure! I did not just get a hot dog, I also got the pizza. I ate them both. Felt sicker than a dog each time. Live and learn! No, so the plan was for me to put the groceries away as Sean looked up my salad at Chipotle. I was DYING for Mexican food and so Sean hit the computer to figure out the points for me. I called out my salad toppings and he calculated, cuz that is what a numbers guy does right? :) Thanks Baby! With his help we went over to the local Chipotle and I enjoyed my salad. :) I don't use the dressing I get a side of sour cream and dip my fork in that. Lettuce, black beans, chicken, corn salsa, it looked kinda plain so I asked for the fresh cut tomato salsa too. It was DELICIOUS! A little bit of planning and a yummy 8 point lunch! :)

We sat out on the deck to enjoy the weather. Before you get jealous we have rain ahead of us all week :(
Snacks on the deck- I grabbed this hummus because it was the lowest in calories lol not my favorite, but decent.

Dinner was a one point veggie burger. I splurged on the 3 point rolls. YUM! Baked garlic french fries, and roasted garlic broccoli to go with our burgers.


We went over to get coffee after dinner. Walked out of Peet's and I dropped my cup on the ground. :( I wished I had my camera with me...but to make up for my heartbreak, the frozen yogurt place was where I found solace. :) Again without my camera...sorry. :)

I made my lunches for the week yesterday too. I got a lot done yesterday!! I will share lunch with you all later- along with the recipe. :) I love that so many people liked the chicken and biscuits recipe I posted! I already had some people tell me that they made it! I love hearing that! If you ever make something that I post- tell me about it! That is why I share all of these ideas with you all! (even if some of them are from a cookbook!) :)

Weigh in day is tomorrow! I had a great week, used all of my weekly points. I used more of them each day than I normally would have done, but if I am hungry I know that is what to do. I got a lot of great feed back about Activity Points from everyone. I wanted to say THANKS. I am still unsure if I will count and use any. Honestly I am only doing the hour in the pool 4X a week and never have done any more than that while I have been following Weight Watchers. If was running or doing other cardio and dripping with sweat I think I would feel differently about tracking AP's and eating them. SO for now I am going to stick with what I am doing.

Come back later to see my lunch! :) Today is a POOL DAY! :) YIPPEEE Leaving soon! Have a great day everyone! :) BYE!

Healthy Home Cooked Comfort Food

I love that I can eat just about anything I want to on Weight Watchers and still lose weight. I know that is why I have stuck with the program for so long.

For dinner tonight I cooked at my parents house and made a total comfort food meal that I love. I was dying for chicken pot pie (we did make a WW recipe a few weeks back) but for re-heating purposes that gets a lil soggy, so I did a lil change up and made chicken and biscuits. I liked this because having ONE biscuit was portion controlled for me. :)



Chicken & Biscuits
Serves 6
3 WW points (per the WW recipe builder) **plus points for the biscuit**

1 can Campbell's Healthy request Cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
pepper to taste
PAM

1 can reduced fat Grands biscuits (4 pts each)

Cook chicken-set aside. In pot sprayed with PAM- add onion, and mushroom. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add in
paprika, bouillon, pepper, can of soup, water, and evaporated milk. Stir well, add chicken and frozen vegetables. Heat through serve with Grands biscuits. :) YUM!
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Making my meal plan for this coming week and getting the shopping list organized. The weather is going to get colder and rain is headed our way (BOO!) I might make some soup for my self for lunches. I seem to have a few things in my freezer that is making it hard to close properly. lol So I think I will shop at HOME first to see what I can get rid of. :) Might be an EASY week! :) Whoohooo!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT weekend! :) ENJOY!
BYE! :)

Jack's Spring Cleaning Box-O-Sh*t

So for those of you who live under a rock, our friend Jack was having a giveaway. Not some coupon for a cup of greek yogurt or a little sample of soy milk...like a BIG $$ giveaway. So I found out I was a runner up..but he said it was stuff that was laying around his office that he needed to get rid of. You could imagine how excited (and scared, very scared!) I was to hear that! lol So today when I got home from the pool I had a box waiting for me on my doorstep. The first thing I noticed about the package was the tape- I was cracking up:
Sushi tape! lol

So I opened it, very slowly, very cautiously...nothing popped out and attacked me...but man was it filled to the brim with weirdness. Well it WAS from Jack, so I guess that is to be expected. lol

Some snacks- Opened the granola crisps right away and dug in- YUM! Muscle milk! How did Jack know I wanted to get ripped? lol




uummm some cowboy tape...


This guy who I think is some sorta Mexican wrestler...I saw a Jack Black movie a long time ago that mentioned these characters. Also made me crave NACHOS. lol I played with him for about an hour...then he was asking if I have any friends. :)

Next I saw some drink mix sticks-My shin dig is gonna sizzle! lolhumm this poodle doesn't look happy...

Everyone needs pink elephant cocktail napkins-

I think these MIGHT be hard to shuffle...and I gotta cut them first but look kids- a sheet of cards! I don't read Chinese (yet) so I am not certain what the instructions say.


Here is an interesting hobby...that I may NOT be getting into- Model Camera Building! Wow Look! It includes a precision screwdriver! YES! Oh my! look at all of those parts! I might need an actual drink to go with my poodle sticks and pink elephant napkins before I tackle this kit! :)

The last item in the box was true trash for Jack. I'm not sure if most of you know this or not but I am a HUGE Laker fan. I love basketball! I love it so much that I sometimes can not watch a game if they are losing, cuz I feel sick and it also makes me tense.Tensing is BAD for my back! lol So when a player on a team is traded and leaves I know the pain that it can cause. I know the range of emotions. Sadness, followed by feelings of abandonment, then the rage sets in! Anger is good for letting go. What also works is sending your signed Memphis Grizzlies Pau Gasol jersey to a fan of his CURRENT team. :) Thanks Jack!


So sometimes being a runner up is really being a WINNER! :) Thanks for the awesome Sh*t Jack! :)
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Oh lunch today, why not share: Turkey on a bagel thin (FOUND SOME EVERYTHING FLAVOR AGAIN! WHOOHOOO!) cucumbers, jicama, and of course some of those snacks Jack sent! :)

HAPPY FRIDAY! :)

SUNNY DAY!

Weird how the weather messes with ya! Today is going to be SUNNY and I am smiling! :) It is also Friday which is a POOL DAY for me! Whoohooo! :) I may have over done my Tuesday & Wednesday workouts a bit, not to mention the extra effort of my Monday LAST CHANCE WORKOUT- so I have been in quite a bit of pain the past few days. :( My back has been good so far with the pool exercises I think the "running" I have been doing in the water twists me a little too much so I will skip that today.

Yesterdays EATS: I had some leftover grilled turkey breasts so I added a mix of greek yogurt, light mayo, and a squeeze of mustard- to 4 ounces chopped turkey and some celery. YUM! Jicama & a tangelo to go with my HUGE sandwich. :)

Then last night Sean and I went to his parent's house for dinner- YUM! I busted out the iPhone to snap pictures before we all sat down. :) Cutlets with & without sauce, rice, salad, tadik, baked fries. YUM to all of it! :)


Oh I also made cookies yesterday to bring for dessert. They are a oatmeal, ground flax, chia, cranberry cookie. lol I made up the recipe and just crossed my fingers. If you know me and my baking MISTAKES I am LUCKY if I get a winner- and everyone seemed to like them. :)


This morning I wanted something different for breakfast and I decided on a recipe I found on the Weight Watchers recipe boards.

HIGH PROTEIN BREAKFAST PANCAKE (3 points-additional points for toppings)

Non-Fat Cooking Spray
3 Egg Whites
1/3 C. Quick Cook Oats
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 C. Frozen Blueberries

Coat a 7" omelet pan with non-fat spray and set over medium heat. Whisk together the egg whites, oatmeal and cinnamon, then fold in the blueberries. Pour into the heated skillet and cook until puffed up slightly and brown on one side, then flip and cook on the other side just as you would a pankcake. Serve hot with agave nectar or sugar-free syrup.

I prefer to cook mine without the blueberries. I added them as my topping with a scoop of Fage 0% greek yogurt. Now I am curious to see if I last till lunch with this meal. That is the true test for me. lol



Ok, I gotta get my bathing suit on!!! I Hope everyone has a great Friday! Anyone doing anything FUN this weekend?? :) I am going to make that Weight Watcher's recipe for chicken pot pie again tomorrow with my Mom- but we decided to skip a few steps and serve it differently. I will be sure to take pictures and share what we did to make it easier. :)

If you missed this post earlier this week- CALLING ALL SF BAY AREA BLOGGERS! Come meet up with us! Check out THIS POST for details! :)

Have a GREAT day! :) BYE!

It Started With A Recipe...

Hello everyone! I saw a recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook for some kinda Chili Rellenos...I don't even remember the whole recipe but I just ate what I created and MAN was it TASTY! :) I am REALLY bad at measuring spices out so a shake or a pinch is more my style. hehe :) I only could get 3 of the peppers because my CRAPPY Safeway by me only had 3! Grrrr and one was WAY smaller then the others and I always hate shopping there yet I keep going back. Guess I like torture! lol

Tj's Stuffed Poblano Peppers

3 Poblano peppers
3 ounces Goat Cheese
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 red onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 C frozen corn
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
PAM cooking spray
cayenne powder
cumin
chili powder


First step is to char the peppers. I did this under the broiler- turn peppers until skin is burt on all sides then remove from oven and wrap in foil- put aside to cool, so skins will peel off easily.

In a saute pan add PAM, onions, garlic, celery-cook until softened. Add corn and rice. Add a sprinkle of cayenne (or more if you like HEAT) pinch of cumin adn a few sprinkles of chili powder. Told ya I was bad at measuring! :) Stir to blend spices into mixture and to heat through. Remove from heat and set aside. Time to peel the skin from the peppers- also cut a slice down one side and remove seeds/membrane. I also remove the stems.

Stuffing the peppers- Be careful- they tear easily! Divide the rice up into the peppers and add in 1 ounce of cheese to each one. I placed mine in the microwave to heat up and melt the cheese. Topped with fresh salsa and sliced tomatoes. YUM! (1 pepper=3WW points)
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Black beans would be a great addition to this! Sean is ANTI-Black bean, so I skipped it. lol I also have been CRAVING MEAT! I ran to get some turkey breast cutlets today and threw them on the grill. I have a few more for leftovers- gotta think what I can do with them for lunches. Any ideas?? :)

Hey if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area check out THIS LINK to read all about the BAY AREA BLOGGER MET UP. I am excited to finally be meeting up with some fellow weight loss/ food bloggers! It will be FUN! :)

SO thats it...I went to the pool this morning, ran some errands, and now I am waiting for Sean to get home. I want to walk over to the library tonight but I'm not sure when to expect him. Oh I know, question for all of you Weight Watcher LOSERS out there. lol So because my activity along my journey so far has been mini walks and a few bike rides. I have never tracked activity or given myself activity points to eat. So my question- eat the AP's when you are trying to lose weight or not?? hummm I have talked to two WW leaders about this and both suggested to NOT eat them as I STRUGGLE to lose weight. I really don't know how many calories I am burning with my pool workouts and it's not like I am running marathons! I just was curious as to what everyone else does. :) The past few days I have noticed that I am HUNGRIER than normal and each day I have dipped into my weeklies- which is fine, and why they are there. Any feedback, I'd appreciate it. :)

Have a great evening everyone! :) BYE!


Hope everyone has a good evening! BYE! :)