Delicious Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Sundays at my house usually mean a huge homemade dinner and dessert by my Mom... and probably eating all of my extra points for the week. 

This Sunday we decided to switch it up and make two Weight Watcher recipes. Dinner this week was easy, healthy, and delicious! I made the Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Casserole, posted earlier on this blog but I will repost soon. For dessert I made an easy Pineapple Angel Food Cake.  

•Two ingredients- box of Angel Food Cake Mix and 20oz can of crushed pineapple

•Combine the two, including pineapple juice

•Don't add anything else- watch the batter fluff up almost instantly

•Pour into baking pan, a topped mine with a little extra pineapple tidbits (drained). Then bake for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees. 

•Top with fat free cool whip and fresh berries. YUM! 

       Pineapple Angel Food Cake

       •1 box angel food cake mix

    •1 20oz can crushed pineapple 

        •Combine two ingredients-

           including pineapple juice

        •Bake for 25-30 mins at 350                   

       •Serve with fat free cool whip 

                 and fresh berries 

   *12 servings-1 points plus/serving*

Breakfast for Dinner

It's been a rainy grey day here in East Tennessee.

After a long day at work watching the rain fall outside of my window there is nothing I love more than coming home to no dinner plans and very few options in my refrigerator. Thankfully my mother had a brilliant idea. If all else fails... make breakfast. But seriously, what is better than a hot breakfast on a cold rainy night?

 

We happened to have 2 cans of these biscuits on hand. Bakes up quickly and one big biscuit is 4pp. Perfect with 0pp spray butter, but they would be great with Sugar Free jelly or apple butter too!

 

The final product. 2 scrambled eggs(5pp), 1 biscuit(4pp), and 2 pieces of pre-cooked microwave bacon(2pp). My dinner came out to a DELICIOUS 11 points+! The points can be reduced by using egg whites or egg substitute. Add some fresh fruit to make it even more filling!


Enjoy!

         xoxo,
               Chelsea

7 days later...

One week in and FIVE pounds down. Yes, you read that correctly, I have lost 5 pounds of fat from my body. Just take a minute and Google "5 pounds of fat".. pretty amazing (and disgusting) huh? I love to take notes on what I did well if I've had a really good weightloss week so that when I'm not having a good week (those will and DO happen), I can go back and look at what I should be doing.

• I tracked everyday. Sometimes I skip tracking (a food journal, with points values) on the weekends. I think of those two days as my "free days". Nothing is ever "free" when you are making a lifestyle change like this. I have learned this the hard way before. All that weight I worked so hard to loose during the week.. yep, I can easily gain that back in 2 days. Been there. Done that. I can not preach it enough.. track track track!
• I made myself a schedule. I didn't eat just whenever I wanted or whenever I was hungry.
• I went to Zumba.. twice. Rachel O'Dell is AMAZING and her classes ROCK. Go to Zumba. You will love it.

This was my lunch most days. A Ole Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb tortilla (1pp), spread 1 triangle of Laughing Cow Light cheese (I used creamy swiss). I put deli Ham and Turkey and topped with veggies. Delicious! Along with this I had carrots and 1 portion of Ruffles Light chips(2pp).

2 more of my favoite things this week... Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and Kellog's NEW Cinnamon Jacks Cereal (1cup/3pp). Try them. You won't regret it!


Have a great week, and don't forget to TRACK! :)

Here we go again

I haven't made a post or tracked my points in the last 6 months. Crazy how one "break" turns into half a year. And 15 pounds.
Throughout this entire weight loss process, the most important thing I have learned is that it's never too late to get back on track. Never too late to loose weight. Never too late to make the decision to eat a healthy meal or go to a Zumba class. No matter what, it's never too late.
It's a new year. The perfect time for a fresh start. I'm normally not one to make resolutions for the new year, but this year was a little different. Because this blog is the best way to me accountable... Have it in writing and share it with others.
1. Rejoin Weight Watchers
2. Stick to WW and attend the meetings the entire year.
3. Allow cheat days. Not cheat weeks.
4. Go to Zumba at least once a week.
5. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 other days a week.
6. Stay over-organized at work.
7. Set a date for my wedding.
8. Be more appreciative. Of everyone and everything.
9. Have my dress altered for my best friend Madison's wedding in July. I'm not making a resolution to lose x amount of pounds. I'm making a resolution to work for change. The bridesmaid dress I have already ordered fits perfectly now. If I stick to this program until then I will change and the dress will have to also.
10. 52 Random Acts of Kindness. 1 random act of kindness a week for 52 weeks.
My final resolution will be to post on this blog once a week.

I guess I should give a brief update on my life. Since last time I have graduated college and started a full time job. A full time job that came with amazing co-workers (who are great cooks), a nice office, and food - a lot of food. Conferences, board meetings, lunch meetings, birthdays, holidays, and more. I am constantly surrounded with food. It is so easy to grab something on my way in to work or grab a snack out of the work room for breakfast, and it's almost a daily occurrence that I go out to lunch with someone from the office. That is what got me to start this journey- I was doing things the easy way. Eating out constantly and hardly working out. I am making a promise to myself that this will change. I love my job and I love my co-workers. But I made the decision in 2009 that I have to love myself too.

I went back to weight watchers on Saturday, 1/5/13. I have done good this weekend with eating healthy and tracking what I eat. I am excited to get back on a routine. Make a trip to the grocery store today for all the goodies to pack for lunch this week. I will post again at the end of the week with meal ideas and my favorite meals of the week.

I will leave you with one photo. Of my favorite treat right now. These little (seriously little) treat bars are just 2 points but taste like birthday cake and are DELICIOUS! Yum!

Have a great week! Keep on tracking!

Tomorrow is a new day

Wow. I have once again let this blog, my tracking, my exercise, and my weightloss sit at a stand still for far too long and am now pushing myself back out of a slump. I can make a list of excuses for you if you would like... but that still doesn't do anything to change the past. What is done is done and what I do tomorrow is 100% up to me.

Today marked the first full day of serious tracking in a LONG time. Since I am getting back into counting my points- I will just keep this post at what I ate all day. Enjoy.

• Breakfast
• Light English Muffin - 1points+
• 1 Jimmy Dean pre-cooked turkey sausage patty - 3points+ for 2, so I just counted 2points
• 1 slice Weight Watchers american cheese - 1points+
• Sandwich Total - 4 points, and DELICIOUS!
• Mid Morning
• 1 cup fresh cantaloupe - 0points+
• Lunch
• Pre-packaged lunchable(sand. thin, ham, FF cheese, FF SF Pudding, Minipack CheeseNips, Water, Koolaid mix) - 11points+
• Afternoon
• Fresh Strawberries - 0points+
• Dinner
• Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich - 7points+
• Fruit Cup - was too full to eat it, but I normally count 1points+
• Snack
• WW Mini Ice Cream Cones - Caramel - 2points+ and so yummy!

Total Points Used Today -- 24

Tonight's exercise was a trip to the driving range with my dad and fiance. We had such a great time, and can't wait to go back with them again.

One month down.. a lifetime to go!

This past Saturday marked my 1 month since starting back seriously on the plan and attending WW meetings. I am proud to say that in my first 4 weeks, I have lost 8 pounds! :)

I have set a goal for myself to lose 16.5 more pounds before my college graduation on May 5. This gives me about 13 more weeks. I know that this last stretch will be the toughest.. but that is where this blog comes in. I have slacked off on blogging because I have been so busy, that that was the same excuse I used for not exercising last week, and not tracking for several days. Enough of that.

I keep telling myself that I have 13 weeks to get to my goal, but in reality... I have a lifetime to go. This journey does not end when I reach my 100 pound weight loss. This is a new way of life, not a diet. I still splurge, and enjoy my favorite foods when I want them, but not every day. Enjoy what you want, but in moderation. If you have a bad day, your week is not blown. I have a hard time remembering these things, so by putting them on this blog.. maybe it will be a good reminder for us all.

I am battling a cold today, so instead of going to my Zumba class and spreading my germs, I will do a Zumba workout here at home. I think that Taco Soup is on the menu for tonights dinner. I will blog again later to let you know how both of those things go.

Enjoy your day, and keep on tracking!
Chelsea

What's for breakfast?

I am a full-time college student, a college athlete, and a part-time employee. I feel like I am constantly on the go, and the most difficult meal to focus on is breakfast. I have never been a huge fan of breakfast, unless of course it consists of biscuts and gravy, or ham and cheese omelets. Before Weight Watchers I would drive through Burger King, McDonalds, or Pals on a daily basis for breakfast because it was quick, easy, and good (but not good for me).
Today, I have a few different breakfast options that I choose between and switch it up to keep things interesting. Don't think that I don't splurge on occasion.. because I do. I still enjoy a biscut or an order of cheddar rounds. Just not every day, or even once a week, and the less I eat those foods the less I want them.
Here are my picks for breakfast...

1. Multi Grain Cheerios - These are delicious and only 3points for an entire cup. I love them plain or with a little skim milk. Add some fruit (for 0 points) and make it even more filling.
2. Eggo Waffles - My 2 favorite flavors are the FiberPlus Calcium Buttermilk (4 points for 2) or the Eggo NutriGrain Low Fat Whole Grain ones (4 points for 2). These are both good options. The FiberPlus Calcium Buttermilk tastes more like real waffles, but I really like them both. I put a little of the Parkay spray butter on them. If I want more flavor sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on them too. Easy breakfast to eat while driving to work or school. Could put banana or other fruit on it to make a waffle "sandwich".
3. Thomas Bagel Thins - The Cinnamon Raisin kind are delicious! They also make plain, everything, and maybe another kind? I get mine from Sams Club or Walmart. One bagel thin is 3 points. I love these toasted with a little spray butter or heated with a little reduced fat peanut butter on it. Great with sliced banana on it!

If you are like the old me and usually go through the drive through, go to the store... buy one of these products.. and just try it. I promise it's really not that bad! :)

Keep on tracking,

Chelsea