About Me

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I am a newlywed in my twenties. I love life and everything it brings me. I love finding a good deal, online news junkie and watching TV. I am learning how to eat healthier by following the Weight Watcher Points Plus Program!! 'Nothing Tastes as Good as SKINNY FEELS'

Monday, February 28, 2011

Dog Tired

Are you ever so tired that when you get home from work you just want to collapse? You have no energy to make dinner, clean up and even thinking about working out isn't even a thought....do you ever feel like this:


My adorable little puppy Chandler had the right idea! I guess he had a very tiring day at doggy day care today! 

That is how I felt today. However, I knew I needed to work out. Even if it was for 30 minutes! I put on my work out clothes (noticing they were loose on me and when I glanced at myself in the mirror I noticed that even I thought I looked a little slimmer) and got to it. It was hard as I was still tired and very sunburned from Sunday Funday.  But I did it. All 30 minutes of it and burned 200 calories and got 3 activity points! In the end, I was glad that I did it. It would have been VERY EASY to come home and order a pizza but instead my adorable husband made dinner:) I am lucky...and I appreciate the life I have.  

I am off to bed like a grandma at 9:00 and I cherish the 9 hours of sleep I will get. Here is to a Terrific Tuesday! 

Sweet Dreams!
Christie

Beef Enchilada Pie---OLE!

Tonight we have Beef Enchilada Pie. It was very yummy and for only 6 points a serving it was very tasty!  It was very simple to make especially since my helpful husband cooked the meat while I was working out. The smell of wonderful food helps me work out faster and pushes me to do my best!  Here are the details:

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray   

1 pound of lean beef   

1 medium onion(s), chopped   

1 tsp chili powder   

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour   

1 cup(s) fat-free skim milk   

4 oz canned jalapeٌo peppers, drained and chopped   

1/2 tsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand   

3 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)   

3 cup(s) tomato(es), chopped   

10 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese  


Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Place meat, onion and chili powder in skillet and cook until meat is browned, stirring occasionally to break up meat, about 8 minutes. Remove meat mixture from skillet and set aside.

            Place skillet over medium-high heat and add flour.

 Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

            Remove skillet from heat; stir in meat mixture, jalapenos and cumin.

           
Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on HIGH until softened, about 15 seconds. Place 1 tortilla in bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread 1/3 of turkey mixture over tortilla. Spoon 1 cup of tomato on top and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending up with 2 tablespoons of cheese.


Cover pie plate with aluminum foil and cook until cheese melts and filling is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, 2 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges- 1 wedge per serving.


This is the picture featured for the recipe on Weight Watchers.com



PP Value: 6 per serving!


**We made modifications due to the fact that our pie pan was not deep enough so we used 4 tortillas and made it in 2 separate dishes with only 1 layer and increased the serving size to 8.  This made the PP 5 per serving! I also added a 1/2 cup of FF refried beans on the side for 2 PP and a 1/2 tbsp of FF Sour Cream!** 


It was VERY GOOD AND FILLING AND ONLY 7 points for dinner!!!



Happy Eating!

Christie

Breakfast Taquitos

Hi my name is Christie and I used to be a Whataburger addict……

If you live in Corpus Christi you have more than likely eaten  a Whataburger Taquitos for breakfast.  My personal favorite is Sausage and Egg Taquito with Cheese.  They are quite delicious and their PP is 12! Not too bad if that is what you want to use your points for breakfast but that is not too good if you can eat the same thing for less PP! Sometimes they are not even that big leaving you feel unsatisfied and you end of up eating something else not too long after for even more PP. 

Last week the wonderful WW leader Neida posted on Facebook what she had for breakfast.  It sounds just like a Whataburger Taquito. I thought that I would pick up the ingredients and try it this weekend. My wonderful husband love, love , loves breakfast so I thought we would love this idea.  Here is the 411 on how to make your own Whataburger Taquitos at home for almost half of the PP!

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Taquito

1 Mission Carb Balance Tortilla- 2 PP


2/3 Cup of Jimmy Dean Turkey Crumbles-2 PP



½ Cup of Egg Beaters- 2 PP


1 slice of Kraft FF Cheese- 1 PP



TOTAL:  7 PP
**I don't have a picture of the final product as I was half way through before I realized that that was something I should share!**

Heat the crumbles in a pan or in the microwave.  This takes about 5 minutes. Towards the end of the 5 minutes put the eggbeaters in pan and cook; these cook very quickly.  **You can add the egg to the crumbles to Heat the tortilla in the microwave.   After everything is cooked, assemble in the tortilla. Add the cheese first as the hot contents allow it to melt. 

These were very delicious and tasted just like Whataburgers and maybe even better.   Thanks Neida for the enlighting me!  It was very simple to make and allow your weekend to be that much better…aside from not having to work!

Happy Eating!

Christie

Making it work…..

As with everything in life the more effort you put into the something that more you will get out of it. This saying has been engraved into my head since my sorority days. When I first heard this I thought: “Yeah right…No matter what I will always get SOMETHING out it”.  I was right in a sense. When you put forth your best  you get the BEST out of anything. When you give a little you get little out of it.    My dad always tells me “Give it your best and at the end of the day you don’t have anything to worry about.”

This week at WW there was a quote that really hit home and is very true:

“ If you kinda do it, it kinda works. When you really do it, it really works!’”

This is so true when it comes to any weight loss program.  When you kinda weigh your portions then you kinda get the right points. When you kinda do some exercise you will kinda get results.  This was my biggest problem when I was trying to get healthy before my wedding last year. I put little into it because I thought I knew all the point values and portion sizes.

The Points Plus program is different and could be considered difficult because you can’t just look at something and know the points. But the more effort you put into it the more you will loose and become healthier!

Happy Eating,
Christie 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Dinner with our Families

Last night we had dinner with our parents. Daryl's mother ( who is an awesome cook) made this amazing lasagna and mini apple pies (they were shaped like apples with apple pie inside).  My mom made a fabulous colorful salad! It was sooooooooo good.

 I knew that this wasn't going to be made with the ingrediants that I would normally choose so I planned ahead and made it work. That is one of the key thing for Weight Watchers. You don't have to deprive yourself and are able to enjoy the wonderful food that comes your way..in portions.

I also made "Herbed Parmesan Crisps". They made for a great appitzer to our Italian Meal. I also made sure I portioned out my food and ate the wonderful and colorful salad that my mom made. It was more PP than I normally would eat for my dinner but as mentioned above I planned and portioned.

Here is the reciepe for the Herbed Parmesan Crisps. I also made it with mozzarella cheese. These are awesome if you love cheese like our families do!



Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or coat with cooking spray).

Place scant tablespoons of cheese on prepared pans, about 1 1/2- to 2-inches apart. Flatten out each pile of cheese into an oval shape; sprinkle with herbs and pepper. Bake until cheese crisps turn golden and resemble lace cookies, about 5 to 6 minutes. Cool on pan until set and then remove to wire rack to cook completely. Yields 2 cheese crisps per serving.

  

It was a great Saturday Night with our parents filled with great conversation, wonderful food and full of love. One thing I want people to know is that Weight Watchers isn't a diet but a lifestyle change. It is about controlling your portions and learning that maybe it is ok to eat one piece instead of two. It is about getting a little work out in even though you are tired but wanting to stay within your daily and weekly PP. 

Happy Eating!
Christie

Sunday Funday!

It's the perfect Sunday afternoon for laying out in the backyard! It is just a tad windy but when you live CC for 27 years wind does not stop you!
A staple when laying out is a cold refreshing beverage. I prefer beer as it quiches my thirst. Bud Select 55 is my drink of choice as it is only 2PP. However, I discovered a refreshing new beverage for the same PP value!


  • 8 oz Minute Maid Lemonade-light- 0 PP ( if you have more it the PP increases).
  • 1 oz ( 1 shot) of Rum- 2 PP
  • A couple of ice cubes
  • Total: 2 PP


Blend and serve! It is so refreshing and delicious. I am not one to drink liquor but this will be my new sun bathing treat!
Happy Sunday Funday!
Christie

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Marinara Dipping Sauce and French Fries

Friday is our grocery shopping day. I usually don't plan on this day becuase we are usually tired and I end of eating something frozen or use my weekly 49 points. I decided that this Friday I would plan an easy email for me and the Mr.

So we had Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Marinara Dipping Sauce! It was super easy to prepare and I walked for 30 minutes on the Wii plus and earned myself 3 activity points while it was cooking!  Here are the details:

Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Marinara Dipping Sauce


Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine bread crumbs ( I used Shake and Bake- Crispy Chicken: same amount of points as the bread crumbs), cheese and garlic powder in a small, shallow bowl. Whip egg whites until foamy and place in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture to coat thoroughly. (Note: You may use boneless, skinless chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts, if desired.)

Place chicken tenders on prepared pan and bake until crispy, about 25 minutes. Serve chicken with warmed sauce. Yields about 6 chicken tenders and 1/4 cup of sauce per serving.



It was sooooooo good and fills you up.  We also added Alexia Yukon Gold Julienne fries with sea salt.  You can 24 fries or 3 oz for 3 PP. It was a very filling dinner. For extra PP you can have a 2 tbsp of Yogurt Ranch dressing (which tastes just like Ranch) and 1 tbsp of Ketchup for 0 PP.

Happy Eating!

Christie

Working Out

Activity Points is the only way for you to 'get' points. I once was one that loved playing sports and working out. As I have gotten older and my bones are slowly feeling the affects of my youth (broken arm, torn acl, foot surgery and just plain wear and tear on my bones:).  I also have a full time job and when I get home, going to the gym or working out for an hour isn't on the top of my list.

When I started WW I knew I needed to find something just to get some activity in my day.  I have found two things that work for me: 

1. Wii Fit Plus: my love bug got this for me about 2 years ago when we first started dating. I rarely used it but I did enjoy it. I stared creating work outs and doing different types of activties. Then I discovered the gem: "Free Step". You basically step on and off for 10, 20 or 30 minutes. You can watch TV while doing this and it makes the time go by very quickly.  I did this for the first 2 weeks and it was a very good work out.

2. Active 2:   we picked this up at Best Buy one weekend as we had heard so much about this. It is a total body tracking system that allows you to work out. It tracks your heart rate, arm and leg movements.  One of the main reasons I love this system is you can get a great work out in a short amount of time. I typically burn an average of 140-175 calories in about 20-25 minutes. I love it. When I get home from work, working out isn't on the top of my list. It actually wasn't even on my list until I started WW. This work out can be done on the: Wii, XboX or PS3. I highly recommend this. You can do light work outs, dance aerobics or customize a work out of your choice!


I usually grab a bannana before I work out. It helps kick start my enerfy levels and it is 0 PP.  On average I get about about 12-15 activity points a week. It really doesn't seem like I am even working out and I believe that it has added to me loosing inches. What activity do you add to your day?

The Results are In!

Every week I go in for my weekly weigh in. As many people who weigh in weekly, I have a weigh in routine.  Weight Watchers devotes a section in their new member tools that discusses the weekly weigh in and made me feel normal about my weird antics. OK, my weigh in "antics" are not exactly "too" weird but I do the following things:

1. Wear the EXACT same outfit every time. The first week my mom and I ACCIDENTALLY wore the same thing therefore have matched at every meeting for 7 weeks.
2. Make sure I go to the little girls room before I leave my house.
3. Wear my hair the same way and do not wear too much make up:)
4. Take off my shoes.
5. Take a deep breath, close my eyes and tell myself I did the best I did and ate healthy AND everything is going to be OK no matter what the scale says.

Totally weird, I know but it works for me. Next time you step on the scale and feel kinda crazy for doing weird quirky things before stepping on the scale please know you are not alone and that I am doing the same thing every Saturday.

This Saturday was no different. As mentioned previously, I changed my weigh in day so I knew that the loss might a little higher than normal.

I stepped on the scale and waited for the lady to say: "Good Job!" or " You are doing great keep up the good work" or "You look great, don't worry about the number".  She didn't say anything as they were really really really busy this morning and I didn't want to linger around for praise. I took my seat in the meeting and took out my weigh in book. I looked at the number...to my astonishment delight, I lost.....
3.2 LBS!



While I do realize this is not standard to loose this much in one week, I am over the top. This helps push me on days when I want to eat a Whataburger with Fries (while I know i could eat that it wouldn't leave me as satisfied as a home cooked meal would). It helps me when I get home from a long day of work and only want to plop down on our new very comfy couch and watch TV all night long instead of working out (its only 20-30 minutes anyway). 

The point of my long windiness/giddiness/ excitement is that whether is be + 3.2 lbs or -3.2 lbs, I did the best that I could, my clothes fit better AND I feel healthy! 

THANK YOU WEIGHT WATCHERS FOR HELPING ME LEARN BETTER EATING HABITS AND FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF. Thank you to my wonderful husband who has been soooo supportive.  Finally, thank you to myself for helping me know that I can do this and I will reach my goal!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Weigh-In Day

There are a couple ways to follow the WW program: going to meetings and weigh in and/or particpate online. Which ever works for you is what you should do:) What works for me is weighing in every week. It holds me accountable for what my actions are during the week. The first 6 weeks I weighed in on Sunday but last week I decided to switch it up and go on Saturdays. I really like the leader and the discussion.

Tomorrow I go for my official weigh in 2 weeks. Since I switched it up I wasn't able to have an official weigh in so this will be 2 weeks of lost weight which I hope equates to a big number! I have been working out hard and following my points so I hope it pays off. When I did the 'unofficial' weigh in last Saturday I lost 2 pounds so we will see tomorrow the scales says. I did my best and feel healthy so whatever happens happens!

Here is to a skinny Saturday!

Typical Day

On the WW points plus (PP) each person is allowed 29 points plus a day and 49 points plus a week.  Every food has an associated points value.  I am a creature of habit and when I find something that I like I stick with it until I get tired of it.  But variety is key so switching it up is important!

Breakfast
1. WW French Vanilla Shake Mix-2 PP
  1 cup of unsweetened  Almond Milk- 1PP
  1 cup of strawberries
  1 cup of blueberries
  1 cup of raspberries
TOTAL PP- 3PP

This keeps me very satisfied until lunch time which is about 11:45.  I usually take a banana to work just in case I get hungry!

2. 2 pieces of Italian bread and toast them- 4 PP
    1 tbsp of sugar free Smuckers Grape jelly- 1 PP (1/2 tbsp for each toast is plenty of jelly)
TOTAL PP- 5 PP



I also add a sugar free Red Bull to my meal which is 0 PP.  It really helps get my day started!

Lunch
1. Grilled Cheese: 2  pieces of Italian Bread (4PP), 1 slice of FF sliced cheese (1PP)- 5PP
    Progressive Light Soup- 4 PP for the entire can. They have some delicious soups that are very filling. Some of them are even 3 points for the entire can.
    Chips-3PP.  I tend to subsititute the chips. Just make sure you count the serving size. My favorites include the new Special K Chips- 3 PP for 30 chips! I have to admit, these are an acquired taste. But check them out if you are looking for something new to eat. They look like this:
I also have discovered WW dijon flavored pretzels. These are also good snack.  If you are looking for quantity then the Special K chips are the way to go:) 

I really have not looked around for any other options because as I mentioned above I am a creature of habit and the above mentioned lunch works perfect for me during my 1 hour lunch. 

Deserts/Snacks
1. 1 cup, strawberries, sliced up-0 PP
    4 tbsp of FF Whip-0 PP
    Total- 0 PP
This tastes alot like strawberries and cream. This is a great afternoon snack!

2. Frozen grapes- 0 PP
3. Sliced Oranges
4. Jolly Time Popcorn- 100 calorie popcorn- 3 PP for the whole bag
5. Green Tea- 0 PP: there are so many awesome flavors and green tea is so good for you. I just started drinking it regularly and drink about 5- 12oz glasses a day. I get my necessary liquid as well as a great source of antioxidants. Green tea also helps curb your appetite. I have never been a hot tea drinker until I tasted Green Tea with Pomegranate.  I just picked up a box with green tea with Mixed berry, honey, mint, lemon, peach and mango! All for 0 points.  I have read different articles about green tea speeding up your metabolism as well. I will try to post some soon.

After Dinner Sweet: WW Ice Cream Candy Bar- 4 PP. My husband gets the Snicker Ice Cream Bars and they look and taste just the same EXCEPT the WW ones are bigger and less points!

I will post what we had for dinner tonight: Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Marinara Dipping Sauce and Alexia French Fries! YUMMMY!

Happy Eating!

Christie

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

When you live in Corpus Christi or Texas in general you know how awesome the Mexican Food is. You also know how much the tasty food can go straight to tummy or booty:) I was quite excited when I found this recipe.   Here you go!


Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
1 spray of cooking spray
1/2 cup, fat free sour cream
8 oz, Reduced Fat Velveeta Light Cheese Product
2 cups, chopped roasted chicken breast
1/4 cup, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp, crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup, fat free evaporate milk
1/4 cup, scallions, green part only-minced
7 corn tortillas

Instructions
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coast a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray

In microwave safe bowl, combine cheese product and sour cream, cover and microwave on high power until cheese melts, about 1.5- 2 minutes. Remove half of melted cheese to small bowl and stir in evaporated milk; set aside.  Add scallions, red pepper flakes and chicken to remaining cheese mixture; stir to coat.

Spoon about 1/3 of cup(**see below**)of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; fold in sides of tortilla to cover filling and place tortillas in single layer in prepared dish; spoon remaining cheese sauce over top and then sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake until cheese topping is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve with salsa. Yields 1 enchilada per serving.

Serves: 7
Points Plus: 5 per serving ( 2 servings= 9 PP)
Cooking Time: 27


This has become one of my husbands favorites! I made it for friends the other night and it was a hit!

I found this recipe on WW online tools- FIND IT HERE and made modifications: corn instead of flour, no olives and only adding 1/3 of mixture. 2 servings of this is plenty for a dinner!


Happy Eating!

Weight Watchers: Point Plus

In December, Weight Watchers (WW)  decided to revamp their program and incorporate the new points plus.  I first found out about this from my grandmother who did not hide the fact that she did not like the new program.  She described it to be like "Adkins".  I was little discouraged but then I thought...I have lost 25 pounds on the old program therefore I KNOW i can do it on the new program because word on the street was FRUITS AND VEGETABLES are free (ZERO POINTS)!! I love fruits and I "get along" with vegetables.

I saw the "love" pounds pack on after my few months of marriage and I didn't want to be the FAT bridesmaid in a wedding that I will be in during the summer. I thought to myself that if I start in January, I will have plenty of time before the first fittings! And so it began...January 9, 2011.

My mother and I attended our first WW meeting and I was FLABBERGASTED at the number that showed up on the scale.  (To my defense I have always weighed more than I looked..I don't know why but I have always). I have only told my mother what that number was after a few glasses of champagne one night but I still undercut the number by 5-10 pounds as I was embarrassed.  The good thing (only good thing really:) is that when you first begin WW and follow the program you can expect some weight loss the first week. I am not saying this happens for everyone but when you change your eating habits you tend to drop the pounds. After the first week of following the program and eating SO MANY fruits and vegetables I was happy to weigh in and discover that I lost 5 pounds! I am now going on my 6th week and I have yet to gain any pounds. Some weeks I only lost .2 pounds but thats better and gaining .2 pounds.

I have read about several people who do not like the new points plus values.  As mentioned before I lost 25 pounds on the old points program. I could look at the nutrition facts and know how many points something was.  When I got back on the program before my wedding last year and  I was very comfortable with the point value that I didn't really learn anything new and DID NOT LOOSE THE WEIGHT THAT I AM LOOSING NOW.

I love to eat fruit and now that it is 0 points plus anytime I am hungry I eat fruit.  I have it for breakfast, lunch, snacks and my dessert. I have discovered that i got through about 4 pounds of strawberries in a week! I can't wait to start seeing the fruit prices go down sometime soon!   Another favorite snack of mine is frozen grapes. Those are soooo good and you have to eat them slow it is like a tasty treat that fills you up and takes a while to eat. If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer like I this makes for a great thing to much without getting your fingers messy.

I will begin posting dinners that i have been cooking. Let me preface everything by saying these disclaimers:
1. I am not a cook.  However, I am a good recipe follower. I have a husband who loves good food so it is important to me to show him the wonderful food you can enjoy while being healthy.
2. I can't promise what I think is tasty you will also. I have been drinking skim milk and eating fat free cheese and sourcream for a while. It is an acquired taste but it didn't even phase my husband and he loves his whole milk and 'real' cheese.

I have also began a simple exercise program that i do for about 20-30  minutes a day. More about that later......

Happy Eating!

A New beginning....kinda sorta....My Journey On Weight Watchers

So it has been quite a while since I started my pathetic attempt to blog. I apologize to my ONE reader who, of course is my mom, and the lack of attempting to do something fun and creative. So I decided to try something else...use this blog as an attempt to document my journey on Weight Watchers (WW).

I have read several articles that discussed the success of people "dieting" and blogging along the way. It allows them to hold themselves accountable for what they put in their mouths and their success.  I admit was a little afraid  hesitate to start this when I first started WW for the fear of failing. But I can honestly say I am not scared anymore ( I have also successfully lost 11 pounds in 6 weeks). But who cares if I gain a pound here and there...I am human with the appetite for food life.

Another reason for the start of this "new" blog is I have found as I have gotten older I like to share two things with people: how much money I save on coupons and how many "points" something delicious I eat is.  Hopefully, I will be able to enlighten you on these two topics. That being said I will begin now.....