Sleepy Piepy

I have always had trouble sleeping. My whole life...I never sleep but I really want to sleep. Sleep is a critical ingredient in the weight loss recipe. Your body needs the down time to rejuvenate and repair muscle.  I read today that fennel is a great sleep aid. Well, fennel it is. I will try just about anything to get a good nights rest. I have tried chamomile and sleepy-time teas. Nothing works. I am always counting sheep.

A friend suggested that I try to meditate before bed. I am going to give it a try. Stay tuned.

PS WW has a new cookbook. Every recipe has 5 ingredients. I am having a lamb chop tonight. Yummie. The recipe calls for fennel. Yeah!

Sweet dreams and have a Veggie Good Night,
FitandSlim4ever

Happy Valentines Day

What did the stamp say to the envelope? I'm stuck on you. 

Hug yourself today- and give thanks for all the blessings that you have been given.  Most importantly, have a laugh, giggle, lark - whatever.

I wish everyone a wonderful day. Treat yourself to something - a latte, a piece of cake, chocolate...the list is endless BUT practice moderation. It is okay to treat yourself - just don't go crazy and eat the whole box of chocolates.

We have to keep reminding ourselves that we are on a weight loss journey that is going to last for the rest of our lives. WW gives us the tools to track our progress and plan the path that will keep us on the road to success. I am going to use those tools to manage my lifestyle choices and balance healthy eating with fitness.

So, enjoy your day. Treat yourself special and tonight pray for peace and tolerance.

Be good to yourself and have a Veggie Good Day,
FitandSlim4ever

Day 149 - Still going strong on Weight Watchers

Hello world,

Can you believe it? I have been on WW for 149 days.

My life has changed so much since that fateful day when I walked into my first WW class. I was frustrated and upset about my high blood pressure and weight. I was a little apprehensive about the reception that I would receive at WW.  I found it to be a wonderful experience - full of friendly faces and dynamic group leaders. Miss Donna --- you rock.  My dear friend GW was the one that talked me into going with her to the meeting. Flash forward 6 months and I have only 1 skirt that fits. My clothes are all toooooo big to wear. YEAH! I am so glad GW dragged me to WW. She saved my life that day. Thanks friend. I really did not realize how off track things were until I stepped on the scale that morning in September.

Today, we have friends from around the world reading our blog and sharing my WW journey. Congratulations to those of you who have decided to join me at WW. It is so much fun.

Jennifer Hudson appeared on Oprah yesterday. She has lost 80 pounds on WW and her family has lost a combined total of more than 1000 pounds. It works. It is working for me and it will work for you.

Forward march. It is a new day and a new way of thinking.

All the best and have a Veggie Good Day,
FitandSlim4ever.

All You Can Eat?

Today, I have a meeting at a place that features an "ALL YOU CAN EAT" buffet. This poses an interesting challenge for a person that is trying to make lifestyle changes. I tried to do my "pre-op" meal preparation by going online to review the menu. Unfortunately, there was no menu - the website said "buffet featuring Italian, Southern, Cajun and traditional foods. ????????? Okay, that is very helpful. LOL.

I have gotten into the habit of reviewing menus before I go out to eat. I try not to go out to eat unless it is business or unavoidable. Yesterday, I  had lunch with some friends from a former job. Prior to my departure, I reviewed the menu at the restaurant and determined that there were very few WW friendly items. I emailed my friends and asked them to meet me at another restaurant. They were happy to oblige my request and in doing so support my WW journey. We ended up eating Asian cuisine. It was fabulous and low fat. We were surprised when the chef treated us to lunch in honor of our friend LA. L is moving to Vietnam for six months with her fiancee. (I wish you the best and safe travels). Everyone was glad we changed our plans.

My plan for today:

I had 2 slices of toast for breakfast with 1/4 tablespoon of jam. (points plus value of 5). I plan to take a banana with me in the car (drive time 3 hours round-trip). My buffet strategy is simple - try to stay away from anything fried, covered in cream/gravy, anything with icing or fruit fillings, bread and alcohol. I will probably fill my dinner plate with salad and put a little meat on a salad plate. I am going to fight the urge to a piece of fried catfish. I love it. What can I say? This will be a test for me.

So stay tuned. I will let you know how it goes. I have come to far to turn back NOW! We are in it to win it!!!!!

Have a Veggie Good Saturday,
FitandSlim4ever

Baby it is cold outside - Brrrrrrrrr

Hello blog family,

I hope everyone is warm and safe in this COLD weather. It is cold everywhere...

I made up a yummie chili recipe that will warm you up and keep you going for hours:

1 package of McCormick's Chili Seasoning/30% reduced sodium (1point per serving)
1 16 oz can of Hunts Tomato Sauce /No Salt Added (1 point per serving)
1 15 oz can Best Yet Vine Grown Small Red Beans (2 points per serving)
1 1b. Laura's Lean Ground Beef (3 points per serving)
2 tablespoons Kraft Reduced Fat Cheese
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder

brown ground beef and drain fat. In a separate skillet add beans, seasoning, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add beef to the sauce. simmer and add remaining water as needed.  Simmer on low for another 5 minutes. Garnish with cheese.

Friends from outside of the United States look for brands that are low in salt/sodium. I giving this recipe an a points plus value of 8 points.

Enjoy and have a Veggie Good Day,
Fitandslim4ever

Minisize it

Every where you look there are ads that say SUPERSIZE IT..."upgrade to a super large instead of a regular size burger, fries or soda." This is one of those traps that lures us over the calorie count edge.  Can you imagine how many calories are in a super size order of fries? I shudder to think of it. Today, we are going to change our way of thinking. TODAY we are going to minisize our food.

Last year I purchased a "burger slider" pan by Big City. The pan sat in a box in my kitchen pantry until last night. I finally opened the box and took out the pan. A slider pan is a fast and easy way of cooking mini burgers or sandwiches. (sorta like castle burgers). You do not have to give up hamburgers for the rest of your life...use the slider to guarantee portion control.

Burger Slider Recipe (mix all ingredients together and use a small scoop (1/4 cup) to make patties

1 pound of ground meat (approximately 14 sliders)
1teaspoon steak seasoning
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1teaspoon garlic powder
1teaspoon onion powder

You can buy slider buns at the grocery store. If you can't find the slider buns use dinner rolls. Fat free cheddar cheese and fat free mayonnaise are great on the buns.

I gave my 2 slider meal a 6 points plus WW value.

So start grilling with your slider pan and get portions under control.

Have a Veggie Good Day,
FitandSlim4ever

Hello Out There

Hi Everybody, it seems like ages since I last wrote on the  blog. Things have been kinda of hectic but I am still in the game and working very hard to stay focused and on plan. I finally got through my 2 week mini plateau. Whew! I thought the scale would never budge. My WW leader gave me some helpful tips that include ramping up my exercise  plan and tracking my food.

On WW you can have lots of fun foods. I am going to try the coconut shrimp recipe tonight. Do you like coconut shrimp? One serving of 4 shrimp  has a points plus value of 6. Last weekend I cooked the apple tart recipe in the WW points plus cookbook. Yummie. It was delicious. Pick up a copy today.

I have started ZUMBA. It is a lot of fun. Look for a ZUMBA class in your area.

Well, that is all for now- I will work harder to blog daily. In the meantime, stay focused and stay on plan.

Have a Veggie Great Day,
FitandSlim4ever