Easy Garlic Chicken

I made this delightful recipe (found via Pinterest) the other night and it was delicious! The chicken was super tender and it had a really great flavor! *Please note that these photos are from a half batch*

So, here's what you need (for a full batch):

4 6 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
4 T. Brown Sugar
3 tsp. Olive Oil

1. Preheat the oven to 500° and lightly grease a casserole dish.

2. In a small sauté pan, sauté the garlic with the oil until tender.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in brown sugar.

*It should look like this picture when mixed*

4. Place the chicken breasts in prepared baking dish and cover with garlic and brown sugar mixture.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Do not be alarmed if it smells like it's burning. As you can see from the photo above, the sugar will burn a little bit in the bottom of the pan. 

I love chicken recipes because they're so low in points! One 6 oz. chicken breast from this recipe is 6 WW points and it's soooo much better than just plain ole' chicken!

Nutritional Information

Calories: 371. 75

Total Fat: 16.06 g

Sodium: 121 mg

Carbohydrates: 51.96 g

Dietary Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 23.76 g

Stay tuned for...

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How to Eat When Camping

This is a tough one, guys. Vacations are the downfall of lots and lots of people's diets. So, hopefully this post will help you enjoy your vacation and your post-vacation weigh-in!

My first tip to you is to pack your own snacks. The idea behind this tip is that you'll opt out of all those pre-packaged snack foods and head for something that will satisfy you and not bust your waistline! Typically, people head out on vacation, have a couple mojitos, enjoy a nice big lunch, snack out on some brownies that were brought along, BBQ a big ole' dinner, and then have some s'mores around the fire. Your goal should be to overcome that temptation. Make your own healthy snacks that are equally tasty. It's not that difficult to throw an apple and an iced tea in your cooler when you're heading to the beach. You just have to prepare in advance to do that. P.S. Sweet graphic, right? My favorite part is the square root symbol (clearly I couldn't find a check mark).

Tip #2. Find ways to make your favorite vacay snacks healthier. When roasting a s'more over the campfire opt for some hershey syrup on it instead of half of a hershey bar. It tastes just as good and is way less points and equally messy! =) When you know that you're going to have a less-healthy treat, make sure to drink a big glass of water first and eat a healthy snack. It'll fill you up and you'll want less of the unhealthy snack. Another idea is to make up some trail mix before you leave and use that as a go-to when you get the urge to snack.

Tip #3. Utilize your grill. Camping and grilling go hand in hand. Grill up your meat for dinner and throw a ton of veggies on with it! If you make too many vegetables you can use them for lunch/snacks the next day! You can also throw some extra chicken on to save for your salad the next day (yes, you can eat salads on vacation). I know that this is a million dollar idea, but I'm sharing it with you. =) Use it.

Tip #4. Be mindful of your portions. Vacation does not equal vacation from your meal plan. Don't let this slip while you're vacationing. You do this all the time at home and your vacation routine shouldn't be any different.

Tip #5. Go into this thinking you can do it. You can! It's all about your mindset. You're still preparing all of your own meals...the only difference is your location.

If you are heading on a vacation any time soon feel free to contact me for encouragement and any specific questions you have! I'm more than willing to help you out!

Stayed tuned for tips on how you can dine out in a healthy way!

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Pros & Cons of the Week and Next Weeks Goals

How are y'all doing? Did you work hard this week?

I totally rocked my weigh-in today (I have to brag a little)! I lost 3.6 lbs! Woot woot! 

So, the pros and cons of this week (I want you to make a list too!)...

Pros

I lost weight!
I didn't eat as much as usual in a typical week (Usually I feel like I have to snack constantly).

I planned meals out in advance-ish. 

I didn't overeat at a family party (huge bonus).

No binging (hallelujah)!

I stayed motivated throughout the week.

I had beer and stayed within my points (gotta love a little Oberon. 3 WW points/Bottle)!

I found some low point desserts to snack on.

When writing out your pros, make sure you include everything. Don't sell yourself short. I don't care how big or small the pro is. Write it down. Everything counts!

Cons

I took the week off from running (a little personal experiment).

I didn't get in all of my good health guidelines each day.

I managed to sneak in a few processed (& super unhealthy) foods.

There were a few times during the week where I found myself hungry before dinner (stomach growling hungry).

I drank more soda than usual.
I'm a bit worried about the amount of weight I lost this week. That's a lot of poundage for one week.

Don't get obsessed with the cons of your week. Acknowledge them and let them go. I'm serious. Do not hung up on these. If you have nothing else to feel good about, just remember that you are trying.

All in all, this was a pretty great week for me (I hope it was the same for you)! This coming week is a bit worrisome to me. My husband and I are moving to the fair land of Urbana-Champaign, IL. Y'all know how moving goes....but I think I can manage. This weekend could be nightmarish, but as long as I own the rest of the week I think I'll be okay.

So, goals for this week. 

1. Don't use moving as an excuse to eat terribly. 

2. Find a new Weight Watchers location in Urbana-Champaign.

3. Choose healthy options for the inevitable en route fast food stops.

4. Less soda, more unsweetened iced tea.
5. Focus on getting in those good health guidelines daily.

I'll give you guys an update next week on how these goals went for me (yikes). =)

If you lovely readers can come up with any goals, feel free to share them with me and we can hold each other accountable for this upcoming week! When coming up with your goals, make sure you look ahead for anything that could cause you trouble in the week (date night, girls night, guys night, family party, etc.). Good luck this week!

Stay tuned for "How to Eat When Camping"!!!

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Key Lime Pie

So, this dessert is pretty darn tasty (and, like the last one, easy)!

Here's what you need:
1/4 c. water
1 package sugar-free lime gelatin
2 containers fat-free key lime pie yogurt
8 oz. frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 Keebler ready crust reduced fat graham pie crust

1. Heat up your water in a microwave safe measuring cup for 45 seconds or until boiling.

2. Whisk in Jell-O until dissolved.

3. In a large bowl mix together the Jell-O mixture and yogurt.

4. Fold in the whipped topping.

5. Carefully spread this mixture in the ready-made crust and refrigerate until it's set.

Garnish as desired and store in the refrigerator. This is 4 WW points per piece. It's delightful! Try some variations of it and let me know how they turn out!!! Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (per 1/8 of pie)

Calories: 160

Total Fat: 3.5 g

Sodium: 115 mg

Carbohydrates: 27 g

Dietary Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 2 g

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Motivation

This is the worst part of losing weight. I have one bad week and all I wanna do is throw my hands in the air and yell, "screw it!"

I don't.

You shouldn't either. Losing weight doesn't come easily. I get soooo mad when I hear about diets that "help you lose 20 lbs. in a month" or whatever (that rant is for another day). They're not healthy and they don't work long-term. Working hard, eating right, exercising, and staying motivated are what work.

Let's be honest.

Photo Credit

These pictures aren't going to get me motivated like all of the health magazines and gossip magazines seem to think. These pictures are going to depress me and make me long for something that I know I'll never have. This isn't me being a Debbie Downer or anything like that...this is me being realistic. I can wish on every shooting star that I would look like this someday, but my body structure won't allow it and I won't starve myself to do it. Heaven's knows I can't afford a personal trainer. That being said, what will motivate me?

Regular people.

I want to see people like me working their butts off (literally) to accomplish their goals. I hope and pray that this blog will do that for some of you! If you know me personally, you know that a year ago I would've died running a mile. Today I'm doing just that. I worked for it.

How have I stayed motivated?

Pinterest has been a great way to stay motivated without me even realizing that it's happening! All I have to do is log in and check out the health and fitness category for thousands of things to say, "you can do this." Another thing keeping me motivated is people telling me that they notice! People have seen what my hard work has accomplished and they let me know. Do me a favor and tell people you notice when you notice! It can make all the difference in the world! Encouragement is key. Of course family and friends have been a huge help. A simple, "Wow, Allie, do you really need another piece of pizza?" from my sister is enough to make me rethink what I'm doing. Oh, I guess I don't need that other piece of pizza. Heaven's knows it'll go straight to my rear end. Another idea would be to find a workout buddy. I'm the type of person that prefers to workout alone, but I know that other people are different. Find a friend who will workout with you and not cancel...somebody who will hold you accountable. You'll end up not wanting to disappoint them either! I know you can do it!!!

It doesn't take much, guys. Believe in yourself. If you have a week where you've gained 2 lbs., look back at what you've accomplished. Yes, you gained 2 lbs. this week, but you've lost 10 lbs. overall!  You're working on it and that, in itself, is an accomplishment! On another note, if you're feeling discouraged, shoot me a message, e-mail, etc. and I'll tell you why you're awesome!

Words cannot express how badly I wanted to insert the "you can do it" clip from "Waterboy" in here!

YOU CAN.

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Weight Watchers Point System

It's been brought to my attention that half of you have no idea what I'm talking about when I say Weight Watchers (WW) Points. I'm going to let you in on the secret. =)

The WW program assigns point values to all foods. Every single thing you consume has a point value. A couple years ago the WW program had a complete overhaul and now uses the PointsPlus system (which is what I am talking about on this blog).

About the program...

1. Uses fat, carbs, fiber, and protein to calculate PointsPlus values. 
Basically, they've become more informed of what is good for you and what isn't. The PointsPlus program calculates points based on how much fat, carbs, fiber, and protein there are in any given food (you have to purchase a PointsPlus calculator to participate). The goal is to eat foods that are high in protein and fiber and low in carbohydrates and fats. Those foods are healthier due to the body working harder to process protein/fiber. The body stores more calories of foods that are higher in carbs/fats. The picture to the right is a screen shot of my e-tools app for my iPhone (LOVE IT). This is how I figure out points for foods. You can also purchase an actual PointsPlus calculator from any Weight Watcher's location, online, etc.

2. All fruits and vegetables (excluding starchy veggies) are zero points.
You can eat as many fruits and veggies as your little heart desires (YES!). I stock up on fruits and veggies at the grocery store as they have now become my go-to snack.

3. Each person is given a daily PointsPlus target each day and a weekly bonus allowance.
Your daily PointsPlus target is the amount of points that you are required to eat each day. For instance, I'm allowed 26 points per day. I have to eat that much each day. If you eat less than that amount of points your body isn't receiving the nutrients it needs and it will go into, what I like to call, "starvation mode." You don't want that. I'm also allowed 49 "bonus" points per week. The beauty of this is that if I'm going out to dinner with friends I don't have to worry about going over my daily PointsPlus target because I have some wiggle room due to the bonus points. The flexibility of this program is magic. For me, it's what makes it do-able.

4. Simply Filling
This is the option for those of you that would have trouble writing down each and every thing that you eat each day. This option wants you to eat primarily "power foods." These are foods that provide high energy and nutrients. If you look at the picture to the left you can see foods with those lovely green triangles. Those are considered power foods. Weight Watchers has a very extensive list of power foods which are available to you through the program. You don't have to track your foods which is the beauty of this method. You eat until you are satisfied and that's it. Also, the 49 bonus points are still available for you to use besides the power foods.

5. BE ACTIVE!
Weight Watchers also has a point system for activity! If you earn a point for activity, you can swap it for a point for food. So, if I go running for 30 minutes and earn 6 activity points, I can use those towards food during my week! Yay! Incentive to exercise! Of course, you're not required to eat those points...it's just an option and an added bonus for people like me who LOOOOOVE food...and beer. =)

6. Good Health Guidelines
I've already addressed these in my "I Hate Vegetables! Help!" blog so feel free to check those out again too! =)

All in all, this is a wonderful, well-rounded program. I never feel as though I'm not getting enough (when I follow the plan correctly). I know that if I screw up a new day is only a few hours away. I HIGHLY encourage those of you who have tried and failed at a variety of other programs to try this one! I've tried a multitude of other plans, but none of them have carried the same success as Weight Watchers. Try it and love it...you won't be sorry. =)

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Support Systems for a Successful Weight Loss

It's very difficult to successfully lose weight without the help of a support system. My husband has been my saving grace throughout my Weight Watchers journey....without him, I don't think I wouldn't been able to accomplish the loss of 25 lbs.

So...

Where can you find support systems?



1. Family
First and foremost, family is key! As I stated above, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without the support of my husband. The moment I told him I wanted to join Weight Watchers he made sure we squeezed it into our budget. He has also been very open to the differences in grocery shopping and he's been amazing as far as keeping things out of the kitchen that are considered "trigger" foods for me. The key is to make sure your family knows how important this is for you. Sometimes our families are the hardest people to talk to about our weaknesses. You can make it happen. A great part about the family support system is that they are always there. You can't just "go home" to get away from them! A few weeks ago a Weight Watchers member in my meeting said that she was going to grab a dessert or something and her 5 year old daughter asked her if that was a Weight Watchers friendly snack. I about died laughing when she said that because a 5 year old knows what kinds of foods to eat for a Weight Watcher's lifestyle! So, people, draft the support of your families!

2. Friends
Not everybody has a supportive family. Period. But, everybody has friends. If your friends are like mine they'll encourage you every step of the way! Ask your friends if they'll listen to your weekly or monthly progress! You can also ask friends to hold you accountable for exercising by going to the gym with them on a regular basis. A huge part of friend support is going out. If your friends are aware that you're on the verge of a lifestyle change, suggest going out to restaurants that have a healthier option for you. Don't be afraid to say no to going out to a restaurant that only has deep fried foods or lack of a healthy option.

3. Weight Watchers Meetings
Obviously this option won't work for everyone because not everyone is a part of the Weight Watchers network. If you're not a part, become a part! You can receive wonderful hints, tips, and encouragement from the people in your meeting. A huge part of the meetings is learning how to make the best of what you've got (food-related). For example, if you're at a church potluck you can learn how to choose the better options! Hooray! An easy way for you to judge if this option is for you would be to go into your nearest Weight Watchers location and sit in on one free meeting. It's completely harmless and could be very beneficial for you!

4. Internet Forums
This is an option that every person in the world has access to. There are thousands upon thousands of weight loss forums on the internet and most of them are free to join. You can meet and socialize with other people that are experiencing the same things you are as well as find hints, tips, and recipes for all sorts of things! You're also able to ask questions and receive replies from hundreds of people! Great option.

How can you overcome obstacles?
Support systems aren't always peachy keen. People don't always remember how difficult weight loss journeys are and how they're support is crucial to your success. Remind them. If they don't know how important they are to you, how can they help you? I'd be willing to bet that you have 2-3 of these support systems available to you already. It's up to you to make good use of them!

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