Watermelon Cucumber Lime Salad

(4 servings)
3 cups watermelon, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 cucumber, peeled
1 lime
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (for example, Kosher salt)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Chop cucumber in one inch cubes and mix in large bowl with watermelon. Squeeze lime over mixture and add salt and cayenne. Toss and serve immediately.
This salad doesn’t store well because the watermelon tends to get soggy after you add salt.
For one serving: 46 calories, 0.3 g fat, 11.4 g carbohydrates, 8.3 g sugar, 1.2 g protein, 0.9 g fiber, 243 mg sodium, 1 PointsPlus

How to Get Through Your Hardest Time of Day

When are you most likely to overeat? Use these tips to avoid temptation, no matter when it strikes.

Article By: Melissa Sperl COMMENTS (4)

Some people find prime-time television hours the hardest on their weight-loss plan; others say midnight's the worst. Still others fall off-track mid-afternoon. And for a smaller group, right after breakfast is the most difficult time to stay away from snacks.

In a recent poll, we asked WeightWatchers.com users what the hardest time of day was for them to stick to their diet plan. Two percent said morning, 32 percent said mid-afternoon, 46 percent said evening, and 18 percent said late at night. Which time zone do you fall in?
Whichever your "weak" time is, we can help. We asked Kimberly Glenn, MS, RD, LD, of Northside Hospital's weight-reduction clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, for some time-tested advice.
Morning Munchies
Helen of Dundurn, Saskatchewan, Canada, says: I eat breakfast each morning (I know you aren't supposed to skip meals), but struggle thereafter. I always crave something sweet. It's a vicious cycle.
Glenn says: First things first, start out with a healthy breakfast; you can do it on the run. Make sure you include protein and fiber — without them, you'll get hungry quicker. Try:

• High-fiber cereal, milk and fruit.
• Packets of oatmeal, made with milk.

If you eat breakfast at 7 a.m. and feel hungry again at 10, don't be distressed. If you're on a good schedule, you should feel hungry every three or four hours. Have a healthy snack, maybe a piece of fruit, just to tide you over. And if it's going to be a long time until your next meal, include protein in your snack — maybe eat a Luna or other protein bar.
Afternoon Appetite
Elaine of Cheyenne, Wyoming, says: As soon as I hit the door at home, my hunger pangs go wild! I have to have something to curb my appetite until dinner is ready. Usually I make smart choices, but sometimes I fall into the "ugh" mode.
Glenn says: Most people have a hard time at this time of day. A lot of people eat lunch between 11 and 1 and dinner at 6, so a snack in between makes sense. Try:

• Yogurt and cereal
• Cottage cheese and fruit

Avoid sugary, empty-calorie foods. If you eat things like that, you'll still be hungry and you may overeat later. An afternoon snack should give you energy and keep you full until dinner.
Evening Grazing
Jamie of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, says: After I've had my three sensible meals during my busy day, [during the evenings] I simply want to relax at home and snack. It's so easy to "throw in the towel" after behaving well all day.
Glenn says: Where are you eating when you eat at this time? Do you have a favorite chair that you eat and watch TV in? When you're in a "comfort" place like that, you're likely to lose track of the quantity you take in. The first step is to try to not eat in your "happy place," but if you really want to, have a set snack — don't graze.
Try to stick with snacks that have built-in portion control. Last but not least, enjoy your snack: There's nothing wrong with having one, just so long as you don't go overboard.
Midnight Nibbling
Karen of Brooklyn, New York, says: My worst time is late at night. I have trouble falling asleep, and tend to go in the kitchen and nibble.
What Glenn says: You need to ask yourself, am I really hungry or am I just bored? Am I eating because of stress or an emotional issue? Close the kitchen — make it off-limits until the morning — or limit yourself to sugar-free hot chocolate or hot tea. Have a snack planned for a certain time: Limit yourself to that one snack and see if it satisfies you. (And if you're having a serious problem with insomnia, you might want to discuss it with your doctor.)

This Month's Routine: Before eating anything, ask yourself, "Is this worth the PointsPlus values?" Meeting Topic:  How to Flip a Slip-Up

Roatsed Blueberry Oat Bars
Servings: 9
Serving Size: 1 bar
Nutritional Information: 254 calories, 8.6g of fat, 40.6g of carbohydrates, 3.4g of fiber, 4.8g of protein * 6 PointsPlus

Ingredients

• 16 oz. blueberries
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 cups oats
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the blueberries with 1 tbsp. brown sugar and balsamic vinegar is using. Roast for 20 minutes in a glass pan. Set aside and let cool.
2. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 9 baking dish with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, mix together the oats, flours, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, melted butter, and honey.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a dough.
5. Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your baking dish.
6. Pour the roasted blueberries and any juice on top.
7. Top with the remaining dough. This can be a little difficult so if you need to just press small pieces of dough flat in your hands and lay on top, scattering them to cover most of the top. It’s fine if blueberries poke through in some spots.
8. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

A perfect Meatless dish

 A perfect Meatless dish, and even the meat-lovers in your house will enjoy this sandwich. 

If you're a newbie to Skinnytaste, check out my tip on how to make a larger sandwich for less calories. If you are making this for one, simply divide the ingredients by four.

Eggplant Panini with Pesto
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4  Serving Size: 1 panini • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 336 • Fat: 8.5 g • Protein: 11.4 g • Carb: 50 g • Fiber: 3.8 g • Sugar: 2.7 g
Sodium: 394 mg (without salt) 


Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, about 12-14 oz
• kosher salt to taste
• olive oil spray (I used my misto)
• 12 oz french bread (or baguette), cut into 4 pieces
• 4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese (Sargento )
• 2 tbsp skinny pesto 
• 8 thin sliced tomato

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the eggplant slices on a paper towel and season with salt; set aside about 30 minutes. This will help draw some of the moisture out of the eggplant. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.

Preheat panini grill. Lightly spritz eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, grill eggplant about 7-8 minutes, turning once half way through. Set aside.

Slice the bread open and place 3 slices of grilled eggplant, 1 slice of mozzarella, 1/2 tablespoon of pesto, and 2 slices of tomatoes on each sandwich.

Close and lightly spray the top of the bread with oil. Place on a panini press and close until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted. Cut in half diagonally and eat immediately.

how to reach any goal

How to Reach Any Goal
Make an ambitious, achievable goal — and stick to it!
Article By: Amanda Genge

So, you set a goal — weight-loss, fitness, or otherwise — but did you set a timeline, too? Leaving an open-ended deadline won’t help you stay accountable to your good intentions. Assign a thought-out, workable deadline — not an arbitrary date — to guide your progress. Here are some ways to keep yourself on track and achieve your goals:

Establish a clear date
The first thing to do is decide on a deadline. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds by a wedding or reunion, for instance (keep in mind that on the PointsPlus® program, you can expect to lose one to two pounds per week). Or you can link your goal to a fitness event you plan to participate in, such as a 5K walk or run. If you don’t have any existing “built-in” deadlines, now’s the time to think of one (even if it’s as basic as reaching a certain weight by the start of the next season).

Get a calendar — and set reminders
Make it visual. Use color-coding or fun stickers to mark milestones (or mini-deadlines) along the way. Hang the calendar on a wall in a spot where you’ll see it often (like in the kitchen or by the front door), or place it prominently on your desk. Prefer digital reminders? Build them into your cell phone calendar or even set up reminders in your work computer calendar. Include tasks that will help you reach your goal, so at the end of each day you can have the satisfaction of crossing them off!

Surround yourself with encouragement
Let important people in your life know you’re making a change for the better. Let them know how they can keep you on track with positive words and reassurances when you hit bumps in the road.

Reward yourself — along the way and at the end
Every step you take in the right direction (going for a training run, making a smart food choice in a tempting situation) should be acknowledged. Don’t forget to celebrate more "official" milestones as well, like reaching your 10% weight-loss goal . Take a tip from preschoolers everywhere and set up a sticker chart, awarding yourself a gold star for even the simplest victories and achievements. It also can’t hurt to have a clear reward in mind when you reach your goal, even it’s tied to the goal itself (such as fitting into a smaller clothing size: you can splurge on a new outfit). For more inspiration, here are 14 ways to celebrate without gaining weight.

Know how to regroup when you hit a rough patch
The best way to make sure a bump in the road doesn’t turn into a huge detour is to arm yourself with coping strategies ahead of time. Read up on how to handle a gain and how to recover from vacation indulgences.