Weight Watcher Friendly Breakfast

Tired of the same breakfast day after day? Try something new. It is late summer and tomatoes are abundant. Stop by your farmer’s market and pick up a couple of big beefsteak tomatoes and get creative.

This morning,  in our wonderful local group, we talked about the hidden calories in Mexican Cuisine. I love Mexican food. We don’t have to give up what we love in Weight Watchers. Instead we can step outside the box of what we were taught. Ditch the butter and throw in some salsa. Embrace new ideas about food.

We eat first with our eyes. When your food is colorful, your body says yum yum before you even take a bite. Experiment with colors by using fruits and vegetables to brighten up your plate. I assure you it will be exciting for your palette.

Breakfast Taco

5 Weight Watcher Friendly Points +

Ingredients:

2 Corn Tortillas

1 Egg

1/2 cup Fresh Salsa

Vegetable Oil Spray

Instructions:

Heat a small non stick skillet and once warm spray it with cooking spray. Warm tortillas, one at a time, in the skillet on Medium High Heat. Set the warm tortillas aside. Spray the skillet once more. Crack a whole egg into the pan and turn the heat down to medium low. Put a lid on the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Place the basted egg on top of your tortillas and season with fresh salsa. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Nutritional Label: http://www.fitwatch.com/database/analyzer_nutrients.php?ndb_no1=18363&qty1=2&msre1=2&ndb_no2=01129&qty2=1&msre2=3&ndb_no3=06164&qty3=.33&msre3=1&ndb_no4=&qty4=&msre4=&ndb_no5=&qty5=&msre5=&ndb_no6=&qty6=&msre6=&ndb_no7=&qty7=&msre7=&ndb_no8=&qty8=&msre8=&ndb_no9=&qty9=&msre9=&ndb_no10=&qty10=&msre10=&ndb_no11=&qty11=&msre11=&ndb_no12=&qty12=&msre12=&recipename=Breakfast+Taco&yield=1

Posted: September 17th, 2011 under Breakfast, Budget Friendly, Sandwich Remakes, Vegetarian, WW Points Plus.
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Today I left myself a little unprepared. My daughter had an early morning shift which threw off my game a little bit. I talked myself into doing 30 minutes of cardio at the gym although I normally take Thursday’s off since I was already up and dressed.  By the time I got to work I realized I didn’t have lunch with me.  When noon rolled around I was hungry.  I asked myself what I wanted and Chinese food was sounding good. I remembered one of my go to places: Panda Express. While I prefer organically grown food most of the time, when I am in a place where I need something nutritious and quick I like Panda Express. When I got home I realized I had eaten a little more than a normally do, and was a little hard on myself while calculating the nutrition facts on Panda’s website. To my surprise, when I entered the information into the points finder on Weight Watcher’s Etools, I only ate 10 Points! Instead of beating myself up,  I validated myself for making good choices.

For lunch today I had Popcorn Shrimp, Mixed Vegetables , and two Spring Rolls. It was delicious, satisfying,  and only 10 points. The one drawback: Sodium 1880mg, that can cause water retention and mess up weigh in day. That is really not too bad considering the recommended maximum dailly amount of Sodium by the American Heart Association is 2300mg. That is just a little more than 1 teaspoon of table salt. It is just quite a bit more than I typically would eat in a meal. This is a great article about Sodium: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

All in all, This choice was delicious and not so bad. While I would prefer organic, I was pleased to see they have added brown rice to their menu and are now making their Fried Rice with Brown Rice!  Eating out can be tricky and I wish I had calculated it before I ate it and gone in with a plan.  I would have enjoyed the experience more having known ahead of time that I choose my points well for my day.

This Skinny Girl in charge is pleased! XANRA

Hungry

Posted: May 9th, 2013 under Budget Friendly, Thoughts on Compulsive Eating, WW Points Plus.
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Light Mushroom Omelet

Do you ever have few mushrooms left over and hanging around in the refrigerator? This morning I did and decided to have a delicious omelet.  In Weight Watchers I have learned to do so many things differently. For instance in my omelets I use one egg and one egg white. I use olive oil spray instead of melted butter. I skip the cheese all together or use a little parmesan cheese or feta. The cooking tip for today:  Cook your mushrooms at a very high temperature to lock in the moisture.

A while back I went on to craigslist and found a local women who has a backyard egg business. Now every Friday I take a ride out to place and get my fresh eggs. Fresh eggs do not compare to store bought eggs. Even the higher quality eggs have taken at least a week to get to your supermarket. I highly suggest either getting a doghouse and  a couple of chickens in your backyard, or checking craigslist to see who is selling eggs in your neighborhood.

Light Mushroom Omelete

4 Points Plus

Ingredients:

1 Egg

1 Egg White

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1 Cup Sliced Fresh Mushrooms

¼ Cup Chopped Onions

Olive Oil Spray

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

Heat a small non-stick skillet until hot, add I teaspoon  olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until dark and moist, set mushrooms aside on a plate. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Spray the skillet with olive oil spray.

Scramble 1 egg and 1 egg while. Add a pinch of salt to retain the moisture in the eggs.  Pour the scrambled eggs in the skillet and swirl them around until they evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Cook on Medium low heat for one minute.  Add the mushrooms and onions. Do not stir. Place a lid over the skillet and cook an additional minute.  Fold half of the egg over the top of the mushrooms.  Plate the omelet and enjoy.

Weight Watcher Points ± 4

Protein:  13g        Carbrohydrates:   7.78g           Dietary Fiber: 1.7g           Fat: 9.89g

Posted: November 6th, 2012 under Breakfast, Budget Friendly, Filling Staples, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, WW Points Plus.
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Frozen Banana

Ever wonder what to do with your over ripe bananas? Simply peel them, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and freeze them. When you have a sweet tooth, simply pull one out the the freezer and spread 1 Tablespoon of Nutella on the frozen banana. Whoo Hooo…. a wonderful frozen fruit treat!

Posted: October 23rd, 2012 under Uncategorized.
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Today I experienced being  hungry, genuinly hungry. So I checked in with myself. Was I hungry, angry, tired, bored? I was truly hungry, drowsy and falling asleep, and really needing to eat something if I was not going to pass out.   Only problem was… no fruit, veggies, or nuts in my backpack. Weight Watchers Meeting have taught me to be prepared. Very rarely do I experience hunger when I follow Weight Watchers guidelines. This is the difference between eating right and being on a “diet”. Normally if I am wanting to eat, it doesn’t have anything to do with actual hunger. Likely it is a gut level response to avoid what I am emotionally triggered about. 

I have been experiencing a reprieve from the compulsive eating compulsion. I  had been on a wonderful pink cloud of no desire to eat compulsively. The last couple of days,  I ended the day a point or two under,  mainly due to the amount of exercise I have been getting riding my bike to work and back. Yesterday,  I went to yoga and took a long walk with my World Class Athlete Husband. I racked up quite a few activity points and I didn’t realize I wasn’t eating enough until the hungrys came on me. This I learned could be a slippery sloap, I found myself wanting a bagel! That is a BIG warning sign. This gluten free girl knows what is happening when the wheat cravings come on, and suddenly out of no where, I start dreaming of bagels. So I breathed in love for my body and asked myself: What have I done lately that satisfies hunger and works with my food plan?”

I find myself walking around town looking for something that would feed my body and soul and fit my bank account. The Downtown area I work in is like working in a shopping mall. Food is everywhere and I smell it all day long. First,  I went to Jamba Juice where I know I can get a 4 point smoothie with a 12 gram protein boost for a extra point. I decided I wanted to eat not drink my second breakfast so I stepped out and saw a Subway. Aha! I remembered the egg white omelet on a whole grain english muffin choice from before I started the gluten free trial. 9 points later  because I ordered avocado instead of fake cheese,. It was delicious but brought my two breakfasts today up to 12 points. I normally have a 5 point breakfast. Looking back on it, as much as I loved that little breakfast sandwich. I realize I was looking for that full feeling. I would have felt better with the smoothie. Not to mention I slipped right out of my gluten free experience and ate the wheat. It wasn’t a bad choice as far as Weight Watchers recommends but didn’t fit my gluten free trial experience. 

I feel great about riding my bike to work today. It has been satifying to the body and spirit. I can’t imagine why I did not jump on my bike sooner, despite the fact, I left myself a little unprepared. Tomorrow, I will plan my day better and take some fruit and 11 almonds with me, and my list of 4 point Jamba Juice choices in case I get hungry. They are Mango Mantra, Banana Berry, Tropical Kickstart, Berryful Filling, Carribibean Passion, Orange Apeel, Strawberry Nirvana. Remember to ask for them to Lighten them up! I realized three  important things: how easily I can abandon a wonderful eating plan when I let myself get hungry;  how important it is to eat my extra points, and always have a plan for difficult moments!

Posted: July 29th, 2012 under Bicycle Blog, Thoughts on Compulsive Eating, Uncategorized.
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A Colorful Way To Go!

I awoke this morning to the thought “Wow, I feel great and just love my life”! When I went looking for a downtown healing space, I did so with the intention of riding my bike to work and back. It has been two days of bicycle commuting and I feel great about making this decision. It took some doing. Since my daughter rides a bike to her Downtown job, I knew if she could do it, so could I, even though she is 22 and I recently racked up half a century. Simply how can I say “war is wrong” when I stop at the pump and fill up once or twice a week?

I have been processing this question and taking steps towards releasing some of my attachment to the use of gasoline. Previous to two days ago, I had gotten my gas consumption down to $20 dollars a week by relocating my home and my office to more Central Downtown San Luis Obispo locations. I am now aligning with my hopes and by reducing my fill up to one per month. I am doing the food shopping that requires driving one day per week. I am using our Local Farmer’s Markets more and more, for Dairy, Eggs, Veggies, and Fruit. My husband and I walk Downtown for dinner dates.

I haven’t been making the impact on World Peace I want to by voting. I can make more of a difference by voting my dollars. I want to participate less and less in supporting a war I don’t believe in. Filling my car with gasoline simply keeps me on the contract with the War. I want my actions to allign with my words.

I have started the action plan to re-channel funds to support what I do believe in. I support locally grown organic produce and the local farmers who our their goods. When I support what I do alligns with meeting all my needs it feels good. I support the health of my own body. I supply my family with great food. I support my fellow local business owners.  I believe in having more and more bike lanes and less and less roads. I believe if we drastically reduce our consumption of gas by driving less and less, we will make a World Wide Difference.

This morning I went to the Coffee Shop just below my new office. I mentioned I was in Weight Watchers. The Bartista asked “Are you on a diet?” I answered “No, I have been on Weight Watcher for almost three years, and I used to carry around 40 pounds more than I do, if you can imagine, that is equivalent to four sacks of potatoes. What I have learned there is just a way of life. Not to mention I get to eat 6 more points this week!” In Weight Watchers we incorporate exercise as part of our natural lifestyle. So commuting by bicycle is a completely compatible way to continue not only caring for the World, but also caring for myself and my family. I will keep you posted on the amazing adventures of Bicycle Commuting in San Luis Obispo. I hope this will become my way of life.

Today the opinion of this Skinny Girl in Charge is “Whooo Hooo I love my life!” Living according to my dreams makes it so.

Posted: July 10th, 2012 under Bicycle Blog.
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Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb

This is an orginal upbeat version that has been made more modern and satisfies the taste buds of the growing gluten free population. In Weight Watcher’s we have been talking quite a bit about dropping wheat. I am making more and more gluten free menu items. I just finished reading the book The Wheat Belly, by William Davis, M.D. It was a very enlightening read about why Americans eat too much wheat and the effects that has on our bodies and culture. I highly recommend it. Give this Cobbler a try. You won’t be sorry you did!

We enjoyed ours with 1/2 an individual serving of Ben and Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream adding 3 points. OMG delish! “Twas my daughter’s birthday and what a lovely gluten free substitute for birthday cake.

Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler    6 WW Plus Points

Ingredients:

2 Pints of Strawberries,  sliced

1 Stalk of Rhubarb, sliced

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Gluten Free Bisquick

4 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation:

Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, and sugar in a mixing bowl and spread evenly into a 7 by 9 casserole dish.

Combine the gluten free bisquick and cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices into a food processor bowl. Pulse 10 pulses, or until the mixture resembles corn meal.

Spread the Gluten Free Bisquick topping evenly over the fruit mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Enjoy warm or cold.

Serves 8

Calories 220       WW plus points 6

Fat   6     Protein   2      Carbohydrates   40     Dietary Fiber   3

Posted: July 6th, 2012 under A Few More Points and Worth It!, Budget Friendly, Dessert.
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Skinny on the inside

Xanra is announcing a spirit based support group for Compulsive Eaters. Starting in March this group will meet at 12:00 pm at Life Transformations Healing Studio, 11545 Los Osos Valley Rd, Studio C2, San Luis Obispo, Ca. 93405. Starting March 5, 2012 at 12:00pm.

Phone 805.242.6545 for further information. 

• We will take a spiritual approach towards greater health through better communication with your body, mind, and spirit.
• We will share, create together, and share weight loss tips and tricks.
• We will embody the concept of Living Large…and Release the concept of being large.
• We will take the focus away from food and weight obsession, and put the focus on healing the issues behind the compulsive behavior.

Are you ready for a new approach at Maintaining Healthy Balance? 

$10 per meeting, everyone is welcome

Posted: February 8th, 2012 under Thoughts on Compulsive Eating.
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Raw Corn Salsa

In a recent trip to San Luis Obispo, California’s Thursday Evening Farmer’s Market, I picked up some late summer sweet corn and red hot chili peppers. This Raw Corn Salsa is a great accompaniment to all kinds of wonderful meals. Xanra likes to served it with grilled steak. I would love to hear some of the ideas you have for using up your summer corn. Xanra invites you to try this recipe and step outside the box of your typical boiled corn as an excuse to slather your tongue in butter.

You can substitute frozen corn in the seasons that you cannot get good fresh corn at your local Farmer’s Market. Xanra recommends: eating what is local and in season, and supporting your local organic farmers, whenever possible.

Raw Corn Salsa 2 WW Points+

Ingredients:

3 Ears of Fresh Corn, Shucked and Kernels removed (2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 ripe Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped Cilantro

1 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt

2 WW Points +

Protien: 2.4          Carbohydrates: 14.7       Fat .8         Dietary  Fiber 2.1

Raw Corn Salsa

Live Larger Don’t Be Large!

Posted: September 25th, 2011 under Budget Friendly, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, WW Points Plus.
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Reduced Fat Scalloped Potatoes

When we think of holiday dishes like Scalloped Potatoes with think of over stuffing ourselves with rich and creamy savory calories. It is not necessary to put extra calories to get a rich and creamy taste. The key to anything that normally calls for whipping cream is non fat evaporated milk. In the typical homemade version of scalloped potatoes, that I learned to make as a young girl, we would make a rich bechamel sauce by starting a rue of butter and flour. To reduced the fat in this sauce we made a slurry by blending the non fat evaporated milk and flour in a blender until smooth. You can take this wonderful dish to any potluck gathering and no one will guess this is low in fat, or reduced in calories. Potatoes dishes are easy to make. They are inexpensive and life is too short to eat out of a box.  Xanra SG

Ingredients:

2 pounds Russet Potatoes

1 12 ounce can Fat Free Evaporated Milk

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

cooking spray (optional)

Preparation:

Peel and slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick. Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes, drain. Place potatoes in an oblong glass baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. In a blender make a slurry by combining one 12 ounce can of evaporated milk with 1/3 cup flour. Blend until smooth. Pour the slurry over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbling throughout and lightly browned.

5 WW Points +

Serves 8

Protein   7g      Carbohydrates   43g     Dietary Fiber   3.1g     Fat   .34g

Posted: April 26th, 2011 under Budget Friendly, Holiday Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, WW Points Plus.
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