Jogging Strollers

source

There are only 116 days until my due date!! I have been counting down the days and weeks until I get to hold my daughter in my arms.

Like most expectant parents, Jon and I have been busy making plans and preparing for Olivia's arrival. I have done research on just about everything from car seats to bottles and everything in between. It's been slightly overwhelming to figure out what we need for Olivia.

After doing some research I also talked with my sister Vivian about what baby stuff I am going to need. Vivian is a mother of two and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to baby stuff! I am so thankful that I can talk to her about this stuff. Finally, after all that Jon and I were ready to create our baby registry at Target. To read more about that, click here.

Even though we created our baby registry, I have found that there are more things to add to the list!

This past week I have been doing a lot of research about jogging strollers. For a while, I did not think I would need/want a jogging stroller. Don't ask me where I got that idea from, because I was dead wrong.

The truth is...I want a jogging stroller...I need a jogging stroller.

Please do not misunderstand me, because I enjoy being pregnant. However, I am looking forward to the days after Olivia arrives when I can begin to run/jog again. I miss jogging more than I ever expected. I have been walking a lot throughout my pregnancy. I even walked a 5K! However, it's just not the same.

For this reason, I am trying to figure out what would be the best jogging stroller for me. An article that has really helped me is called A Runner's Guide to Jogging Strollers from Running Times. If you want to understand more about jogging strollers, I would highly recommend that you check out this article.

I will be getting a jogging stroller in one form or another. Right now I want a BOB Revolution Stroller, because all the reviews I have read says that this one is the best. It's also very expensive and I am not sure we have money to splurge on a stroller like this.

source

I do not want any excuses holding me back from being able to run/exercise after Olivia is born, which is why I will be getting a jogging stroller sooner than later. By removing the excuses, I think it will help me to get back into a regular exercise routine more quickly than if I was trying to figure all of this out after Olivia was born.

If you have a jogging stroller, I would LOVE to know which is your favorite one! Please share with me what you like best.

Recipe Review: Santa Fe Breakfast Ring

Like most of my recipes, I found this one on Pinterest. I was looking for something to make for breakfast for my Sunday school class at church. When I first found this recipe I assumed that it was higher in PointsPlus values and that I would not make it on a regular basis. However, I decided to go ahead and put the original recipe into the Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder. I was right, it was higher in PointsPlus values. So, I began to make some healthy substitutions to see if I could get the PointsPlus values to come down. When it was all said and done, this breakfast ring came out to be only 5 PointsPlus per serving!!

I really enjoyed this recipe and to be honest, I did not make it for breakfast. Earlier this week Jon and I had this for dinner! Jon enjoyed this recipe just as much as I did and said that I could make it again sometime soon! You know that if Jon enjoyed this recipe, it's good! I hope you enjoy it too!!

The Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 375 degress

Scramble your eggs on the stove top.

Line a pizza pan with parchment paper.

Lay out crescent rolls on parchment lined pan.

Cook turkey bacon according to the instructions on the package.

Lay cooked turkey bacon on top of the crescent rolls.

I was supposed to add 1/3 of my cheese. However, I just added all of my cheese right on top of the bacon.

Next, I add your scrambled eggs on top of the cheese layer.

Finally, fold the crescent rolls over. You can add cheese on top, but I did not do that.

Bake for 17 minutes or until the crescent rolls are done and golden brown.

Serve hot!

I recommend garnishing with fresh salsa and/or some chopped parsley.

. . . . . . . . . .
Santa Fe Breakfast Ring
Source: Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo

Ingredients
1 can of reduced far crescent rolls (8 count)
1 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters or 5 large eggs (eggs with change PointsPlus value)
1 cup of shredded Weight Watchers cheese
8 slices of turkey bacon

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Scramble your eggs on stove top. Lay out crescents on a parchment lined pizza pan as shown above.

2. Cook bacon and add place it on top of crescent rolls.

3. Add about 1/3 of your cheese.

4. Add your eggs and a third more of your cheese and fold crescents over.

5. Add the rest of your cheese to this top and bake for 17 minutes or until crescents are done and golden brown.

6. Serve hot. You may also garnish with fresh salsa and some chopped parley.

Serves 8; 5 PointsPlus per serving

Wordless Wednesday: Leave Your Comfort Zone

Filtering Out The Negative

source

Today, I want to give you the meeting summary from my Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

How to Be Your Own Best Friend
Is self-compassion the missing ingredient in your weight-loss plan?
Article By: Megan Gressor 

Whether positive or negative-your thoughts can impact your results on the scale. Are you often too critical of yourself? When you go off-Plan, how do you treat yourself? How do you learn to like yourself more? The same way you befriend anyone else: Take the time to get acquainted; look for the good; and be kind, supportive and non-judgmental. Here are more ways you can give yourself the love you deserve every day.

1. Make a list of your many positive qualities
Read your list often. It could include anything from being a good singer to a loving parent. List every attribute that makes you a worthwhile, likable individual.

2. Pay yourself a compliment every day
Focus on a different attribute — your clear complexion, pleasant voice, good fashion sense — and say out loud: "I love my ___." It may sound forced at first, but it's a useful counter to self-doubt.

 3. Do things you know will help you feel better about yourself
This could be anything from getting a new hairstyle to losing that first 10 pounds. Tackle the easiest first, to build confidence in future efforts.

4. Give yourself (nonfood) regular treats
Buy yourself flowers, take spontaneous day trips. You'd do these things to make loved ones feel good; aren't you worth the same consideration?

5. Spend time with those who care about you
You'll soon share their good opinion of yourself! If there aren't as many supportive people in your social circle as you'd like, consider ways of expanding it to increase your chances of positive feedback. Ask yourself: "Who will help me feel good about myself?" Apart from your immediate circle, consider neutral outsiders.

6. Avoid situations that reinforce self-doubt
This could involve re-examining long-established relationships — perhaps with a critical relative or colleague who is continually reinforcing damaging self-perception. Are you forever seeking another's approval but never getting it? Rather than simply taking the criticism, you could:
• Retreat from the relationship a bit.
• Stop hoping for approval.
• Respond more assertively to harsh remarks (Example: "I feel bad when you call me 'stupid.' I would prefer that you addressed me with more respect.")

7. Try a little kindness 
Instead of beating yourself up whenever you goof up, give yourself the benefit of the doubt, same as you would anyone else. Focus on your achievements, not faults. Chances are, once you start looking, you'll be surprised at just how many there are!

Berry Cobbler News and Tips

Good Morning!! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend.

I am so excited about the recent interest in my Berry Cobbler recipe. If you have not tried this recipe, click here to check it out. This is such an easy recipe to put together and only requires three ingredients!

Ingredients for my Berry Cobbler recipe

Thank you to all of you who have taken time to comment on my Recipe Review: Berry Cobbler blog post. I love hearing about how much you enjoy this recipe and ways that you have adapted it to work better for yourself and your family!

A common issue for many of us, is that we have had problems with dry/powdery areas. Look at the picture below to see what I am talking about, because I had this problem the first time I made this too.

Berry Cobbler with some dry areas.

Thankfully, an Anonymous commenter shared an idea with me that I could not resist sharing with all of you. They said, "I love this recipe and have been making it for years. To avoid any "dry" areas I actually to mix the cake mix and can of diet pop in a bowl, then pour it over the frozen berries. Serve it with some FF whipped topping and it's the goods!"

Thank you so much Anonymous for the wonderful tip! The next time I make this, I am going to take this advice and mix the cake mix and can of diet pop in a bowl, then pour it over the frozen berries! I hope you find this comment as helpful as I did! Hopefully, from now on we can avoid those dry spots that bother us so much!

There is some other exciting news about my Berry Cobbler recipe. Last week, I found out that It Sux To Be Fat wrote a blog post called, Berry-licious Cobbler - Recipe about my Berry Cobbler recipe. I have never had anyone use my recipe in a blog post other than me. However, I thought it was really exciting!

Finally, this weekend, I got some exciting news via Twitter. Melissa who writes the Weight Watchers Daily, shared with me that my Berry Cobbler recipe was in the most current edition!! It is so exciting to be able to share with recipe with so many people!

I hope that you all continue to enjoy this recipe!!

Flashback Friday: High Blood Pressure

July 2008 - Jon and I visiting family and friends in Portland, OR

Sometimes it is good to look bad and remember just how far you have come, which is exactly what I want to do this morning!

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, I went to the doctor for my 22 week pregnancy appointment. Doctor's appointments have become a part of my monthly routine over the last 22 weeks. At each appointment the nurse weighs me on the scale and takes my blood pressure. I am nosy and so I always ask the nurse if my numbers are good or bad.

This month my nurse explained that my blood pressure was low. She told me that the doctor was not worried about my low blood pressure, because it has been low every time I have been in over the last 22 weeks I could not believe what she was saying!

What!? My blood pressure is low!?

After my nurse left, I began to think back to my life before Weight Watchers. In October 2008, I sat in a doctor's office and listened as he explained to me that I had high blood pressure and border line high cholesterol. He told me that I could try dieting and exercising for three months, but after that he would need to put me on medicine to controls these problems.

It was that doctor's appointment in 2008 that forced me to give in and join Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers gave me the tools I needed to change my life. Not only did I lose 90 pounds, but I also was able to correct my high blood pressure and border line high cholesterol without any medication!

It is so overwhelming to know that I am healthy!! I might be gaining weight right now, because I am pregnant. However, I am still maintaining a healthy lifestyle; which is obvious by the low blood pressure numbers my nurse gets from me each month.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not trying to toot my own horn this morning. It is my desire to be able to encourage those who are struggling on this journey called weight loss. I am here to tell you to keep going!! Change is hard, but in the end it will be worth all the hard work, sweat, and tears you put into it.

I would love to celebrate with you as you are making changes, no matter how small it is. 

What are some changes that you have made so far?

Visit Jen for more flashbacks.

My Lunch Sandwich Deconstructed

My Lunch Sandwich

I am going to be honest and confess to you all that I am a creature of habit! I pretty much eat the same thing over and over again. One of the main reasons I do this is because I know the PointsPlus+ values of the foods I eat everyday. I do not have to spend time everyday calculating the PointsPlus+ values for my foods, because I already know them. Another reason I eat the same thing over and over is that I shop in bulk, because it's cheap. I'm not saying that you should all be like me. I am simply saying that this is how I am.

Last week on my Facebook page, Living a Changed Life, I posted a picture of my lunch sandwich (you can see the picture I posted above). Today, I thought it would be fun to break down my sandwich and show you what I eat for lunch almost everyday. My lunch sandwich is made of up Oscar Mayer Turkey, Laughing Cow Cheese, Cole Slaw Mix, and a Nature's Own Sandwich Round. All together my sandwich only costs me 4 PointsPlus+, but keep me very full throughout the afternoon.

In case you are wondering, I use the Cole Slaw Mix because I am not a big fan of lettuce. However, the Cole Slaw still provides the crisp crunch I need to satisfy me. Also, I want you to know that Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds are the only ones I have found that are 2 PointsPlus+. All of the other rounds and thins are 3 PointsPlus. Always, make sure you check the nutritional facts before buying anything. 

{Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds}

Serving Size: 1 round
  2 pointsplus+

{Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Shaved}

Serving Size: 6 slices
  1 pointsplus+

{The Laughing Cow Wedges Light Garlic and Herb}

Serving Size: 1 wedge
  1 pointsplus+

{Dole Cole Slaw Mix}

Serving Size: 1 handful
  0 pointsplus+

I told you what I eat for lunch everyday. Now it's your turn! 

What have you been eating for lunch this week?