Snack Attack Recipes

Spicy Popcorn
Makes 2 servings
1 serving- 3 cups- 1 pt

1/4 cup un-popped popcorn kernels
PAM butter-flavored
3 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
Garlic Salt (or plain salt) to taste
Pop the kernels in an air popper, spray with butter flavored PAM and sprinkle over the popcorn. For more even spice coverage, place popcorn in a ziploc bag, pour in spices, seal and shake to coat.

Boneless Buffalo "Wings"

Makes 2 serving

1 serving- 2 "wings"- 3 pts

4 oz Boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenders

1/8 cup All-purpose flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/3 cup Barbecue sauce

1/3 cup Frank's red hot sauce

1 tsp Garlic powder

Preheat over to 400F. In a bowl or plastic ziploc bag, combine the flour salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the sauces and garlic powder. Cover a baking sheet with foil (to make cleanup easier!) and spray with PAM. Toss or shake the chicken tenders to coat. Place the chicken in the sauce and gently turn over to coat until completely covered. Place on a baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with PAM. Bake for 15-18 mins.

For buffalo "bites" cut the chicken into bit sized pieces before tossing in the flour.

Serve with fat free blue cheese, ranch or sour cream (this adds points though!)

Attack of the over-eater!

This weekend presented a challenge in the eating arena. I fought hard and stayed within my points on Saturday even though I attended a potluck, went to a bar, hit up a coffee and bake shop, and attended a brunch where the only choice was a made-to-order crepe station. I just chose wisely. Yes, it is possible, even at these types of events

At the potluck dinner I took a controlled portion of the homemade macaroni and cheese I made. I also had mostly steamed broccoli salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, 1 chicken wing, and some Indian chicken curry- 15-18pts (I guesstimated a higher point value to be safe. I know it was at least 15 though)

At the bar, I had one beer. I think it helped that I was the DD or I may have splurged a bit more there- 3 pts

At the coffee shop I had black tea and a ginger snap cookie- 2pts. I think this was my greatest achievement all week because this late night food run was after the bar in the city I went to college in with some very close college friends. This type of event was a weekly tradition during my college days and it certainly helped me gain weight so to be back in that same situation and know I have changed my ways was motivating to say the least.

Sunday started out with the same fervor that Saturday did, but it ended miserably. I had an egg and bacon crepe, a few bites of a nutella crepe with powdered sugar, and a coffee- 14.5 pts

Since I had a heavy brunch, I had a late lunch of light Progresso soup, salad with balsamic vinegar, and an apple- 2.5 pts

Then I felt that familiar beast inside that wanted to just consume food. It's a horrible feeling that seems impossible to overcome. I tried drinking water and green tea but that didn't help. So I made some air popped pop corn and sprayed it with butter flavored pam and spicy seasonings (hot spices are supposed to help curb hunger)-1 pt

It didn't satisfy the beast! Then my boyfriend and I decided to make some baked chicken wings. The flavor came out great, but the wings themselves seemed fatty so we didn't like them. After some time we decided that we really wanted wings, so we caved and ordered take out from this great bar grill a few doors down from our apartment. Not only did I have boneless buffalo bites, I had turkey on rye with cheese, bacon, cole slaw and Russian dressing with sweet potato fries- 25 pts or almost a day's worth of food.

The worst part for me was not eating all that food, but it was not feeling satisfied until I did.

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

The other night I made some delicious stuffed peppers for dinner that were very satisfying! I've made stuffed peppers for a few years, but I've never considered them "healthy" food so I've been avoiding them as a regular dinner option. The new version I made, however, are quick, easy, and a healthy 7 points each on WW!

Overall a great healthy day of eating on Wednesday:

Breakfast
Quaker Weight Control Cinnamon Oatmeal (3 pts)
1 Green Apple (1 pt)
Coffee w/ Skim Milk (0 pts)

Lunch
12 oz (3/4 of a can) Hormel Turkey Chili, No Beans (6 pts)
1 Babybel Light Cheese (1 pt)
Green Tea (0pts)

Snack
2 oz Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (2 pts)

Dinner
1 Stuffed Pepper (7 pts)
1 Artichoke stuffed with Provolone Cheese (4 pts)
1 Glass of Red Wine (2 pts)

26 pts Total out of 27 pts that I get for the day

Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Makes 4 small stuffed peppers
7pts per serving (serving size 1 pepper)
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:
4 small green peppers
Pam non-stick spray
12 oz. 95% lean ground beef
2 cups brown rice (I use one Uncle Ben's Ready Rice microwave pouch)
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic diced (Note: I like garlic a lot, if you're not too into it just do 1-2 cloves)
4- 1 oz slices of park skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the tops off of the peppers and pull out the ribs and seeds. Cut bottoms of peppers if necessary so they may stand during baking. Spray a baking dish with Pam, place peppers in the baking dish and spray them with Pam (both inside and outside). Place in the oven while you prepare the stuffing. For the stuffing, dice the onion and garlic. Spray a non-stick skillet with Pam and heat on medium. Place onions in the pan and cook to soften for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue cooking. Move mixture to sides of pan and add ground beef in the center. Cook and break apart the meat until just brown (the meat will continue to cook in the oven). Add the tomato sauce, rice, and spices to the pan and stir to combine and heat through. Remove the peppers from the oven, they should look softer and wilt-y, with juices coming out. Lower the over to 350 F. Stuff the peppers with the beef mixture. Place 1 slice of cheese on each pepper and return to oven for 10-20 more minutes depending on desired done-ness of pepper.

These store well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, making them perfect for leftovers as a lunch. I hope you enjoy them!

Virtual Me

So, I've seen this virtual model around and I wanted to make one of me to inspire more weightloss. You can make your own at mvm.com!

Virtually shrinking me

221lbs ------> 201lbs ------> 180lbs

Before and After (Take 1)

My current weight loss

Before: 221lbs, Size 16, November 2007

Current: 201 lbs, Size 14-16, November 2008

My first before and after

Before: 227 lbs, Size 16-18, December 2006

After: 205lbs, Size 16, March 2007

Me before the weight fluctuations: July 2004

Weight: 175 lbs

Size: 8-10

Ambition to Lose

A synopsis of how I got to be overweight and what I plan to do about it...

I lost someone very close to me during my sophomore year of college. I turned to food for comfort because I didn't allow myself to use the people around me for support and strength, mostly because these people were grieving the loss as well.
I gained LOTS of weight, 40+ pounds, and kept it on for almost two years. Then, I had the opportunity to go on my first "real" spring break trip (a Caribbean Cruise) as a college student. I wanted to feel comfortable in my bathing suit and enjoy myself more than I could at that weight. I joined Weight Watchers (WW) online in January 2007 and lost almost 20 lbs in 3 months.
I enjoyed the vacation, but did not stick to the WW plan during or after it. The weight slowly crept back for the rest of the year until I got fed up during the holidays. I recommitted myself to WW in January 2008 and lost the same 20 lbs but have managed to keep it off all year. I've stopped losing weight, however, and I attribute it to my lax WW point counting, binge eating, and inconsistent exercise regiment.
I'd like to have more accountability for my actions to help me achieve my goal so I will chronicle my successes, failures, and reflections along the way to help take off the next 20 lbs. I also have a true passion for cooking and pride myself in my recipes so I'll be sure to share them with you.
Thanks for stopping by!