Wordless Wednesday: Go Workout

More Snack Options

This past weekend turned out to be a very busy for me. As a result, this morning I am experiencing major writer's block! So, I have decided that today is the perfect day to share with you some of my most recent food finds!!

I have posted some of these pictures on my Facebook page and Twitter, because this is the fastest way for me to share new ideas with you. I often post pictures of new foods that I find throughout the week. If you would like to follow me on Twitter, click here. If you want to join my Facebook page, click here.

{Archer Farms Indulgent Granola Bites}

Serving Size: 1 bar
  2 pointsplus+

One of our Tuesday night Weight Watchers members introduced me to these Archer Farms Indulgent Granola Bites. These bars can be found at Target. I found four different flavors of these bars at my local Target: Sea Salt Caramel Almond, White Chocolate Lemon Berry, Banana Split, and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut. These Bites are great to keep in your purse and I even snacked on one while I was at the movie theater. They are great to have around instead of candy bars!

{Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread}

Serving Size: 1 wedge
  1 pointsplus+

I had no idea that The Laughing Cow made it's own cream cheese spread until I found it at my local Wal-Mart!! I found four different flavors of Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread: Classic Cream, Strawberries and Cream, Garden Vegetable, and Cinnamon Cream. I bought Nature's Own Cinnamon Raisins Thin-Sliced Bagels (1 bagel, 3 pointsplus) and ate it with the Cinnamon Cream flavored Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread for just 4 pointsplus! It was delicious and the perfect snack for me!!

{Weight Watchers Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps}

Serving Size: 1 bag
  2 pointsplus+

Just last week Weight Watchers offered its members a free sample of their new snack, Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps. These are so flavorful! If you like eating chips, this is a great snack option for you. These come in individual packages and are just 2 pointsplus per bag. If you have not tried them, go down to your local Weight Watchers meeting or center and check them out!

Walking a 5K

source

A decision that I made early on in my pregnancy, is that I would exercise for 30 minutes every day. My exercise of choice has been walking. I came to this conclusion after reading several articles about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. One of the articles that I read was called, “Seven great benefits of pregnancy exercise”, please click here to read it.

In January, I was thrilled when the Vice President of our school asked my co-workers and I to consider participating in a 5K here in town. She explained that we could walk or run, but that we would be doing it as a group. I knew immediately that this would be the perfect activity for me to do during my pregnancy!! I am excited to say that on Saturday, March 24th I will be walking in a 5K!! At the time of my 5K I will be about 17 1/2 weeks pregnant. I also spoke with my doctor and he confirmed that I am healthy enough to participate in this 5K.

With a grow baby in my belly and my 5K coming up quickly, I have made an effort to go walking at least 3 or 4 times a week. I like to go walking on my lunch break for anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes at a time. I have been parking my car farther away at the store, because I feel like every step counts...even the steps I take while I am out shopping.

I want to have the healthiest pregnancy that I can and if that means walking for 30 minutes every day, I am willing to do that.

What about you? Do you want to begin to experience the benefits of exercise in your life?

The Weight Watchers Walk-!t Challenge is just around the corner. If you have never participated in a 5K before I would recommend that you consider doing that this Spring/Summer. You do not have to run a 5K if that is not your thing. However, being to talk to your friends and see if you can find a walking buddy. Trust me the benefits of exercise far outweigh the alternative!!

Recipe Review: Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce

I have been meaning to make this sauce for a while, but I have never gotten around to it until now. I'm sad that it took me this long to make this recipe, because it is so good!! I tweaked the recipe a little bit and added salt and pepper. I also used the garlic and herb Laughing Cow cheese, which made this an incredibly flavorful sauce. It turned out way better than I thought it would. Jon enjoyed it too and said that I could make it again!

Ingredients

First, I added the milk and 6 wedges of Laughing Cow cheese to my saucepan.

Next, I added garlic (I did not have garlic powder, so I used minced garlic).

Finally, I added the Parmesan cheese and butter. I also added salt and pepper to the sauce as well.

Then, I put the saucepan on the burner to begin melting all my ingredients together

until the sauce is velvety smooth, about 20 minutes.

I put about 1/4 cup of the sauce on my noodles.

. . . . . . . . . .
Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce
Source: SparkPeople

Ingredients
1 cup fat free milk
6 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter
A little salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all the ingredients until everything is melted and the sauce is velvety smooth, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4; 3 PointsPlus+

Wordless Wednesday: Never Too Slow

source

Dining Out Wisely

source

This morning, I want to give you the meeting summary from my Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, February 18, 2012.

The average person dines out 4.2 times a week!

Use these great tips to help you do so and still stay on plan and in control!

Dining Out Dos and Don’ts
Simple strategies and tools to help you make wise choices.
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD

Some people trying to lose weight steer clear of restaurants to avoid the large portion sizes, bottomless bread baskets and all those high-calorie entrées. But shunning restaurants altogether isn't a realistic approach to weight loss — and it's unnecessary. You can eat out and lose weight. When possible, it's best to plan ahead and account for the occasion. But even eating on the go doesn't have to derail your day. Use these 10 tips to navigate the menus at sit-down restaurants and fast-food joints.

1. Set a budget
Determine how much you're willing to eat before looking at the menu. Remember, you can save your weekly PointsPlus® Allowance for indulgences. For even more flexibility, you can earn activity PointsPlus values that can be swapped for food. And as long as you eat carefully most of the time, you can loosen up a bit on special occasions. (Just don't let every day become a special occasion).

2. Put on your game face
Decide on some guidelines before you go to a restaurant, and stick to them. For instance:
• Skip the all-inclusive (prix fixe) menu and opt for à la carte selections.
• Take one piece of bread, then ask your server to remove the basket from the table.

3. Make special requests
You're paying good money for that meal, so you're entitled to make special requests or slight modifications. Why not say:
• Can I have that without butter? Grilled? With the sauce on the side?
• I'd like mixed greens instead of fries with my sandwich.

4. Practice portion control
Some restaurant portions can be two, three, even four times the "normal" size — especially super-sized fast food meals. Keep your portions in check by:
• Ordering a salad as a starter and then splitting a main entrée with a friend.
• Creating your own scaled-down meal from a couple of appetizers and/or side dishes.
• Ask for the waiter to go ahead and put half of your meal in a to go box before you get your meal. That way what is on your plate is what you get, you can clean the whole thing and still make another meal out of it too!

5. Break down (language) barriers
If you don't know what a preparation term means, ask. In general, though, the following words translate into high-fat, high-calorie dishes:
• Au gratin, scalloped, hollandaise.
• Parmigiana, scampi, Bolognese.

6. Downsize the super-size
Super-sized fast food meal options can be loaded with calories. Either:
• Order something small, like a basic burger. After all, the first bite tastes the same as the last.
• Order yourself a children's meal.

7. Watch out for extras
The average burger with ketchup, lettuce and tomato isn't so bad. But one with "the works" is usually a caloric nightmare. Skip:
• Bacon, cheese and mayonnaise.
• Double-burger patties and extra pieces of bread.

8. Don't go top heavy
Salad bars and garden salads grace menus across the country. But those extra toppings can sabotage your seemingly diet-conscious choices:
• Go light on croutons, grated cheese and bacon.
• Opt for small amounts of low-fat or nonfat dressings on the side.

9. Don't drink away your progress
A drink with dinner is fine, but too many sugary margaritas may wreak havoc on your PointsPlus budget — and your resolve. Keep your appetite under control by:
• Alternating alcoholic beverages with noncaloric sodas or sparkling water.
• Not drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach.

10. Resign from the "clean plate club"
You paid for it so you have to eat it all now, right? Wrong. Downsize by:
• Enjoying half the meal and doggie-bagging the rest.
• Pushing your plate away when you're full.
• Eating slowly. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your body to recognize that it's full

Weight Watchers and My Pregnancy

source

This blog post has been in the works for a while. I knew that I would need to write a post about this, but honestly I have not been able to organize my thoughts until now.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post called, Pregnancy Highlights: 11 weeks. Helen left me a comment on that blog post that I have thinking about ever since. Helen's comment said, “Do you think you could do a post on how pregnancy and WW work together? I know you cannot officially follow the plan when pregnant, but maybe you could also explain the rules - like what if you are LT, then become pregnant, how does payment work after baby until you get back to goal?” Today, I want to focus on the first question in Helen's comment and come back to the other ones another time.

. . . . . . . . . .

Before I begin, I want to make it very clear that what I am going to write is my opinion. It is NOT the opinion of Weight Watchers or anyone else. I am writing from my own personal perspective and opinion. I am not a professional nutritionist, just a woman trying to lead the healthiest lifestyle possible while I am pregnant.

With that being said, I think I should share with you that OFFICIALLY you cannot follow the Weight Watchers program while you are pregnant. A portion of the Weight Watchers health notice states, "Weight Watchers prohibits participation in its weight loss plan for children under the age of 10, those individuals with an active medical diagnosis of bulimia nervosa, those whose weight is less than 5 pounds above the minimum weight of the Weight Watchers Weight Ranges, and during pregnancy." To read the entire Weight Watchers health notice, please click here.

. . . . . . . . . .

All of that being said, for the last 12 weeks of my pregnancy, I have still been following Weight Watchers. Over the last 3 years, I have faithfully followed the Weight Watchers program and it is a way of life for me. I've tracked my PointsPlus each day for years, even as a Lifetime member. I knew that one day I would get pregnant and I would continue to follow the Weight Watchers program.

I have still tracked my PointsPlus each day or my pregnancy. Right now, it is early in my pregnancy and I do not need to gain very much weight. So, I have continued to eat the same amount of PointsPlus values that I did when I was trying to maintain my weight as a lifetime member. I have gained weight during this time, because of different cravings that I have experienced.

I know that in my second and third trimester, I am supposed to gain more weight and eat about 300 extra calories a day. I want to gain this weight for my baby. My plan is to add 300 calories worth of PointsPlus to my daily budget so that I will be gaining weight at a healthy rate.

I know that this is not "official", but this is what I've decided to do during my pregnancy to give my baby the best and healthiest start possible. Also, I am going to remain a Weight Watchers leader throughout my pregnancy. I want to continue to be a good example to my members as they learn to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Personally, I wish that Weight Watchers had a program for pregnant woman, especially considering that they are not a "diet", but they do not offer anything like that at this time. So, I am going to apply the principles that I have learned about healthy eating throughout my pregnancy.

Many of the articles that I have read from What to Expect and Baby Center want me to eat the same foods that Weight Watchers has encouraged me to eat. I've already been leading a healthy lifestyle, I am just going to continue to do it while I am pregnant.

Choosing the Healthiest Snacks

source

I receive regular email updates with different information about my pregnancy from What to Expect and Baby Center. The Baby Center emails are by far my favorite!

Last night, I received an email update from Baby Center with a subject line that read, 5 worst foods for pregnant women. In the body of the email there were two different links to choose from 10 foods that are perfect for pregnancy and 5 worst foods for pregnant women. I quickly clicked on the links to see if I have been eating the best foods possible.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that so far throughout my pregnancy, I have been eating many of the best foods that I possibly can!! Below I've attached the list from Baby Center of ten tasty foods to try – and five to avoid – all recommended by Heidi Reichenberger, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, and Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietitian and the author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy: The Complete Guide to Eating Before, During, and After Your Pregnancy.

Healthy "fast foods"

1. Fruit

2. Raisins

3. Yogurt

4. Make-it-yourself trail mix

5. Salad Bar

6. Baby Carrots

7. String Cheese

8. Orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D

9. Whole grain cereal or instant oatmeal

10. Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese

Foods to avoid

1. Packaged ramen noodles

2. Soda

3. Shelf-stable commercial lunches

4. Too many frozen prepared meals

5. Iceberg lettuce

These lists above ARE healthy for pregnant woman, but they are also just healthy foods for everyone. Even if you are not pregnant at this time, this is a good list of the kinds of snack foods that you should be stocking up on while you are learning to lead a healthier lifestyle.

I am so thankful that I joined Weight Watchers and have had time to change my eating habits! I could not imagine what I would have been eating if I had gotten pregnant 3 or 4 years ago. Many of the foods on this list, I always have on hand at home. I am glad that I do not need to run out to the store and buy new snacks for myself, because I have already have them!

Pregnant or not, make sure that you spend time evaluating the snacks that you have in your home. If they are not the healthiest choices slowly get rid of them and replace them with something better for you and your family!

I hope you have a great weekend!!

Also, I posted my 12 week pregnancy highlights on Newsham Flight Log, so be sure to check them out!!

Recipe Review: Baked Ranch Tilapia

So far, throughout my pregnancy there are a few foods that I cannot stand to eat and at the top of that list is chicken. It's so frustrating that chicken is something that makes me sick to my stomach, because it is a staple in our home. We eat a lot of chicken.

As a result, when I made our menu for the month of February, I tried to find other proteins to use for dinner. One of the proteins that I decided to try was fish, specifically Tilapia. Jon and I do not like fish very much. However, I decided that we needed to step outside of our comfort zone and try something new! As it turned out, Jon actually liked this recipe and said that I could make it again. Enjoy!

The Ingredients

Rinse fish and pat dry.

I used Peppercorn Ranch Dressing in this recipe, because I did not have any reduced-fat ranch at home.

Dip fish in ranch dressing; shake off excess.

Arrange fish in single layer on baking sheet.

Sprinkle crushed onions on top of fish.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

I served this Baked Ranch Tilapia with rice. Yes, white rice, because I cannot stand the taste of brown rice now that I am pregnant.

. . . . . . . . . .
Baked Ranch Tilapia
Source: JUST-RHONDA

Ingredients
4 4-oz. Tilapia Filets
1/2 c. Reduced-Fat Ranch Salad Dressing
1/2 c. Canned French Fried Onions, crushed

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Rinse fish and pat dry.
Dip fish in ranch dressing; shake off excess.
Spray baking sheet with Pam.
Arrange fish in single layer on baking sheet.
Sprinkle crushed onions on top of fish.
Bake 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Servings: 4, 5 PointsPlus+

Wordless Wednesday: I'm Possible

source

My Favorite Valentine's Day Ideas

source

I hope that you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!! Even if you are not married or in a relationship there are people in your life that you can show your love to, so make sure you do that today and all throughout the year!!

Today, I thought it would be fun to share with you my top 5 favorite Valentine's Day ideas from Pinterest.

{#5: Heart Kabobs}

Heart Kabobs from Parents.com

These heart kabobs are easy, cute, and healthy! What could be better!? You can make them from your family and do it just for yourself.

. . . . . . . . . .

{#4: Valentine's Chex Mix}

Valentine's Chex Mix from Betty Crocker

I really like Chex mix!! I do not eat it very often, because it is higher in PointsPlus values. However, when I saw this Valentine's Chex Mix recipe, I knew that I needed to at least try it! I can't want to make this!

. . . . . . . . . .

{#3: John 3:16}

John 3:16 from Pinterest

This is important, so do not skip over this! Valentine's day is about love, but you need to remember the one who first loved us...God. God is love and He should not be forgotten today or any other day of the year.

. . . . . . . . . .

{#2: Strawberry Valentine Oreo Cookies}

Strawberry Valentine Oreo Cookies' from Six Sisters' Stuff

Again, these do not look like the healthiest cookies around, but they look good! my friend, Elise made homemade Oreos and they were so good! I am really looking forward to trying the strawberry kind, which is perfect for Valentine's Day! Thanks Six Sister's Stuff for the great idea!

. . . . . . . . . .

{#1: Our Valentine's Day Date}

Our Valentine's Day Date from Newsham Flight Log

This last idea comes from me! Honestly, it was so much fun planning and going on my date with Jon! I love spending time with him. I love the date idea that I found from The Dating Divas and I hope that you will use it too!

All I Have To Do is Track

source

This morning, I want to give you the meeting summary from my Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, February 11, 2012.

Only track on the days that you want to lose weight!

What a powerful statement huh? We all know that tracking is one of the foundations to the Weight Watchers plan. Tracking, holding yourself accountable for what you are eating makes a huge impact on your weight loss journey.

And yet, day after day, week after week we somehow find an excuse to not track. Why is that?

We as humans have a tendency to forget things, especially over time. If I asked you to list every single thing that you put into your mouth 5 days ago... How accurate would you be? Whether we mean to or not, we often forget some of the things that we put into our mouths.

Tracking helps you to stay true to your PointsPlus values.

Now there are many different ways to track. If you are a monthly pass holder, you can track using e-tools on the computer or on your smart phone. You can also use the awesome barcode scanner as well. You can track using one of the weekly paper trackers that you can pick up at the weigh in station, or you can stay for one of the power start sessions and get one of our colored trackers to use each week. We also have available a three month journal which will hold all of your information for 12 weeks. This makes it really easy to refer back to later to look up PointsPlus values of foods, and to notice trends in your weight loss journey. We offer electronic devices to assist with tracking. You can use your PointsPlus calculator to account for the foods that you eat, or we do have the clicker where you just push a button and click down with every PointsPlus value that enters your mouth until you get down to zero.

You don’t have to have anything fancy to track, all you need is some sort of writing utensil and something to write on. Maybe your style is more to make tick marks on a post it note. Or maybe you go to the store and buy yourself your own fun journal to document your foods.

Regardless of your method, what you’ll find is those that track lose 3 times as much weight as those that do not!

Think of how confident you feel when you walk in to weigh and you have tracked faithfully all week. Now...think of how you feel when you haven’t tracked a lick. Which one feels better? To have confidence in yourself and in the program really makes you feel good and that you CAN reach your weight loss goals.

Even if you really fall off the bandwagon, completely binge, and go extremely over your pointsplus values, tracking what you have done can be a big learning experience.

Once you see how many PointsPlus you spent on that one meal, you might really get an eye opener to help your brain realize that the food wasn’t that good and definitely not worth the cost. This might make you leery when you are faced with that same situation again.

Is tracking every single day easy...NO, but it will help you lose weight.

Your best bet is to keep your tracker close to you, make sure it goes everywhere you go so that when you do pop that chocolate into your mouth your tracker will be readily available to help you record it.

Another technique may be to pre-track your foods for the day. Yes it involves planning but for some, it helps them stay in control. What they pre-tracked in the morning, is what they packed for the day, so they are less likely to go astray.

In the meeting room we discussed upside down tracking. For most of us dinner is the biggest meal of the day. Have you ever gotten home from work wanting a nice meal and then not had the PointsPlus values for it?

Your day, and your PointsPlus values do not have to start when you wake up. Your PointsPlus values could start at dinner and end with lunch the following day. (5pm-5pm) That way you can always count on having that nice, large, hit the spot dinner. Then you can just adjust your breakfast and lunch to match the PointsPlus values accordingly. Your 24 hour range to use your PointsPlus values can start whenever you want it to maybe its 7am -7am, 10:30am-10:30am, or 8pm-8pm. As long as your “day” is accounted for and you are keeping track of your PointsPlus values.

Tracking is a huge part of the program. If you are not tracking, and you are not following the Simply Filling Technique, then you are not following Weight Watchers. Tracking is data information without it you are just taking a guess at the program.

So, we’ve established that if you track you’ll feel better. You’ll be more confident and peaceful. You’ll make better choices. It only takes a few minutes each day. It’s worth it to be able to lose more weight. Weight Watchers is proven.

What will it take for you to track (and track accurately) this week? Think of these great sayings:

A Few Random Thoughts

Today, I have lots of different things on my mind, so I have decided to blog about all of them!!

. . . . . . . . . .

{My First Ticketed Traffic Violation}

source

This morning, on my way to work I stopped to get our mail. In the mail was a "notice of traffic violation". I quickly opened the letter to see if it was me or Jon who had received a ticket. To my surprise it was me!! Until today, I had never received a ticket for anything. Do you know that you can even go online and see yourself commit the traffic violation? It's frustrating, but it was my own fault. I was in a hurry and not driving as carefully as I should have been. Don't worry though, I am determined to not let it ruin my morning.

. . . . . . . . . .

{Making Exercise a Priority During Pregnancy}

This is a picture I took while walking last week! I cannot pass up beautiful walking days like this!

Over the last 11 weeks and 3 days of my pregnancy, I have made exercise one of my top priorities. My exercise of choice is walking. I get an hour lunch break Monday through Friday at work. I have discovered that this is the perfect time for me to go walking. I try to walk anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes as many days during the work week as I can. Even on days when the weather is bad, I walk in my office building.

There have been several days when I do not feel like going for a walk. However, I understand how important it is to exercise throughout my pregnancy. I want to do what is best for me and my baby, which is why I go for a walk anyway!

. . . . . . . . . .

{Flashback Friday: Positive Pregnancy Tests}

I wrote a blog post about the day that Jon and I found out that I was pregnant. It is called, "Flashback Friday: Positive Pregnancy Tests" and it it posted over on my personal blog, Newsham Flight Log.

Recipe Review: Crescent Pepperoni Roll-Ups

For weeks I was on a quest to find the perfect snack to make for our Sunday school Super Bowl party. I spent way too much time searching Pinterest looking for a recipe that would really wow people.

I found this recipe for Crescent Pepperoni Roll-Ups at Plain Chicken. I adapted Steph's recipe to help make this Super Bowl snack a little bit more Weight Watchers friendly.

These snack were a hit! No one even noticed that they were Weight Watchers friendly! People enjoyed them so much that they were gone before half-time.

Ingredients

First, I opened each individual package of string cheese and then I cut them in half.

Next, unroll the crescent rolls into 8 triangles.

Then, place 5 slices of turkey pepperoni on each crescent roll.  Top pepperoni with string cheese half and roll up.

Then, place crescent roll-ups on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake for 12-15 minutes

or until golden brown.

Serve with a side of warm pizza sauce.

They were so good!! I look forward to making them again!!

. . . . . . . . . .
Crescent Pepperoni Roll-Ups
Adapted from: Plain Chicken

Ingredients
1 can refrigerated reduced fat crescent rolls
40 slices turkey pepperoni
4 pieces of Weight Watchers mozzarella string cheese, cut in half
garlic powder
pizza sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.

Unroll crescent rolls and separate into 8 triangles. Place 5 slices of turkey pepperoni on each crescent roll. Top pepperoni with string cheese half and roll up. Sprinkle crescent rolls with garlic powder. Place rolls on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with a side of warm pizza sauce.

Servings: 1 roll-up; 4 PointsPlus+

Wordless Wednesday: It's a Lifestyle

Snacking Smart

source

This morning, I want to give you the meeting summary from my Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, February 4, 2012.

Learning tips on how to survive the Super Bowl can really help us year round as we make snack choices everyday!

Pregame prep
Before entering your buddies' house, give yourself a mental pep talk and then "stick with your plan.” Ask yourself why you are at the game. Is it to eat or is it to watch the game?

New game plan
You can still enjoy some football fare: a chicken wing or two, some chips and dip, a slice of pizza and a cold one. Just don't overindulge — eat and drink reasonably, keep track of what you chow down on, and save your weekly PointsPlus™ Allowance for game day.

"If you're working at getting rid of your beer belly, remember that, 'If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got,'" Fleming says. "So if you pig out at that tailgate party or during the game, you'll get that beer belly just like in the past."

Know your opponent
Forget the game for a sec. At the party, your foe is all that grub on the counter. It most likely isn’t low calorie or fat free, either. Keep in mind, a plain hot dog on a roll can pack 9 PointsPlus values. Two medium slices of thin crust pepperoni pizza have about 11 PointsPlus values. A serving of nacho chips and mystery cheese can be laden with around 9 PointsPlus values and more fat grams than points both teams will score. If you're still jonesing for football food, try minimizing the damage. Eating the dog minus the bun will save about 5 PointsPlus values. Have only 1 slice of pizza and you’ll cut 6 PointsPlus values.

Good substitutions
"Make better food choices," says Neil Anderson, a master personal trainer. To make that easier, prepare and bring healthier items such as:

• grilled chicken sandwiches
• fruit cups
• a veggie tray
• shrimp with cocktail sauce,
• baked chips
• light beer
• fat-free pretzels
• turkey brats
• bags of low-fat microwavable popcorn.
*Not all to be eaten at the same time, of course.

Walk it off
Consider parking a few blocks from the party or heading outside for a walk instead of watching for the next wardrobe malfunction at halftime (that’s what DVRs are for anyway).

Improve your bench
Try fitting in a few exercises – push-ups or Pilates – whenever possible, Anderson suggests. Drop and do 20 push-ups or a few Pilates hundreds during commercial breaks. Or put a couple of bucks in a pot for the winner of a game-long challenge with your friends. You can also make friendly competitive wagers using crunches instead of money. Every time your team scores, fans on the opposite side have to hit the deck for 20 and vice versa.

Stay in motion
During breaks in the action, get off your seat – but not to visit the food table. "Try to do anything that can make you active. The activity counts just as much as eating right," Anderson says. "If you get active during a football game, you'll eat less."

Try staying on your feet for an entire series, and switch between doing push-ups, stretches, crunches or squats during breaks. Do "secret squats" by pushing yourself out of a low-rider chair over and over. Here's a good stretch for your back and legs: sit up straight against a couch, extend your legs and hold as long as you can.

You could even practice different TD celebration dances. This, of course, is best done alone – unless you have no shame or don't embarrass easily.

If you follow these tips, your new fleet-footed celebration moves might be used to commemorate a losing season on the scale.

Baby Blogging

source

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments, emails, and notes that you have been sending to me, since I made my BIG announcement!!

I have been looking forward to blogging about my baby for weeks!! I've been keeping my pregnancy a secret since before Christmas. It's been so hard to blog over the last few weeks, because a lot of the things on my mind have to do with my pregnancy and the baby. However, while it was a secret I could not blog about how I was really feeling.

I am so thankful that we waited to tell people until after I went to the doctor. However, now that we have received the go ahead from the doctor I am so excited to start blogging about my pregnancy!

I know that we have family and friends who do not live close to us, that want to know how my pregnancy is going. My plan, in the coming months is to give you weekly pregnancy highlights, which is an idea that I stole from my friend Kristen. You will be able to find these pregnancy highlights on my personal blog, Newsham Flight Log. I will not be posting pregnancy highlights here on my weight loss blog, Living a Changed Life.

I plan to continue to blog about healthy living, Weight Watchers, recipes, and more!! I just might have a lot more to say about babies and pregnancy, but I hope that you will continue to stick with me during this time of transition!!

Our BIG Announcement

On Saturday, December 17th, 2011, the morning of our five year anniversary, I woke up extra early so that I could take a pregnancy test before I left for my Weight Watchers meeting. The tests results came back POSITIVE! I could not believe that I was really pregnant.

I hurried into our room and got together a special gift for Jon, because I wanted to announce our first pregnancy to him in a creative way. I finished my preparations and decided to go ahead and wake Jon up at 5:30am. At first, he was not happy about being woken up so early on a Saturday morning. However, his frustration soon changed to pure joy and excitement as he opened his present and saw the positive pregnancy tests!!

We told our immediate family about our baby on Christmas Eve. However, we decided not to tell anyone else about our little until after I went to the doctor.

On Monday, January 23rd, 2011, I had my first doctor's appointment. Jon was able to get off work to come with me. We had an ultrasound and heard our baby's heartbeat!! It was amazing!!

Since my doctor's appointment we decided to tell everyone about our baby. We have told our extended family, friends, work, church, and even Facebook. The only people left to tell are my bloggy friends and followers!

Next Tuesday, I will be 11 weeks pregnant, which means that my due date is August 28, 2012!! We are so excited about this little blessing that God has given us!!