Gnocci Marinara

Another delicious recipie from the WW website...Gnocci Marinara.  YUMMY!!  Everyone liked this one, except Taylor, but she doesn't like anything.  If it's not wrapped with bread or covered in peanut butter, she won't eat it.  Anyway...

If you don't know what Gnocci is, it's an Italian potato "pasta".  It's kind of like a little dumpling and you can find it in the pasta aisle at any grocery store.  My favorite is the mini Gnocci.  It's cute :)

Enjoy!

Gnocci Marninara

16 oz dry gnocchi
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/4 c. basil, chopped, fresh

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, grated

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain and keep warm. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.  Press in the garlic with a garlic press, then add the tomoatoes, basil and red pepper.  Cook until the tomatoes have broken down to form a thick sauce, about 20 minutes (I used a 24oz can of chopped tomatoes and it worked great!).  Add the gnocchi; toss to coat.  Serve at once, sprinkled with the cheese.

This recipe makes 4 HUGE servings, and one serving is 4 points on WW. 

* If you don't want to use the gnocchi, try it with pasta.  Something chunky like shells, rotini or radiatore.

Weigh-In #4

This week's verdict:  -2 pounds

Grand total: 15 pounds!

That means I've lost 2 of the 20 pounds I want to lose by Christmas.  Sweet!

I couldn't be happier :)

Bleh!

Okay, so...

Today wasn't my best day.  I didn't eat "badly", I just didn't really eat very well.  For example:  for breakfast I had a bagel thin with cream cheese--pretty good.  Then I had one cinnamon pull-apart and a handful of crackers.  Still okay.  Then a string cheese.  Lunchtime passed and I hadn't eaten--NOT GOOD!  I picked kids up from school and on the way home I stopped and got a Minute Maid Lite (only 5 calories) and a bag of Baked Lays.  Okay choice, but still, nothing substantial.  I got home and had  a bowl of Progresso Soup which is low in points, so that's good, but it was 4:00 in the afternoon.

I had to get to rehearsal at 7:00, but needed to leave at 6:15 to run to the store first, so I left without eating.  At rehearsal I ate a banana, a cup of sugar free pudding and a 100 calorie pack of Cheese-Its.  Still good choices, but basically snacking.  When I got home at almost 10:00 I was hungry so I ate a Lean Cuisine Pizza which was tasty, but an awfully late dinner.

So...it wasn't my best day BUT, I'm proud that I made good food choices and didn't go off the program like I so easily could have.  Tomorrow is a new day and it will be a good one!

3 weeks into my weight loss...

It's interesting...

Since I started WW and started really, REALLY trying to lose weight (for good this time!) I feel different about ME.  I have a terrible self esteem stemming all the way back to when I was a kid, and for once, I feel proud of myself.

I can drive past places like McDonalds, Del Taco, Arctic Circle (all of which are within 5 minutes of my house) and I don't want to stop and get something to eat.  It used to be my favorite thing to do.  If I was out and about, I'd always think in my head, "I'll just stop by Wendy's and get a hamburger".  And now?  I wouldn't dream of stopping!

Yesterday I had rehearsal at 5:30 for the play I am in, and so knowing this I planned ahead.  I went to Subway and got a foot long Veggie sandwich and had half for lunch and saved the other half for dinner.  Everyone else at rehearsal brought pizza or hamburgers, and I was content with my sandwich.  It tasted delicious AND it was only 5 points on WW.

It feels awesome knowing I am taking care of ME and my family.  My kids comment daily about how good dinner has been and that makes me feel like a good mom.  For too long, we were eating out and had terrible eating habits, and now, we are eating healthy.  I don't want my kids to go through what I am, so knowing I am teaching them good eating habits makes me feel like an even better mom!

I feel good!  And that's awesome!

Diet Tip #3

First of all, let me be honest.  This tip is REALLY hard for me.

Diet Tip #3:  weigh ONCE a week!  I tend to want to weigh EVERY day so I can make sure what I am doing is working, but it's not a good idea.  Your weight can fluctuate from day to day.  One day you might be up a pound, and then the next day be down 2.  You can easily get discouraged from the day to day changes, so force yourself (like I do) to only weigh once a week.  If you have to, put the scale away to avoid temptation.

It's best to be consistent and weigh the SAME day, wearing the SAME thing at the SAME time once a week.  For example, I weigh every Sunday at 9am wearing what the Lord gave me!  (TMI right?)  DON'T drink or eat before you weigh and make sure you make a visit to the porcelian throne!

I admit, I have weighed during the week occasionally, but it always frustrates me, so just don't do it!  Leave it to once a week--the pounds lost will be higher which makes it that much more exciting!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm pretty sure everyone already knows this recipe,  but it is such a tasty cookie, I thought I'd add it to my blog.  It's another WW recipe, so I gotta give them credit.

I made these cookies a few nights ago and my family ate them all in about 2 days.  They stay soft & moist if you put them in an airtight container and taste absolutely delicious!  They are SO simple to make, and on WW they are only 2 points per cookie, which means you can easily eat more than ONE!  YAY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pkg Spice cake mix (dry) 

1 large can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 bag chocolate chips

Mix spice cake mix with pumpkin and fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by large spoonful on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. 

How easy is THAT?

I have used a carrot cake mix when I can't find a spice cake mix and they are just as good! They are easy and yummy--I dare you to eat just one!

Weigh In #3

Holy crap, I can't believe this:

Down 5 more pounds!!

I can't believe what a great start I am off to!  It blows my mind how easy this has been.  No, easy isn't the word.  I am in such a "mind-set" right now, I refuse to let anything get in the way of my success which truly makes it something I can do successfully.  Does that make sense?

My clothes are already fitting different and I wanna say I look different in the mirror, but I think it's a bit early for that.  Toal pounds lost so far: 13!  My short term goal is to lose another 20 pounds by the time we go to my brother's for Christmas in Arizona.  I have approximately 8 weeks.

I can do it!!