Brownies in a Mug

If you are looking for a serious chocolate fix but don't want to spend a lot of Points, this is the recipe for you! Apparently this is an old trick, but I have never heard of it before.

• 4 T Lite Brownie mix (try Bettye Crocker)
• 2 T water
• FF Cool Whip (optional)

Mix thoroughly in a mug and microwave on high for about 1 minute. Top with FF Cool Whip for a ridiculously YUMMY chocolate treat.

I can not even describe in words how good this is. The Points will vary depending on what kind of mix you use. All I had was the high Point stuff which I figured to be 4 Points - but I've heard the lite variety is only 2 points. Even so - it was 4 Points very well spent.  

I assume you could do the same thing with other cake mixes - think I'll try a spice cake next time they are on sale.

Enjoy!

Crispy Baked Chicken

I wonder if you can sub something for the flour to make this Core (using FF milk and butter, of course)...Any ideas?

Why?

Anyone have a clue why the scale is always lower the day before AND the day after my official WI? It truly puzzles me!!! Oh well, I am trying to look at it as a jump start to the following week. I'm thinking about weighing in every day and keeping track of it here, but the ups and downs might make me crazy if I look at them in graph form. I step on the scale every day...OK SEVERAL times every day, but I don't write it down - just keep mental tabs for my overly obsessive self.

Nothing new or exciting in my world. Today we are trying to get the Christmas decorations up. Not to complain or anything, but it is kind of hard to get into the season when it's 80* and we're all wearing shorts. It's much better than shovelling the drive like our Indiana relatives are doing, but it is hard to get into the holiday groove. Woe is me

On the weight loss front - things are fairly swell. I resisted a Pepsi run yesterday and even enjoyed my bottled water with my take out pizze while hubby chugged his Pepsi. He's still evil in my eyes LOL but I'm proud I was able to resist. I've been on an exercise hiatus since we have all been sick, but I'm feeling better and will get back to it starting Monday. I am anxious to get my new Firm stuff, but in the meantime I'll stick to WATP, my elliptical,  the stability ball, resistance bands and the few free weights we have on hand. You'd think that would be enough! I was teasing B this morning about being an old man because he sat on the edge of the bed and popped just about every joint in his body. His job is so physical that he just aches by Saturday morning - I can't help but think a good workout routine would help with that. If I can get him to do something with me, we might actually stick with it!

That's it from me. Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Woohoo!!!

Well that was interesting. For several days I couldn't respond to anyone else's posts and then for the last few I couldn't post anything more than a title. It seems to be working fine for the moment though - so I'll take full advantage and actually post something :)

As mentioned earlier (in my now-erased title post), I was down 3.2 at this week's WI. That would be more exciting if I hadn't spent the last month basically treading water (maintain, maintain, up, down) - but I'm still thrilled with the loss.  Who wouldn't be?

Not much to update about my life except that we are all still sick to one degree or another. After a 3 month absence, TOM has visited twice in the last four weeks. My oldest is experiencing some major 'tween angst, my middle daughter is always a hand full and the youngest will be 3 in January. 'Nuff said! So yeah - the fact that I was able to pull a 3.2 pound loss with all the hormones flying around my place...I'm pleased to say the least.

Did I mention that I ordered the new TransFirmation series? I won't get it until after Christmas, but I'm hoping it's as good as I've heard. I'd still LOVE to order the Hoop work out, but I gotta' wait for that money tree to bloom again. Dang it.

Been eating fairly well lately - maple salmon, unstuffed peppers, Core meatloaf. I've even been caffeine free since 12/2/07 which is another huge step for me. Oh sure, I've been caffeine free before - but tonight when hubby was drinking his Pepsi, I didn't even bum a sip. Wasn't even tempted! Well, not much anyway :) I just chugged my FF milk and was happy. I almost had him get me a CF Pepsi, but thought better of it since I have no idea what effect all that sugar would have on me.

So that's my life. I'm getting my groove back and that feels goooooood. Hope you are all doing well!!!!

Weight loss one liners

Sometimes I need a snappy little comeback (for myself!) when the inner brat is raging. Here are a few I've picked up along the way. Have any to add?

It's not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving.

One good wish changes nothing. One good decision changes everything.

Think with your brain not your belly.

There is nothing in my refrigerator that will fix a dented fender.

If you don't want to do this, then don't. If you do...then do.

Adding calories to a bad day will not make it better.

A year from now you can be glad you started or you can wish you had.

If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the answer!

Take care of those urges that have nothing to do with real hunger.

Fill the holes in your life not the one in your face.

I refuse to dig my grave with a knife and a fork.

Eat for the body you want, not for the body you have.

Don't give up what you want most for what you want now.

It's easier to say 'no' once in the store, than 'no' twenty times at home.

Fake it till you make it.

DON'T WAIL ON THE SCALE IF YOU CHEAT WHEN YOU EAT!

Every day..you face a hundred tiny weight-loss choices. Some are more significant than others, but all of them add up.

Over time, your choices shape you. Literally.

I won't take this first bite if I can't afford the second one

Nothing will work unless you do.

Don't worry about what others think about you. It's none of your business!

The only way you can fail to reach your goal is to stop before you get there.

The answer is always in your journal. Even if you don't keep one.

The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.

 You are worth the effort.

 We all make our own choices...one bite at a time.

 It isn't hocus pocus, it's FOCUS!

Face your stuff, don't stuff your face!

DON'T COUNT EVERY DAY--MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT.

Too many square meals make round people!

ONE SHOULD EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT.

Let your head be more than a funnel to your stomach.

Plateaus are your body's way of training for Maintenance.

If I have a problem and I overeat, then I have two problems.

"Satisfaction does not come from indulgence; it comes from achievement." -Calvin Coolidge

"Eating is not the problem; what you choose to eat is." -CW

"Love the right foods, at the right time, in the right way." -Dr. Phil

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

I love myself enough to do it this time.

What you eat in private, you wear in public.

Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

It's HARD to be overweight. It's HARD to lose weight. It's HARD to maintain weight loss. You just have to pick your hard!

"The people who lose are the people who move" Bob Greene

 It's not a struggle if you don't fight it.

 Impossible is an opinion - not a fact.

 Make progress or make excuses.

If the glass is full, stop pouring!

Little pickers wear big knickers

Would you rather eat what you want, or wear what you want?

Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks.

If you hang your swimsuit on the refrigerator door, the goodies inside will be easier to ignore.

I didn't come this far to be told what to do by a (insert food name here)!

Comfort, not calories.

Avoid it, portion it, or walk it off. -CW

There will be another time...there will be another biscuit. -Oprah

You get what you settle for. -Thelma and Louise

If you can eat it all year round, why overindulge?

Don't believe everything you think. -Bumper sticker

Remember to eat all four food groups - just not all on one fork.

Angel Blueberry Dessert

Checking in from the seemingly frozen tundra of NW Indiana!!! OK, it's not THAT cold up here, but considering we were wearing shorts and tank tops last week at our house and there's snow in my mom's front yard right now....well it's a frozen tundra to us LOL

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was nice, but we've had a VERY busy week and I'm looking forward to getting back home and relaxing :) I haven't had a chance to check in with everyone, but I trust you all did great over this crazy eating holiday.

Here's a wonderful dessert recipe to try out in your free time!

Angel Blueberry Dessert

• 8 oz pkg softened cream cheese
• 1 C powdered sugar
• 8 oz whipped topping
• 14oz prepared angel food cake (cubed)
• 2 cans blueberry pie filling

In large bowl mix cream cheese and sugar; fold in whipped topping and cake cubes. Spread evenly into an ungreased 9x13x2 dish and top with pie filling. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting into squares

****Now of course you can lighten this dessert! I had the full fat version (thanks MOM!) and it was too die for...But when I make it, I'll sub FF cream cheese and cool whip and might try 1/2 C Splenda mixed with 1/2 C powdered sugar, but I'm not sure how that will turn out. And don't forget the Lite pie filling varieties. It was like a no bake cheese cake, so I'll be trying cherry filling when I make it.

Slower is faster than never

Well I guess I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one who can't post comments. Hopefully the problem will be fixed soon.  

The following was stolen from: http://www.thinspiration.com/

Stamina Not Speed by Scott Q. Marcus

This is the last in a series of articles about the thoughts feelings, and beliefs needed for long term change.

Last in a special series on the mental and emotional adjustments required for long-term change.

Anyone could tell she was annoyed with the result. Although she lost weight from the previous week, her irritation was palpable.

"One quarter of a pound? Four lousy ounces!" She continued to stare at the scale. "I exercised. I wrote everything down; I even stayed away from the hors d'oeuvres at the office party. This is too slow. I won't hit my right weight until I'm 60!"

Standing down from the platform, I heard her grumble as she snatched her purse, "Who needs this frustration?" With those final words, she stormed from the meeting. The next time she came to a meeting, she weighed 43 pounds more than when she had left - and was three years closer to the "dreaded" age of sixty.

At times it is difficult to remember that "slower is faster than never."

Few events are more exasperating than diligently following a plan, faithfully monitoring your efforts, expecting breathtaking rewards, and ending up feeling punished for the effort. Hope vanishes, motivation evaporates, and the seductive siren song of harmful habits slyly lures us off track. After all, rarely does one give up when all is doing well.


Success requires enduring many such indignities; it involves making a lifestyle - not temporary - change. Logically, we know that "lifestyle change" must last... well, er, um ... a lifetime (hence the term). Emotionally however, we want to experience all the payback without making the required investment. As a further analogy, we crave the benefits of wisdom without enduring the exposure to life.

It does not work that way. The process will not be rushed; it must be fully experienced.

Success is more likely when we understand the benefits begin immediately; we do not have to wait to enjoy them until we get "there." To the contrary, that magical land where temptation is non-existent and motivation is ever present is fantasy; there is no better prescription for failure than betting the farm on such unrealistic expectations.

Those who obtain their goals are still faced with the same temptations and frustrations as those of us still striving for our objectives. What differs is they persevere through rough periods by changing focus, not by ignoring the delay.

Setbacks cannot be avoided. Although it might not feel so in the moment, each one presents an opportunity to understand the process, ourselves, and make the adjustments necessary for long-term, SUSTAINED change.

At those crossroads, look back, not ahead. The future is always unknown, yet the road already traveled - no matter how short the journey - is lined with accomplishments: some small, others more significant.

Motivation returns when the focus changes.

GAH!!!!

Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble commenting on other people's posts?!? I keep trying, but I keep getting the "security number invalid" message...even though I can clearly SEE that I'm typing in the same number that's displayed. I've cleared my cookies, refreshed my browser, restarted my computer but I still can't post any comments

Well I'm out here and reading - sorry if I can't tell you all how wonderful you are doing or how proud I am of you!! Keep up the great work!

recipes

Not much happening in my world. The kids are taking turns being sick which is sooooo much fun when we are planning to leave for vacation on Friday. I haven't been to WI in a couple of weeks because life is just like that sometimes, but I am still plugging away. I am planning to go on Friday before we leave town though and have my fingers crossed for a decent loss.

I loved TBL last night, but didn't see enough of Bob LOL Kim makes me crazy. I was uber proud of Amy's post-show success. And Jillian...well I wish she would come be my trainer because I know she'd kick my butt! I did get in a good workout during the 2 hour show - elliptical, stability ball, weights, stretching...not Biggest Loser GOOOOOOD, but good for me.

My mood - a little irritable right now because the kiddies keep interrupting me LOL but in general I am feeling extremely determined to lose this weight. I WILL have a GOOD loss through this holiday season!!!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup (the easy way)

I have a regular recipe for Broc Cheese soup using Velveeta Light, but I'll have to dig it out again (I posted it before we lost those posts a few weeks ago). Here is the "cheater method" which is pretty easy and low in Points.

• 1 can 98% FF Campbell's Broccoli Cheese soup
• FF milk (1 can full - according to label directions)
• cooked broccoli (or whatever veggies you like to add)

Yeah - I said it was the cheater method! I have just been adding cooked (formerly frozen) broccoli to my canned soup to bulk it up a bit. It's less than 1 point per serving with the added broccoli, but I still count it as 1.

Speaking of broccoli, I LOVE those giant, resealable Birdseye frozen veggies. I add broccoli to everything now that I can take out a few florets at a time. There's nothing better (IMHO) than an omelet with broccoli, Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese, and some lean ham. Yum-O!

Beef Strogonoff - a new favorite

• stew meat
• 1 package dried onion soup mix
• 1 can 98% FF cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup FF sour cream
• mushroom slices (optional)

Brown your stew meat in a little bit of oil, then add onion soup mix and about 1 cup of water - cook until meat reaches desired tenderness (20 minutes to an hour depending on your preference). You may have to add more water as it cooks, but don't add TOO much or you'll have stew instead of strogonoff LOL. Once the meat is cooked, add the soup and sour cream (and optional 'shrooms) and simmer for 10ish minutes - until your satisfied that it's warm and the flavor has penetrated the meat. Serve over cooked egg noodles, rice, toast, biscuits - whatever makes your toes curl.

Chicken and noodles

• diced chicken breast
• canned mixed veggies
• 98% FF cream of chicken soup
• water
• chicken bouillion (according to taste - I use 3-4 tsps (cubes)

Cook chicken in the bouillion and water. Add the soup and canned veggies and simmer until warmed through. Serve over egg noddles, rice or biscuits.

Plus-sized exercise

I got Just My Size Yoga by Megan Garcia from NetFlix the other day and took it for a test run this afternoon. I should begin by mentioning that, as a Christian woman, I have been avoiding yoga for years because of it's spiritual beginnings and the focus on inner strength, etc. I am still mindful of these things but as a completely inflexible person, I have been looking for something to stretch me out a bit and everyone keeps recommending yoga. I am happy to say that this video didn't conflict with any of my personal beliefs - it was about the poses and the confidence that comes with being in touch with your body's strength. I don't know if I'm explaining that correctly, but I didn't sense any red flags from above LOL

As I said, I am totally inflexible with freakishly short arms and legs so I thought this might be a bit of a challenge. Sure I'm 5'5", but it's all in my torso - which makes sitting in a chair, driving a car and yoga quite interesting endeavors especially when hindered by my freakishly large belly  But, Megan promised that even I could do yoga...and she was right! I wouldn't really consider this a workout in a WORK sense, but it was a really good introduction to yoga and I appreciated the modifications she showed for varying body types. I especially liked the interview when she talked about how intimidating and difficult it was for her to take yoga classes with the hard bodies because some poses are just difficult when you are working around a large chest or fluffy tummy. So I learned how to do Warrior 1 and 2, Downward Facing Dog, the Child Pose, Mountain and a couple others. It wasn't intense, but I think it would be great after a 30 minute cardio session.

I did learn that I've been breathing wrong! Who knew that a person could live while breathing incorrectly for 37 years!!! Now I know and I'm working on changing it. Of course now I'm so conscious of my breathing that I'm nearly hyperventillating all the time. Gotta' get an ambulance on standy by, I suppose.

I really appreciated having a plus-sized instructor. It's nice to see someone like me doing the poses - made it easier to tell if I was doing it correctly. It reminded me of the one thing I liked about The Biggest Loser Workout - watching others struggling right along with me and seeing that even though they didn't look just like Bob (drool drool drool) they were still getting lots of benefit from the exercises. One of the things I enjoy about watching TBL on TV each week is seeing how those "fatties" can huff it up the hill and push themselves so much further than they probably ever have...and then get out of bed the next day and do it again. That's WAY more motivating to me than watching Bob or Kim or *gulp* Jillian do the same workout. 

I wonder if there are more plus-sized workouts out there.....

And speaking of TBL, did you catch that B was only eating about 1100 calories/day and talked about being FULL????? What kind of drugs are they feeding those people? LOL I'm glad Kim talked to him about upping the calories though and that he apparently listened. 1100 calories. Sheesh!