You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!!!

Sooooo, I haven't been on here forEVER and I know there are at least a couple of you that miss my posts (you sweet family, you!) ;) Anyway, I have some BIG news (obviously from the picture)...I am pregnant! This is my first child and I am super excited/scared/nervous/happy/etc. The reason for the title of this blog? We just decided one month to start trying. I told my not-so-sure husband, "It's not like I'm going to get pregnant the first time!"

Oops! Hehe, guess I was wrong!

My husband was well, shocked. He's getting better, but the first couple of days he walked around in a fog. I told him by making him a cute lil' Save The Date card and he just couldn't believe it...even after I showed him the test. Haha, poor guy! After we told his family, he seemed to accept it a little more. He has known for a few weeks now and has completely warmed up to the idea. Baby R. is all we seem to talk about anymore.

Anyway, I guess my whole Weight Watchers journey is on hold. I still need to eat healthy of course, so I can still talk about that, but I can no longer attend meetings. I was reading an online friend of mines blog http://hungrygirltalking.blogspot.com/ and I saw something she was doing that I kinda like. She just quickly mentions some things she likes that week that is low in WW points. I love that idea and want to adopt it for myself. So that is what I will do. My blog will be a bit different than it was before, but I am now a pregnant woman, and we are supposed to be unpredictable right? Haha! Oh wait, I already was!

Okay, so two months and counting! Seven months to go!
Love ya all!
Kat the Pregnant Woman :)

Things I'm diggin' this week:

Jell-O Vanilla Pudding Cups - I don't do sugar free and why would I? The regular version is only 2 point and oh so creamy and delish! I have always been a chocolate pudding gal, but for some reason vanilla has hit the spot lately.

Cheddar Chex 1oo Calorie Packs - mmmm, mmmm, mmmmmmm!!! These little packs of Chex mix hit the spot every time! And the best part is it's just Chex, the best part of the mix to me! Yum! 2 points is worth it to me! :)

Guest Blogger - My Mommy!

Okay, I have been gone for way too long. I can be kinda lazy like that, I will try to get better, I promise. I will blog something very soon, but for now, here is an awesome blog entry from my mama! This is very cute! Excuses...BE GONE! :)

Not Walking

Reasons not to walk on my treadmill:

It’s too boring

There’s no breeze

It’s too hot

It’s in the next room – I’ll do it after I finish with…



Reasons not to walk outside:

The sun’s too bright

It’s too dark

It’s too windy

It’s raining

It’s going to rain

It just rained – too many mud puddles

Can’t walk far enough in my neighborhood

Too much traffic

Concrete’s too hard on my knees

I’m afraid that dog will bite me

It’s too cold

It’s sleeting/snowing

It’s too hot

It’s too humid

It’s too hot and humid



Reasons not to walk in the mall:

Other than driving there – none!



Mall walkers are we! It’s not just for the retired and we can brag about all the time we spend walking. Not everyone needs to know it's in an air conditioned structure with plenty of distractions such as window shopping!

Wowzers, Woo-hoo, Alright!

Okay so here is the Monday Weigh-In Report. Drumroll please...

I LOST 3.4 lbs. this week!!!

I am thrilled!!! Okay, I just had to say that! Woo-hoo!

Lunch Ideas...I Got Nadda.

I am sitting here on my break trying to get my grocery list together for the week. I know what to make for dinner, I know what diet pop I want to buy, some snacks that sound good, but I have no earthly idea what to buy to pack in my lunches. Seriously, I am stuck! I am tired of the same thing and I need some new ideas. Only problem is I am so picky. There are so many things I don't like. I don't like the sandwich or bagel thins (I tried, I really did), I don't like tuna (ick, ick, ick!), yogurt, peppers of any kind, pretty much any frozen dinner, etc. You know, all the stuff that is good for you. So, my question to all you lovely people out there is what do you like to take for lunch? Help a sister out here! If you read my blog, but don't have an account to leave comments and you have a suggestion I would love to hear it! :) You can send me an email at KatConquersTheWorld@yahoo.com.

Oh, and those Progresso 0-1 point soups? Notsomuch...

Praying for a great week for us all,

Kat :)

Too Young to Be A Mall Walker?

(This pic. cracks me up! I had to use it.)


Oh my, I have so many titles for this blog in my head. There was Kat vs. the Mall, Kat Conquers the Mall, Too Young to Be A Mall Walker, Too Old to Care, Old People Have The Right Idea (okay, not a great one), etc.

So as you know, I like to walk. I started my walking career (haha) during the spring when the mornings were still nice and cool. Now however, the mornings (even starting at 7:30 am) are HOT and HUMID! We have been walking at Riverside, and although I love walking there, it is just too much right now. So my mom suggested the mall and I said sure. What a great idea!!! It's cool (air conditioning people! Woohoo!), you can window shop, and they even play music (although I usually just have my headphones in, but still). There are bathrooms and water fountains and lots of friendly people. Mall walkers are friendly. They are determined, but friendly. I have only been twice so far, but saw some of the same faces both times.

Yes, they are an older group of people (I told my mom I was the youngest there. She quickly told me she saw a little girl in a stroller, so I wasn't. Har har Mom...har har!), but I really don't care. True, I am not your typical age for a "mall walker", but that doesn't bother me in the slightest! When do I ever go with the status quo anyway?

So if you want to walk but you don't like the heat, check out your local mall and see when they open. Most open early for mall walkers. I think ours opens around 7:00 am, three hours before the stores open. I think it is a wonderful alternative to sweating your skin off! Don't you?


Love and kisses,
Kat the Mall Walker

Pop Tarts - Friend or Foe?

When I woke up today I had a craving for Pop Tarts. I wanted them. They were calling my name. They were IN my pantry. They haven't been there for awhile, but my darling husband asked me to get him some at the store so I did. I walked to the pantry, pulled them out of the box, opened the shiny silver package, placed them in the toaster oven, waited for them to get nice and golden and then ate every last bite. Why am I telling you this? Because I consumed NINE points in the process. Yikes! Was it worth it? Kind of, but I still wouldn't do that on a regular basis. Anyway, in the past I might have said, "Well, this day is ruined!" and then proceed to not count points for that day and possibly the rest of the week. Today however, I just planned around it. And you know what? I call that a victory. I may not get to eat what I want to today, but I will live. Instead of getting a foot long sub at Subway and eating half for dinner now and half later tonight at work, I just got a 6" and will take that to work. I had a very low point dinner to make up for the Pop Tarts. That, in my mind, is half the battle. I think I deserve this praise...GO ME! :) So yes, you can even have Pop Tarts if you plan for it or plan around them.

PS - No, I didn't have Hello Kitty Pop Tarts (how cute is that???), but I couldn't pass up putting that pic up when I found it.

Yippee, Woo-hoo, Yay, Eeeeee!!!

Look below for a yummy new product, but I just had to say...I BROKE OUT OF MY RUT!!! I lost 4.4 lbs. this last week. I am so happy! Now I just have to keep it up! Just had to share! :)

Mmmm mmmmm Good!!!

Okay, I love snacking as I have already said. I have about 15 minutes left to wait for my dinner to cook so I thought I would share something I found today that I lu-lu-LOVED! I have had Fiber One bars and they are good, I usually get the Oats & Chocolate. BUT today I found the yummiest one yet. They are Oats & Strawberries with Almonds. Oh my goodness, they are good!!! That strawberry flavor really comes out. And like their partner and crime, Oats & Chocolate, they are only 2 points! Woo-hoo! That's what I call Successful Snacking! Try them soon, they are delish! :)

I LOVE You People of Zio's!

Ummm, guys...guess what? I have some big news. Okay, so it's big news to me. You may be like, "Eh, I've already heard that." For those of you that haven't though, here goes...

ZIO'S HAS NUTRITIONAL INFO ON THEIR WEBSITE!!!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! This is big news people! Most fast food restaurants provide nutritional information, but sit-down restaurants are so much harder to get that information from. Yes, there are those like Olive Garden and Chili's that do, but I have heard from more than one restaurant that they "cannot provide nutritional information because there are too many custom ways to prepare their entrees." What a bunch of hooey! We know it's because you don't want us to know what's actually in there because we might not want to eat it after all. Post the info for how it's prepared and let us worry about the rest.
Anyway, the reason this is such a big deal is because they haven't had their nutritional info up in the past and I love to eat there. My typical order is usually cheese pizza and a side Caesar salad. I've always assumed that was a ton of points, but it's really not that bad. According to their info a side Caesar salad is 5 points and the pepperoni pizza is 13 (they didn't have the info for plain cheese, which of course would be less). Usually I only eat half the pizza, so I am pretty psyched! Even counting the points for the pepperoni pizza (since I don't know how much it is without pepperoni) and doing half that, you are looking at 12 points for a meal out at Zio's! Of course you still have to watch your bread intake, but an entire loaf of their bread is 5 points, so that's still not bad if you have one or two small pieces.
Here's a shocker for you though. In the past I have been known to order Spaghetti and Meatballs. Weeeelll, Zio's Spaghetti and Meatballs has a whopping 1580 calories, 109 grams of fat, and 8 grams of fiber. All that fiber can't help that poor dish out. It has a total of 40 points!

(That thud you heard was me hitting the ground!)

Now mind you, I have never finished a bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs, but even if I ate half, that's still 20 points! Sheesh! So you can see why nutritional info is so important. I would have never dreamed that would contain so many points.
Okay, well that's it. Stop by http://zios.com/ and have a looksey for yourself. Have a good day and I might just see you at Zio's tonight! :)

I LOVE YOU MT. OLIVE!!!

As mentioned in my previous post today (that's right, today is another tw0-for-one day, woo-hoo!), Mt. Olive Sweet Pickles must shared with the world. I LOOOVE these sweet lil' packs of pickle goodness. They are only 74 (gasp!) calories or 1 WW point. So yummy! Run, don't walk (or rather drive) to your nearest store and pick some of these babies up.

Here is their cute little website where I got the pic: http://www.mtolivepickles.com/

"That's Picklicious!"

Hahaha, that's cracks me up!!!

Snack-Ack-Acking

I have a confession.


I LOVE food! (I feel ya Garfield)


Ya'll still with me?


Hello???

Oh, phew! I thought I might clear out the room with that confession. I do, I love food, I love to eat...mmm, mmm, mmmmmm! I mean, hello, I got this way somehow! And you know what, it's okay to love food, we are programed to love food, it's just how much we love it that matters. Obviously we should eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but what about that pesky little "S" word. You know the one (and no, I'm not a cuss-er). SNACK. I love to snack too. My problem in the past has always been snacking on the wrong things. Do I want to divulge what a normal snack in the past has been? No, I do not, but let me tell ya, it wasn't pretty.
Since I joined Weight Watchers though, I have learned a lot about healthy snacking. There are so many options out there that don't include reaching for that bag of chips and mindlessly munching. Can you have those coveted chips if you want? Sure, you can have whatever you want, but you will find as you go that sometimes it's just not worth it. We all have our food hang-ups, those things that call our name as we walk past. The best defense, don't, do not, I repeat DO NOT keep them in your house. If they are there, you will eat them. Case in point, I love sweet potato chips...love, love, LOVE them. I can sit down and do some of that mindless munching and realize half the bag is gone before I know it. Recently I brought some of those delicious chips into my home thinking I could control myself. Ummm...yeah, not such a great idea. Does that mean I will never again taste the goodness that is sweet potato chips? No, but like I said, it's just not worth it right now. And you know what, I don't really even think about them that much.
Successful snacking is all about finding the right foods and I hope to help you do that. There are so many options like the very successful 100 calorie packs (all about the portion control), fruits and veggies, baked chips, light cheeses, the list goes on and on. Today, for example, I woke up hungry and with a major case of the munchies. Today would have been a bad day to have tempting, high-calorie foods in my home. I searched, I scoured, I rummaged and I came up with a yummy snack that I enjoyed thoroughly. I had 8 saltine crackers, a pack of Mt. Olive mini sweet pickles (only 74 calories!!!), and a piece of Weight Watchers light string cheese. Total points spent = 4. Not bad, not bad.
So, what are some snacks that you like to have that are low in points/calories? I plan to start trying to post more Successful Snacks on here and I would looove your input.

PS - You can click on the picture to make it larger so you can actually read it. It's pretty cute! :)

WHERE HAVE I BEEN???

So boys and girls, have you missed me? I have missed yooou! I can't believe I have been gone for so long! A lot has happened too. Like there was some rain, some sickness (boo!), some more rain, some not-so-great eating habits, a car wreck (double boo!), and did I mention rain? N-E-way, as I said, I haven't been doing so great on my eating. I had to miss the meeting two weeks ago because of Memorial Day (pronounced Mee-more-eee-al...that's for you Jenn...hehe) and then last week the aforementioned sickness had me down so I had to miss that as well. Missing meetings = low motivation. I went tonight though DETERMINED to start fresh but wasn't going to weigh. At Weight Watchers, you have a "No Weigh-In Pass" that you can use if you, like me, have had a bad couple of weeks. When I got there though, those ladies that weigh you must have some voodoo magic going on because every time I say I'm not going to weigh, I break down and weigh. Yes, I give in to peer pressure (or voodoo magic weigh-in ladies one). So I closed my eyes and hopped on the scale and...

(the suspense is KILLING you, I know!)

...I gained.

Triple boo! I gained 1.6 pounds, but you know what, like I said earlier, I'm not going to let it bring me down.

"I am beautiful no matter what they say, words can't bring me down! I am beautiful in every single way, yes, words can't bring me down! So don't you bring me down todaaay!"

Sorry, that didn't really fit. I have just been watching Glee reruns on iTunes and all of the sudden pictured Mercedes singing (you GO girl!!!). Haha! Yes by the way, I do frequently burst into song. Moving on...

So, I am back, I promise (okay, I kinda promise) and I plan on writing something this week, I just don't know what yet. I don't have any new recipes to cook this week because I went to the store without a list (never a good idea) and have plain ol' Jane stuff to cook this week. I will think, think, think though and try to come up with something good. I kinda thought no one really read my little blog, but I got a message through my mom's Facebook page that said that a lot of people were enjoying Subway's breakfast sandwiches because of me (I need my commission check Subway. Are you listening?). That made me feel all warm and fuzzy! :) Anyway, I hope you all have a TERRIFIC week! I will leave you with a little saying our Weight Watchers leader gave us tonight about tracking your points. Of course this can apply to tracking calories or whatever. Basically, keep track of what you eat, it's one of the best weight loss tools out there.

If you bite it, write it.
If you snack it, track it.
If you nibble it, scribble it.
If you drink it, ink it.
Grab your pencil before your utensil!!!

How cute is that??? I just loved it and was glad to be able to share it with all of you!

Love, love, love,
Kat

Two For The Price of One!!!

I haven't blogged in so long (over a week!) that I posted two new entries. Soooo after you get done reading about these yummy crepes (mmmmm), keep scrolling down to read about my love of Rhapsody (sigh...).

Love,
Kat :)

Have Your Crepes and Eat Them Too!

I'm going to show you how you can have even something as yummy and sinfully delicious as this even on Weight Watchers. People call these things crepes. Chrissy and I call them French Pancakes. Joe calls them Enchilada Pancakes (hahah...really???). Whatever you call them, they are sooo good! Chrissy, my pal, makes them for me in the mornings sometimes and I love going over there for some chick chat and crepes. So, this recipe really comes from her (everyone say, "Thank you Chrissy!"). Anyway, after I started doing Weight Watchers she invited me over one morning for crepes and I was like, "Eeeek, I bet those are loaded with points!" I went and had her read me off the ingredients and plugged them into my handy-dandy recipe builder on http://www.weightwatchers.com/. You do have to have a subscription to eTools to use this. I was shocked that I could actually have them without ruining my points. So as always, I have taken the recipe and twisted it a little to shave off even more points. Here is my lightened up version of Chrissy's French Pancakes. I really didn't change much, but I got them down to THREE points a piece! Woo-hoo!!!

Chrissy's French Pancakes

Points per serving: 3

1 cup of flour

4 eggs

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 cups milk (you can use 1% or 2% for this one, the points stay the same)

Okay, so the next part is pretty simple indeed. Mix all the ingredients! Wah-lah!

I usually let that sit in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes to get the ingredients all good and combined. While we are waiting, lets cut up some fruit for our side. Healthy and delicious!

Okay, now it's time to cook the crepes. Make sure your pan is nice and hot and sprayed with some cooking spray. I also opted for a couple of sprays of butter spray at the last second before I put in the batter for a little extra flavor. This is really where I cut most of the points, I took out the butter you would normally use and used the cooking and butter sprays instead.

When pouring the batter into the pan, you just want to make a very thin layer, these are very thin. They also cook very fast, no longer than about 30 seconds on each side. Of course every stove is different and depending on your heat level (mine was on pretty high). Just make sure you watch your crepe closely.


















When they are done, take them out of the pan and roll them up like so:

Yes, I am aware this is why my darling husband calls them Enchilada Pancakes. Haha! :)

I sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar and serve with warm syrup. Of course you can fill them with fruit or whatever, but I like them with just syrup. Here is the most important part. If you can handle it, use sugar-free. It tastes almost as good, but when you realize that a serving of regular syrup has 220 calories and sugar-free syrup has 20, it should be no contest. 1/4 cup of sugar-free syrup is a point free food! Yippee!!!

I love you Mrs. Buttersworth!

So, there you have it...yummy, easy, and surprisingly, not that high in points. Now the points value depends on how many crepes you are able to make. I was able to get 7 out of my batch which is one of the reasons they were only 3 points a piece. I made them a bit smaller and thinner, but I was able to have three instead of two...at least it made me feel like I was getting more! :)

My brilliant friend Jenn included the a pic of the Weight Watcher recipe builder in one of her posts, so I am going to do the same thing! Here you go:

Happy Eating!!! :)

Jammin', I Be Jammin'

I love music, as I have previously mentioned. I also love (we are talkin' serious love here) Rhapsody. I'm not really sure what I did without Rhapsody in my life. Rhapsody, you complete me!!! I am constantly in need of new music, and this feeds my addiction. :) Okay, so what is Rhapsody you ask? Rhapsody is an online music library that pretty much has every song you can ever think of. Yes, there are some exceptions (but they are pretty much the same people you can't buy from iTunes, i.e. Garth Brooks), but honestly they have just about everyone! From the super popular to the super obscure, they have it all. And you can listen to it over and over again (and over and over and over...I have worn out Glee Vol. 3). You can make as many playlists as you want so you can go directly to what you want to hear. Right now I have 33 playlists and I know that number will keep growing. There are several ways to listen, but I will tell you about the two I use. First of all if I am on my pretty red laptop, I can listen as I blog, surf the Internet, or waste my life away on Facebook (as my husband would say). But my absolute favorite feature and the reason I love it so, is I can listen to it on my iPhone (Eeeeeee!!!). How cool is that? And my super-duper wonderful husband has installed a way for me to listen to my iPhone in both of our cars, so now I can listen to Rhapsody in my car as well! And let me tell you, it sounds good! It doesn't sound like streaming music at all! I listen to Rhapsody at work (I am blessed to have a job that I can do that at) and when I am on my walks. Speaking of walking, yesterday I needed some inspiration to get through my walk (Oklahoma is RIDICULOUSLY humid right now) and so I typed "cardio" into the search engine, and wah-lah, music for cardio workouts appear! And it just gets better. Say you have an iPhone. Say you have dropped that iPhone on many occasions. Say this iPhone is now extremely temperamental and doesn't like to work on long journeys. Say this same iPhone will NOT work on the way to Dallas while your friend's iPhone is just fine. No Internet on the way to Dallas??? AHHHHH!!! Don't worry, Rhapsody has you covered. You can download as much as you want to your phone so you can listen in situations like that or you can even take Rhapsody on the plane with you, even in airplane mode. Awesome! No, that doesn't mean you own the songs and can rip them, you still have to use their app, but come on, how cool is that really? So, how much does it cost? Only $9.99 a month! I...just...love...it! So, if you are like me and you love music, this is for you. My siblings introduced it to me and I am just passing on the love. I promise, you will love it! :)

It's Weigh-In Day Already???

(AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH)

It's Monday...aka Weigh-In Day. Usually this makes me very happy. This week, notsomuch. I have had a bad week, and I mean a baaad week! My motivation has been low and I haven't really followed the plan. I know things won't be all good on the scale, but I also know that I am going to change that this week. "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life, the facts of life." (Quick, name that 80's TV show...this one is eeeasy) Answer below in case you really haven't seen it. Anywho, that is life, there are ups and downs and you deal with them as they come. That is also how you have a successful weight loss journey. Wouldn't it be great if we were successful 24/7? Unfortunately, that's not always how life goes. It's what we do after we have messed up that matters. Do we throw our hands in the air and just give up? Or do we learn from what we did and move on?

So, tonight I am going to face the music. Tonight I am going to start over. Tonight I am going to smile and realize it's just a bump in the road. Next week, I will be successful!

TV Triva Answer:

The Facts of Life

Who didn't love Mrs. Garrett, Blair and Tootie? :)

You're Like 20 Billion Reese's Cups In Two...

Best...song...lyric...ever! That is from a song called Chai Tea Latte by semi-new artist Angel Taylor. One thing that helps me on my weight loss journey is learning to distract myself from thinking of food. I have several ways of doing this including scrapbooking, reading, and of course listening to music. I love music and am always on the lookout for something new. Angel's debut CD Love Travels (released March 31, 2009, hence the semi-new part) is just awesome! She's a little Adele, Corine Bailey Rae and Colbie Caillat all mixed in one. My favorite song on the album is the earlier mentioned Chai Tea Latte. Her album has a coffeehouse type vibe that I am really into right now. Honestly, there isn't a song on her album I don't dig. iTunes has the album for only $7.99 or you could do like me and listen to it on Rhapsody (that's a whole 'nother blog altogether). If you like this style of music, you should really check it out.

New Computer Is A Comin'!!!

Okay, so about a week ago my computer said, "I've had enough! Sayonara! Adios! Au Revoir! Auf Wiedersehen! Arrivederci! Bye-bye!"...I think you get the picture. It gave up the ghost and I was not a bit too upset to see it go. We've had a good run, but lately it's been sooo cantankerous!!! It froze up all the time, did weird unexplainable things, and the cord had a short so that you had to hold your tongue a certain way, make sure your ankle was at a 36 degree angle (I'm not even sure if that's physically possible, it just sounded good!), and sing Mary Had a Little Lamb to get it to work. In other words, it was nearly impossible. So anyway, I talked the old man into getting me a new one and we sat out on the journey to find the computer of my dreams. I knew I wanted a Dell, or I was pretty sure anyway. It seems I always have to have my computer in at least a couple of times for repairs (sigh...) and Dell has a good warranty. One thing I did know for certain was under no circumstances did I want a laptop from my local super electronics store...we'll call it "Shmest Shmy" for anonymity sake. I have dealt with them for years now and am tired of them. I have had so much trouble with them, including them losing my laptop for about two months, that I decided never again! Well, my darling husband, a.k.a. Sir Saves A Lot, looked and looked online for the right computer. I wanted a pink one, I have never had a pink laptop before, mainly in case he had to use it (He doesn't want to be seen using a pink laptop, heck he doesn't want to use a pink laptop even if he's not seen. He's a man's man you know!), but now he has two computers to his name so I can get whatever color tickles my fancy. I found my beautiful pink laptop and was so excited, but he found pretty much the same laptop on Amazon for a lot cheaper. Bless his heart, at least he looked for a color and came up with Cherry Red (the only color it came in). As you can see, it really is pretty. And here's the best part, it will be here TOMORROW!!! My darling manly man paid extra for two day shipping because he's just cool like that and because he loves me so (awwwww!!!). I am about as impatient as you can get...im-pa-tient (and then some). I would have had to wait about three weeks for the pink one, so that sold me. I just checked and found the computer was in Oklahoma City (what did I do without online tracking I ask you?)!!! So, hopefully I will be back to my blogging ways soon. Yes, I have had access to computers the entire time my laptop has been down, but there is nothing quite like blogging from your very own computer. And hoo-boy, I can't wait to blog from my brand spankin' new Cherry Red laptop! It will make a difference, I just know it will! Eeeeeee!!!

Yummy Taco Soup (and it IS Yummy!)

Okay ladies (and maybe gentlemen...who knows?), I have a new recipe. I got this from my mom who got it from my sister-in-law, Renee'. It is SO good and super easy! Here we go!

Taco Soup

WW Points: 3 per 1 cup

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn (I don't like corn in soup, so I used a can of black beans)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
1 packet of Taco Seasoning

This is ridiculously easy! First, brown your ground beef and drain. Then open all the cans, dump in a pot and add the ground beef. Cook until it starts to boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. That's it!

It tastes even better if you add some Baked Corn Chips and some shredded cheddar!

It makes way too much for two people, but we have plenty for leftovers! :) Of course, you can always freeze some too! Enjoy!

Hungry Girl = Thinner Me!

I love this website, http://www.hungry-girl.com/ !!! I love my daily email from her! I love that she figures things out for me so that I don't have to. I want to be like HG. She is my blog idol. Haha. She has reviews, recipes, eating out tips, etc. She also has a recipe swap where she takes a high calorie/high fat/high everything bad and makes it light. So very cool! Best of all, she is a Weight Watchers member and figures out the points on everything...I don't have to do the work. If you are a WW member and have not signed up for her email, you really should. It is of course free and has so much useful information. Even if you are not a member, her product reviews alone are worth it. I mean, who couldn't stand to eat a little healthier? (raises both hands!)

My Husband

Will you please indulge me for a minute and allow me to blog about this man? Thank you! His name is Joe. He is my husband. He is a serious fella. He thinks blogs and Facebook are silly. He reads mine out of protest (I'm sure of this...). He makes me laugh constantly. Most people who have met him have no idea what a real ham he is, and I'm okay with the fact that few people know him like I do, it makes me feel kinda special! Joe is a good man and I am blessed to have him. He is a godly man. He is a man of great faith. He is a faithful and kind man. After 10 years of marriage (or however long it's been for you), sometimes we all need to stop and remember the wonderful reasons we chose our spouse in the first place. Not only is he a cutie (teehee), he's the kind of man most girls dream of. How did I get so lucky I ask you? I don't know the answer to that, but I am thankful nonetheless. :)

A Temporary Cure for Boredom

Well, now you all know my secret! I'm a wanted gal...for trying to take over the world. Quick, name this cartoon (answer at the bottom for those of you that were not kids in the 90's):

"Gee Brain, what are we going to do tonight?"
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!"

I...love...this...website!!! (http://www.photofunia.com/) It cracks me up all the different ways your picture can be morphed into something else. It's fast, free, and surprisingly realistic looking. You can save them to your computer, post them on your blog (if you're a real geek...cough, cough), share them on Facebook, or even print them out and scrapbook 'em. I know this really has nothing to do with fitness or eating healthy, but it's fun and I love FUN! Try it out once and you'll be addicted! Just like Lay's potato chips..."Betcha can't do just one" (yes, I know the quote is "Betcha can't eat just one, but I had to make it fit here).

Answer to the cartoon quote:
Pinky and the Brain from Animaniacs.
Okay, so I wasn't a kid-kid, I was in high school, but we used to love this show! :)

How Ridiculous Do My Feet Look Right Now?

Raise your hand if you agree! Don't worry, I'll turn my head so I won't see! Haha! There are so many things I don't like about these shoes. First of all, I'm not a fan of white shoes. I'm not a white shoe hater, so don't get upset if you looove them, but they are just not for me. Secondly, I'm just not a fan of wearing glitter on my tennis shoes. Yes, I have flip flops with glitter and maybe even a few shirts that have a little sparkle, but on my tennis shoes? Seriously, I feel like a tween. It takes me back to the days of New Kids On The Block and My Little Ponies. And I have to say, these were the best of the small selection they had. Sigh...

If you don't already know, these are called Shape-ups by Skechers and they are designed to tone your legs when you walk. I must say, I have worn them three times now and I do feel a difference when I walk. As you can see, they have a curvy bottom to them that makes sort of a rocking motion when you walk. They are comfy and you get used to them (even how dumb they look) after awhile. I don't know how much they will "tone" my legs, but they have been around for awhile and have really good reviews, so we will see. I honestly would recommend buying them if you are a serious walker like me (I can't believe I can say that...I'm a SERIOUS walker!!! That's awesome!!!). I have included a link at the bottom of this post for their website where you can look at all of the different styles they have and hopefully find some cuter than mine. I'm just impatient and wanted my Shape-ups RIGHT THEN or I would have ordered them online. They are a bit pricey, but if they do what they say, I think they are worth it. Like I said, we will see. Stay tuned...

http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/styles/fitness/list

Brunch Casserole

Okay, so I took one of my Grandma Hensley's recipes (one of my favorites) and lightened it up a bit. I can't tell you the calories or fat, but I lowered it from 7 WW points a serving to 4 WW points a serving, almost cut in half. The best part...it tastes EXACTLY the same. You will love this if you make it! Here is the recipe.

Grandma's Brunch Casserole

Servings: 12 WW Points: 4

6 slices of fresh bread (I used white sandwich bread)
1 lb. sausage (Here is where I made a change, I used light sausage, it's about half the fat and calories)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% cheese, but I did increase to 1 1/2 cups. I looove cheese)
4 eggs (another change, I used 1 cup of Egg Beaters)
2 cups milk (I used 1%, I bet Skim would taste no different)
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt

Brown and drain sausage. Layer in casserole dish bread (pinched in pieces), cheese, and sausage. Mix eggs, dry mustard, salt, and milk. Pour over casserole and let sit overnight (or all day while at work). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

That's it! It's SUPER easy and SUPER tasty!!! I could not tell a difference in the full fat version verses the lighter version and neither could Joe. I made some blueberry muffins and was going to make a fruit salad, but the strawberries were so yummy, we just had strawberries.

My Inspiration

Okay, so as we all know Weight Watchers, or any weight loss program for that matter, is a journey. It is a lifestyle change as we have heard a million times. I don't think I truly grasped that until recently. I have struggled with my weight on and off all my life. I have lost and gained so many times, it's not even funny. I have tried this diet and that hoping to find the magic bullet, but of course nothing seemed to work. Then one day out of the blue, I realized I had found the magic bullet, well mine anyway. Was it simply the Weight Watchers program? Well no, not exactly, but that was part of it. It really came down to making up my mind to change. I wish there really was some pill that I could pop that would make me lose everything I need to overnight, but since there isn't, I guess this will do! And you know what? Half the fun of getting to your goal is the journey! When you try on that skirt or top that hasn't fit in ages...what a feeling!!! There really isn't one like it! And, yes, I am biased to Weight Watchers, but when you get recognized in the meeting for some goal you have achieved, that is also such a wonderful feeling.
And while those are definitely great, I have to say my true inspiration lies in the people that are helping me get there. I want to tell you about five people that are my true inspiration, those that encourage me and cheer me on. It's hard really to just choose five people, because I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends, but these five are the heart of my weight loss. Yes, I am doing this for ME and no one else, but I don't know what I would do without these very special ladies God has put in my life. Here we go!

JULIE - MY WEIGHT WATCHERS LEADER

Oh my goodness, what would I do without this lady? She is such an inspiration, I cannot even begin to tell you how much! She is full of energy, a positive attitude, and makes the meetings loads of fun. Plus every week we get a colorful (I love color!!!) email that has tips, recipes, etc. I remember when I was down about my weight loss she made a statement I will never forget! She said, "You may not believe in yourself right now, so I am going to believe for you!" That meant the world to me! I needed her to believe in me until I could believe in myself and I know she really did! Now, even if I have a bad week, I know I'm not going to quit! This is who I am now and I am not looking back! Julie is one of the main reasons I feel this way today! Thanks so much Julie!!!

MY

AUNT MARY - ONE OF MY BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS

This lady can do anything she sets her mind to! When she wants to change something, she does it! She is full of inspiration! The reason I call her one of my biggest cheerleaders is because she truly is! She is constantly leaving encouraging messages on my Facebook page or simply just saying, "Way to go!". I love her dearly and I am thankful she is in my life. I know she is behind me 200% and that means the world to me and then some!

JACKIE - SPEAKER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Jackie is one of those people I know God placed in my life for a reason. I don't know if I have ever met anyone with more faith or a more positive attitude. She has a gift from God and that is speaking words of encouragement. You haven't heard someone pray until you have heard Jackie pray. Her prayers are just so sincere and heartfelt. She is also doing Weight Watchers and has lost around 40 lbs! She looks great, inside and out, and I honestly don't know what I would do without her in my life!

JENNIFER - MY OTHER HALF...MY SISTER FROM ANOTHER MISTER...MY HEART...MY VERY, VERY BEST FRIEND, ETC.

This girl is the other half of me, I think we were separated at birth...yep, I'm sure of it. She has my heart! I don't know where I would be without her for sure! She knows every detail of my life and loves me despite of it! I can laugh and cry with this girl...all at the same time. She is also on Weight Watchers and doing excellent!!! She has lost around 30 lbs. and I am so proud I could bust! She is one of the main reasons I joined Weight Watchers again! I love her, I love her, I love her!!!

And last but certainly not least (you know they say you save the best for last!)...

MY MOM - MY OTHER VERY BEST FRIEND, MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER

Words cannot begin to describe how much she means to me! I love my mom more than I can even say. She has always been my biggest supporter. She also knows every detail of my life and has seen my through highs and lows, good times and bad. My mom holds my hand through everything I do. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her. I'm not perfect, but I think I owe pretty much all my good traits to her. My mom is also a Weight Watchers member, and although she did have a little bit to lose (and I mean just a little bit) she joined Weight Watchers. Yes, I know she joined to drop a few pounds, but more than anything, she joined to support me. That's just the kind of mom she is! I love her more than words could ever say!

So, I know this was a very long post and I am sorry for that, but I think these ladies deserve some recognition! I want them to all know just how much they mean to me. And when I finally get to my goal weight, I know I will have them standing beside me cheering their heads off!

Subway, Eat Fresh...Even For Breakfast?

Yep, Subway is doing breakfast proud! I visited my local Subway Wednesday (I go there every Wednesday...they know what I want when I walk in! How sad is that??? Haha) and the girl who usually makes my sandwich tells me they have breakfast now. "Very cool," I think to myself, but wonder if it's actually any good? As if she read my mind (Subway girls are good at that) she told me she had tried it and really liked it. Sooo, last Friday I was leaving work (I work 11 p.m. - 7 a.m.), had a few WW points left, and decided to go and try their breakfast. The only thing she told me was not to get it on regular bread (she said it wasn't any good) , but to try it on the flat bread. Okay, no problem! I looked up the nutritional info and found the English muffin breakfast sandwich was by far the lowest in calories and fat (and as we know, that translates into low WW points! Woo-hoo!) so I decided to try one. Let me break it down for you, there are several English muffin sandwiches to choose from...of course, it is Subway, so I'm sure the options are endless. Here are four different ones that are fairly low in points:

Black Forest Ham, Egg White, and Cheese Muffin Melt: Calories 160 Fat 4 Fiber 5 = 2 WW points

Black Forest Ham, Egg, and Cheese Muffin Melt: Calories 180 Fat 7 Fiber 5 = 3 WW points

Double Bacon, Egg White, and Cheese Muffin Melt: Calories 190 Fat 7 Fiber 5 = 4 WW points

Double Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Muffin Melt: Calories 220 Fat 10 Fiber 5 = 4 WW points

Now, don't be fooled into thinking it's all low-fat, low-calories. If you get the same ingredients on a 6" sub, you can end up spending over twice the calories and fat! For example, the 6" Double Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Omelet Sandwich has a whopping 520 calories and 25 grams of fat (12 WW points!!! Yikes!) As always, make sure and know what you are getting ahead of time, better to plan ahead then to be sorry later!

Soooo, how does the sandwich actually taste? Surprisingly very good! The English muffin had kind of a weird smell to it, but it was still very tasty. And of course for you veggie lovers out there, you can add point free items such as peppers and tomatoes. I enjoyed it and would give it 4 out of 5 stars if I had some kind of fancy rating system (how do you get one of those anyway?). Haha!

Okay, well I hope this helps someone make a smarter breakfast decision. Next time I will be brave and try the Egg White Muffin Melt. I mean come on, breakfast for 2 points??? You can't beat that with a stick! :)

5K Love

I have recently discovered something about myself...I love to walk. Now this is quite a revelation! I have hated exercise for so long, that I was afraid to really get out there and try it. A few weeks ago I attended the A2A Marathon/Half Marathon/5K in Ardmore (http://www.a2amarathon.com/) and did the 5K with my sisters. I was scared to death I wouldn't be able to finish it. I mean I walk on the treadmill, but that is so boring I'm always ready to jump off. Well, I finished it and was thrilled! What a rush! I couldn't wait until my next one! The next three days however, I was so very sore! I scheduled my next 5K for May 8th and thought I would have plenty of time to get ready. Then last weekend I was in a local pizza place and noticed a sign for a 5K walk for MS and decided I wanted to do that as well. The problem was it was only a week away. I decided to do it anyway. I started walking in my neighborhood and walked about a mile...and the next day, I walked two. I then decided to throw it all in and walk the track around LaFortune Park (which is exactly the length of a 5K, 3.1 miles) on Thursday morning. I did that too with no problem (Woohoo!!)! The very best part, I haven't been sore all week. So when I woke up yesterday, I was ready for my second official 5K. The weather was perfect, the course was beautiful (lots of gorgeous homes and azaleas everywhere!). There were even several hills and I walked up them with no problem. I wasn't thinking, "When will this torture end???" like in the past, I just listened to my music and took in the scenery. I was actually a little disappointed when it was over. I grabbed my finishers medal at the end and couldn't help but smile. Yes, a new love had been born! I may never run a marathon (who am I kidding, I will NEVER run a marathon, haha!) or even run a 5K, although that is a goal, but walking is something I can and will do! Trust me, I never thought I would actually like exercise! If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!

Blonde Chili

Okay, so I got a recipe from my mother a couple of weeks ago that she got from a friend. I can't believe I waited so long to make it! This has to be one of the best recipes I have tried! This is truly DELICIOUS! I promise, you will want to try this. It kind of tastes like Chicken Tortilla Soup. Mmmmmmm, it's good. And as always, I have figured out the Weight Watchers Points! :) Here it is:

Blonde Chili

WW Points: 5 per 1c. serving

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken, cut up
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cans (16 oz each) Great Northern beans, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, undrained
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Monterey Jack Cheese
Tortilla Chips

To start, boil the chicken until thoroughly cooked. Chop and set aside. I used my handy-dandy chopper from Pampered Chef. That thing ROCKS! I also used it for the onion. In soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Heat chicken in oil with salt and pepper. Add onion and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until chili thickens. Serve with Jack cheese and Tortilla Chips.


I was able to get 7 - 1 cup servings out of this. That makes it 5 (FIVE!!! Woo-hoo!) WW points per serving! :)

Cheese and chips are, of course, extra. If you don't like baked chips or low-fat cheese, this is the time to try them because you crumble them in your chili (or I do anyway). I used Baked Tostitos Scoops and low-fat Colby Jack Cheese. Baked Tostitos are yummy if you haven't tried them! :)

Fresh Start

I have decided to redo my blog completely and focus on healthy eating (i.e. recipes, product reviews, etc.) and fitness. I am changing me and I want to help others do the same. So, hopefully this will become a place where people can do that. Now, I actually have to get on here and BLOG, I didn't do so well the last time. I think this is much more exciting to me, so here we go! :)