Tips on Getting The Day Started

So often the biggest battle of my day is STARTING it right. I'm NOT a morning person, but I've come a long way since I've been with my fiance' I must admit! He IS a morning person... no let me rephrase that... he IS a morning FREAK! LOL  My guy wakes at 4am each day, Monday - Thursday and I'm a freak about MUST waking up with him. Yes, ok.. say it.. I'm a glutton for my own punishment! In my defense I love him so dang much I can't help but WANT to be a part of his morning routine, so I get up with him. I love it, I must admit! When I don't get up with him in the early morning we're both kind of "lost". I've had days when the flu hit or my MS was really bad or pain levels too intense to really do much of anything so I've remained in bed. We're both like lost puppies when I do this so I will admit while I'm NOT a morning person... he's made me love my mornings.


While I may be UP at 4am I'm rarely eating anything before 6am or much later. I'm simply NOT a morning person! I can't eat as soon as I get up and need a little time to get my body "moving" so to speak. Unfortunately, that often leads to sometimes putting off breakfast longer than I really WANT to... aka "being lazy"! All too often I fall prey to putting off breakfast so long because I just don't feel like "making something" that in the end I indulge in a couple of "2 Point® Bars" (Special K® Bars, Fiber One® Bars, etc. that come out to 2 points®) which rarely pull me through until lunch. End result.... nibbling on things I shouldn't or gorging myself with what normally would be healthy "treats".... definitely NOT a breakfast option!


My issue may be somewhat similar to all of you out there that work outside of the house. You're busy, hectic, running around and simply don't have the time to stop and create something healthy, filling AND delicious. It's the age old "never any time for me" and basically why a lot of us have had weight issues... we put everyone else FIRST! 

4 Pt. Cajun Egg White Bagel Sandwich

It's time to STOP and MAKE THE TIME for yourself. I am here to tell you.... if you start your day off with a satisfying breakfast, the rest of the day just seems so much easier to stay on track!

Here are some tips and ideas to make your breakfast a little easier and perhaps healthier, so your day starts off right:
 

1.  Prepare Ahead - while it sounds logical, we often put off things we can do ahead to make our breakfast literally faster than a "drive-thru"! HOW? Simple... prepare ahead!

• Chop Veggies and Keep them in baggies so you can quickly toss them into some egg whites for a sandwich or scrambled egg white omelette
  
  
• Make a bunch of pancakes ahead of time (I do this over the weekend usually) and freeze them. It's less expensive than purchasing the frozen types, just as fast and often healthier because YOU know what you're putting into them.  Create different types with a "base" batter as you go along so you have some flavor throughout the week! (Add some frozen berries, bananas, even some chopped up low fat turkey sausage pieces to create a flavorful pancake) BE SURE TO MAKE THE PANCAKE THE PROPER SIZE so your serving sizes are on target and calories or points® are correct! When you're ready to eat them they easily go from freezer to microwave or toaster oven for an instant breakfast!
  
  
• Learn  how to make the "omelette in a bag"! It's fun, easy  and a quick way to cook up some egg whites for breakfast. Kids love this idea!
  
  
• Prepare Breakfast Sammies ahead of time, toss in a sandwich bag and then nuke at home if you have the time or just grab and go to the office with it! It's so easy to simply nuke your sandwich while you're pouring that cup o' Joe in the morning and it keeps you on track with a GOOD breakfast! (Not to mention the money you're saving by NOT doing the drive thru thing... or the calories.. UGH!)

2.  Think "outside" the breakfast box! - Simply put, you can create "non breakfast" type meals that are healthy and enjoy them. What matters is that you fill your belly, enjoy what you're eating and it's healthy!

• Breakfast Sandwiches don't have to be put on a bagel or bun, you can use some of those already prepared pancakes as your "bread", with turkey sausage, cheese and a touch of maple syrup (I swear by the Maple Sprinkles by GFS - Gordon Food Service to give my sandwiches and my pancakes that maple flavor without all the calories! A sprinkle is 0 points®!). Bagel thins are wonderful containers for those ingredients you love too, most are only 1 point® each! Naan bread comes in a variety of flavors too and can make an amazing egg white breakfast sammie!
  
• Leftover whole wheat pasta with some veggies or even mixed up with some egg whites make a filling and delicious breakfast treat. My fave way to use the leftover pasta is to add 3 egg whites scrambled, cook it up in a fry pan or microwave it all together, add a sprinkle of fat free parm cheese and YUMO!
  
• Pizza is one of my favorite food groups... okay so it's not a "food group" but it is one of my favorite foods! I love a slice of pizza (leftover from the night before or so) reheated as my breakfast. Make sure it's a weight friendly pizza and not one loaded with fats, meats, and such! Obviously if it's a slice that's 20 points® it's not figure friendly but some whole wheat crusts with low fat cheeses and lots of veggies makes a great dinner AND a terrific breakfast that's waistline friendly! OR use a Naan bread to create your own pizzas low in calories or points®! Eat half for dinner and half for breakfast the next day!

Add some of your own ideas of how you make breakfast quick and easy! What are some of your favorite recipes or ideas to get your day started "right" so you stay on track?

Wish me luck on my journey to "eating clean" and  healthy! 
And please feel free to comment and share ideas for trying to live and eat "clean" and losing weight by changing to a healthy lifestyle!
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED TO GET FIT BUT DON'T WANT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP?

THINK ABOUT A TRAMPOLINE!

Check out The Trampolines King Website for tons of FREE information & guidance in purchasing this wonderful piece of equipment that is affordable and helps burn TONS of calories (not to mention tons 'o fun)!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Mention Beverly's Blog "One Day At A Time"  when you order 
to get the best price available!

Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Moms Chocolate Oatmeal

Who else would make an amazing oatmeal that's chocolate, but MOM?! I actually ran across these doing my weekly shopping at Wegman's 2 weeks ago and decided that at $1.99 for a 5 pack, how could I say no? Mom's Best Dark Chocolate Instant Oatmeal practically begged me to buy it! It's all natural, oatmeal (good for me) and chocolate! Done deal!

I actually have been making "chocolate oatmeal" for a few years. One of my favorite ways to get some "naughty chocolate" into my tummy, while losing weight, was to create my own version of chocolate oatmeal using some plain ol' Quaker quick oats packs and a packet of sugar free hot cocoa mix. But with my changes towards a "cleaner eating" style, I had to give up basically everything "sugar free" or with added "fake" sugars in them so there went my chocolate oatmeal in the morning!

Until now!

I finally made a bowl for breakfast the other day and I must confess this will be a staple in my cupboards now! I love the texture, the flavor is very real and it's all natural! The price comes out even friendlier than my original "homemade" version($1.99 for a box of 5.. that's 40 cents a serving), plus I'm now filling up my tummy with all natural products and not a bunch of chemicals! MUCH BETTER!

The nutritional numbers come out great too.

One serving/packet, prepared with water is 160 calories, 3g fiber and 2.5g fiber. On the Weight Watchers® point® system that comes out to 3 points® a bowl. Add a glass of OJ (1 cup) and you have a very filling and healthy breakfast for 5 points®. That should last you well into the late morning for sure!

Wish me luck on my journey to "eating clean" and  healthy! 
And please feel free to comment and share ideas for trying to live and eat "clean"!
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED TO GET FIT BUT DON'T WANT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP?

THINK ABOUT A TRAMPOLINE!

Check out The Trampolines King Website for tons of FREE information & guidance in purchasing this wonderful piece of equipment that is affordable and helps burn TONS of calories (not to mention tons 'o fun)!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Mention Beverly's Blog "One Day At A Time"  when you order 
to get the best price available!

Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Orange Cream and Sausage Pancake Wrap

I have really been enjoying the glories of summer and creating smooth, creamy, cold drinks almost daily!

This morning I decided to create something sort of reminiscent of my childhood days called a Tangerine Freeze. There was a little candy & soda store downtown when I was very small that my mom used to take me to. We'd sit at the counter and order "Tangerine Freezes" for a treat on a hot summer day. They were much like today's Orange Julius type of drink but so much more tasty with a lot of flavor. I think the secret was definitely the "tangerine" instead of orange juice but sometimes you just don't have "tangerine juice" handy! Of course I needed to create it with what I had around (which was organic orange juice & not tangerine juice) but I decided to once again use some of my luscious Oikos Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt to give it a creamy touch. As always, a few ingredients & a blender and I have created a yummy cold morning drink that's filling & delicious!

Orange Cream (2pts)

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic orange juice (1pt.)

zest of 1 orange (this just sort of gave it a little more kick & "orangey" flavor)*not a must if you don't have an orange around or the time to zest it! 

3 oz. (1/2 container) Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt (1pt.)

1/2 cup crushed ice


Simply blend together in a blender until smooth and serve!

I drank my yummy orange cream with a buckwheat pancake (1pt.)  wrapped around a Jones light all natural sausage link (1pt.) & 1/2 slice organic cheddar (1pt.). It's a lot like those pancake/sausage wraps you can get to just nuke, only all natural and a lot lower in calories/fat & points!  For a total of 3 points® I had my breakfast. Another 2 points® for my drink and there was a delightful 5 points® worth of breakfast to take me well into the late morning!

One of the things I love to do is make a batch of 50 cent piece sized buckwheat pancakes (maybe a little larger) and freeze them for the week. My guy gets up in the morning (4 a.m.) and nukes them himself for breakfast & thinks he's in heaven with his homemade pancakes. It's a lot cheaper than purchasing the pre-made/frozen versions of regular pancakes, not to mention none of the chemicals & extra fats! When I get up, a single one usually makes a "wrap" or I will sometimes use 2 pancakes to make a breakfast "sandwich" with a Jones Dairy Farm all natural sausage patty & 1/2 slice of organic cheddar.  As always, I sprinkle my pancakes with the maple brown sugar sprinkles from GFS (Gordon Food Service) and you'd almost swear you were eating one of those "horrible for you" Griddle Sandwiches you can get at a drive thru fast food restaurant in the morning. Literally in about the same amount of time because everything just needs to be nuked and slapped together!

Wish me luck on my journey to "eating clean" and  healthy! 
And please feel free to comment and share ideas for trying to live and eat "clean"!
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEED TO GET FIT BUT DON'T WANT THE GYM MEMBERSHIP?

THINK ABOUT A TRAMPOLINE!

Check out The Trampolines King Website for tons of FREE information & guidance in purchasing this wonderful piece of equipment that is affordable and helps burn TONS of calories (not to mention tons 'o fun)!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Mention Beverly's Blog "One Day At A Time"  when you order 
to get the best price available!

Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Bacon Onion and Smoked Gouda Cheeseburgers

Bacon, Onion & Smoked Gouda Cheeseburgers (9)

1 FlatOut "Fold It" Sandwich Wrap (1)
4 oz. 95% Fat Free Hamburger patty (4)
2 oz. reduced fat smoked gouda (2)
2 pieces center cut, canadian or turkey bacon (cooked crisp) (2)
1/2 sweet onion (caramelized)
lettuce (use a bib lettuce or a lettuce mix to get some other veggies in there)
Any other veggies you desire (tomatoes, etc.)

Simply cook the beef patty to desired doneness. Slide burger onto the FlatOut Wheat Sandwich Wrap, place smoked gouda slice on top, slather on tons of grilled, sweet onions and some lettuce. You've re-created the BackYard Burger® version of this delicious burger without all the fat & calories! *(Note the picture of the burger is one from the Flatout bread site and not one of my burger... I didn't take the time to click a pic of the burger I created... wish I had and promise to do so next time!)


My inspiration for this burger was the Backyard Burger® Smoked Gouda burger... they won't even POST the nutritional values for this puppy but suffice it to say that a similar burger of theirs (with cheddar instead of gouda) comes in at a whopping 1170 calories, 79g fat and 3g of fiber according to their website! Does the points® calculator even WORK with those numbers or does it just explode (like your waistline)!?!?!?! By the way.. those numbers come in at about 29 points® for ONE burger! Um, hello that's a DAYS worth of points® for most people, if not more!!!!!! Putting mine on a wheat FlatOut sandwich wrap, omitting the mayo alone and using a low fat beef blows this burger out of the "healthy" waters and into the sinking depths of the obese.. I mean, abyss, it belongs in!!!!! I'm not hatin' on the BackYard® Burger version, just saying... maybe it's a great way to be inspired to create something healthier for yourself!? They've inspired quite a few versions of burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches for me to be honest and I will sometimes grab one of their Hawaiin Grilled Chicken sandwiches (no mayo, only 1/2 a bun) for a fairly nice main dish... I just have to remember to stay away from those chili cheese fries!

Check out my Daily Menu Food Log for a quick glance at what I'm eating to get where I'm at, which is a healthier & therefore thinner ME! While I don't always keep it up to date.. I do give you some different ideas of what might help you change up your daily menu!
Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Like this article? Twit it to your followers!



*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Even when I'm "OFF", I'm still pretty "ON"!

I impressed even my self over this weekend. With Valentine's Day being a day that, normally, I don't put too much thought into.... I really had decided that, even though I have the love of my life to celebrate it with... EVERY day should be one we celebrate. This being said, we decided to not "go out" or make a big deal about the day itself and actually ended up not even realizing that Sunday was Valentine's day other than a small gift we exchanged & a card. My sweetie had wanted to go "out" to eat but I asked if, instead, he wouldn't go for a nice steak dinner at home. Home cookin' is so much better tasting, so much cheaper, and allows us to eat in our big oversized jersey's and blankies! LOL


What I discovered about this "Valentines Day Weekend" was that I had decided to sort of "lay back a bit" on counting but not go crazy all weekend. Oddly enough, this train of thought didn't throw me into an eating frenzy of "bad for me" things & create a monster! Instead it opened my eyes to what my idea is "NOW" of, "being OFF" was... compared to my old self.... very different than what I used to think!

So how "Off" was I? Not as "Off" as you'd think! My splurge for the entire weekend was one of my biggest bad guys around... and I will confess up front that I cannot control myself with "REAL" ice cream! I did end up eating a TON of full fat, creamy, delicious, "Birthday Bash" Perry's Ice cream. This was the one item that I purchased that wouldn't fall in the "still healthy" category. Other than this item (of which I made sure I worked off those calories believe me!) everything else I "indulged" myself in was actually quite healthy! End result was that I used all of my "Points®" and some extras but I didn't have a gain (actually lost for the week). I also knew that over-indulging was going to require a decent "work-out" and better planning the rest of the week, so I compensated.

But the truth of the matter is this... you can be "OFF" program... or misbehave a bit... and still not really be off. For example; our Valentine's dinner was a thin cut T-Bone steak (as opposed to a 2" thick version & I ate only 1/2 or a "true portion" size of about 3 oz.), some mashed potatoes (made with skim milk & ate a single portion size, not a huge plate full), some veggies (always "ON" program) with a dessert of the 150 Calorie (3 pts) Betty Crocker single serve cakes you microwave. My dessert of choice was a chocolate raspberry cake. End result for dinner was an amazing dinner, flavored with tons of spices, and coming in at well in-program! Even my "extras" throughout the weekend were well within "healthy". I splurged with chocolates (the difference being that THIS time a "splurge" was 2 Ghirardelli squares which came in at 2 points® & not an entire BOX of chocolates). The bag quietly sat on the counter the rest of the weekend and I didn't even flinch. But WHY? WHY the change now?

I have begun to think thin. I know, I wrote an entire blog on "thinking thin"... and this is yet another example of how I've begun to do this. YOU can do it too! You have to realize one thing.. you are NOT perfect. Thin people do not think they can NEVER eat anything yummy, decadent or categorized as "bad" again in their life. What they do realize is that it can NOT be a way of life! This weekend my choices, even the items I made as special dinners, were all created with lower fat, lower point, lower calorie items. Example, I made amazing smoked gouda and bacon burgers with caramelized onions. "What?!", you say, "That CAN'T be "ON" program!?" .. .but truth be told it is totally okay to eat! How did I do it? Simple... instead of big, full buns that cost a good 3 or 4 points, I used the FlatOut® sandwich wraps (1 pt)... instead of 25% full of fat burgers I used 5% fat (95/5), bringing the points® down a good 3 points®.... instead of a full fat gouda, I used a lower fat gouda.. knocking off 1 point® & instead of loading on tons of mayo I opted for a ton of caramelized onions, taking off another 3-4 points® and adding a TON more flavor..... toss aside that fatty bacon and use center cut pieces or turkey (both the same point® wise), size it down to 2 strips instead of 4 and you've lost another 2 points®! My total for MY Grilled Smoked Gouda & Bacon with onions Burger was 9 points® as opposed to the same version with full fat, calorie and high point ingredients that I WOULD have used long ago that would bring the same burger to about 21 points® or more! And what did it take? Not much... better choices of ingredients, omitting some extra things (do you REALLY need 4 slices of bacon or can 2 pieces of center cut or turkey bacon work just as well.... is MAYO really a necessary ingredient to give the burger flavor or can you grill up some onions to add moisture and flavor... do you want a mouth full of bread or can the 1 point® FlatOut® wrap allow the rest of the burger flavor to come through.... and why get 2 ounces of meat for the same point® value you can get 4 ounces?!) and creating a more flavorful and friendly main dish!

My inspiration for this burger was the Backyard Burger® Smoked Gouda burger... they won't even POST the nutritional values for this puppy but suffice it to say that a similar burger of theirs (with cheddar instead of gouda) comes in at a whopping 1170 calories, 79g fat and 3g of fiber according to their website! Does the points® calculator even WORK with those numbers or does it just explode (like your waistline)!?!?!?! By the way.. those numbers come in at about 29 points® for ONE burger! Um, hello that's a DAYS worth of points® for most people, if not more!!!!!! Putting mine on a wheat FlatOut sandwich wrap, omitting the mayo alone and using a low fat beef blows this burger out of the "healthy" waters and into the sinking depths of the obese.. I mean, abyss, it belongs in!!!!! I'm not hatin' on the BackYard® Burger version, just saying... maybe it's a great way to be inspired to create something healthier for yourself!? They've inspired quite a few versions of burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches for me to be honest and I will sometimes grab one of their Hawaiin Grilled Chicken sandwiches (no mayo, only 1/2 a bun) for a fairly nice main dish... I just have to remember to stay away from those chili cheese fries!

*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.
Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc. and Points® is a registered trademark of the Weight Watchers® company.

Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal with a twist

I am not a breakfast lover. Don't get me wrong, I "do" breakfast but generally I "do" it hours after I've been awake or very lightly. Oddly enough I've never been a morning eater and most of my family seems that way. It's not a matter of time or even desire to eat or not eat but more so a matter of "my belly just isn't ready for food for at least an hour or more after I've been up".

Today I was hungry and wanted something kind of solid when my "ok I'm ready to eat now" gene kicked in! I decided I had been dying to try my Quaker® Cinnamon Bun Oatmeal (3 pts) but wanted just a little something to go with it. I glanced over and there was the answer... a single, lonely pack of Nabisco® 100 Calorie Pack Lorna Doone's. Then end result was an amazingly filling and ooooooh so delicious pair that will take me well into the lunch hour easily!

My "tip" of the day is: learn how to pair certain items up so you get the most bang for your "points®". Today's breakfast was a perfect example. For 3 points® I could have had a decent breakfast that would have been "good", and probably stuck with me for a couple of hours; however, for 5 points® I ended up having an amazing breakfast that hit every aspect of my taste buds needed.... crunchy, smooth, warm, sweet and most of all it was extra filling! Take the time to give YOURSELF that little extra boost. You deserve to go the extra mile and get an "amazing" meal, as opposed to an "okay" one! Not only will it keep you from straying into the abyss of "I am so deprived" but it will make you feel like you're really doing this right!

So next time you're whipping up a quick dinner, lunch or breakfast... take that 2 seconds more to add an item that brings it "up a notch" to the next level and enjoy!!!!!

Some different items I love to pair together to bring my meal to the next level:

• Something crunchy to something creamy - a perfect example of this is a 1/2 pack of 100 calorie treats to a container of yogurt (go that double extra mile and put it in another bowl instead of eating it out of the container if you can)
  
  
• Extra flavorful spices - sometimes something as simple as sprinkling on an additional spice or flavoring will bring your dish completely to the other side! One of my favorite "spices" or additions is a "sprinkle" I purchased from GFS (Gordon Food Service) made by Trade East® Spices called "Cinnamon Maple Sprinkles". Zero Points® at 5 calories for 1/4 teaspoon, you can add this on top of waffles, into mashed sweet potatoes or on top of a baked sweet potato. I add to sweet potato fries (my favorite being the Alexia® Sweet Potato fries.. the most bang for your points®), along with some sea salt to give my "side dish" a sweet 'n salty flavor. Top off your "diet bread" toast and suddenly something you simply tossed in the toaster now tastes like you cooked it up in the fry pan and created "french toast" instead! And this is just ONE spice I'm working with, can you imagine the possibilities when you look in your cupboard at all those spices?!
  
  
• Learn the art of "drizzle" - I tend to keep a bottle of "light" chocolate syrup, a bottle of sugar free maple syrup, fat free caramel topping and sometimes even strawberry syrup to drizzle on treats. With literally minimal calories for a DRIZZLE (key word) you can change up the flavor quickly & easily! A perfect example... I will take a packaged 2 point® Weight Watchers® Chocolate Chip Brownie, place it on a plate (paper plates are a staple for easy clean up but nicer presentation), and drizzle some syrup across it. Eat it with a fork and you feel like you went crazy with dessert but didn't add any extra points! I'll do the same with an Arnolds® Sandwich Thin, toasted and drizzled with some caramel and an apple. Yummy caramel apple "tart" in seconds!
  

These are just a few ideas! Feel free to add some of your ideas in the comments! A few extra seconds of prep can end up creating an amazing treat without an amazing addition of calories or points®!

AssistU has been the whole reason I've had
the best results following the
Weight Watchers® program...
changing 1 lb or less losses to
an average of 3 lbs most weeks!
Check out this ALL NATURAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT!
Use DISCOUNT CODE 112BP to get the best price available!
Ask for a free sample!

Check out my Daily Menu Food Log for a quick glance at what I'm eating to get where I'm at, which is a healthier & therefore thinner ME! While I don't always keep it up to date.. I do give you some different ideas of what might help you change up your daily menu!


Don't forget to check out my newest Book Blog, where I give book reviews on recent books I've read. If you're a reader you'll want to check this out!

WE CAN DO THIS, TOGETHER
ONE DAY AT A TIME!

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Who Else Helps me get healthy?
These are just a few of the people online that inspire me along with AssistU....

1.
Check out the Fab Fatties - tons of ideas, comic relief & great give-aways!

2. Joe Gigantino - Fitness Trainer
This is the guy that really set me on the path to physical fitness - Sign up for his FREE newsletter!



3.

4. BWJEN - Another WW Buddy & A 'bookworm' too!?



5.

5.

6.Sean Anderson the formerly 500lb man!
Diary of A Winning Loser - Sean is an inspiration to anyone trying to get healthy!


*Note I am not affiliated nor endorsed by Weight Watchers® at all, in any way. I highly recommend their program and cannot say enough GOOD about it, but I also have decided that they were my "stepping stone" to making a change in my lifestyle. Any mention of Weight Watchers®, their program or their term of "points®" does not mean they have approved, seen, or endorsed anything on my blogs.

Also, if at any time Points® are mentioned it is always with the assumption that you will analyze the recipes, foods, ingredients and figure the points out specifically for your consumption of any product, as ingredients may vary by brand, size, etc.