Roni’s Weight Watchen Page(s) - Take 2 (the rebuild)

All right, I know this isn’t the find of the century and they’ve been around forever but I finally tried the Original Boca Burger.  I must admit, not bad, not bad at all! I mean the texture was a bit off but the way I build a burger you would never notice. 

First I start with a light English muffin or Whole Wheat Potato Rolls, top with a bed of baby spinach leaves, a couple of slices of tomato, the Boca, some ketchup, lots of ground black pepper and a few slices of sweet pickle.  It’s my all time favorite summer BBQ meal for 2 points! I mean seriously… 2 POINTS?!? -1 for the Boca 1 for the bun. 

My official opinion… they are totally worth it for a point. I will buy them again.

Labels: FoodFinds

Posted on May 30th, 2007 9:01 pm

I had a bag of frozen scallops for weeks not knowing what to do with them.  Here’s what I came up with.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 thick slice or about 1/2 of a sweet onion
• About 12 cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 small zucchini sliced
• 2 bell peppers sliced (1 red and 1 green)
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ each garlic powder and onion powder
• Salt & Pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat sauté the onion and garlic. Add the tomotoes, peppers and zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until for about 5 minutes until vegetable are just about done.  Add the scallops, lemon juice and sprinkle with onion and garlic powders.  Stir and continue cooking.

Now the scallops only take about 3-4 minutes to cook which is why I add them last.  They get chewy if over done so just add them, stir over medium high heat for 4 minutes, and serve!

I’m calculating 4 servings each containing about 181 calories, 5g fat and 3g fiber. What’s that about 3 points? You can serve it with rice or eat 2 servings straight up like I did! ;~)

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Posted on May 29th, 2007 2:35 pm

• 2 salmon fillets about 4 ounces each
• Juice of one lemon (about 2-3 tbsp)
• Fresh or dried thyme
• Salt & Pepper
• Non-stick cooking spray

Marinate the salmon fillets in the lemon juice and thyme for 1/2  to 1 hour.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spray with non-stick cooking speay to prevent sticking. 

Grill over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes a side. That’s it!

I only counted points for the salmon so about 3 points each??

I served with roasted peppers, onion and some sugar snap peas. All done on the grill using the Vegetable Grill Tricks, a bit of salt and olive oil non-stick spray. Even the husband like this, I almost fainted! ;~)

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Orginally Posted on May 29th, 2007 2:04 pm

I forgot to share this before the holiday weekend but hey, we still have all summer right?!

I’m a big fan of grilling, it gives my kitchen a break in the summer. Believe me my kitchen NEEDS a break. Anyway, when I grill I want to grill everything. I don’t want some stuff on the stove and some in the microwave, I want it ALL on the grill.

So I buy one of those disposable aluminum cake pans from the grocery store, they usually come in packs of two. I use them for all the small stuff that you cannot “normally grill” like here I have some sweet onion and sugar snap peas. I simple spray with a bit of olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Afterward I wipe it down or if I have room, I’ll through it on the top rack in the dishwasher. I’ll get at least a few weeks of use out of just one.

I also (although not pictured) have been known to open a can of baked beans and throw it on the grill as is. Hey, the can is like a mini pot! If I want to add some more ingredients, I’ll put the beans in a disposable bread pan. Whatever works!

Labels: Tips

Let’s start with the book reviews. They are easier to face then my confession. :~)

First I want to talk about 1/2 is More written by Jay Jacobs, the master mind behind myPetFat. MyPetFat is a replica of a human fat to either motivate you to lose weight or remind what you have lost. It’s pretty ingenious I think. Anyway, Jay wrote an e-book to motivate others to lose weight. He has straightforward advice (similar to my own, **patting myself on the back** **wink** **wink**) and it’s wrapped up nicely in a fun quick motivating read. I highly recommend it.

I told Jay I would be linking to his book and he provided the following coupon codes for my readers.

$10.00 OFF a mini mypetfat enter FIT [case sensitive] into the coupon box after selecting a mini mypetfat and then hit APPLY COUPON

$10.00 OFF the "1/2 is more" ebook enter DIET [case sensitive] into the coupon box after selecting a "1/2 is more" and then hit APPLY COUPON

Changing gears, the second book I recently read is more about nutrition then weight loss. This book as taught me so much about what I should be eating I just had to share. SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life written by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews discusses foods you literally can’t live without. They give you the scientific breakdown on why you should eat those foods and some neat ways on how to include them in your diet.

The book sas a great introduction, discusses each superfood and there “sidekicks” (foods that contain similar nutrients) in great detail and then wraps it up with recipes and a shopping list. So if you noticed my recipes and daily menus had included more of these foods, now you know why!

• All Beans
• Blueberries, purple grapes and other berries
• Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cauliflower
• Oats, wheat Germ and Flaxseed
• Oranges pretty much all citrus
• Pumpkin, Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, orange bell peppers
• Wild Salmon, canned Albacore Tuna
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea
• Tomatoes, watermelon
• Turkey
• Walnuts and mist nuts and seeds
• Yogurt

I guess I have to confess now don’t I? OK OK I went to a child’s birthday party today. I was planning to have a SMALL piece of cake. I WASN’T planning on eating a small piece of cake, 1/2 of the toddlers cake, a bit of ice cream, too many handfuls of pretzels to count and corn chips with salsa. Remind me next time NOT to go hungry. I was even eyeing up a doughnut they had on the counter. Bad I know. My flex are gone for the week, At least tomorrow is the last day.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Man I had a lot to say tonight!

Labels: BookReviews, journal, review

Originally Posted on May 26th, 2007 3:04 pm

Someone asked me the other day if I did the small plate trick.  You know, eat on smaller plates to trick your brain into thinking you are actually consuming more then you are.

I don’t know about you but I think it’s bogus.  This morning I weighed out two bowls of Fiber One cereal.  Which one do you think looks better? Bigger? If I only ate the one serving of cereal out of either bowl I would be completely unsatisfied. 

What I think does matter is bulk.  I’ve never hid the fact that I LOVE to eat.  I mean really, I enjoy the process of eating.  No wonder I had a weight issue.  My love of eating paired with my lack of nutritional knowledge was a bad combination.

Now this is what I call a bowl of cereal.  I’ve bulked it up with some fresh strawberries, blueberries and a sprinkle of Flaxseeds.  You can add anything, a banana, raspberries, blackberries or even skip the milk and add a serving of cereal to your favorite light flavored yogurt.  The yogurt is thicker and takes longer to eat. 

Moral of the story here, it’s not size that matters it’s bulk.  The one thing I owe Weight Watchers (well there is probably more) is that they taught me to bulk up my food with low point stuff.  And guess what! That low point stuff is normally better for you anyway.

What do you do to bulk up your breakfast?

Labels: insights, Tips

I don’t know where this idea came from, it’s a bit out of season. I just didn’t want to worry about dinner tonight and needed a crock pot recipe. Plus I had some apples that needed to be used.

• 1 lb pork loin roast fat trimmed and cut into cubes
• 2 medium-large apples
• 1 can of Campbell’s 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup condensed
• Water (1 Campbell’s can worth)
• 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

I dumped all the ingredients in the crock and cooked all day on low, about 8 hours. That’s it!

I scoped servings over brown rice. It was good (although the husband didn’t like it – remember the fruit in dinner thing) and the soup made a great thick gravy. Next time I’m thinking some sweet potatoes or butternut squash would be great compliment!

The recipe makes about 5 servings. Each serving is (not including the rice) 202 calories, 2g Fiber, 7g of fat. Not bad, only 4 points!

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Posted on May 24th, 2007 10:04 pm

I was in the mood for some comfort food and this is what I came up with! Actually, it worked too well as a comfort food because I couldn’t stop at one serving. It came out better then I expected, I know that sounds funny but sometimes I just through stuff together not knowing what to expect. 

I took two pictures.  I wanted you to see what it looked like inside and the whole loaf.  It’s kind of pretty, in away. 

• 1 package PILLSBURY Crescent Rolls Reduced fat
• Beef, ground, 90% lean meat 4 oz
• About ¼ cup of Tomato paste
• About 1 tsp basil, onion powder, oregano
• About 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 cups of raw spinach (I used about 1/3 of a bag so however much that is)
• 1 small-medium tomato diced
• 2 oz Cheese, mozzarella, part skim milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the crescent rolls on a cookie sheet. Press to seal the perforations.  Bake the crescent rectangle in the preheated 375 degree oven for a few minutes.  The goal here isn’t to cook it all the way but just enough so it holds together and still rolls nicely.

While it’s cooking brown the ground beef.

Smear the tomatoes paste on the roll and sprinkle with the dry spices. Layer the spinach, ground beef, diced tomatoes and cheese.  Start from one end and begin to roll.  It’s going to feel like you can’t do it but keep the roll loose.  Then let the weight of it hold it together. 

Sprinkle the roll with a bit of garlic powder and basil. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. 

Makes 4 large servings!  Each serving is about 307 calories, 15g of fat, 2g of fiber.

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Originally Posted on May 23rd, 2007 10:05 pm

I know, not a very creative recipe name but that’s what I had and this is what I came up with.  :~)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 thick slice of sweet onion chopped
• 2-3 gloves of garlic minced
• Salt & pepper
• 2 bell peppers cut into strips (preferably 2 different colors)
• Up to a ¼ cup of water
• About 1 tsp each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
• About ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 can of whole potatoes sliced
• ½ pound cooked frozen shrimp (cleaned and tails removed)

In a medium frying pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes until onion become transparent and garlic begins to brown.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Add the sliced peppers and dry spices.  This is where the water comes in.  The spices may soak up the remaining oil and the pan may get dry.  Add a splash or two of water to loosen it up.  Add the potatoes and shrimp (both are already cooked so they just need to get warmed up).  Stir until all ingredients are coated with spices and warm.  You may have to add another splash of water.

OK, points, “Roni Math” gives me 2 servings 5 points a piece?

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Posted on May 21st, 2007 9:30 pm

Have I told you how much I love Alton Brown? He inspired this recipe based on his Eggplant Steaks.  I thought tomato would be a good compliment and add a bit of color.  Sorry about the picture, I should not have taken it on a black plate, you really can’t see the eggplant.  

• 1 medium eggplant (cut in about ½ inch slices)
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
• Salt & pepper
• 1-2 medium tomatoes (enough to slice and top the eggplant)
• Parmesan cheese (about 1 tbsp)

First, you have to purge the eggplant to remove the excess water.  Rinse the slices with water, lay them on a rack and sprinkle with salt.  Let them sit for at least 15 minutes then dab with a paper towel to remove the excess water.  You can rinse the salt off and repeat if necessary.

While the eggplant is “purging” make the marinade.  Wisk the Worcestershire Sauce, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and dry spices.

Preheat the broiler.

Lay the eggplant on a broiling pan and brush the tops with a liberal amount of the marinade. Broil for about 2-3 minutes until brown.  Remove from broiler, flip the eggplant and brush again with marinade.  Return to the broiler for 2-3 more minutes.  Remove from the broiler again.  This time top with a tomato slice, sprinkled with salt, pepper and a bit of bail (or fresh basil leaf) and parmesan cheese. Return to the broiler for 1-2 more minutes until the cheese melts.

I ended up with 9 “steaks” and a boat load of marinade leftover. You can easily use this marinade for 2 eggplants for a larger batch.

I have NO idea how many points but it’s low. I ate 4 with a side of broccoli so FILLING. I’m estimating it as 2 points for the whole batch.

Remember… try something new!! You may be surprised! :~)

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Posted on May 16th, 2007 9:06 am

Have you noticed? I’ve been on a cherry kick recently! Oh Well, I wanted something new for breakfast and came up with this idea. It was surprisingly filling.

• Light cherry yogurt (I use a generic brand 2 points for 8 oz)
• Fresh cherries halved and de-pitted ( I used about ½ cup)
• 1/8 -1/4 cup of All bran or Fiber one to sprinkle on top

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

The cereal and cherries separately are 0 points but adding them both I would count this as 3 total. Not bad for a quick breakfast with no cooking involved!  ;~) 

Labels: BreakfastIdeas, SnackIdeas

Alright, I can’t lie, this wasn’t really a find. Vitalicious emailed and asked if I would be willing to try their VitaMixes. Of course, I said YES! I reviewed their vitaBrownies way back on my old site when I first started blogging. Their products are so good, whole grain and super low in points. I mean 1 point for a muffin or brownie, you can’t beat that!

So far I’ve tried the Banana Nut and Deep Chocolate and they have both come out delicious! I, of course, cannot just make the muffins as is from the mix so I experimented a bit and came up with Surprise Chocolate Cherry Muffins.

If you would like to purchase the mixes or other Vitalicious products click here. I’ve joined their affiliate program and you can receive 5% off.

Labels: FoodFinds

These came out delish! Like mini Black Forrest Cakes!

• 1 package of Deep Chocolate VitaMix (Chocolate Muffin Mix) (Click here to purchase)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/3 cup of water
• 1 tsp almond extract
• About 1/3 cup sugar free cherry pie filling (I found it in the baking section of the grocery store)

Prepare the muffin mix according to the package mixing in the teaspoon of almond extract.

Pour enough prepared mix to fill about 1/3 of the muffin cups. Scoop a little of the cherry pie filling on top and in the middle of the layer of mix. Be sure to have at least one cherry and a bit of the gel. Evenly top each muffin with the remaining mix covering the cherry filling.

Bake according to package, about 27 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.

I made these for the first time this morning and they came out great! The toddler couldn’t get enough. Next time I think I will spray the muffin papers with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. If you try to remove them when warm they stick a bit.

The pie filling only adds about 40 calories to the whole batch so it doesn’t affect the 1 point value of the muffins. I froze the remaining pie filling for future batches.

Vitalicious- Better-For-You Baked Goods

Labels: DessertIdeas

Motivation has been a hot topic in my inbox recently. Everyone has been asking how I stay motivated so I thought it was time to answer this seriously on the site.

Getting and staying motivated is a state of mind, an attitude if you will. Being at my goal weight has, of course helped this state of mind but it took 2 years to get to this point and I had more then 10 years of practice before that!

I can only share with you what has worked for me. I am by no means a professional. This has just been my experience.

First, I can tell you in the past what did NOT keep me motivated. Trying to be as thin as my friends, wanting to lose weight for my boyfriend, losing weight for an event or to fit into an outfit all seem like good ideas but in reality they are desires not necessarily motivators. Most of my teens and 20’s I spent longing to be thinner and this, apparently, did NOT keep me motivated. I yo-yo’ed my way through this time losing and gaining the same 40lbs.

Then two things happened, I turned 29 and had a new baby boy on my hands. I realized time was moving on. I spent my entire adult life wanting something that was attainable with a little bit of determination and hard work. What was wrong with me? If I wanted this so bad, why haven’t I done it yet? I was getting older and now I have another life to think about. What would I be teaching my son if he had an unhealthy, overweight mom?

So I joined Weight Watchers and changed my attitude. I took it day by day and tried not to think of my long term goals.  I started to think about how healthy I wanted to be, not how thin I wanted to be. It was more about confidence then looks, long-term goals instead of fast fixes.

I started to make a conscious effort to eat natural whole foods, I started eating more fruit and vegetables, drinking all my water and planning my meals. It was hard in the beginning but after a few weeks, my habits and tastes started to change.  It was a process, a long process. Looking back, I came up with this list.

1. Own your Accomplishments. I see this all the time. “I only lost 1.2 pounds”. WHAT?!? ONLY? Own it. Don’t undermine yourself like that. Own every good choice you make. This is a journey and you have to recognize when you are doing well, moving in the right direction.
2. Stop thinking about your ultimate goal. If it does not seem possible you are going to give up. I didn’t set out to lose 70lbs. If I tried, I think I would have failed. I took it small goal by small goal at a time.
3. Dive in headfirst. I choice Weight Watchers but I’m convinced most reputable diets work IF you follow them. Chose your plan and follow it. Have faith in it. If you don’t trust your plan you are setting yourself up to fail.
4. Experiment. If you are anything like me, you get bored. Experiment with new food, new workouts. It will keep you interested. This is how I discovered spaghetti and butternut squash. Now I cannot live without them and I enjoy coming up with new ways to eat them!
5. Get Active. Not everyone is into working out. I’m not but I make an effort to get outside, walk, hike, dance around the house like an idiot, anything to keep moving.
6. Take it one choice at a time. I always say one goal, one day, one choice at a time. All of those good choices add up! If you happen to make the wrong decision then admit it and move on. You will learn from that bad choice. As long as you are making more good choices then bad, you are on your way! Every new choice is just that, new, it has nothing to do with what you ate for lunch.
7. Be accountable. Whether it is to you significant other, your leader at Weight Watchers or your online friends, it doesn’t matter. Report your weigh-ins, share your experience, admit your mistakes and celebrate you accomplishments. This is why I started WeightWatchen Blogs! This site ha been my sounding bored, my place to experiment, and to get and give advice. I’m not sure if I would have stayed motivated without it.

There you have it. My take on motivation and how I got it. I need to add that I am, by no means perfect. This past weekend was quit a disaster but today I am back on plan. Keep trucking along. Time keeps moving if you are on plan or not, you might as well be on plan!

Labels: insights

Posted on May 6th, 2007 8:39 pm

I LOVE summer. These were great on the grill with a side of corn on the cob.

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, thyme
• 1 packet of splenda
• About 1 pound Pork Loin cut into chunks
• 1 red bell pepper cut in large chunks
• 1 green bell pepper cut in large chunks
• 1 small-medium zucchini cut in like half thick moons
• ½ Vidalia onion cut in large chunks
• 8-9 broccoli florets (option, I just happen to have some in the fridge and I wanted to see how they tasted on the grill – good by the way!)

In a large bowl, Wisk together the olive oil, Worcestershire Sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, molasses, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme and splenda.

Add the meat to the bowl and stir to cover meat with marinade. Add pepper, zucchini and onion, stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

With a pound of meat, I was able to make 8 large skewers.  That would be 4 servings, 4-5 points each, I think.  Recipe builder? Anyone?

Labels: DinnerIdeas

Originally Posted on May 4th, 2007 10:54 pm

Someone emailed me this idea a while back and I finally tried it.  I like the idea of creating your own pizza bites.  You can put anything in these things and make create appetizers!

• 16 wonton wrappers (I got them in the produce section, the were 3 points for 8)
• Tomato Paste (about 2 tablespoon)
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Basil or Italian Seasoning
• About ½ cup baby spinach leaves chopped
• About ½ bell pepper diced
• 5 small slices of turkey pepperoni diced
• 1 oz of mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, pepperoni, pepper and spinach. 

Dap a bit of tomato paste with back side of a teaspoon in the center of each wrapper. Sprinkle with the spices.  I used a mini muffin pan to create pockets by squishing the filling and pinching the ends together.  If you wet the ends of the wrappers, they stick together very nicely. 

Bake the bites for about 10 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. The tips will start getting brown.

Serve with a bit of sauce on the side!

The only points worth counting are the wrappers (6) and the cheese (2).  So you can have 2 servings of 8 for 4 points each, 4 servings of 4 for 2 points each or do what I did and eat all of them for an 8 point lunch! ;~)

Note: these are just my estimates.

Labels: SnackIdeas

I've updated the recipe! Check out Roni’s Whole Grain Pancakes _v02 here and my Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes!

Originally Posted on May 4th, 2007 10:52 am

I’ve been experimenting with different pancakes recipes for awhile.  I think I FINALLY got it!! They fluffed up, had a hint of spice and were moist.  The toddler LOVED them, he’s walking around the house with one right now eating it like a cookie!

They aren’t sweet, then again pancakes shouldn’t be, should they?  I loved them with a bit of blueberry preserves and berries on the side.

• ½ cup quick oats
• 1 cup 1% milk (I’m sure skim would work but tis is what I had)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ¾ whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp splenda
• 1tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp canola oil

In a medium bowl combine oatmeal, milk and lemon juice.  Let sit while mixing the dry ingredients (at least 2 minutes).

In a small bowl combine all the dry ingredients, whole wheat flour, splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda.

Beat the egg, vanilla and oil into the milk/oatmeal mixture.  It will be very liquidly.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a spoon until combined.

Pour batter in a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat to make pancakes. Cook about 1-2 minutes a side, small bubbles will form but not as many in traditional pancakes. I just peaked underneath for a light brown color, then flipped.

I made 7 “cakes” (as my son calls them) but next time I would go a little smaller and make 8-10.

UPDATE: They are great leftover. Keep them in the fridge or freezer and pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds! Oh and also good with applesauce!

Labels: BreakfastIdeas