Healthy Finds #1

Hubs and I are discovering lots of new foods on our journey to healthy eating.  Here are some of our recent additions to our pantry...

Sam's sells this amazing chicken rub called Canadian Chicken.  My parents actually gave us a sample about a year ago.  Hubs and I are eating a lot of chicken and are always looking for new ways to season them.  Canadian Chicken is a great new rub.  This works great for baking or grilling chicken!

 This isn't actually a new find.  Hubs LOVES green beans.  He can eat them everyday.  Our favorite brand is Allens (except when I make green bean casserole then I use Green Giant's french cut).  To season these, I add a little salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil.  I let them boil for about 20-30 minutes.  Yum!

 I'm still learning how to like broccoli and this is a great way to train my taste buds.  We discovered Green Giant Steamers and love them!  Plus!  These babies are super great on Weight Watchers points!  In addition to the broccoli and cheese, we have tried the kernel corn in butter sauce.

 

I picked up a bag of Stacy's Pita Chips last week to go with my homemade hummus (first attempt fail!).  We love these!  They are tasty and a great alternative for real potato chips.  These are great with a sandwich (on whole wheat of course)

  

 

Weight Watchers has an incredible app that has made a huge difference in our shopping!  We stood on the bread aisle at Publix for 10 minutes comparing points for breads.  Sara Lee's 45 Calories and Delightful Wheat bread is excellence on points and it has a great taste.

Weighty Update

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you were dieting."  I hate that statement.  I am not dieting.  I am a member of Weight Watchers to help change my way of thinking about food.  In the past few weeks I have come a long way yet I still have a long way to go.  For some people, I am simply dieting to lose weight but to me I am learning how to eat while incorporating exercise so that I will attain a fit body and keep it that way. 

The largest "help" I have in my new eating lifestyle is Hubs.  Hubs joined me whole-heartedly.  We follow a Weight Watcher friendly diet and have been loading up on whole wheat, fiber, fruits, and veggies.  This week we joined a local gym.  When we signed up, there was a pamphlet that read, "The most effective tool to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle is having a partner."  I totally agree.  Sometimes I want to knock Hubs upside the head because he is like a drill sargent about eating but I know that he only wants us both to reach our goals. 

This week we have tried some very interesting new things. 

Turkey Bacon - tastes almost like the real thing.  Especially good on a BLT.

Turkey Sausage - for a girl who LOVES a good sausage biscuit, turkey is a GREAT alternative.

Green Giant Steamers - we have tried the broccoli and cheese and the mixed veggie (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots).  Super easy veggie to add to grilled chicken!  YUM!

Activewear - while we haven't purchased anything yet...just the thought of actually shopping in this section of a store makes me sort of giddy.  And of course I won't be purchasing what the model is wearing but a girl needs a goal right?!?



Up for this weekend...trying a new recipe.

HUMMUS!

I love fresh hummus.  My absolute favorite comes from The Pita Stop.  I have tried store brands but have never been satisfied so this weekend I'm going to try it homemade.

Hummus is made of chickpeas (or garbonzo beans) and Tahini (a middle eastern spice).  Chickpeas contain no cholesterol or saturated fats. And, they are also rich in protein.  Tahini does have fat and calories but you only use a small amount and it contains lots of protein and calcium.  Additional ingredients include Olive Oil which of course we know is low in saturated fat and can help us stay heart healthy. 

Overall, hummus contains lots of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for improving intelligence and maintaining a healthy heart.  It also contains iron, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folic acid, and amino acids. Humus is loaded with nutrients that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Use it as a dip for lots of different veggies or (my favorite) fresh, warm pita bread.

Hummus info borrowed from 3fatchicks.com.

Again....

Wow..I'm really opening up here!! 

I joined Weight Watchers in September with a three month free trial before I had to start paying (gasp!) the $17 fee.  I was very committed...for about a week.  Well it was more like 3.  I lost like 10 lbs.  I was ecstatic!  That feeling didn't long. 

Here's an equation for you -
Eating out (a lot) + a treadmill that does not get used + a permanent butt impression in my couch = Fail.

In light of several things, I typed that wonderful website back into my browser this morning and found out that Weight Watchers has launched a new meal plan called Points Plus.  It seems very similar to the original point system but they give you "power foods" and fruits & veggies no longer have points.  So, I'm back on program (after lunch).  I plan to do some heavy reading on this new plan and then I'm running with it. 

Who starts a diet before Christmas?  Well, there is no better time.  I can find 198,376 excuses not to get back on program but I need to just do it. 

Here are my "reasons" both serious and not:
- My diabetes could potentially go away (forever!) if I could lose 50 or so pounds.
- When I got to the beach, I won't be deathly afraid of a swimsuit.
- Also at the beach, while floating in the ocean, I won't be mistaken for a whale.
- Bigger isn't always better.
- Bye Bye Blood Pressure Medicine (maybe).  This may be a genetic issue but why not lose the weight to find out for sure.
- Not being confined to one little corner of Maurice's (who has awesome clothes).
- Being able to wear skinny jeans and boots.  While I technically can do this now...there are certain people with certain legs that should never wear skinny jeans...I would be in that category.
- Not ever hearing the phrase, "She (random person) isn't that big.  She's your size."  Blech!

So...join me for my journey as I whine, complain, yell, and maybe see a change.