Yum

All you need to cure your Sunday sweet tooth is:

 

1 Spice cake mix

1 Small can pumpkin

Chocolate chips, optional.

 

Mix the dry cake mix and pumpkin together. Plop a spoonful on a lined cookie sheet lined with (only my favorite thing in the world...) parchment paper. Now a "plop" is a very official term. It's much like a dallop, but a little more than that. Think- cereal spoon. You'll also notice that when I post recipes, my terms are very official. You might see, "plop", "dollop", "smidgen" or "gurgle" fairly often in my recipes. Just an FYI :)  If you would like to add chocolate chips, you can either add them right into your batter, as much or as little as you'd like, or do as I did and just place ONE on top. One C.C. won't change the points plus value of your cookie. And speaking of pp values, 1 cookie is 1.13953488 points. I told you I ran a very official blog here. This means you can have 2 cookies for less than 3 points. I'll let you do the math on that one. But because you only have 2 cookies, that means you're only getting 2 chocolate chips and 2 chocolate chips is, wait for it...ZERO points! I know! YOU'RE WELCOME!  #squeeeeeal!

 

So whip some of these yummies up guilt free!

 

 

ENJOY!

P.S. You need to get 44 cookies out of this recipe if you are counting ww points. Less than 44, and the points plus value will be different than what I have listed above. Ok, now ENJOY!

Can I get a BA BAM!

This week I have had a few #littlevictories. Some might say "Meh" but I say "WHOO-FREAKING- HOO!!!!!"

• I wore a size large T-shirt that has been hanging in the back of my closet for over a year. And I'm not just talking about wearing it around the house. I actually wore it to work. And no one made fun of me!
• I learned that I can enjoy a salad at Café Rio. Did you know, that just because it's a salad, doesn't always mean it's the best choice? A salad from Café Rio can range from 28-35 WW points. The tortilla itself is 11 points. YA I KNOW!!!! I trimmed those points down to just 9. How? I ordered a shredded chicken salad WITHOUT the tortilla and WITHOUT rice, so my salad consisted of black beans (3 pts) chicken (4 pts) Lettuce, (0) Extra Pico (0) And I used one of my wraps I love so much from this post, (1) and 1 TBS Deans guacamole (1). It was so yummy. In fact,, Dixon and I are going to hit up Café Rio tomorrow for the last day of school celebration and I'm going to order the SAME THING!!!!
• On Sunday we joined some of Dustin's family for a little Memorial Day lunch. I stayed away from the cookies, the potato chips and the cake. Instead I ate lots of fruit.
• I was able to up my weights at the gym.
• I bettered my time by 2 min 14 seconds on my walk yesterday.
• Oh. And one last #littlevictory....

Weighing in:
MINUS 3.0
Total loss to date 22.4

BA BAM!

I'm not on a diet. This is #myforeverjourney. A journey to help me become a better version of myself.  Diets don't work for me. I've tried about 70 of them. This forever journey I am on will only work if I make it a forever journey, and not an "Oh good. I did it, now I can reward myself with cake" journey. And it's also working because I have a super duper support system, so thank YOU!

B.O.B

#myforeverjourney isn't all about food. I need to be more active too. This doesn't mean just going to the gym or even walks around the neighborhood. I have tried to make an effort in parking further away from the entrance when I go to the store, and even moving more with the kiddos at school. Instead of finding myself sitting on a swing during recess, I'm trying to walk around, even if it means just pacing back and forth. I'm still moving.

One of the biggest blessings in my life right now is my very good friend. I will just call this friend, "Bob." Bob is not in the witness protection program but I still feel I might need to be mindful of their identity as they might not want to be burdened with all the attention fame and fortune one so fabulous as Bob would encounter had their identity been given. AaaaND...I like run on sentences.

Bob is my "trainer." Bob picks me up every night at 7:30 and we go to Sports Academy here in town.
Now, I've found that besides having a bestie like Bob, there are a few other things you need when working out. So in no specific order, here is my top 10 must haves for a workout.

1. First and foremost, you (well maybe not YOU, but I) need a  B.O.B (Buddy or Bob.) Who likes going to the gym alone? Heck- who likes going to the gym? I really used to dread it, but honest to John Bob, I have really started to enjoy it. A friend makes things funner. And funner is a word on my blog, so THERE!
2. Water. Oh my gosh you need water. I need water because I leave my sweat on the floor, and I need to replenish the fluids I'm losing. I'm half embarrassed and half proud that I sweat like I do.
3. A plan. I cannot go to the gym and stand around for 20 minutes wondering what the heck I'm going to do today. I like to get in, get out, get on with my life.
4. Good shoes. Before I started #myforeverjourney I spent a little extra money on a good pair of shoes. I love my shoes! (Avia) They have a gel insole that is so cozy and HOT PINK soles, and laces so I feel spunky in my shoes. I think they might put a little pep in my step.
5. A sense of humor. Who cares if you can't get in and out of a machine with finesse? I mean, who's legs don't get stuck in a machine every now and again? And who doesn't fall off a balance ball? I never have before. But you just have to laugh. Plus if you think about it, laughing is just an easy way to get in an extra ab workout.
6. MUSIC! I was just introduced to SPOTIFY. I prefer Pandora, but Spotify allows you to make a playlist, so I've made a workout playlist, and a cool down play list. LOVE THE MUSIC!
7.  A stop watch. Trust me, when using weights, and you are doing 3, 1 minute intervals, you do NOT want to lose track of that 1 minute. Let's face it. 1 minute workout time, is like 7 minutes tv watching time. It's science. I can't explain it. Just get a stop watch.
8. Clothes. Specifically comfy clothes. Please don't workout naked. It's awkward for the person standing next to you.
9. Ok, this one is more for before you begin your workout. You need fuel. Make sure you eat something before you begin. I like to eat, and have at least 20-30 minutes of digesting time before I begin, so I try to eat around 6 p.m. If I can't, like tonight for instance I couldn't eat until 6:45, I made sure I ate lighter. I can always have a snack afterwards.
10. Change up the routine. Bob is great at having 4 or 5 different routines to choose from. It helps so you don't get bored. And don't be afraid to add in new things to the already known routines. This week we added in some things with the medicine ball and BURN BABY BURN!!!!

So there you have it. An unofficial official list. Hope it helps. After all, we're all here to help each other, yes? And I soooooo appreciate the help and support I've been getting. THANK YOU!!!
Oh, and P.S. I guess I shall officially post on the bloggy thing this weeks weigh in results.

Weighing in
Week 6: -1.6
Total to date: -19.6

Obsessed

With these.

 

 

I first heard about these a little over a month ago. I will admit I was a little apprehensive. I'd tried high fiber tortillas before, and they left a weird after taste in my mouth. I decided to only purchase one package, in case I didn't like them, then I wouldn't be out a whole lot of money. Well long story short, I've bought at least 8 packages since then.

 

So what do I use them for? Well let me tell you.

 

 

1 wrap + 1 TBS Dean's guacamole dip (think chip dip in the refrigerator section of the grocery store)+4 slices turkey + lettuce leaf + tomato = a  4 pp lunch.

 

OR...

 

 

1 wrap + 1 soft boiled egg, smashed + 1 TBS Dean's guacamole + salt and pepper = a 4 pp breakfast.

 

OR...

 

1 wrap + 1 DECONSTRUCTED 6 inch sweet onion chicken teryiaki subway sandwich = a 4 pp lunch (or dinner)  

 

OR...

 

1 wrap + 1 TBS sugar free strawberry jam + 3 cut up strawberries + 1/2 cut up banana = a 1 pp snack, or breakfast or dessert

 

And of course they are super for fajitas, or soft tacos. And we even made chicken philly's a few weeks ago and had them on these wraps instead of a huge hogie bun.

 

If you interested in trying a new favorite of mine, I have found them at Smith's (NOT Market Place) and Walmart. (Both in Logan)

Pizza logs

I've had an extreme craving for melted cheese lately, and I just solved it!

 

Introducing....PIZZA LOGS!

 

If part of succeeding at #myforeverjourney includes planning ahead, and if planning ahead means you make your families lunch at 6 a.m. on a tightly scheduled Saturday morning, then that's what you do.

 

I am going to start posting a recipe here and there on this here bloggy thing. Mostly so I can have a quick place to store some of my WW friendly, favorites. If you decide to make these, be it for lunch or even a snackity snack, let me know what you think. Oh...and enjoy guilt free!

 

GUILT FREE PIZZA LOGS

 

Ingredients:

8 egg roll wrappers

8 tsp. pizza sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning (Don't like, didn't use)

24 turkey pepperoni slices

4 pieces light String cheese (I used Saputo Cheese Heads Brand)

 

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

Place an egg roll wrapper at a diagonal and spread 1 tsp. of pizza sauce horizontally in the center of each wrapper. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning over sauce if desired. Add 3 pepperoni slices over the sauce. Add 1/2 cheese stick over the pepperoni. Fold up the bottom closest to you, and then fold down the top. Roll sides up, and wet the last corner with a little water so the wrapper adheres and is sealed. Place logs on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly mist the tops of the logs with non stick cooking spray. Bake 6 minutes and then flip. Bake another 6-7 minutes until they are golden brown.

 

WW Points+ 2 per pizza log (Calculated from the recipe builder from the tools found on weightwatchers.com

 

Nutritonal info

97 calories

13 g carbs

2 g fat

7 g protein

1 g fiber

Simply put

I ran across...whoa wait a minute. I never run. I CAME across a pin this morning on pinterest that read "19 simple ways to lose 20 pounds." Like an idiot I clicked the link. Do you want to know what I learned by clicking that link? I learned that in order to lose weight, you need to move more. That was ONE way. Do you think I could read the rest of the article? No. No I could not because it was plastered with ads, and other nonsense that would take you away from the article making it impossible to find out the other 18 "simple " secrets. And I figured out why! Because THEY DON'T EXIST!!!! If losing weight was as easy as walking a few extra steps across a parking lot, or using a push behind mower vs a riding lawnmower, I'd freaking be on the cover of Glamour magazine. It's not easy, or simple. I'll admit this week I've had thoughts creep into my head about quitting #myforeverjourney. But then oddly enough, do you know what comes to mind? Piano lessons, and my first round of weight watchers, that's what! And to this day, I regret quitting piano, and regret that I stopped going to the WW meetings once I hit lifetime 7 ½ years ago, so I kinda have an in, knowing what it feels like to be a failure quitter. giver upper... and I don't like it. So, when I think this journey is a total waste and all is lost, I think of my total WAIST, and ALL I've lost. Slow and steady wins the race. It's as SIMPLE as that! 

Weighing in @ week 5: -2.2
Total loss to date: -18.0
#tinyvictories #myforeverjourney

 

Easy come (not so) Easy go

It doesn't seem fair, does it? That while 5 pounds can creep on in a 3 day weekend, it takes 5 weeks to take it off again. Why is that? I'll tell you why. Because it's life. We all signed up for it. And I'm sure we were reminded more than once in our pre- existence, that LIFE wasn't going to be easy, or seem fair all the time. And NEWSFLASH: We are here, so we must have been ok with that little tidbit o'knowledge at one point.
These last 4 weeks of #myforeverjourney have not been easy. They haven't been hard though either. Sure there are days (or in my case this entire week) that I just want something REALLY bad for me. I'm not talking a cookie, or donut. I'm talking "grease laden, cheese drippin', artery cloggin', does this come with a defibrillator," bad for me. But I also know that I've now lost 16 lbs. (ok, 15.8 but whatever) in 4 weeks, and if I quit now, I could have those same ugly lbs. on in 7 days. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
I'm working my butt off, literally and while I feel at times that it's killing me, I just have to remember one thing.... At least I'll look SMOKIN' hot in my casket. (But not for a while)

Weighing In
May 7th - (minus) 3.0
Loss to day officially 15.8 lbs. But I like saying 16 better ;)

I am...

I'm a food addict. I love to eat when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm with my friends, when I'm alone, and especially when my car is stranded and the dang tow truck is two hours later than they said they'd be. I'm a stress eater. I don't think I ever completely realized that until 2 hours ago. So even though my car still sits on the corner waiting to be towed, I'm documenting my feelings. I'm frustrated, I'm sad, I'm worried, I'm anxious, I'm mad, I'm embarrassed, and I'M NOT EATING!!

#Littlevictories
#Myforeverjourney
#ScrewyouAAA
#Sometimesitfeelsgoodtosayscrewyou