Julie's Weigh-In Friday

I started this post early this morning but, well, life got in the way. So here I am sneaking this in before Friday is over. I'm happy to say that I have a 3.8 lb weight loss for my first week! I realize this isn't going to be the case every week and that's o.k. I'm focused on changing my mindset to change the number on the scale, and I know that's not going to happen in a linear fashion (I fully expect that I'll have to revisit this post down the road to remind myself of that). April and Beth are the foodies and I hate to cook! So....in lieu of a recipe, thought I'd share a podcast I enjoy listening to : Inside Out Weight Loss http://personallifemedia.com/podcasts/216-inside-out-weight-loss . It might be a little "new agey" for some folks but does provide food for thought. Happy Weekend!
Julie

Thick or Thin Thursday

Okay, today was my first weigh in at Watches Watchers and I was neither thick nor thin. I am absolutely the same identical weight as last week. I kinda figured as much and I will tell you why. I was low carbing two weeks prior to REjoining WW's and lost maybe a few pounds. Once I reintroduced carbohydrates into my diet I regained that weight. I am thinking that towards the end of this past week, my body began to adjust and I started to loose once more. I guess you could say, in a way, this will be my first real WW's week, a second chance.........I need it.

I need some coffee, too.

Beth 

A Two Point Vanilla Milkshake, Not Too Shabby

No really, it was dang tasty, so much so, both my kids wanted one. I found the recipe on recipezarr listed as an "old" Weight Watchers recipe. Gosh, this could not be simpler, yet so satisfying. All you do is, in your blender mix a cup of one percent or skim milk, 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of sweetener and four to six ice cubes till thick and frothy. Just too easy....

P.S. I used the ideal sweetener and imitation vanilla. Oh, Travis wanted strawberry, so a squirt of  Hershey's strawberry syrup did the trick. I was also thinking you could make this thicker and creamier with a tablespoon of sugar free pudding, your choice of flavor. I am feeling chocolate next time. Whadda ya think? Hmmmmmm......

Yummy Three Point Meal Idea

Sorry, I don't have a picture to share with you, but I still wanted to tell you about a delicious and filling sandwich that I had for dinner last night. I bought a package of sandwich thins which are one Weight Watcher's point each. From there I smeared a tablespoon of homemade veggie cream cheese, divided, on each side for another point. Then I layered two ounces of good deli turkey, one point as well. The turkey I used came from Sam's club under the name CastleWood. It is very tasty and they have a large variety of lunch meats and flavors. I saw a chipotle turkey that is calling my name. I am coming, wait for me. Anyway, finally, I packed the sandwich full with baby spinach leaves then devoured the whole, large thing. YUM! 

Here is how you make the cream cheese, too easy. Bring one brick of low fat cream cheese to room temp and whip with your mixer. Add finely diced veggies of your choice. I used minced spring onion, carrot, celery and cucumber. Pinch of salt and pepper, whip briefly, again. I let it set for several hours or overnight, so the flavors really meld with the cream cheese. It is sooooo much better than anything you can buy in a tub and healthier.

Stay full my friends.

Beth

Spicy Shrimp

I love any type of seafood and shrimp is one of the favorites. I found this recipe in an old Cooking Light magazine and have made it several times. The kids like it, the hubby likes it...it is a keeper. Shrimp is only 1 point for 1/2 cup. So you can have a ton of it for a low amount of points!

Spicy Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Combine all the dry spices and coat shrimp with the mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and add the shrimp to the skillet. Saute 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Enjoy!

Thick or Thin Thursdays

I guess I am going to stick with Thursday weigh-ins at Weight Watchers. I know this Thursday will be a Thick Thursday. I am fairly sure I have gained back the few pounds I had lost low carbing, nice and fluffy marshmallow blubber. Oh joy. I am trying to not get too wrapped up into the poundage factor, but to stick with that slow and steady whens the race. Whatever. Yadda, yadda, yadda, I don't want to gain daggone it. Well, I guess I will know for sure in a coupla days and I will keep ya posted. Now, I need to go find me some "light" clothes to wear. You know the one outfit that I will be weighing in for the rest of my life! I know you know.

Beth

My Kind of Breakfast....a Cookie

and a big one at that.  Yepper, a breakfast cookie. Oh yum. It is moist, dense  and chock full of oats, cranberries and cinnamon. You get to eat dessert for breakfast, yeehaw, and all for only five Weight Watchers points. The recipe makes one monster "good for you" cookie that is not only great for coffee dunking, but is super filling. I did alter the original recipe a little, which upped it a point. I am planning on making a bigger batch to freeze and always have on hand. I have never enjoyed your typical eggs and bacon breakfast, so this works perfectly for me. Oh, wouldn't some super dark chocolate chips in these be divine? Oh yea baby, now this is some diet food I can live with. 

Beth's Big Ol'Breakfast Cookie

Makes one large cookie. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the following, mound and spread into cookie shape, bake on parchment or a silpat for about 15-20 minutes till brown and crispy around the edges.

1/3 cup of rolled oats
1/3 cup of non-fat powdered milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or in my case, 1/4 cup of low fat sour cream
1 T flour
1 T of raisins or in my case, orange scented cranberries
1/2 t of cinnamon
1 t of vanilla
1/4 t of baking powder
1T of your choice of sweetener, I used ideal. I guess if you add sugar that adds an extra point.

That's it, simple, easy and downright yummy.

Beth

I Couldn't Resist

I mean, really, Red Velvet Cake yogurt, come on, I had to try it. Oh, how I wished I hadn't now. It is awful, just awful. I ate one spoonful and chucked the container in the trash. Don't waste your money or your points(2). What are the Yoplait folks thinking, EEK, run away, run far, far away........

Beth

Hi!!! Oh, and my lunch!

Hi there! April here, although you may know me from Abby Sweets. That is my baking blog, which is probably why I am now here at What's the Point. Having a blog that is nothing but baking sweets has caused my backside to spread and is one of the main factors that my blood sugars are not where they should be. Yes, like Beth, I am a diabetic. Right now, I am on oral medications for it, but I have no control with my food choices and insulin injections will be my next step. I am announcing right now...it is my goal not to have to take that next step.

I am so excited to be on this journey, if you will, with these two girls. We will keep each other accountable, motivate, share recipes...probably gripe and whine a whole lot, and that will be ok. Well, as long as we are making ourselves healthier, as well as my family. Hey, I cook it...they gotta eat it, might as well make it all healthy, right?

I will be doing my weigh ins on Monday's. I have made it to work this morning...weighed in (almost puked because of it) but I am feeling confident this morning that with meal planning we will do just fine. Now, I will share with you what I will be having for lunch. I am still having a little problem on breakfast ideas..so pass them along if you have any.

I love these deli thins. Have you tried them? You should. They are 100 calories for the whole bun, top and bottom and they are only 1 point!

I will be having cucumber spread on them. I love cucumber sandwiches in the summer. With the heat index being at least at 105 if not higher, it makes for a light lunch. And made with FF cream cheese, you can have 4 Tbsp of the spread for 1 point. That makes your sandwich, with a nice filling, for only 2 points!!

Not a great pic, but you can see what it looks like. :)

I will be having my 2 point sandwich with 9 multigrain Tortilla chips for 3 points and my homemade salsa, with is a freebie!! So there you have my 5 point lunch! My daily point range is 22-27, so I still have alot of points to play with for my breakfast, snack and dinner.

The one thing I keep telling myself is...it is all about CHOICES. Girls, we can do this!

Cucumber Sandwich Spread:

1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely chopped or grated

8 oz. FF cream cheese, softened

2 tsp mayo

Seasoned Salt, to taste

Mix all the ingredients together until completely combined and store in the refrigerator.

WW's Raspberry Zinger Cake

x

This is a good cake, a very good cake. I got the recipe originally off the WW's board, but later found it here. It makes a 9x13 cake which you divide into 16 pieces at 4 points each. Okay, I ate eight points worth immediately. I told you I have no self control and it's good. Jamie ate two, too, so there. It is that good. He said it didn't taste diet to him.  Did I mention that this cake is good?  I gotta admit though, there are few things I would change. First, I would only do one cup of boiling water to the Jello or double the Jello for a stronger raspberry flavor. Also, I would also do a better job poking holes. The Jello needed better cake penetration. Lastly, I would use good ol'Baker's coconut for the top, not the unsweetened flakes I had on hand from my granola making. I did whirl it in the food processor a bit, but it's still not the same. Overall, this is a good cake. Did I mention that already?

I would happily share WW's Raspberry Zinger Cake with my family and friends, afterall, I am now sharing it with you, my friend.

Beth

Chicken Post

This isn't some post about a great, low point chicken recipe (so you might want to change the channel now if that's what you're looking for), it's about my first blog post ever. I'm just not a natural at this like Beth. I suppose the trepidation I'm feeling is not unlike that which I'm feeling with starting on this journey to get healthy. Eventually, I've got to put the words (and the fork) down and get on with it.

I've been thinking about old pictures and how all those years I thought I was huge. Looking back from where I am now, what I wouldn't give to be at any of those weights today! The sad thing is that it was a self-fulfilling prophecy - I am the size now that I imagined I was then. While simply thinking I'm slim and healthy today won't bring about an instant change, I know my thinking has to change and my actions have to change. Here goes...cluck cluck.

Yummy Food Find

I found these yummy pudding cups at Target this morning. I almost didn't buy them because they are only one point each. Why is that a problem you ask? Well, because I have no self control and will eat everyone....in a day! I have to be careful about treats, especially the artificially sweetened ones, because they will get you in the end, literally. I will spend the first part of my day snarfing them down and the latter half running to the potty. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was sweetened with xylitol, a natural sugar subsitute. I really like this stuff. I can find it in my local grocery store, granulated and marketed under the name ideal. It tastes like the real deal and you use it one to one. Oh, and a huge plus, I have had no side affects, after affects, after shocks or what ever you want to call it.

P.S.-Two down and two to go!

Well Hello....

Welcome to our new blog and when I say "our" I mean April, Julie and myself. We are three friends brought together by the love of food and the results of loving it too much of it too often. We have the chins, bellies and diabetes to show for it. We have decided to come together as a mini support group. Julie and I are in Virginia and April is in Tennesee. We have never met her. Julie and I have been friends for thirty years, but April, I found her on the net. She, like me, is a food blogger and a diabetic. We bonded instantly. We all are wives, moms and middle aged. We each have our own personal reason for doing this. Me, I need to get my diabetes under control. I want to feel good about myself. I want to be comfortable. I want to be happy.

This is the second step towards my goal. The first was joining Weight Watchers for like the upteenth time last Thursday. We have all agreed to follow the WW diet plan. It works. I tried low carbing for two weeks, lost maybe five pounds and fourteen days. It is a crap diet. I can not do it and be happy.

We have big plans for this blog. We plan to share our successes, failures, gripes, etc.... We plan to share with you recipes, products and food finds. We plan to share it all with you. Well all except my starting weight. You will just have to trust me when I post my losses and gains. I hope you will share your support with us by visiting often leaving comments, tips, advice, and whatever floats your boat.

Weight Watchers, the only time in your life, other than birth, that ounces count.

Beth