Weight Watchers POINTSPLUS!

I woke up very excited to head over to my Weight Watchers meeting today! :) I was down .2 (hey it's a spoon! lol) and I loved seeing & hearing fellow meeting members all excited about the NEW materials! The meeting was PACKED! It was a great meeting and because I already read everything on e-tools yesterday I was not shocked to hear about all of the key changes. Lots of happy people about the ZERO point fruit rule! Whoohoo! :)

So I already knew I was not going to buy the Deluxe Member kit because I have access to e-tools all day and no real need for those books or the 3month tracker. I've never paper tracked. I love tracking online! I also skipped the calculator because I use either e-tools OR my handy dandy iPhone WW mobile App. I did however buy a cookbook! ADDICT! lol :)

Ok so... let show ya what you get! First- you get the POCKET GUIDE:

 Let's go inside...cool tabs!

 A-Z food list-

 talkin about the POWER FOODS!

 I like this TAB- Treat Yourself! :)

 oohh breakfast out anyone?

 look at the couch in the corner! lol NO COUCH POTATOES!

 This section is cool-

 tells ya what BLING you get for what achievements!

 OOHhh space for BRAVO STICKERS! (yes I am 5 and like stickers!)  hehe :)

 Then ya get this Getting Started book that has all of the NEW plan info inside. Just one book! No waiting several weeks to get handouts! I love it!

 This was a cool page- This lady is my age & height- also gets 29 Daily PointsPlus. This is a cool example of her day. LOTS OF EATS! (click pic to enlarge)

 I also loved this big "centerfold" for building meal ideas! COOL!

 At the back of the book was a few recipes too! YUM!

 Here is the NEW cookbook I HAD to get! :)

 This sounds good! Not sure what to make first!

My thoughts on the new plan is still all positive. I was in need of some changes. It's been a long time since I was excited about the WW program and with the new plan has come a new found interest and I'm gonna go with it! :) For me limitations is a MUST. I do like that the new plan puts a focus on CARBS and makes me aware of just how much of those 1 point bread items I was eating. Most of you know I have bread issues...some of you may go as far as using the word ADDICTED! lol 

Basically I guess I just TRUST the program. I believe in Weight Watchers and know that it works. Some people question the cost of it. As far as I am concerned is the last thing I think about. You can not put a price of being healthy and feeling good about yourself. Others think that you need to eat the packaged foods or buy only the frozen SmartOnes- I seldom eat those items. I have NEVER felt like I am on a D*et while using the Weight Watchers plan. I truly love the program and have made it my lifestyle.

So...who's with me? Who wants to be a TRACK MASTER of the NEW PointsPlus plan?? This is my first week and I am EXCITED! :) Whoohooo! 

Let's talk food! EATS for me yesterday were good! I found these tortillas in preparation for the new plan. They are ONE point. I like them! 

 For lunch yesterday I took one of those tortillas, spread on a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, a little turkey & lettuce. Tasty!

Dinner was a recipe I saw in a Real Simple magazine- but I made some changes! lol Nooo really??!! Instead of couscous I used bulgar and less oil, less cheese (&Fat Free cheese) & less walnuts. It was good! I only had a small amount and it was filling!

 Here is the original recipe-

Couscous Salad With Grapes and Feta

Serves 2| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 15m

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup halved red seedless grapes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper
• pita bread, for serving

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the couscous with ½ cup hot water; cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Fluff the couscous with a fork and fold in the walnuts, Feta, grapes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Serve with pita bread, if desired.

 Also had steamed broccoli & a chicken sausage-roasted bell pepper/spinach combo.

 Today for lunch I grabbed another tortilla, w/ Laughing Cow, crushed pineapple, & ham! YUM!

Rolled it up and had tzatziki dip with cucumber slices for dipping and grapes! This whole plate was 6 points!

Big plate of food = full belly = happy tj :) 

Today is going well on the new PointsPlus plan however I just looked at my tracker on my iPhone and I've ONLY used 14 points today and have 15 points left! WHOAA!! I got a lotta eating left to do today! YES!! lol

Did anyone else go to a meeting yet this week? Tell me about it? Are you just as excited as I am? Do ya wanna join me with being a TRACK MASTER this week?? 

OH! Do you use e-tools? They have a spot to add friends- feel free to add me! tjbooboo

Have a great night everyone! 

BYE! :) 

So Excited!

The NEW Weight Watchers PointsPlus program is out! My week does not officially start till tomorrow but I jumped on e-tools bright & early this morning to read all about the changes! whoohoo! I am so excited and I think the changes will really help me out. I am a BIG fruit eater and know not having to think if I want to spend my points on an apple will be a huge help to me on my weight loss journey! :)

I have seen a lot of blogs & links to all of the great new products they are selling at the meetings too. I know that the member kits are helpful to some people but honestly I don't think I opened my food guide or dining out companion once! Not really interested in a calculator either since I use my iPhone app for that. I think maybe a new cookbook might be in order though! You know me with my cookbook addiction! haha!

So I plan on going through my fridge, freezer, & pantry to re-calculate all of the foods that I have here at home. Fun day today huh? lol Actually I am so geeky that I DO think it's fun! haha! It feels nice to actually have this much excitement about the program again. :)

Ok so anyone else as giddy as I am? Have you checked out the new e-tools? Played around with the PointsPlus calculator and gotten any surprises? Any make you mad? lol I must admit, being a CARB lover & seeing my 1 point english muffins/sandwich thins/bagel thins go from ONE to THREE points was a little heartbreaking. lol I need to go to bread rehab. (NO, NO, NO!)

Can't wait to go to my meeting tomorrow! I also had a GREAT week on plan so I am anxious to get on the scale! :)

Have a great day everyone! :) BYE!

ON PLAN TURKEY DAY! :)

Ahhh the day after turkey day! We had a fun day with my parents. I also feel good about the choices I made. Sean and I started with breakfast- English muffin w/ 2% cheese & a soy sausage patty. Plus a lil fresh pineapple. YUM! 

When we got over to my parents the goodies were out! Sometimes I have a hard time controlling myself when it comes to skipping a real lunch and eating a PICKING meal.

 My Mom plans well with lots of healthy choices for the pickings- all of the crackers have good stats and reduced fat cheeses! :) WTG MAMA! hehe

This Weight Watchers Hot spinach artichoke dip was fantastic! Everyone loved it! :) 

I did well...I did eat lots of fruit! Guess that's ok. :) 

Dinner was a big success for me! My Mom baked a sweet potato just for me and I had cranberry sauce, fat free creamed spinach, and turkey. YUM! I stared at the rolls a few hundred times...I'm not gonna lie! 

DESSERT TIME! 

I took a full 3 point slice of the apple crumble tart that I made and only 1/2 a slice of the pumpkin pie, but then went back fro my other 1/2! lol I love that pie! SO good! Thank you to WW for that recipe! YUM! 

Lots of fun and love this Thanksgiving! 

Thanks Mom & Dad for having us over for a wonderful meal and for making it another great holiday to remember! :) 

Hope everyone had as much fun as I did yesterday! :)

NO Black Friday shopping for me! No deal is worth all of that craziness to me! lol I do need to make a trip to the produce stand to get some fruits & veggies! Wonder what deals they are having?? lol :) 

Happy Friday everyone! :) 

BYE!

Pie & Dip

Hello! I am in charge of making the pie & the dip! So I got to makin today...

This is the 3rd year I've made the Weight Watchers Pumpkin Pie and it is delicious! Mine got a crack in it- boo! :-/

Dip- This was my first try at this WW Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip & WOW, it's TASTY! :) I bet tomorrow it will taste even better when the flavors blend over night. YUM! 

Then I'm not sure what got into me, I may have been possessed by Martha Stewart for a little while- I made another dessert! With NO recipe! lol I jotted down what I did then added it all to the WW recipe builder to see what the points were. 3 points! Not too shabby! :) Looks & smells good!

Crust-  Mix 3 oz reduced fat graham crackers-mashed up.  2TB melted butter, & 1 TB brown sugar. Once mixed add add to pie or tart dish and press down firmly with your fingers. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min or until browned slightly.

Filling-  peel, slice apples squeeze w/fresh lemon juice. Toss with 1 TB cinnamon, 1 TB water, & 1TB brown sugar. Add to large saute pan and cook on medium heat until apples are soft. - add to pie or tart pan on top of browned crust.

Crumble-  in medium saute pan, melt 2 TB unsalted butter, once butter is melted add in 1/3 C rolled oats, 5TB flour, & 2TB sugar (I used brown) mix well then add to top of apple mixture. Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees or until crumble is brown.

_______________

:) Ok...I am about to go collapse! haha! That was a lotta standing for my back today. I am DONE!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow! Sean and I will be headed out to my parents house and I am looking forward to a relaxing day. 

I am so thankful to all of my blogger friends out there! You all keep me focused and make this journey fun! Thanks everyone! 

Bye! :) 

Crustless Quiche

Hi guys!

Easy recipes this week in order to save time and energy for turkey day!  I threw this one together with stuff I already at at home. You can add in whatever veggies you like. Use any cheese you might have on hand, plus add in any meat if you want to!  That is what I like about making a quiche or frittata- it's kinda like a big mix of leftovers!

Crustless Quiche
Serves 4 (5 points each piece)

3 cups egg beaters
2 cups steamed broccoli pieces
4 slices reduced fat cheese (I had cheddar, but jack, swiss, or provolone works great!)
10 ounces (5-6 small yellow potatoes) diced
1/2 C diced onion
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In a medium sized saute pan sprayed with PAM cook onions until soft. Add in diced potatoes; cook for 10 min or until soft. Use an 8x8 pyrex dish or a pie dish sprayed with PAM and add cooked potatoes & eggs to the dish. Top with cheese slices, add broccoli, then add egg beaters (season egg beaters in measuring cup if you want before hand) I like to sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and add pepper too.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 min. until eggs are firm. Serve with a salad for a great meal! :)

I have my Weight Watcher meeting today....and then I'm going to get some things done around the house. Boo to laundry! lol

We are going to my parents house for Thanksgiving and I am making the Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust from the WW web site. I love this pie and I think it's delicious! No complaints from my family either. lol I am also making a WW friendly spinach artichoke dip. :)  YUM!

What are your plans? Going on a road trip? Staying at home? We don't have a lot of family here, so it's just the 4 of us, but it will be fun. :) 

Have a great day everyone! BYE!

Raspberry Squares

Sunday my baking helper and I made a treat. I saw this recipe over at Gina's blog but I guess they originally come from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. She made a change, and I made a change too- but here is the recipe for an EASY and delicious dessert.

These came out a little different looking than the pictures that Gina took, ok- they were messy looking! lol But they really were delicious!

 my cute helper :)

Raspberry Squares
-makes 24 squares

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• confectioner's sugar for dusting 
• baking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray Baking Pam in a 13 x 9- inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan.  With a small, sharp knife (or toothpick), score into twenty-four 2-inch squares.  Place a teaspoon of jam in the center of each scored square.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Cool to room temperature, then sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before cutting and serving.