Struggling to Stay On Plan

I'm sorry for the lack of blog posts recently! I was not expecting to fall off the grid like that! I am trying to break through my writer's block, while I write this blog post for you.

There has been a lot of sickness going around in our family. Two weeks ago, Olivia was sick. Last week, Jon was sick. After Jon, Olivia was sick again all this week. I am doing my best not to get sick, but we will have to wait and see how that goes.

On Monday, Jon and I celebrated our 6th year of marriage! I am looking forward to celebrating this milestone with Jon this coming Saturday. If you want to know more about God has used church to change our lives, please click here.

Picture 1: On our wedding day 2006; Picture 2: Olivia's baby dedication 2012

Not only that, but I have my own personal issues that I am dealing with right now. I am not going to go into too much detail right now, but these situations are extremely emotional.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I want you to see that I am human just like you!! With all these things going on in my life, good and bad, I have fallen off of the Weight Watchers wagon. I was doing great until Monday night or Tuesday, when I just didn't have the strength to say no to food anymore.

So, this week, I have been eating because I am bored, tired, angry, worried, upset, and more.

How am I going to get back on plan today?
1. I am going to spend time with my Lord in prayer. I need to share my worries and emotions with the Lord and leave them with Him. I also need to keep scripture close to me, so that I am reminded that I have a mighty and powerful God. As I see God for who He is, it will help to put my situation into perspective.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

2. I am going to get back on track today! So many people, me included, wait until tomorrow to get back on track. Do you know what kind of damage you can do in just one day? Even if I mess up a little today, I will not have blown it like I would have if I was just waiting for tomorrow. I am going to choose one part of the Weight Watchers plan to focus on today that will help me be successful, like tracking everything I eat.

3. I am going treat myself with something other than food! When life is hard, I turn to food. When life is good, I turn to food. I need to learn how to celebrate or relax in other ways. Today, I am choosing to go and get my haircut! Jon has been trying to get me to get my hair done for weeks, but I told him that I was too busy. However, a haircut is the perfect way to treat myself for all the hardwork I have been doing over these last few months. Maybe next time I will get a pedicure or take a bubble bath, because I am a priority and I need to do things that I enjoy! I will to take pictures to show you my new do tomorrow.

Thank you for letting me be honest and share with you about what has been going on in my life! This has helped me so much!


Just for fun, here is a recent picture of Olivia with our Christmas tree. She is already 3 1/2 months old!

Day of Remembrance

source

New Snack Ideas

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week! Olivia was sick last week and Jon has been sick this week. Please pray for healing in my family and that I do not come down with this cold next.

How is your week going?

This month we are focusing on packing a snack. Have you been making this apart of your daily routine? How so? What kinds of snack are you taking with you?

Throughout this week, I have learned about a few new snacks myself!! I took pictures and posted them below just in case there are other people out there like me who do know know about these snacks.

{Weight Watchers Celebration Cake Mini Bars}

Serving Size: 1 bar
  2 pointsplus+

In 2013, Weight Watchers turns 50 years old and to celebrate this they came out with a new birthday cake flavored mini bar. I tried it last Saturday morning and loved it! They are very sweet, which is perfect for me and my sweet tooth. They are also covered in sprinkles which make them look pretty too! I hope that you will try these when you attend your next Weight Watchers meeting.

{GoGo Squeez Applesauce On The Go}

Serving Size: 1 pouch
  Flavors vary in pointsplus value! Apple Cinnamon 0 pointsplus+

I just learned about this on the go applesauce on Tuesday night! They are so good and an easy snack to take with you anywhere!

There are several different flavors and they range from 0 - 2 PointsPlus. When you calculate the Apple Cinnamon flavor it will tell you that it is 1 PointsPlus. However, in eTools on the Weight Watchers website it says that these are 0 PointsPlus. All foods are evaluated by Weight Watchers before being added to eTools. So, I am going to count these are 0 PointsPlus.

Weekly Weigh In - Brief Update

source

Happy Monday!! Can you believe that there are only 15 days until Christmas!? Honestly, I am not going to write a lot today, because I said most of what I wanted to say on Saturday. If you have not checked out that blog post, click here.

I am so excited that I lost weight again this week! I have been getting better and better at being able to stick to the Weight Watchers plan while I work from home. The biggest change that I made this past week was tracking!

. . . . . . . . . .

Giveaway Details
 

Congratulations to everyone who has emailed me to receive an incentive card for the giveaway going on right now!! Good News!! I still have more $10 off incentive cards to giveaway!!

For complete details regarding this giveaway, click here. 

If you are interested, send me an email and please include the following information:
1. How many cards do you want and/or need?
2. Who are these cards for?
3. What is you mailing address?

Please note: This giveaway will continue throughout the month of December while supplies last. 

Weight Watchers 360° Details and more...

I am sorry that I have waited all week to give you all the details of the new Weight Watchers 360° plan. I wanted to talk to you about it on the same day that I talked about it with my own Weight Watchers members. So, enjoy this special Saturday blog post!

Our new program is built on the foundation of our proven PointsPlus® plan, and incorporates a whole new set of knowledge and tools that’ll help you stick with it. With the Weight Watchers 360° program, you’ll see how easy it can be to establish healthy habits that fit into your life so you can stay on track. The new program has three main parts, the first of which — tracking — will already be familiar to current Members.

Along with tracking — which has been shown to increase the likelihood of weight-loss success — we’re focusing on two essential areas: Managing your environment with Spaces and establishing healthy Routines. And we’ve developed two new powerful interactive tools to help you master both. The new Spaces tool in eTools is loaded with tips and strategies that can help you stay in control wherever you happen to be: home, office, car and so on. With the new Routines tool you’ll select small, yet powerful tasks to do daily. Before you know it, healthy habits that used to be hurdles can become second nature. The new Spaces and Routines tools are now also included in our Mobile app so you can get help for real-life weight-loss challenges, when and where you need it.

Each month in the meeting room, we will work together to develop a routine that has been proven to help achieve weight loss.

Pack a Snack
Before you leave the house, make sure you have a healthy snack with you. This simple Routine can help you feel in control and keep your hunger in check, so you’re better able to stay on Plan the rest of the day. Think of these nutritious treats as secret weapons that can help you sail right past the cookie kiosk at the mall; the chili-cheese dog stand at the game; and the inevitable pile of holiday treats at the office.

Preparing portable treats doesn’t take much time or effort, which makes this a great Routine to work on as we head into the hectic holiday season. Still, we know that in the real world, some things are easier said than done. So to help you get in the stick-with-it mindset check out the new Routines tool and spend some time reflecting on the following:

1. What stands in the way of making sure you have a healthy snack with you before leaving the house? List challenges that would make it difficult for you to practice this Routine consistently. Is your kitchen stocked with the right options? Do you have an insulated bag or convenient containers? Perhaps you rely on options at your destination, like a snack bar, food court or fast-food joint. Now’s the time to rethink old behaviors and come up with new, healthier strategies.

2. What would make your snacks more satisfying? Easier to grab? Or worth the PointsPlus values? Keep snacks interesting by creating a mix-and-match menu that can also double as a shopping list. Choose treats that are packed with Weight Watchers Power Foods. Create a snack shelf in your fridge and pantry to make it easier to find what you want when you want it. And use plastic containers and baggies to make single-serve portions.

Click on this link to get Hungry Girl’s list of Emergency Snacks.

Recipe Review: Potato Lover's Soup with Crispy Bacon

I have not posted a recipe review since BEFORE Olivia was born. I have missed writing these posts so much!! I cannot promise that I will post a recipe review every week, but I will try not to let so much time go by in between now and my next post.

As you know Weight Watchers 360° launched this week. In honor of this special occasion, I wanted to try a recipe from my newest Weight Watchers cookbook, "What to Eat Now". This cookbook comes in the Ultimate Weight Watchers 360° kit, that we talked about yesterday.

This new cookbook has 150 recipes, meal ideas, and more for your first 12 weeks on plan. I really like this, because so many people ask me what they should eat now that they are on Weight Watchers and this book helps to get your weight loss journey off to a good start!

The Ingredients

Instead of using three small potatoes, I weighed out 24 ounces of potatoes.

 

First, I cooked the turkey bacon.

Next, I cooked the green onions and garlic.

Then I added all the other ingredients except the potatoes.

 

I added my soup mixture to the Crock Pot with the potatoes and let it cook all day.

This is the final product! It was so good!

. . . . . . . . . .

Potato Lover's Soup with Crispy Bacon

Source: What to Eat Now By, Weight Watchers

______________________________

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup

Calories: 215

Fat: 4 g

Fiber: 5 g

Protein: 10 g

Old Points: 4 pt

Points+: 5 pts+

______________________________ 

Ingredients

3 large (8 ounce) baked russet potatoes

3 strips bacon

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

3/4 cup fat free half and half

Instructions

1. Leaving skin on, coarsely chop potatoes; set aside

2. Cook bacon in large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off and discard all but 1 teaspoon of drippings.

3. Add garlic and half of scallions to drippings in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper sauce, and potatoes, mashing potatoes with wooden spoon to break them up slightly. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until heated through. 2-3 minutes

4. Stir in half and half and return to simmer. Serve soup sprinkled with crumbled bacon and remaining scallions.

*For your information

This soup is especially convenient if you have leftover baked potatoes on hand. If you don't, preheat the oven to 425°F, pierce each potato a few times with a fork, and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Ultimate Weight Watchers 360° Kit

Introducing the new 2013 Member Kit!

Ultimate Weight Watchers 360° Kit

Weight Watchers has done away with their old member kits. They now offer an Ultimate Weight Watchers 360° kit with 9 fabulous new tools to help you be successful in your weight loss journey. This kit is so much better than the old member kits that they use to sell. I never bought the old kit, but I would buy one of these.

My favorite tool in this kit are the Collapsible Measuring Cups! On the Weight Watchers program, I have learned to measure almost everything I eat. I have always wanted a set of measuring cups like this and I am so glad that Weight Watchers has included them in their kit.

Below is a list of the 9 tools that you recieve in your Ultimate Weight Watchers 360° kit along with a reason for two about how they will help you.

1. Neoprene Holder: compatible for iPads, Kindles, and more!
          - 3 exciting designs with broad range of appeal!

2. Success Handbook: Written by Weight Watchers Leader, Liz Josefsberg, this book is designed to support our members on their 360° journey, help them discover strategies to success, pinpoint temptation busters and more.

3. TRACK: Completely redesigned tracker that also accommodates 12 weeks of planning to help you stay on the 360° plan week after week. Take a look, and start using it.

4. What to Eat Now: Whether looking for a meal idea or quick snack solution, this book is packed with 12 weeks of easy recipes, shopping lists and best bets. Finally, it's all in one place!

5. Collapsible Measuring Cups: Full set of silicone measuring cups; easy to store and super useful.

6. PointsPlus Fitness DVD sampler: A full workout featuring Jennifer Cohen to give members a taste of the PointsPlus Fitness Series and incorporating activity into their Weight Watchers plan.

7. Body Measuring Tape: Who sayys the scale is the only way to track success? Another great tool to help members tracks progress, see results and keep them motivated. Keep a log in your Success Handbook!

8. PointsPlus Stickers: A fun way to tag their own foods at home.

9. Over $20 in Coupons, including a coupon for a Free PointsPlus Calculator and Calculator Skin! Who doesn't love coupons?!? 

The Truth About Forgiveness

Do you want to know what I have been reading lately?

To be completely honest, I put off reading this book for a while. It's not that I wasn't interested in this book, but that I have been very busy having a baby and becoming a new Mom. So, in an effort to take a much needed break from baby and parenting books, I decided to read, "The Truth About Forgiveness" by, John MacArthur. This is the first book I have read by John MacArthur. It is one of three books in his "The Truth About Series".

The first thing that appealed to me about this book is that it was so short! Most books like this that take time to unpack biblical truths are hundreds of pages long. As a Mom of a three month old I do not have time for large books like that. However, this book was perfect for me! It is broken into seven short chapters and was an easy read.

Do not let the length of this book decieve you, because this book was packed full of biblical truths that I could apply to my life. I thought that this book would teach me about how to forgive others. However, in all honesty it showed me how much God wants to forgive me! It helped to remind me that I need to repent and deal with my own sins before God. This book also includes one of the most unique looks at the story of the Prodigal Son I’ve ever read.

I have rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

I am required to tell you that I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for this review.  I did not get paid for this review.  Receiving a free copy of the book in no way influences the rating or review that I give.

New Weight Watchers 360° Giveaway [Closed]

*Preface*

As most of you know, I work for Weight Watchers, as a leader and receptionist. However, I just want you to know up front that I was not asked to write this post for Weight Watchers. I have decided to do this giveaway on my own. I was sent these cards to giveaway to people I know and I have chosen to share them with all of my blog readers and followers.

. . . . . . . . . .

Giveaway Details

As a way to kick off the new year, Weight Watchers sent me these cards, because I am a leader. I am supposed to share with people that they know who want to join Weight Watchers. As soon as I got these I began to think of all of you, my blog friends! Many of you have told me that you would love to join Weight Watchers, but you cannot afford it. Thankfully, these cards can help!

What is so good about these cards anyway?

This card is a special offer that gives you $10 off your first month with Weight Watchers. Instead of paying the normal $42.95 for a monthly pass, you will only have to pay $32.95 your first month. In addition, this offer is only good for the month of December 2012.

This is an easy giveaway, because it's first come first serve. So, I have a few questions or you, please take time to answer them honestly. Would you like one of these cards? Do you know someone who would like one of these cards? Would you really use it before December 2012?

If you answered "yes" these questions above, please send me an email at livingachangedlife@gmail.com.

In your email to me, please include the following information:
1. How many cards do you want and/or need?
2. Who are these cards for?
3. What is you mailing address?

Please note: This giveaway will continue throughout the month of December while supplies last.

Weekly Weigh In - Weight Watchers 360°

source

I do not want to take too much time sharing about my weight, because I would like to talk about the new Weight Watchers 360° program. As you can see I lost this past week. Honestly, I can't believe I lost, because last week was so stressful. However, I am excited to be moving in the right direction!

. . . . . . . . . . 

Weight Watchers 360°

source

I am so excited about the new Weight Watchers 360° program!! At your local Weight Watchers meeting you will be introduced to this new program. In addition, if you visit the Weight Watchers website it will look very different than it did last week. I tried to warn you that change was coming to the Weight Watchers program!

All throughout the week I will be sharing with you about this new program. I will also be hosting a Weight Watchers 360° Giveaway throughout the month of December 2012. Be sure to check back tomorrow to read more about it!

Please don't panic. The new Weight Watchers 360° program is builds on the PointsPlus program. So, you will still have PointsPlus values for your food. However, after their study of "hedonic" hunger Weight Watchers discovered that eating healthy is not enough.

Hedonic hunger is the desire to seek out high-sugar, high-fat foods that bring pleasure. This so-called “hedonic” eating system is the wiring in our brains that causes us to over-respond to trigger foods, crave them, and then get a shot of dopamine when we get them. Miller-Kovach says. "It can drive a person to overeat when those types of foods are available. You have to control your environment to avoid that drive."

Weight Watchers 360° is the answer to this most recent research regarding hedonic hunger. In this new program, Weight Watchers is all about:

1. Tracking (PointsPlus): making the smart food/activity choice

2. Spaces: making those choices easy

3. Routines: making those choices second nature

These three areas of focus will help us to reshape our environments in addition to our eating habits, so that making healthy choices becomes second nature to us. The longer we follow the program the easier it will become!

To read in more about the new Weight Watchers 360° program check out this blog post from Weight Watchers CEO, David Kirchoff.