Zero Point Soup

My lovely wife came across some new soups made by Progresso that are ZERO points per serving. Now of course, a serving consists of ½ of the can. Let’s say for instance you wanted to have a whole can. Well, even then, you are only using 1.5 points. What a great meal addition. Throw together a light turkey sandwich or salad and you are skating by on minimal points. There are five flavors to choose from. So far, I have had three of them and I am pretty impressed. We got them at our local grocer (Marcs) on Sunday and are out of them. The price was 2 cans for $3.00 which is not bad when you consider a side dish for $1.50 on any meal. They are hearty enough to stand alone but also light enough as to not make you feel too full.

• Southwestern-Style Vegetable
  
• Savory Vegetable Barley
  
• Home-Style Vegetable & Rice
  
• Vegetable & Noodle
  
• Italian-Style Vegetable

I anticipate making these a regular buy for in our household. I can already think of some ideas to make meals out of these. For those less creative, Betty Crocker has put together some recipes for you and conveniently listed their respective Weight Watcher Point Values.

• Vegetarian Italian Pasta Skillet Dinner (7 Points)
  
• Dijon-Dill Chicken and Noodles (6 Points)
  
• Asian Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry (6 Points)
  
• Beef and Vegetable Stroganoff-Topped Potato (7 Points)
  
• Chicken Enchilada Casserole (4 Points)

Cheating-Not Worth It!

Well, it happened, I CHEATED! Without hesitation or looking back, I went to McDonalds and I ordered two cheeseburgers with extra onion, a fry and a diet (like diet mattered at this point). I had a stressful day, and all I could think was that I was hungry and I wanted to eat right away. Now our kitchen is being re-done, so I do not have any appliances that are operating, so my choices are already limited, but I have been making do and sticking to the plan as best as I can, but last night was a different story. I just wanted that comfort food, even though I knew I should not eat it, I wanted it too badly to allow good judgment to prevail. I ate every last bite of the burgers, every last fry (even the ones at the bottom of the bag), and a few hours later I felt like GARBAGE! My body has not had the grease or the fat, and it let me know that this was not ok. Now suprisingly, I did not gain any weight from this overeating, but the bottom line is that I know what I did and I know how it made me feel. I need to remember that feeling the next time I think it is a good idea to overindulge. It is back on track today-no more bad girl for me!

Leftover Chicken

Two and a half months after starting the Weight Watchers diet, my wife and I still occasionally cook a little too much chicken on the grill or stove. Rather than eat it all at dinner and use the points, I keep some for the next day. Grill or baked chicken at any flavor makes a delicious addition to your salad. Two small tenders can go a long way when eaten in a salad, leaving more room for your side dishes. For instance, today I had a 2 point salad consisting of the following:

• Two chicken tenders, grilled in onions and peppers (2 points)
• Romaine lettuce (0)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (0)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (0)
• Salsa

Whereas a normal lunch meal during the work week consists of a frozen entree and maybe a side dish, this easily allows for an extra side or two. Heck, why not save those points for ice cream or dessert later tonight?

Watermelon

Although I am not fond of the fruit, many of you are. And like most fruits, you can eat quite a bit for low amount of points when doing the Weight Watcher lifestyle. Raw, a full cup of watermelon is only 1 point. Now, for those uninitiated, I will give ya a few pointers on picking out a good melon at your local grocer or market.

• Tap the watermelon and listen for a "hollow" sound
• Little color contrast between the green stripes
• The ends should be going from white to light yellow
• Press your thumbs into the skin from all angles. It should be hard all around.

As summer winds down, grab some watermelon for a healthy snack any time of the day. It makes a perfect addition to any meal!

Great Taste, Low Points, & Very Filling!

This is my first attempt at capturing my meals on camera, so the quality isn't where it should be. But it will improve as I get more practice. I had to use the camera on my phone and it didn't have a flash, but hopefully the image is clear enough to give you an idea of what the meal really looked like.

I call this dish "Chicken Mexicano" because of the salsa, cheddar cheese, and Mrs. Dash seasoning. It really did have a Mexican dish taste and that's what I was looking for. I think I will go with a spicier salsa the next time though. Here are the ingredients and how I prepared it.

1 Chicken Breast (4 pts)
1 Medium Potato (2 pts)
1 Cup Green Beans (0 pts)
Mrs. Dash Chicken Seasoning (0 pts)
2 Tablespoons Fat Free Kraft Cheddar Cheese (0 pts)
Your favorite salsa at room temperature

After thawing the chicken breast I used a meat tenderizer to well, tenderize it down to about an 1/8th of an inch. I did this to make the chicken more tender, but also to ensure the outside didn't cook too long before the inside was finished. I seasoned it both sides with Mrs. Dash. I didn't put down any measurements here because you should season it to your own taste. Next , I grilled it on my griddle for about 8 minutes per side at about 325 degrees. Make sure it's thoroughly cooked on the inside before you put the cheddar cheese on. The cheese will melt within 2 to 3 minutes, then place it on your plate. Make sure your salsa is at room temperature then add as much as you like. I used just about a 1/4 cup.

Before hand you should bake or steam your potato. I baked 3 earlier in the day, so it was ready to go for dinner! This is a dish I will prepare again because it was so easy and fairly inexpensive. This is also a perfect dish for the grill too! Good luck!

Jamie

Measurable Progress

The biggest reason people "diet" is because they want to lose "X" amount of pounds because society tells them that they need to weigh a certain weight. The chart on the back of your doctor's office says based on your sex, age, and height, you should weigh "this" and not that. Well what happens when you were way off the mark a long time ago? What if you went off the chart years back? Do you live life sad and depressed until you can get yourself back down? Of course not. Here's why...

You don't live and die by the scale.

Success must be measured everywhere it can and lack of progress should be downplayed if you want to stay on the path. If you step on the scale three weeks in a row and weigh the same exact amount, so what? Are you failing? Nope. You're actually doing very well at maintaining your weight. You are not adding weight and instead, you have done well with giving yourself a very balanced eating/activity lifestyle. Look at it as simple as this; You are not gaining weight.

This last weekend was a perfect example of my personal measurable progress. When picking out clothes to wear to the wedding on Friday, I ran into trouble finding something nice that would not look stupid on me. The khaki pants I wore had enough room to accommodate two extra fists. My belt was pulled up to the last notch and there was space for a few more holes. On Saturday, the first thing my uncle said to me was “You’re losing quite a bit of weight there.” This is a guy who has only seen me like twice in the last two years. It’s nice to hear that kind of stuff. My aunt says to me on the way out “Keep doing your Weight Watcher thing, you’re getting skinny.” Now I know for a fact that I am not skinny. I kindly thanked her and told her that it’s a work in progress and that I have quite a bit to go still. She’s seen me a handful of times in the last few years so it was pleasant to have someone recognize it. When you surround yourself with the same people every day/week, they may not notice it until they get out a picture of you from some time back. Wanna check how you’re doing? Call a friend you haven’t seen in a few months and see if they notice it without bringing it up. It’ll make your day if and when they do.

I’m proud to say that I know how much to eat without overdoing it. I can eat enough to fill my stomach up and not cross into the point where I feel stuffed and need to lie down and recoup. I was successful at this over the weekend and even though I only lost 1 pound this week, I feel great about it.

Am I Surprised? No.

Well, the weekly weigh-in came this morning. Last week at this time I was 193. Today I was 192 pounds. Did I expect to lose more than one pound? Heck no. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I lost weight at all. Allow me to explain.

The last 3-4 days were very tricky, and at times, hard to gauge. Thursday night was a dress rehearsal dinner for a wedding, Friday was the actual wedding, and Saturday was a cookout for my grandmother's 80th birthday. My wife and I did not eat anything according to plan those few days, rather, we tried our best at portion control since we are learning to understand what our bodies need and how much would actually fill us up. Sunday was back on plan and Monday is full speed ahead. With no events this week other than my son's birthday party on Wednesday, we ought to be good to go for another pound or two this week. We'll be having pizza, but since a handful of us are on the Weight Watchers plan, we'll probably end up with something for ourselves too. Being this close to 190, I would love to step on the scale next week and have my weight be in the 180's. I'll even take 189 for crying out loud. Not only would that be a major achievement in my book, but it would also put me at less than 10 pounds away from my second goal.

(Crosses fingers)

My First Grocery List

I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and I thought it would be helpful if I posted my list here. this might help others who are just starting out, and I would also like some feedback from you guys as well. Did I leave anything out, or should I take some things off?

My First Weight Watchers Shopping List
Ground Turkey
Turkey Hot dogs/Kielbasa
Chicken Breasts
Tuna In Spring Water
Egg Beaters
Low Fat/Non Fat Yogurt
Salsa
Mrs. Dash Seasoning
Salad Spritzers
Spray On Butter
Low Fat Milk
Rice
Reduced Calorie Bread
Michelina's Frozen Entrees
Sugar Free Jello
Sugar Free/Fat Free Pudding
Pita Wraps
Pinto/Navy/Great Northern Beans
Fresh Vegetables (Tomatoes, Green Peppers, etc...)

Jamie

My Personal Goals

I always felt it was important to set goals for yourself because it helps you stay focused and it keeps you honest. Here are some of my weight management goals that I hope to achieve.

My short term goal is to lose 20 pounds. I currently weight 198 pounds.

My long term goal is to lose 35 pounds, and to maintain it without the peaks and valleys associated with most weight management plans.

I haven't set a time table for this because I think that would put too much pressure on myself, and it's already hard enough! I will be sure to post my my progress. Cheers!

Jamie

What A Great Place!

Hello all! It's always good to have support with any undertaking you begin, but this is especially true when you're embarking on a new "weight management" plan. That's why I am really excited about this blog and the support I know it will provide. I am new to the Weight Watchers points system but I've heard nothing but positive things about it from past and current users so I can't wait to get started. I will be a steady contributor providing updates on my own progress, as well as recipes and tips for others. It's good to be here!

Jamie

About Carrie

I have been on Weight Watchers for about 2 weeks now, this is my second round and I am determined to succeed this time! My husband Trevor and I are doing it together, which makes it much easier since we are eating the same foods, and there is not one of us who is cheating and making it harder for the other. Our best friends Scott and Angel are also doing it, so it has been fun cooking meals together and sharing recipes and ideas. Scott mentioned that it is a lifestyle change, and he is correct-this is not a DIET! I am 31 yrs old and my weight has gone up quite a bit over the years and as you get older, it is harder to get it off, but with Weight Watchers it is guaranteed to come off as long as you follow the plan! What I like about WW is that you are able to eat all the required food groups so your body continues to get the nutrients it needs to run properly, it is just smaller portions than what I am used to. Some of the "Fad" diets out there right now cut out entire food groups such as carbs or meats, and it is a proven fact that your body needs a proper balance of all food groups, the food pyramid that we all learned about in elementary school is not in place for nothing people! The internet is an awesome place to find recipes, and most sites post the points of each recipe, which is a timesaver! My husband always likes to "modify" recipes to his liking, so that is what is nice about any recipe, you can add or subtract whatever you like and make it your own, you just have to make sure you count the points! We make an amazing deep dish pizza, which I will post on here and we have modified it to be very low in points, but very full of flavor! Stay tuned for some of my favorite recipes, I love cooking!!

About Scott

I've been on the Weight Watcher Flex Point plan for just over 9 weeks now. My wife and I decided to go on the diet a few months ago because we needed the help in controlling our portion sizes and regulating our food intake. I've got to admit, after about two-three weeks, it felt less like a diet, and more of a lifestyle. It's been great doing this with my wife too. We hold each other accountable and we're both very supportive of each other. So far, I am down 24 pounds in almost 10 weeks. With an average of 2.4 pounds a week, I plan on hitting my second goal in the next month or so. To hit that, I will need to lose about 12 more pounds. I hit my first goal of 20 pounds a few weeks back and am chugging right along.

If I were to name a few of the benefits that come to mind, I'd probably say...

• Being able to eat "any" food I want, even if in moderation
• Structure and setup is easy to follow
• Finding smart foods to eat is very simple
• Weight loss is gradual rather than overnight, leading to long term weight control

Now, it's not all peaches and cream though. There are some definite disadvantages too. First and foremost would be grocery costs. Where it is true that you don't spend as much on the back end at restaurants, you can still walk out of the store spending a lot more than you are used to. This is where you have to get creative and find new ways to shop for things. For instance, being it's now summer, I spend Saturday mornings at my local farmer's market buying the onions, peppers, and other fruits and vegetables that I will consume over the next week. It's much cheaper than store bought produce. I also find myself looking for bulk frozen stuff where I can. This weekend, I plan on going to a Stouffer's outlet to stock up on some frozen dinners and meals. My wife and I have a deep freezer in our basement so we can fill up on stuff when we have more money so that we have plenty to eat in times when we are low on money. Another thing we've been doing is going to our Schwebel's outlet store to buy our bread and buns. It's much cheaper than going to any other store. If you are looking for a good alternative to hot dog or hamburger buns, the Schwebel's Lite brand has 1/2 point buns at a very cheap price. A loaf of bread is under $1.00 and they're only 35 calories a slice!

Another disadvantage I can think of right now is variety. It could be very easy to fall into a trap of eating the same stuff over and over because you are familiar with its point value. If you're not careful, you could get burned out on certain foods. This is another place where you have to get creative. I'm amazed at how many ways I've prepared meals using the same 3-4 ingredients over the last few weeks.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is a mental one. Walking through your local grocery store and looking at what you typically buy might depress you a little bit. I know my first weekend was rough on me. It was like saying "goodbye" to some of my favorite things. I was afraid it would be 6 months or more before I ate some of those foods again. Turns out, I am eating them again already. Small portion controlled amounts of my faves sure hits the spot once in a while. The way I look at it, if I don't treat myself to something once in a while, there will be a day where I go way off the wagon and have too much. Another aspect of the mental hurdle is telling yourself that you will feel full after you eat the meal you are staring at. It doesn't look like much, but trust me, you've been overeating for far too long.

It's been nine weeks now since I've eaten a meal and felt like I needed to take a nap or go lie down and watch television afterwards. That's an incredible feeling. I have way more energy now than I remember having in the past. I sleep better, I feel more creative, my skin feels cleaner and my moods are more even keeled. I guess I could have listed them up at the bullet points too.

Welcome!

Welcome to Chewie's Wonderful Weight Watcher Community Forum Web Thingie! This is your new place to visit for all of your weight loss needs, especially for those of you on the Weight Watchers Point System. There will be plenty of things to find here including recipes, ideas, website links, feedback, etc. Check back often!