KAREN’S WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE

I DID IT! I’VE LOST 25 POUNDS!!! I know it’s taken me a while to achieve this milestone, but I don’t care. I’d rather lose the weight slowly and KEEP it off, instead of watching it all come back on as soon as I go off my diet. I’M SO EXCITED! (Hear that? That’s the sound of me patting myself on the back. Okay, I’ll stop now!)

So I think that I’ve really been doing it right this time. I’m really adopting healthier eating habits, and I actually like working out now. But I still have a HUGE sweet tooth, as well as a fried food tooth. Oh, and don’t forget my salty tooth. Sigh.

But speaking of sweet and salty, I found a great snack. Smartfood Popcorn Clusters by Frito-Lay. They are 110 calories, 1 gram of fat and 5 grams of fiber. Because of the fiber, they are only 1 Weight Watchers point. And they are YUMMY!

And I must give a nod to Boca Veggie Burgers. I admit, it took me a while to get used to them, but I have, and now I (dare I say) actually like them. (Not love them, just like them.) But with the Original Vegan ones having only 70 calories, less than a gram of fat, and 4 grams of fiber, they are also only 1 point. So I can have a 2 point lunch by having a Boca Burger on an Arnold Select Sandwich Thin. How cool is that? (I know, it doesn’t take much to get me excited!)

So I’m going to reward myself with something decadent, then work on my next goal of 15 pounds, for a total of 40. If anybody has any suggestions or words of encouragement, lay them on me! I can use all the help I can get!

Karen

Oh, and by the way, clearly I can’t write a short post, so our “Monday Minute” is now “Monday Musings.”

Wednesday Whatever: Yummy Recipe for the Family

I’m going to take a detour from my healthy, dieting life I’m leading lately and give you a really great recipe that your kids will love. (But have you noticed that almost everything I write lately revolves around food? Hmmmm!)

The recipe is for BBQ Beef Pop ‘Ems. They are easy, easy to make and everyone in my family loves them, which is saying A LOT! Before I go on, I must give credit to my sister, Margee, for giving me this recipe. (Okay, I’m really giving her credit only because she yelled at me for not saying that she told me about the Arnold Select Sandwich Thins on my Favorite Diet Foods post. So, are ya happy now, Marg?)

So here it is: BBQ Beef Pop ‘Ems

• 1 pound ground beef (or turkey, or soy, or whatever fake stuff you use)
• 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (I actually use a little more than 1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 10 pack can of buttermilk biscuits
• 2/3 Cup shredded cheese (any kind)
  

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef, drain and return to skillet. Add BBQ sauce and brown sugar. Mix well. Coat muffin pan with non-stick spray. Press each biscuit into a cup. Spoon the meat mixture into biscuits and push down firmly. Top with cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is melted and biscuits are done.

That’s all there is to it! It’s exactly the kind of recipe I like: not too many ingredients and no “meanwhile” instructions. (You know, where you have to do something while something else is happening. I can’t multi-task in the kitchen!)

Enjoy!

Karen

Wednesday Whatever… My FAVORITE Diet Foods

Okay, I know that “favorite” and “diet foods” don’t exactly go together, but I have found some foods that keep me filled up longer than others and are very healthy. The key is fiber. I’m not a diet or nutrition expert, so don’t comment and tell me how wrong I am! These are just MY observations during MY diet! (Oops, it’s not a diet, it’s changing my eating habits to be more healthy. Yeah, whatever!)

My first favorite diet food is an Arnold Select Sandwich Thin. Have you ever tried these? They are really yummy! Here are the stats:

• Calories: 100
• Total Fat: 1 gram
• Carbs: 21 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• WW Points: 1

These make great buns for everything from burgers to chicken salad sandwich. My favorite thing to do with them is cook some Egg Beaters and make an egg sandwich. Only 2 points and it keeps me filled up for hours.

My second favorite diet food is Fiber One Yogurt. Check out the stats on this:

• Calories: 80
• Total Fat: 0 grams
• Carbs: 19 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• WW Points: 0

Yep, that’s right, ZERO points for this one! And again, because of the fiber, it’s a great snack and keeps me filled up.

KAREN’S WEIGHT WATCHERS UPDATE:

Last week, my family and I went to an all inclusive resort in Cancun, where there was an abundance of food wherever we looked. VERY hard to diet under those circumstances. But I did the best I could, even worked out twice, and told myself that if I gained less than 2 pounds, I’d be okay with it. So sure enough, I gained 1.6 pounds!

I’m back on the WW train again this week, so keep checking back as I update my weight loss story and bring you more tips!

Karen