Set healthy goals for yourself for healthy life. Diet, exercise and healthy eating will not happen by itself or randomly, you have to workout seriously and actively towards it.

Oatmeal Pancakes w/ Bananas

Oatmeal Pancakes
w/ Bananas
6 servings @ 7 each
Turkey Link Sausages
3 links @ 3 total
2 c Aunt Jemima whole wheat pancake mix
½ c old fashion oats
3 med ripe bananas, sliced
(2 T packed br. sugar, 1 ½ c FF milk, 2 eggs,
Sugar Free syrup)
18 turkey sausage links
Combine all ingredients except bananas & syrup in a large bowl. If batter is too thick, add addt’l small amounts of milk until desired consistency. Heat a large sprayed skillet or griddle on med heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ c batter onto medium hot griddle. Cook until browned. Serving: 3 pancakes, ½ banana & ¼ c syrup.
Brown sausage as directed. Serving: 3 links

‎1 to 2 average weight in pounds of a pair of women's shoes. No wonder many members take then off before weigh-in.

True or False?? If you exercise before breakfast you burn more fat??


Sorry, but the time of day doesn't matter. But the advantage to morning exercise is that it's done first thing, and you've earned your activity PointsPlus values!

this weeks meeting topic

Be sure to come in this week and find out all about : Snack Smart

Oranges: Don’t just think navels. Tangerines, mandarins, clementines & cara caras are rich in Vitamin C too. Swap your morning OJ for a whole orange, as it has more fiber & takes longer to eat than the juice, to help you feel full on fewer calories (45 cals). Clementines are the perfect snack: small, easy to peel & pop, with soluble fiber that breaks down upon digestion & forms a gel to stabilize your blood sugar levels.

Pile on the Power Foods
There's a reason we made all fruits and most veggies Power Foods – and 0 PointsPlus® values: They're a fabulous tool for weight loss. Here's how to get them into your meal plan.
Article By: Melissa Sperl

If you're like many people, you may find it hard to fit five servings of fruits and vegetables into your menu each day. It makes sense: When you're more used to extra breads, meats and cheeses than veggies and fruits, it's a big adjustment.

But it's an important part of the Plan, so do what you can to make the change. It's worth it. In addition to all fresh fruits and most vegetables having zero PointsPlus values, fruits and veggies offer the following perks:

They make you feel fuller.
They're rich sources of disease-fighting antioxidants.
They reduce the risk of heart disease.
They provide folic acid, vitamins and minerals.
They increase energy, fight infection, improve regularity, keep skin healthy, promote normal blood clotting and build bones!
Fitting them in
There are many ways to include more fruits and vegetables into your meals. Variety is key. When you go grocery shopping, pick up a fruit you've never tried before or spice up your green beans with a fiery peanut sauce instead of the usual butter spray.

Here are some tricks to try:

Add vegetables to frozen entrees, pasta dishes, soups or wraps.
Use frozen veggies to save time. Add them to recipes or use them on their own.
Snack on crudités with salsa, hummus, low-fat dip or dressing.
Buy fresh seasonal, local or organic veggies, which are often more flavorful.
Mix fruits into salads for a surprising new taste.

Power Up With Power Foods
Make sure you're getting the nutrients you need to boost your health while losing weight. Check out these quick and easy snack and meal ideas made with Power Foods.

Recipe Roundup: Power Foods All Day Long
Power Foods pack a serious nutritional punch, so it makes sense to try and incorporate them into meals and snacks whenever you can. Here are two dozen delicious ways to get them in your daily menu.

Need a Break from Tracking?
The Simply Filling technique might be good for you if you're too busy to track, on vacation or in any situation where tracking might get complicated. Talk to your Leader about giving the Simply Filling technique a whirl for a day or two, or more.

Use the PointsPlusTracker® to Monitor Your Hunger
Rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5 before and after each meal. Aim to stay within your comfort zone. This means eating only until you feel satisfied - not until you feel stuffed.

You may have been told that cardio is the ultimate fat burner, but that effect stops the minute you hop off the treadmill. Build more muscle and you'll keep your body burning fat all day long.
Adding just two sessions per week of heavy lifting can reduce your body fat by three percent without cutting calories.
So when will you start to Lift Things Up and Put them down???? HMMMM

Today's Goal: Exercise and eat right! Tomorrow's Goal: Repeat! - Tony Horton

Myth #1: As Long As You’re Eating Healthy Foods, Calories Don’t Matter.
False: If you indulge every day without accounting for their calories, you’re likely to gain weight.

Did you know that SLEEP is a big part of a healthy lifestyle/weight loss success... you should be getting 7-8 hours per night. Are you?

Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Broccoli & Cheese
Soup
6 servings @ 4 each
Apple & Cranberry Salad
6 servings @ 2 each
½ c chopped onions
14 oz frozen broccoli florets
3 ½ c FF chicken broth
6 oz 2 % Velveeta, diced
(2 t olive oil, ½ c FF milk, ¼ c corn starch,
½ t garlic powder)
6 T bacon bits
1 bag chopped salad
2 med. apples, diced
½ c dried cranberries
(3 T white wine vinegar, 3 T honey)
Sauté onions in olive oil in a large stockpot over med heat. Add broccoli and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 – 5 min. Slowly add cheese, stirring until melted. Blend milk, corn starch & garlic powder then slowly add to soup. Let simmer until thickened. Makes 6 servings. Top each w/ 1 T bacon bits.
Toss Romaine, apples, & cranberries and divide into 6 servings. Combine vinegar & honey and drizzle evenly over salads.

Be sure to come in this week for : Stretch your POINTSPLUS budget!

Go-To Cheese Snacks!

 Go-To Cheese Snacks!

The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
Devoted readers are well aware that this is pretty much our favorite cheese item of all time. But while we're constantly extolling the virtues of the Light Creamy Swiss variety and its potential for world domination, it's important to remember the other light flavors: Blue Cheese, Garlic & Herb, French Onion, Queso Fresco & Chipotle, and Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil! Each wedge has just 35 calories and 1.5 - 2g fat (PointsPlus® value 1*)... and each deserves to be devoured at some point.

Light String Cheese
There isn't one specific brand we stick to -- we tend to get the kinds by Sargento, Weight Watchers, and Frigo. Look for light string cheese with 50 - 60 calories and about 2.5g fat per stick (PointsPlus® value 1*). The best-tasting light string cheese ever is Weight Watchers Smoked Flavor. YUM!!! P.S. String cheese isn't just for snacking; we use it in recipes all the time, either pulled into strings or shredded in a food processor or blender.

Mini Babybel
"Hungry Girl, you forgot to specify Light." Nope. Here's the thing: Mini Babybel Light does indeed rock, with just 50 calories and 3g fat (PointsPlus® value 1*). However, there are many great varieties of regular Mini Babybel, and the stats are good too: Each piece has 60 - 80 calories and 5 - 6g fat (PointsPlus® value 2*). Choose from White Cheddar, Gouda, and more. Love 'em!

Zesty Shrimp Pasta

Zesty Shrimp
Pasta
6 servings @ 9 each
Green Salad
6 servings @ 2 each
12 oz penne pasta, cooked & drained
2 / 14 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
6 scallions, cut into strips
(1 ½ t salt)
¾ c shredded 2 % sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag chopped salad
2 large tomatoes, diced
( 12 T Kraft Light Ranch dressing)
Bring diced tomatoes to a low boil in a large skillet. Reduce heat; simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp, scallions, & salt. Cook until shrimp are done, about 4 minutes. Add pasta; stir and top with cheese.
Toss salad items together and divide into 6 portions.

If you train your mind to search for the positive things about other people, you will be surprised at how many good things you can observe in them and comment upon.
Maya Angelou

Take a few moments each day to be in a state of appreciation for the immediate surroundings that you call home, regardless of how grand or humble they might be. Give thanks to those who provide this home, to those who share it with you, and for the blessing of a shelter. In turn, do whatever you can to assist those in our world who do not have a home whether it be a service financially, spiritually, or physically.

Fit Tip 3: Spice it up.

Fit Tip 3: Spice it up.
You know that old saying, “Variety is the spice of life,” right? Actually, Jack LaLanne made that up (well, maybe he didn’t). If you do the same exact workout every time you exercise, before long you’ll be bored. Combat fitness fatigue by joining a gym that offers a range of classes at times convenient to you or come up with other ways to mix things up on your own.

Italian Style Chicken Breasts

Italian Style
Chicken Breasts
6 servings @ 6 each
California Blend Veggies
6 servings @ 2 each
Cantaloupe
1 cup @ 0 each
1 ½ lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts
(½ t salt, ¼ t pepper, 2 T olive oil,¼ c white wine)
9 oz bag fresh spinach
8 oz sliced mushrooms
14 oz diced Italian style tomatoes, undrained
1 c shredded Italian blend cheese
2/ 12 oz bags California blend veggies
½ c shredded Italian blend cheese
6 c diced cantaloupe
Sauté chicken in a large sprayed pan until lightly browned. Add in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cover & cook 4 – 5 min longer. Remove pan from heat and top chicken with shredded cheese. Let stand until heat melts cheese.
Microwave veggies as directed. Sprinkle with Italian blend cheese while still hot.
Serve cantaloupe on the side.

When recipes such as dips call for sour cream, substitute plain yogurt. Use fat-free evaporated milk instead of cream, and try ricotta cheese as a substitute for cream cheese.

This weeks meeting topic

This weeks meeting topic: Change from the outside in. Come in to a meeting and hear all about it!

Figure out how big your portions really are:
Measure how much the bowls, glasses, cups, and plates you usually use hold. Pour your breakfast cereal into your regular bowl. Then, pour it into a measuring cup. How many cups of cereal do you eat each day?

Walk

The below walk is not an official weight watchers organized event.  It is just weight watchers members getting together to walk.

Weight Watcher Friends 5K FUN Walk - 8 am - Saturday, February 11, 2012

Due to numerous requests, it's time to start our walks back up again! Even if you can't do the entire 3.1 miles yet, challenge yourself and do what you can! 


Weight Watcher Friends 5K FUN Walk - 8 am - Saturday, February 11, 2012

You are invited! We are meeting in the parking lot of RiteAid/Mobil at the corner of McBean and Decoro in Valencia for a 5K (3.1 miles) walk along the river trail. This is a FLAT trail --- don't miss out on the free FUN! Family, friends and your four-legged companions are always welcome! Bring bottled water.

We will depart the parking lot at 8 am SHARP.

It takes ONE positive person to change the energy of one thousand negative people. Be that one!! :-)

It takes ONE positive person to change the energy of one thousand negative people. Be that one!! :-)

Don't look back. You're not going that way!

This weeks meeting topic

This weeks meeting topic is : Make Powerful Plans! Be sure to come in to a meeting this week to find out more!

Ham & Hash Brown Soup

Ham & Hash Brown Soup
6 servings @ 5 each
Crescent Rolls
1 roll @ 3 each
4 c hash browns
(4 c water)
8 oz diced lean ham
1 ½ c thin sliced carrots
14 oz can cream corn
11 oz can Fiesta Nacho cheese soup
1 can RF crescent rolls
Combine hash browns, water, ham, and carrots in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 min or until veggies are tender. Add corn and soup then simmer for 15 min, stirring often. Add small amounts of water if needed.
Bake rolls as directed.

Fitness tip # 3

Fitness tip # 3 - Do a jumping jack with skipping rope
Borrow a skipping rope and start jumping. You will be loosing as much as 70 to 110 calories in only 10 minutes.

Fitness tip # 2 - Walk yourself:
Take a quick walk around the neighborhood b4 breakfast/after dinner. Even small increments of daily activity can burn body fat. Walking not only tones your hips, legs and lower back muscles, but also keeps you energized throughout the day.

15 Days of Fitness Tips coming you way.

15 Days of Fitness Tips coming you way....

Fitness tip # 1 - Split it up
Instead of spending one hour to the gym, do six 10-minute workout sessions throughout the day. Try some slow stretches, leg crunches or lunges when you get up in the morning, during short breaks at work or while you are watching your favourite show at T.V.