Weigh-In, Easter Plans and the BEST Quote Ever!

WOW so much to tell you. First of all today was weigh in day. During the Weight Watchers meeting my leader, Donna, said the most amazing thing. At least I think it’s amazing. It took me YEARS to figure this out on my own and she summed it up in 2 short sentences…

It’s not what we do occasionally that makes the difference. It’s what we do consistently.

How true is that? It was such a good quote I couldn’t even wait for the weekend to share it.

Ok, so now time for my weigh in results. I had an awesome week! Down 3.6 lbs! That’s a total of 11.8 pounds since stating to track my weight after baby (4 weeks) Click here to see my weight progress page. Of course some of this weight is fluid and junk my body is still cleaning out after being pregnant for 9 months but I’m still patting myself on the back.

I’ve completely embraced my food journal, finding what works for me. I’m integrating at least a short walk daily and hoping to get my first post-baby run in soon. And I’m making smart choices while still indulging in the little things. That means my "consistently" is…

making conscious food decisions,integrating activity into my daily life, andenjoying the little things so I don’t feel deprived.

That’s the weight loss recipe that works for me. It worked when I initially lost the 70lbs. It worked when I maintained the loss for 5 years and it’s working now to drop the baby weight.

WHY did it take me so long to figure that out?!

Ok, enough weight talk.. I have a dinner to plan!

Easter is this Sunday and I’m cooking! We are going to have 8 adults and now, 4 kids total. It’s going to be an awesome family event! On the menu…

For breakfast I’m going with a Frittata. I experimented with one years ago and have since perfected it. Basically it’s a large omelet baked in the oven. I put onion, peppers, broccoli, spinach, ham and bacon bits in it. The family all share it and I have whole wheat english muffins on the side. It’s a fairly easy breakfast that doesn’t have me slaving over the stove. If I feel up to it I might also make some quick whole grain pancakes.

We don’t do lunch, since we eat fairly early but I’m planning a simple snack spread. This year I’m all about the veggies. I’m doing a tray with peppers, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and for the dip? Roasted Garlic Hummus. I’ll also have a side of creamy Italian for those non-hummus people.

We will also have a fruit bowl of clementines and apples. I’m avoiding the cheese platter since it’s such a temptation for me but I may put out some whole wheat crackers and pitas that can be dipped in the humus for something more substantial.

My traditional easter main course is Pork Loin. I normally marinate it and cook it on the grill but unless we buy a grill in the next 2 days that’s not happening. :( We still haven’t bought a grill for the new house. Regardless, I’m making the pork. I’m even thinking of brining it this year!

On the side I’m going with

I’ll be making cupcakes based on the beet and spinach ones. I’m thinking of splitting the cake mix and making 1/3 spinach, 1/3 beet and 1/3 carrot (still need to figure out). That would give me 15 fun colored cupcakes. If it works out I’ll post it on GreenLiteBites, if it doesn’t I’ll send the husband out to buy a pie. ;)

As for candy, I don’t buy any on Easter. The grandparents bring enough that I don’t feel the need to add to it.

WOW! It totally helped getting that all out of my head an on paper, well screen. Now I need to make a list for the store.

ok, it’s time time clean up. Remember all the work I did on Sunday. Ummm yea. You can’t even tell now. the house is a disaster! It’s just not possible to entertain a 5 year old, care for a newborn, work and keep house. Something has to give. Right now it’s the house but I’m about to shift gears and close my computer.

Have a great day!

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Using Acai for Your New Year's <b>Weight Loss</b> Diet Plans - ADI News

For many people the top New Year’s resolution for 2011 is to exercise more and live a healthier lifestyle. A large number of these people are turning to a super fruit from the Amazon Rainforest to assist them in keeping this resolution. Acai berry, a purplish fruit harvested off of palm trees, has been found to contain many healthy nutrients as well as disease fighting antioxidants. For these reason it has become a mainstay in the diet and weight loss supplement market.

Because of its recent surge in popularity the berry can be found in many health food stores as well as all across the internet. Although the fruit is available in many forms, including juice, powder, or chocolate, consumers need to be aware that some products do not measure up to the necessary standards. Many websites offer acai products that actually only contain a small portion of the fruit with the remainder being fillers, or even water.

The best option to ensure a quality product is to go to a local health food store and purchase the pure berry. If there is not a local health food store available, make sure the online product is approved to be USDA organic, and do not hesitate to research the reviews online.

Acai Berry Weight Loss Diet Plans or Sports Shoes for Faster Weight Loss?The Skinny on Acai Berry Weight Loss Diet PlansCan Acai Berry Diets for Weight Loss Really Work?The Acai Berry can Help in Diet Plans, but Watch out for Acai Berry Scams!Finding the Right Weight Loss Diet Plans for this Year

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Article Directory-Menese.info » Make Diet Plans and <b>Weight Loss</b> <b>...</b>

All diet plans and weight loss programs are a combination of exercise and diet. The diets differ in the calorie requirements and kinds of foods eaten. Other weight loss programs differ in the amount of exercise required. So what is the ideal combination of exercise and diet?

The ideal weight loss program is the one that works for you. It would be nice if someone could tell you go out and buy this particular program or diet plan. But no one can do that. Each person is unique. What works for one may not work for another. So the ultimate question is how do you find what works for you. It’s not easy and it may take trial and error. Below are some suggestions to help you avoid too much trial and error.

How Many Calories

Some weight loss programs prescribe very few calories. It will be very hard to stick to a very low calorie diet for any length of time. Remember a very low calorie diet is not a healthy diet plan.

Each diet plan suggests a different number of calories. Look at the number of calories before you start. What is the minimum number of calories you are willing to eat a day? If the your plan has too few calories for you, you won’t succeed.

If you can’t reduce your caloric intake you won’t lose weight. Look into each program and find the one you are willing to stay with. Keep in mind that you can always modify the program to suit your needs. No diet program is written in stone.

What Can I Eat

What food is in the program? Some weight loss programs allow you to eat only foods from a list. This is an easy to follow plan. There is no guess work. However, it can become boring. Are you willing to buy and prepare the special foods required? Are you too busy to shop and cook special foods? Only you can answer these questions.

Check to see if the food requirements make for a healthy diet plan. Are you required to eat a certain food at every meal? Are you required to eat too much of a certain food? Are you getting the required vitamins from this diet plan? Is there enough variety in the program?

Other diet programs allow you to eat a set number of servings from certain food groups. You can exchange food of equal calories within the food group. This type of weight loss program won’t be as monotonous as some.

Portion control is another popular weight loss plan. This usually involves prepackaged meals. This method of weight loss is easy to use. Just pop the prepared food into the oven or microwave. Many of these prepackaged meals are quite tasty. This can be expensive.

How Much Exercise

Each weight loss program calls for different amount of physical activity. How much exercise will you do? Not how much do you think you will exercise but how much will you really exercise. Some programs promote more exercise than diet. Does the exercise involve aerobic activity or weight lifting? Are you willing to lift weights? It is up to you to investigate each diet plan or weight loss program. Be honest with yourself or you will be wasting your time and money.

Support

Does this weight loss program provide support? Is the support online? Does someone call you on the phone each week to encourage you and check your progress? Is there group participation? Is it a do it yourself weight loss program? Can you do it alone or do you need some help? Is a journal required? If so, are you willing to write in a journal every day?

Cost

Is the cost of the diet plan minimal? Does the weight loss program have prepackaged meals which can be costly? Is there a monthly fee? Are expensive supplements required? Do you need to join a gym? What are your spending limits?

Conclusions

Sometimes you can start with one weight loss program and be successful for a certain length of time and then it becomes boring or ineffective. This is when it is time to switch to another program. Don’t hesitate to keep trying and testing until you find what will work for you. If you are motivated there is something out there that will be just right for you.

fasting for weight loss and weight loss that is fast

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My Thanksgiving Plans

Writing everything down has always helped me get organized or at least FEEL more organized and I’m in desperate need of that feeling right now. I have 5 family members coming in tonight for the Thanksgiving and 3 more tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about the holiday but as Chief Cook and Host of the festivities, I have a wee bit of extra responsibility.

So I thought why not share my Thanksgiving plans. It will help me get organized, makes my shopping list and maybe give you some ideas as well. Albeit it’s awfully close to the big day so I doubt I’ll be any help at this point.

Last year I started a tradition that part of me regrets. Not because I think it’s a "bad" thing but because I tend to go overboard and these things are a HUGE temptation for me. One is fine but this momma can eat at least 3 before her internal full meter starts to even jiggle.

Curious yet? :) Ok, Ok, I make these….

They are fast, easy, tasty, and a CROWD pleaser! With the kids up at the crack of down and grandparents downing coffee just to stay awake, nothing beats the smell of a cinnamon bun.

I would love to make my overnight steel cooked oats and have a breakfast topping bar with dried fruit, berries and nuts but I fear it’s going a bit overboard for my family and honestly, the thought of the extra work at this point makes me shudder. I use my crock pot for the sweet potatoes anyway and I have a system where everything is in the pots they are going to be cooked in the night before.

And in all Honesty, I’m actually excited for the cinnamon buns as it’s the only time of year I eat them. So they are a total treat for me. :)

Why am I so worried about a stupid cinnamon bun? I just remembered next on my agenda is the turkey trot! Last year the Husband, Mom and the kids joined me. They walked. I ran. Not sure if anyone is tagging along this year but I’m registered and ready to go. So excited as I get to wear my running for two shirt and now I’m really showing!

I don’t want to put any pressure on myself but I’d love to finish it in about 35 minutes. That seems to be my pace now at 5 months. Regardless of how long it takes I’m excited, the running and the event put in me a good mood the rest of the day and in a weird way, help me deal with the stress of the holiday.

Note: Haven’t decided if I should put the turkey in before I leave yet. It’s a timing thing.

When I get back I put out the snack spread which holds everyone off until dinner. On my list..

Vegetable tray with hummus and dressing for dipping. I was going to go only hummus but I thought I’d ease the family into this year and see how they like it. So I’ll also have the white creamy stuff as back up.

Cheese and cracker plate. I rarely buy block cheese anymore as it’s another one of those things I have a hard time stopping once I start. But on Thanksgiving I’ll buy a few blocks and put together a platter with whole wheat crackers and a good salami.

Nuts! I always buy a bag of mixed nuts in the shells for the holidays. Actually I buy them all season. The fact that they are in the shells helps me not go overboard while adding the fun factor to make them appealing to the kids. Little many loves to open them up and is getting quite good at it!

Fruit Bowl. This year I’ll have clementines, apples and pears out for quick grabbing. It’s amazing how many gravitate to fresh fruit when it’s made readily available.

Ok, on my menu this year….

Turkey, of course. We are a bird stuffing family. I have a recipe for stuffing I experimented a while back with but alas the husband is a stove top man. With all my healthy additions to the meal I decided this year to cave and make the stuffing with a stovetop base. However! I will be using the whole grain version, adding sausage and a TON of fresh veggies, including leeks (got them from the farm,) celery, spinach and carrots. I may even add some pecans but that may be pushing it. ;)

Mashed Potatoes are covered! My "lightened" Recipe is a crowd pleaser so I’ll be making a bunch. Click here for my Creamy Mashed Potatoes "Formula"

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes. These are also a crowd pleaser. This year I’m going to add some carrots because I’m overloaded with them. The best part of this dish is the prep and forget about it aspect. Simply put everything in the crock pot and bam! Amazing sweet potatoes ready at meal time. Click here for the slow cooker sweet potato recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This was an addition last year and everyone loved them. I will make them like this but I’m considering adding some pecans and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. Haven’t decided yet though. Straight up seems to please everyone.

Corn. This is for the husband mostly. He’s a corn man. :) So I prepare some simply and put it on the side.

Cranberry sauce. We are a canned cranberry sauce family. I don’t care what people say about it, canned cranberry sauce is one of those things you only eat ones a year and it’s totally fun. I’m a HUGE fan. That reminds me.. got to put it in the fridge now to chill it for tomorrow! :)

Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls. This is our roll of choice for the meal. Everyone loves them and I just buy the reduced fat variety out of habit. We can’t tell the difference.

The only other thing I’m considering is a Harvest Type salad. I happen to have tons of spinach and arugula and I’m thinking that with some pears, dried cranberries, pecans, maybe a bit of cheese and a quick dressing would be a fun addition. I’m gonna gauge the family on that one tomorrow morning.

NOTHING. I have nothing planned except clean up and if it’s nice out.. getting the family outside for a game of spit or a nice walk. If it’s not.. we will be firing up the old Wii for the family fun. ;)

A few hours later we’ll have some Dessert and coffee. I picked up some butter cookies and biscotti from a local store and tonight I’ll bake up some quick Simple Pumpkin Spice Mini-Loaves. I’m also on the way to the store to pick up some last minute supplies, if an apple pie happens to catch my eye I’m game. It’s a favorite of mine.

That’s it! That’s my Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday. Be present and NO worries about your "diet." No one will remember what you ate our how you looked but they will remember the time you spent with them.

If you are BlogToLose member.. I’ll be peaking in on our post challenge! Have fun with it!

View the original article here

My Thanksgiving Plans

Writing everything down has always helped me get organized or at least FEEL more organized and I’m in desperate need of that feeling right now. I have 5 family members coming in tonight for the Thanksgiving and 3 more tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about the holiday but as Chief Cook and Host of the festivities, I have a wee bit of extra responsibility.

So I thought why not share my Thanksgiving plans. It will help me get organized, makes my shopping list and maybe give you some ideas as well. Albeit it’s awfully close to the big day so I doubt I’ll be any help at this point.

Last year I started a tradition that part of me regrets. Not because I think it’s a "bad" thing but because I tend to go overboard and these things are a HUGE temptation for me. One is fine but this momma can eat at least 3 before her internal full meter starts to even jiggle.

Curious yet? :) Ok, Ok, I make these….

They are fast, easy, tasty, and a CROWD pleaser! With the kids up at the crack of down and grandparents downing coffee just to stay awake, nothing beats the smell of a cinnamon bun.

I would love to make my overnight steel cooked oats and have a breakfast topping bar with dried fruit, berries and nuts but I fear it’s going a bit overboard for my family and honestly, the thought of the extra work at this point makes me shudder. I use my crock pot for the sweet potatoes anyway and I have a system where everything is in the pots they are going to be cooked in the night before.

And in all Honesty, I’m actually excited for the cinnamon buns as it’s the only time of year I eat them. So they are a total treat for me. :)

Why am I so worried about a stupid cinnamon bun? I just remembered next on my agenda is the turkey trot! Last year the Husband, Mom and the kids joined me. They walked. I ran. Not sure if anyone is tagging along this year but I’m registered and ready to go. So excited as I get to wear my running for two shirt and now I’m really showing!

I don’t want to put any pressure on myself but I’d love to finish it in about 35 minutes. That seems to be my pace now at 5 months. Regardless of how long it takes I’m excited, the running and the event put in me a good mood the rest of the day and in a weird way, help me deal with the stress of the holiday.

Note: Haven’t decided if I should put the turkey in before I leave yet. It’s a timing thing.

When I get back I put out the snack spread which holds everyone off until dinner. On my list..

Vegetable tray with hummus and dressing for dipping. I was going to go only hummus but I thought I’d ease the family into this year and see how they like it. So I’ll also have the white creamy stuff as back up.

Cheese and cracker plate. I rarely buy block cheese anymore as it’s another one of those things I have a hard time stopping once I start. But on Thanksgiving I’ll buy a few blocks and put together a platter with whole wheat crackers and a good salami.

Nuts! I always buy a bag of mixed nuts in the shells for the holidays. Actually I buy them all season. The fact that they are in the shells helps me not go overboard while adding the fun factor to make them appealing to the kids. Little many loves to open them up and is getting quite good at it!

Fruit Bowl. This year I’ll have clementines, apples and pears out for quick grabbing. It’s amazing how many gravitate to fresh fruit when it’s made readily available.

Ok, on my menu this year….

Turkey, of course. We are a bird stuffing family. I have a recipe for stuffing I experimented a while back with but alas the husband is a stove top man. With all my healthy additions to the meal I decided this year to cave and make the stuffing with a stovetop base. However! I will be using the whole grain version, adding sausage and a TON of fresh veggies, including leeks (got them from the farm,) celery, spinach and carrots. I may even add some pecans but that may be pushing it. ;)

Mashed Potatoes are covered! My "lightened" Recipe is a crowd pleaser so I’ll be making a bunch. Click here for my Creamy Mashed Potatoes "Formula"

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes. These are also a crowd pleaser. This year I’m going to add some carrots because I’m overloaded with them. The best part of this dish is the prep and forget about it aspect. Simply put everything in the crock pot and bam! Amazing sweet potatoes ready at meal time. Click here for the slow cooker sweet potato recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This was an addition last year and everyone loved them. I will make them like this but I’m considering adding some pecans and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. Haven’t decided yet though. Straight up seems to please everyone.

Corn. This is for the husband mostly. He’s a corn man. :) So I prepare some simply and put it on the side.

Cranberry sauce. We are a canned cranberry sauce family. I don’t care what people say about it, canned cranberry sauce is one of those things you only eat ones a year and it’s totally fun. I’m a HUGE fan. That reminds me.. got to put it in the fridge now to chill it for tomorrow! :)

Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls. This is our roll of choice for the meal. Everyone loves them and I just buy the reduced fat variety out of habit. We can’t tell the difference.

The only other thing I’m considering is a Harvest Type salad. I happen to have tons of spinach and arugula and I’m thinking that with some pears, dried cranberries, pecans, maybe a bit of cheese and a quick dressing would be a fun addition. I’m gonna gauge the family on that one tomorrow morning.

NOTHING. I have nothing planned except clean up and if it’s nice out.. getting the family outside for a game of spit or a nice walk. If it’s not.. we will be firing up the old Wii for the family fun. ;)

A few hours later we’ll have some Dessert and coffee. I picked up some butter cookies and biscotti from a local store and tonight I’ll bake up some quick Simple Pumpkin Spice Mini-Loaves. I’m also on the way to the store to pick up some last minute supplies, if an apple pie happens to catch my eye I’m game. It’s a favorite of mine.

That’s it! That’s my Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday. Be present and NO worries about your "diet." No one will remember what you ate our how you looked but they will remember the time you spent with them.

If you are BlogToLose member.. I’ll be peaking in on our post challenge! Have fun with it!

View the original article here