New? First time here?!

New?

No problem. I’ll tell you everything you need to know.

First off, let me just say Congratulations on deciding to take the first step to becoming the YOU that you want to be :)

Second, you need to know that this isn't just a diet you'll be on for a few months to drop the weight and that you'll be able to get off it and go back to what you consider normal & keep the weight off. This is a diet, this is a lifestyle. This will teach you how to eat healthy. It will work for you, but you need to let it consume you. While there are skinny people that have the ability to eat whatever they want and not gain a single pound, that's incredibly rare. Thinking back to Clueless… Cher watched what she ate and she did workout DVDs. lol. yes, I'm literally referencing the movie Clueless, but it took until after I started weight watchers and lost weight, struggled back & forth, and got off and back on, to realize that skinny people are skinny because they were taught at a very young age about nutrition and exercise. We see skinny people all the time eating salads, turning down cupcakes and doughnuts if they're offered for free, and jogging every day. We might've wondered why in world they won't eat that one doughnut, or why they're jogging when they look amazing, but they look amazing BECAUSE they work out every day and constantly watch what they eat. Sure, you can treat yourself to a doughnut every once in awhile, but why don't you look back at every free meal you were offered this year, whether it was at a wedding reception, shower, friend's birthday party or graduation party… or even just cake that's brought in to work for a co-workers birthday. You have to have CONTROL. You have to understand that every doughnut, every slice of cake, every mini candybar, adds up! I used to buy mini candy bars, hershey kisses, m&ms… thinking a mini candy bar, hershey kiss, or 10 m&ms here and there wouldn't hurt… but I was "thinking" that 5-10 times a day & eating more chocolate than I normally would. It's the same concept w/ice cream… you can buy low fat or half the fat & that's great, but if you're going to have double the serving size, that won't get you anywhere! Healthy eating is a frame of mind. My boyfriend and I were at the Indians game in Cleveland the other day, and my son offered him some cotton candy… he said no. I was in awe. Seriously? it's one little poof ball of cotton candy… Then, I realized he turned down the sour patch kids my son offered him on the drive to Progressive Field, turned down the goldfishes at the game, fries when we went out to eat afterwards, stuck to beer at the game while I was drinking mixed drinks… Now, we all know that us ladies love sweets and chocolate while men love MEAT! haha, but still. Think about how many additional carbs and grahams of fat I consumed that day. I had 2 sour patch kids (haha), multiple cotton candy poof balls, almost half of my sons fries, the pizza I decided to get, a beer, a whipped vodka w/orange juice, jeremiah weed vodka with lemonade, a shot of 3 olives loopy & rum chata, blueberry vodka w/pink lemonade… ugh, I drank a lot. haha. Point being, it's EASY to say yes to everything that's offered to you (food wise), and it's EASY to say that you'll never be back at that restaurant and you rarely go out to eat so it's ok to splurge when you do... it's terribly easy… and it tastes great… but look at yourself. Are you happy?

Please, seriously, read this blog. I hope you get everything out of it that you wanted.

Here's my first couple blogs that go over the basics. you can always find them over to your right where my blogs are in reverse order… but I'd hope you'd go all the way back to my first blog & work your way to today's blog:

First Thing’s First!
This will tell you what to buy. the books & the calculator :)

Weight Loss Tracker on Excel
This is an excel spread sheet so you can keep track of your progress

Basic grocery list
This is a basic, simple, grocery list. Check out the blogs that were posted after this for pictures with the points per serving and recipe suggestions.

Weight Watchers Basics
This just tells you everything you need to know about weight watchers… not that you can't read it in the books… but you'd have to buy an additional book for that and it's too expensive for something you'll read once & toss.

Lastly, please don't hesitate to email me for questions! I want you to be what you want to be :)

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

I found this recipe today on Pinterest! I just got done making it & it's amazing! (here for the link)

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Chiquita Bananas (best with brown flecks on peel)
• 2 cups Ice
• 1/3 cup Yogurt - preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey
• 1/2 cup Cooked oatmeal
• 1/3 cup Almonds

Instructions:

Pour all ingredients in blender pouring ice in last. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smoothie thickens.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (makes 2):

Calories 380; Total Fat 15 g (Sat 2 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 4 g, Mono 8 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 35 mg; Potassium 690 mg; Total Carbohydrates 53 g; Dietary Fiber 9 g; Total Sugars 19 g; Protein 12 g. Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin B6 25%; Vitamin C 20%; Vitamin D 0%; Calcium 15%, Iron 15%.

 

 

 Make this in the morning to keep your tummy full longer, before a workout to keep you going, or add some whey protein and have one after your workout!

If you're calculating ww points based on the nutritional facts, it comes out to 5 ww points plus. however, bananas are 0 points, so this would only be 3 points plus per smoothie.

Definitely cut this in half to just make ONE smoothie! Not so hard...
1 banana, 1 cup ice, 1/4 cup cooked oatmeal... and whatever 1/2 of 1/3 is... 2 T + 2 t of yogurt and almonds...

Additions:
I added one scoop of vanilla whey protein powder b/c this was a post-workout smoothie for me :) although, a full scoop was a lot... might try half first next time.
I also added 2 T of PB2 to make it a peanut butter banana shake! OMG THIS MADE AN AMAZINGLY HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!
You could also add honey if you made it like the recipe called for to sweeten it a little.
Also, you could add milk if you think it's too thick.


Also, I realize I've never mentioned PB2 before, and I really must dedicate a blog to it eventually... however, I don't really care for it plain, and this is pretty much the first thing I've mixed it with and LOVED! I'm going to have to do some experimenting before I talk more about it, but in the meantime, click here.

Now... to explain my absence...
I worked a lot in December & was also searching for a new job!
which, paid off! :)
I just started a new job on January 31st, and hopefully, since I'll finally be on a normal schedule w/set day-time hours, I'll be able to update you guys more often! :)

Mmmmk... that's all! Enjoy!