Thursday, April 4, 2019
This post may not appeal to many so I apologize in advance if that is the case for you! Please do come back tomorrow for Friday Favorites! Lol!
I started doing WW online March 11 and I know a few of my blogger friends are also doing it. I am still learning the ropes. The first week was the hardest and now I’m getting better, but I still have many temptations. It’s a bit of a learning curve to learn how many points everything is, how to best utilize my points so I’m not crazy hungry – stuff like that. The app on my phone is super user friendly. It has an extensive list of restaurants, their menus, and point values. I also love the bar code scanner. And, you do get about two days worth of “extra” points to use how you’d like. I try to save mine for the weekends.
Also, if you have done Weight Watchers in the past, it is easier now than ever before, in my opinion. So many things are on the zero points list now. A couple of things that were kind of lightbulb moments for me – my sister reminded me that WW is a low carb diet when all is said and done. In this confusing world of Keto versus Paleo versus whatever else fad diet comes along, I really think WW is the most sustainable. In order to stay within your daily points range on WW, you must choose lots of lean meats and vegetables but you do get fruits, too. But, there really are no “off limits” foods; you just have to find a balance which is what we should all do anyway, right? The other lightbulb moment is when my sister said that you really must get enough protein to stay full longer. By the way, my sister has lost 30 pounds in the last 1.5 years and looks great! She didn’t do WW, but used My Fitness Pal and worked out consistently.
Obviously I’m not a food blogger, but I love to see photos, so here goes…
Below was a recent breakfast that I calculated to be 5 points.
Sauteed zucchini, two scrambled eggs, 1/2 Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles, 1/8 cup cheese, half of a small baked potato sauteed in Pam, and Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning. This kept me full until my late morning snack. It doesn’t look like I’m sacrificing here, does it?
This one didn’t keep me as full for as long, but it was still good. I had one piece of sprouted bread toasted with a bit of spray butter, a fried egg, one piece of bacon, a sprinkle of lite cheese, and the seasoning again. This was 3 points.
I am so excited to discover the Premier Protein shake. The vanilla is delicious by itself but I made an iced coffee with half of the shake for one point. This was my late morning snack many days this week. I purchased the liquid stevia drops at Trader’s but I stopped including it, because the shake makes it sweet enough. 
It was chilly Sunday so I made a pot of the zero point soup. I used beef broth, a can of diced tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste, zucchini, carrots, green beans, and onion. It was delicious!
My boys wanted Subway, so I was happy to find out that I could get a toasted veggie with provolone but no condiments for 5 points. I put my own fat free mayo on at home. I also had a Kroger light string cheese for 1 point and some pop chips for 1.5. I just halved the serving size on the bag. These are pretty good chips!
One little trick I do to fool myself is to cut things in half or in multiple pieces to make me think I am eating more than I actually am! 
Our favorite mediterranean place was dinner one night. This only counted as 2 points due to the cheese and olive oil. I had salmon which is zero. 
This was proabably too many points. I had parmesan chicken, zucchini and mushrooms, and a homemade pizza using the bagel dough I will tell you about. This was 7 points. 
There is an incredible bagel recipe that I must share. I think I actually like them better than normal bagels now. This recipe makes 4 bagels at 3 points each. Or, you can take one or two balls of dough and turn it into your pizza crust like I did in the above photo.
One cup self rising flour + one cup greek non fat plain yogurt. Don’t get strained – my batch didn’t turn out great when I bought strained yogurt. Mix together and knead a few times. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Using a bit more flour, roll with your hands into 4 tubes and bring them together to form a circle with hole in middle. Brush tops with one egg beaten and then sprinkle with the Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. You will seriously freak out! They don’t even need cream cheese or butter in my opinion, but I will put a couple of sprays of the butter spray on it after slicing and toasting.
The family had spaghetti so I had sauteed zucchini with the sauce on top. I believe this was 4 points. 
I love, love, love Frank’s hot sauce mixed with blue cheese dressing (fat free or light) with chicken and celery sticks. We also had salad. I also had half of a small baked potato. That’s a pretty decent sized meal! 
I always want something sweet after dinner. So, I have this mug cake or a dum dum sucker. Dum dums are one point and I can make that baby last a long time!
To make the mug cake:
buy an angel food cake mix
buy any regular cake mix you want – I bought Betty Crocker in chocolate fudge because why would you get any other flavor? Ha!
Mix the two cake mixes in a container or a large plastic bag – only the powdered mixes – don’t add eggs, oil, water.
Spray a coffee mug with a bit of Pam and then add 1/3 cup of your cake mix mixture followed by 3 T. water. Mix up really well and microwave for 45-50 seconds.
One point – and the mixture lasts a long time!
Are you still with me? What are your go to healthy meals? Do you do a particular plan?
Leave me any tips you have! I need all that I can get!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
Great tips Amy and WW really is the most sustainable! I love that soup, it’s so filling and easy to make. I need to make that dough! I am pinning your post for later use!
xo,
Kellyann
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Thank you Kellyann! You will love the bagels! There’s something fun about making my own, too. The soup really hit the spot this week. This is a marathon and not a sprint I need to remember!
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I have the bagels on my list to make this week. I searched a few different Weight watcher recipe ideas for dinner that I thought my boys might eat so I can get back to preparing just one meal each night and came across those bagels. I knew I had to try them (though in the meantime I bought bagel thins at my grocery store and at just 3pts they satisfy that carb craving to go with my eggs. My biggest struggle so far has been that living out in the sticks our Aldi’s and supermarkets don’t have many of the food items that others have recommended buying… I went to both stores this week with a HUGE list of items I was so excited to buy… only to find I could only find 2 things from my list at each store. I’m learning a bit more each day and branching out with new foods and meals since I know variety is key for me!
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You will love the bagels! I’m trying not to rely on too many speciality items and mostly eating vegetables, lean meats, etc. If you like soup that would be great for your lunches. I don’t want to make two meals either so when they have tacos I will have taco salad- adaptations like that. Even if I go over my points I am still eating way, way better than before! Hope you got some ideas today! There is a good website slapdashmom.com that I found!
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I might have to try that bagel recipe!
I lost 60 lbs doing MyFitnessPal and consistent workouts. Granted, some of it came back. My own fault for letting old habits creep back in. But, I’ve been able to keep off most of it and maintain where I am for a few years (for the most part) by using the knowledge of calories and how the body uses them I picked up along the way.
I think the most important thing for anyone, no matter how they try to shed pounds, is to realize that it’s a 100% mental process. If your head isn’t in the right place, if you’re not doing it for the right reasons, it won’t work.
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The bagels are so good!
You have looked great for years and I commend you! I will have to learn My fitness pal when I get tired of paying for Ww – but my mom treated me to my first several months!
Any food/ meal ideas are welcome!
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Hi Amy, what are the amounts you use for the coffee/protein drink? I find the drinks pretty helpful for on the go, but only like the chocolate and they are pretty sweet as you say.
Both WW and My Fitness Pal work, I just get tired of all the points and logging everything! I did lose 20 lbs with MFP and have kept it off, but now would like to lose another 10 or so.
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Hi Nancy! I use instant coffee and full my cup about 1/3 full then use half of the protein. I love the vanilla! But you could do a mocha with the chocolate! Great job on 20 and you can do 10 more!
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This is my kind of blog!! I don’t care what anybody else says send me your pictures of food. Do you have an instapot? I received one for Christmas and I’m finding lots of quick ways to use it. Last night I cut a spaghetti squash in half seasoned with pepper put it in the instapot for 7 minutes with one cup of water and let it cook. I diced chicken breasts, seasoned them with herbs de Provence sauteed in coconut oil. (Tip, I cut the chicken before cooking, it seems to cook faster but also separate into 4 servings so I’m not taking more than I should. By the time the chicken was done so was the spaghetti squash! It was crispy and delish!
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Yay! It’s so great to see your comment, Katie! But, I don’t talk recipe every day! I have resisted the instant pot just out of no space for another appliance. My sister loves hers. You never know – I may jump on bandwagon! I’m not a big fan of spaghetti squash but T likes it. Hope you will keep visiting my blog!
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Oh please, food is always fun! Great job with WW! We have it over here too, and it really seems to be a great method. I am still ok with my body, but things are happening now that I’ve passed ‘hrm’ fift………….
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Haha! I would I love to see what your typical food in Sweden looks like! You guys walk and bike and we are not good about that here! I will continue with food then!
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Great tips. I need to get more organized and do more prep. Even if you don’t do WW, it’s still good to see the points value which automatically gives you a sense of your calorie intake. I think tracking food any way for a period of time helps break bad habits.
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It’s all about the prep. It’s worthwhile to spend a couple hours on Sunday chopping up vegetables for snacks and salads. I like to make my hard boiled eggs and my egg casserole, too. Tracking foods holds you accountable.
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Your meals look so delicious!! I love the bagel recipe and will try to make a GF version for myself!
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Thank you! I’m glad there is a GF version. I was so excited to make homemade bagels!
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