*****New Favorite Item Alert*****

Lately, I've been totally obsessed with Ken's Healthy Options salad dressings. These dressings really want to make you eat salad...seriously, I even bought a salad bowl! So far I've tried the Parmesan & Peppercorn and Ceaser Vinaigrette. A two tablespoon serving has 70 calories and 6 grams of fat, 2 WW points!!! Not bad for a creamy decadent dressing!

Get yourself a load of greens, some grilled chicken and this dressing. You can have a healthy, hearty meal for 4 points!!!

Enjoy!

PS: I'll post a picture of my salad later :-)

************Recipe Alert: Strawberry Ricotta with Chopped Almonds************

As the weather is getting warmer outside, I'm starting to crave cold things for my breakfasts, rather than my usual oatmeal. With that said, I've created my own recipe called Strawberry Ricotta with Chopped Almonds. This is truly a decadent breakfast which I think I will be having for a while! Ingredients: 1/2c fat free ricotta cheese 1TB of strawberry jam 1TB of chopped almonds Sprinkle of cinnamon Place the ricotta in a bowl. Top with strawberry jam, chopped almonds and cinnamon. Enjoy :-) Total WW pts: 4

And the weekly weigh in is...

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Yesterday I had my weigh in and yay...I am down one pound!!! Again, I seem to be losing about .8 - 1 pound a week. A slow and steady process, but probably the best way to do it. Last week I had one really crazy day where I ate a lot of cereal and had a bagel with cream cheese in the morning, and did not eat a proper dinner. I'm quite sure I used all my 35 weekly points that day. Anywhoo, since last Wednesday was so bad, I made sure I got some extra exercise in and ate well the rest of the week -including the weekend :-) What I did realize from last Wednesday's blow out was, when I do not eat right or overload my body, almost immediately I do not feel well at all. I feel bloated, cramped and in a not so happy mood. So, another reason to keep eating well is I feel so much better! How have you guys been doing?

Getting my protein on...

This morning I wanted something different from my usual cereal or oatmeal. I wanted a sandwhich, but not a very sweet one like PB &J. This is how I came up with my Strawberry Ricotta Breakfast Morning Sandwhich!! Not only did I get my fiber from my bread (6 grams, thank you very much), but I also got my protein from the ricotta cheese -10 grams ppl!! Best of all, this filling breakfast sandwhich was only 4 WW points!!!

Here are the deets:

2 slices of whole wheat toast (try to pick one with atleast 3 grams of fiber/slice)

1TB of all natural strawberry jam

1/4c of fat free ricotta cheese (I used Polly-O)

Spread the cheese on slice of toast, and the jam on another. Bring the two together to form your sandwhich.

Enjoy!!!

****Recipe Alert: Easy Rice and Lentils****

Ahh, lentils so often underminded, yet so versatile! These little niblets of joy are fiber filled, protein packed and very economical. This recipe gives a different take on the beloved Rice and Beans that we love!!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 can of lentils

1tsp. of olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1TB. of minced garlic

1/2c. of diced tomatoes

1c vegetable stock

Salt/pepper to taste

2 cups of cooked brown rice

1 package of sliced button mushrooms, chopped very small

Preparation:

Heat a saute pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes and saute for another minute. Add the lentils and vegetable stock. Stir in the salt and pepper. Allow this to come to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Mix the chopped mushrooms with the brown rice (this adds A LOT of volume for very little calories). Set aside.

Portion out the rice and mushrooms into 4 servings and add the hot lentils on top.

Enjoy!!!

This fiber filling, protein packed meal has only 4 WW points!!

Note: This recipe is also posted on my weekly column for The Ajnabee on theajnabee.com.

Nutrition Terminology 101 - Reading Labels

These days it can be quite frustrating reading nutrition labels. I feel everything is low in this and an excellent source of that. However, when you know what the terminology is, your next trip to the grocery store can be much easier! Follow the guide below to a less stressful grocery shopping trip.

"No, Free, Without, Zero" - these words usually mean the product contains none or trivial amounts of a nutrient.

"Low, Few, Little, Contains A Small Amount" - the nutrient is in the product, but does not exceed dietary guidelines.

"Reduced, Lower" - the product has 25% less of a nutrient or calories than the regular version of the product.

"Excellent Source Of, High In, Rich In" - one serving of the product has 20% or more of the daily value for the nutrient.

"Good Source Of" - one serving of the product provides 10-19% of the daily value of the nutrient.

Seriously Snacking Suggestions

Finding healthy snack options can be hard, especially if you need to grab and go quickly. Here are some snack suggestions that I found on thebiggestloser.com, that are easy to make, have 150 calories or less and are protein packed! 1. Edamame (1/2 cup), buy frozen and follow cooking instructions (80 calories) 2. 5 celery stalks (4" long) and 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (95 calories) 3. 1 large dill pickle and 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (125 calories) 4. WASA Rye Crispbread (1 cracker) with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (115 calories) 5. Two slices turkey breast lunch meat rolled with 2 teaspoons cranberry jelly (100 calories) 6. Thinly sliced medium apple or pear with 1 ounce of cheese (150 calories) 7. Shrimp cocktail, 12 small shrimp with ¼ cup cocktail sauce (100 calories) 8. 1/4 can tuna with 1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt and 1 miniature box of raisins (125 calories) 9. Cottage cheese, 1/2 cup low-fat + 1/3 cup canned pineapple (120 calories) 10. Veggie burger, soy-based, + 2 pickle slices and 1 tablespoon of mustard (110 calories)

Seriously Snacking...

The other day when I was at the supermarket looking for delicious snacks, I of course headed to the yogurt isle. This is where I found a 4 pack of 4oz. Chobani yogurts in chocolate and honeynana. All I have to say is wow! Could this be the best tasting greek yogurt I've ever had?!?! The chocolate tastes a like slightly tart chocolate pudding and the honeynana....OMG...you can totally taste the clover honey used!!!! Both yogurts are thick, creamy and oh so delicious!

Best part, these yogurts pack in a some powerful stats and only have 2 points. Perfect on the go, sweet, creamy snack :-)

Stats for HoneyNana:

Cal: 110

Fat: 2

Protein: 9

Stats for Chocolate:

Cal: 120

Fat: 2

Protein: 9

I hope you brought some healthy snacks with you!!

And the weekly weigh in....

Today is my weekly weigh in day. Drum roll please...... .8lbs. That's correct people, I've lost .8lbs. Which means I am now down 7lbs. As they say, slow and steady wins the race. This seems to be my case as every week I have either lost just shy of a pound or a pound. When added up though, this does make a difference. Monday's are always hard for me as a weigh in date. Only because I know I have to get through the weekend in a good way. I record my weight every Monday, but I do weigh myself 2 or 3 times a week, definitely on Fridays. Every Friday, I weigh much less though! Although, weighing in on Monday's does help me keep things organized throughout the weekend. For example, if I know I have a party to go to Saturday night, Ill make sure I get my workouts in during the week, to bank points. This also helps me carefully plan out my 35 extra weekly points. Even though I had lasagna (soooo delicious) and ricotta cheesecake Saturday night, I still managed not to gain any weight, and lose .8 pounds.

As they say, slow and steady wins the race!

How have you guys been doing?

Recipe Alert: Apple Bran Muffins

So, the oatmeal really didn't do it for you? Well, maybe my Apple Bran Muffins will be a better option. Not only are these muffins a great grab and go snack, but they also make a wonderful breakfast. Not too sweet, yet light and doughy, they are nutritionally packed full of vitamins and fiber. Now this will blow your mind, these portable muffins are only 1.75WW pts!!! Seriously, you can have TWO of these for under 4pts. and call it a great breakfast. Here are the deets: 2 1/4 c. oat bran 1 apple, diced 1 medium zucchini, shredded 1 tbsp. baking powder 1/4 c. agave nectar 1 1/4 c. skim milk 2 egg whites 1TB. vegetable oil 1TB of cinnamon Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups and fill with batter. Bake 15-17 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Makes 12 muffins. Total points: 1.75 Enjoy!!!

The Breakfast of Champions...

Still thinking about last night's post, I decided to have a more nutrient dense breakfast as well. Lately, my breakfast has been 4WW points; that's 3 points for organic instant oatmeal and 1 point for a serving of oatbran mixed in. It's still a little chilly outside so I know I wanted something warm, but more earthy. So, I created my own version of a healthy oatmeal for only 4WW points! Not only is this filling but I am eating more nutritious, natural food :-)

My oatmeal:

1TB. of raisins

1TB. of chopped almonds

1 small banana, diced

1 serving of oatbran

1TB. of cinnamon

1/4.c of boiled water, more if you'd like your oatmeal thinner

1/2c. of vanilla soy milk

Mix all of these ingredients, except the soymilk in a bowl. Slowly stir in the soymilk.

Enjoy!

WW pts: 4

What am I getting from this meal: fiber from the oatbran, potassium from the banana, healthy fats from the chopped almonds, the cholesterol lowering powers of cinnamon and antioxidants from the raisins.

Yeah...seriously, you can't go wrong with this one :-)

Enjoy!

Are you getting the most nutritional bang for your points?

One of the great things that I love about WW is that you can have your cake and eat it too. This is great for those instances when we have a party to go or if there is a special occasion. However, what nutritional value is there in a slice a cake? Like most commercial cakes out there, probably not much but a bunch of sugar. Which leads me to ask -are you getting the most nutritional bang for your points?

This got me thinking the other day. Lately, I've been bringing a sandwhich made with deli meat and whole wheat bread for a total of 5WW points. Yes, my sandwhich did fill me up, but WW is not just about being full. Although my sandwhich tasted great, did I really get any nutritional value out of it? At most, 4 grams of fiber and some protein, but that's about it. So, I thought, if I'm giving myself 5 points for lunch, I'm sure I can come up with just a filling lunch but much more nutrient dense for 5 points. That's exactly what I did last night and had a wonderful lunch today!

Last night, I came up with a Whole Wheat Pasta Medley. This wonderful meal consisted of whole wheat pasta, broccoli, bell pepper, garlic and grape tomatoes, all for 5WW points! In this one meal, I was able to get my fiber, vitamin C and lycopene. Yes, a totally filling meal, with a big nutritional bang.

I hope you enjoy my recipe for my Whole Wheat Pasta Medley. Next time you are eating something, really ask yourself, does this have any nutrition benefit for me?...

Ingredients:

• 13oz. of whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked
• 1TB. of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 head of broccoli florets
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 1TB. of fresh oregano
• 2TB. of balsamic vinegar
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Shredded pecorino romano, to top

Preparation:

In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and place on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic slices, bell pepper and broccoli. Let the vegetables brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, balsamic vinegar and stir for about a minute. Add the pasta and toss. Top with the Pecorino Romano cheese.

Servings: 7

This recipe and article is also posted on TheAjnabee.com!

***Snack Attack***

Today's snack of the day is Oikos greek yogurt by Stoneyfield. Mmmm..this cute lil organic package of blueberry yogurt has only 90 calories and 0 grams of fat, not bad for 4oz of thick, creamy yogurt! Pefect to hold you over for an hour or two before dinner or a workout!

My Snack of The Day...

So far I've been doing pretty well and keeping my hunger in check. Eating my oatmeal at 10am really helped! I did not have to snack in between breakfast and lunch. At 1:00pm I had my lunch of turkey ham and turkey pastrami on whole wheat, with a slice of provolone cheese (5 WW points). I also had a side of Baked Lays chips for 2 points!

Now, I am snacking on half a grapefruit, and will probably have the other half this afternoon. Not bad!

How is your day going?

The dreaded Portion Distortion

Now how many times have you gone out to a restaurant and finished everything on your plate? I know I use to do this all the time. Unless your eating a plate of salad with no dressing, you could be taking in thousands of calories, and definitely atleast 2-3 portion sizes. This is not your fault, as the restaurant is not going to say, 'hey, here is your food, but there is enough food on this plate to feed your whole family.' No, you are going to get a plate of food and be expected to finish the whole thing. Before you know it, you are ridiculously stuffed and have eaten way more than you should have! Yes, we have all fallen victim to portion distortion at one point or another. Here are a few key points to remember when trying to figure out a portion size: 3 oz of meat = deck of cards 3 oz of fish = checkbook, not the checks but a checkBOOK 1 oz of cheese = 4 dice 1 tsp. of butter or margarine = postage stamp (the standard size guys, let not get crazy here) 1/4 Cup of mixed nuts, dried fruits, granola = size of golf ball 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = size of ping pong ball 1 cup of pasta or cereal = size of baseball 2 tablespoons of salad dressing = one full shot glass Another trick that can help you with portion distortion is use smaller plates. Try not to put your food on big dinner plates, but use salad plates. You eat with your eyes first, and you'll realize that food fills up on the salad plate when you are using the correct portions! Another eating out tip: When ordering your food, ask the waiter/waitress to pack half of the meal away in a doggie bag. This way you know you cannot over eat because the food will not be in front of you! I hope this was helpful to everyone!!

What are your biggest challenges....

Good Morning Everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. So, here's what I want to know..what is the biggest challenge you face when staying on the weightloss track? My challenge is staying within my daily points. The more I workout, the more hungry I get. I know I can delve into the extra 35 points offered, but I really try to save those for Friday and Saturday nights. I also know that for each workout, I gain an extra 3 points. Again, this is great but I really do not try to use these points. I've noticed that if I eat my breakfast at 9am, I'm hungry by 11, will then have a snack and be hungry again by 12:30. I can eat my lunch at 12:30, but that leaves one snack between 1pm and 8pm...which sometimes does not really hold me over. So, today I am trying the following: eat my breakfast at 10am, then I will probably get hungry by noon, and a snack will definitely hold me over till 1pm. Lunch I'm hoping will keep me full til my snack and hopefully I will be alright by the time dinner rolls around. I'll let you know how this experiment goes. So, what is your biggest challeng?

Tips & Tricks: Bulk Up Your Oatmeal

When it's cold outside, there is nothing I crave more for breakfast than a hot bowl of oatmeal. However, sometimes one pack of instant oatmeal just does not fill me up. Also, when having instant flavored oatmeal, I find they can be very sweet. My tip to bulk up the oatmel is instant oatbran cereal! Just one quarter cup of this added to your oatmeal packet and you instantly have voluminous oatmeal :-) How awesome!! Total points for the packet of oatmeal and the oatbran added is 4 WW pts!!! Not bad at all! Also, the oatbran helps dilute the sweetness...how sweet is that :-p

Added bonus: an extra 4 grams of fiber from the oatbran!!

I hope this tip comes in handy for all you oatmeal lovers out there!

Hello Again...

Hello Everyone, OK- I know I've been lacking in the posting department, but good things have happened. For a little over a month now, I've been following WW and exercising atleast four times a week to get myself back in shape. So far, so good. In about 5 weeks, I've lost 6 pounds, a lil over a pound a week. I know losing a pound of week is a little slow, but I'm happy to say there is some progress every week. If I continue this way, in a month, I should be down another four pounds, which will make my progress to be a ten pound weightloss. Not bad, all in all by June I should be very close to my goal weight, now that's hot! Another thing which has helped me, and I will be completely honest, I've stopped eating at 8:30pm. Although this has been hard, but it has helped tremendously! Yes, for about a week, I would wake up starving and wanting to eat my breakfast as soon as possible. After a week of doing this, I started to get use to it and I can now wait til my normal time to have breakfast. Anywho, I have lots of recipes, tips and tricks to share with you all!! How have you guys been doing on the weightloss?