Weight Watcher's anyone?

[jennycherie]

Is anyone here on Weight Watcher's ? I have been for a bout a month. Does anyone have recipes or tips to share? Some days I think I have this figured out and other days I think I need serious help!

[cat lover]

I have a friend that has been on and off weight watchers through the years. She has given me several recipes through the years also. This is one she really enjoys

Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Weight Watcher Points - 5 Points

1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon. ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package (16 oz.) frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 can (16. oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

In a small bowl combine the first 6 ingredients, set aside. In a large skillet, stir fry chicken in oil for 5-6 minutes till juices run clear. Add vegetables & stir fry 3-4 minutes till crisp-tender. Stir in pineapple and soy sauce mix. Heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice. Makes 6 servings.



!

[ajrsmom]

Jennycherie, How are you doing on Weight Watchers? I have heard a lot of good things on their "Points Plan". Do you think that it is worth spending the money to join this group? Do you find it expensive to be on this plan? We have a group near my house.

I am searching for some kind of plan to join. I'm not quite sure I want to go low carb again--although I liked the results, it was very hard to follow at times.

Im looking for real opinions from people who have tried this. I know that everything on their websites will be "perfect" but I want to hear some of the "not-so-perfect" things too.


Thanks for any help!

[jennycherie]

Well, for me, it works better than anything else. The weight loss is slow but consistent. I am strictly an online member--the actual meetings I have never tried mainly because I don't want to have to mess with getting a babysitter for them. For the online membership, it seems like it's around $20/month. I hate to pay it, but it keeps me from throwing in the towel and jumping off the wagon.

The points are easy once you get used to them. I have resisted this for a long time. My mom has always said that she thought weight watchers was the way to go because it is just common sense--to weigh less, eat less! Part of learning to be healthier is learning to pay attention to what we eat. That has been the most valuable lesson for me. I didn't realize how often I would eat mindlessly--just having a bite here and there and thinking it didn't count because it was just a bite. OR, thinking, "I've been really good today so it's okay to have a big/unhealthy supper". One trip to mcdonald's with a fried chicken sandwich and fries can easily be a whole day's calories!

the other thing I like is that nothing is off limits. If I really want french fries, then I can use my weekly flex points and have french fries. What I find though is that I often will look at something (say a little debbie's brownie) and say, you know, I really want that but it is NOT as good as that many points! IT makes me really want to use my extra points on things that are really worth it. I"m also discovering all sorts of delicious, healthy food that I had never bothered to try. Who knew I would like a pita stuffed with veggies and hummus? It never would have occurred to me to try--honestly. It never even sounded remotely appetizing before, but having tried it, I love it! and there are many other things on that list!

[jennycherie]

oh wait, you wanted some not so perfect things too!

then let me add, at first it was difficult to remember to write everything down--difficult and cumbersome! It was also a little difficult to keep track when I was away from home. Now I am learning to take a food list with me to my mom's and to keep some low point snacks around when I travel.

and again, the meetings are just not for me. I can't stand being told the same thing over again and I don't find visiting with other people and hearing their stories to be terribly motivational. IT is for some people and that is great but it is not my cup of tea--which is another reason I am glad they have the online membership.

It is also taking some work to re-do some of my old standard recipes to try and make them lower in points. But that is good for my whole family and important to do--just time-consuming! Then again, I find that for me to lose weight, I really have to invest the time in it or it won't happen.

Also, I do love that you can earn activity points to exchange for more food as well. This gives me way more motivation to exercise!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Also, I do love that you can earn activity points to exchange for more food as well. This gives me way more motivation to exercise!

I like that idea! lol

[ajrsmom]

Thank you for all of the great info. that you have given to me.

I have a couple more for you....

On average, how much weight are you losing a week? (If that's not being too nosey)

I had no idea that you could join through their online site. That would be right up my alley too!

Do they provide ways for you to redo your recipes or are you doing them on your own?

Is there a certain amount of time that you have to sign up for to use their program or can go you month by month?


Thanks again for all of your help!
Tami

[jennycherie]

On average, how much weight are you losing a week? (If that's not being too nosey)

Do they provide ways for you to redo your recipes or are you doing them on your own?

Is there a certain amount of time that you have to sign up for to use their program or can go you month by month?


no problem Tami! I am losing about 1/2- 1 pound / week. It's very slow, but since I want this to be permanent, I don't mind. I don't know anyone else who has stayed on plan, whose weight loss has been as slow as mine but I have some liver issues that make it very hard/slow for me lose weight under any circumstances.

I believe I read a couple of articles on the website that offered suggestions on how to re-do recipes and some of it I'm just figuring out as I try new things. I'm getting ready to try a banana bread recipe that is fat free--subbed applesauce for oil, egg whites for whole eggs, etc. When I am doing casseroles, I used FF cream of mushroom soup or lower fat ingredients in place of whole fat and things like that. I need to do a search for a recipe I used to have for FF white sauce.

You can go month by month or get a reduced price by paying for several months together. I paid for 3 months at a time my first go around because I needed to be sure I wouldn't give up too easily.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Jenny, that's all good to know. I wanted to join WW once, but there was no WW in my town. With my schedule of hopping between two towns and going to school, all this is good to know, expecially the fact that you can join online.

[cat lover]

I believe I read a couple of articles on the website that offered suggestions on how to re-do recipes and some of it I'm just figuring out as I try new things. I'm getting ready to try a banana bread recipe that is fat free--subbed applesauce for oil, egg whites for whole eggs, etc. When I am doing casseroles, I used FF cream of mushroom soup or lower fat ingredients in place of whole fat and things like that. I need to do a search for a recipe I used to have for FF white sauce..


We do all FF cooking because DH has lipid issues; so I have LOTS of recipes and am always looking for more and do a lot of revamping recipes. If there is something special you are looking for let me know; I'll be glad to share the recipes with you.:D

[cat lover]

This is a Weight Watchers Recipe; it's really good too!



Chanukah Potato Pancakes

POINTS Value: 2
Servings: 6

1 1/4 pound potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 medium egg whites
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 medium scallions, minced
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp vegetable oil

Soak the potatoes in cold water 30 minutes; drain and blot dry. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, egg whites, flour, scallions and salt. Form into 12 pancakes.In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat one third of the oil. Cook the pancakes, 4 at a time, until just golden, about 2 minutes on each side; transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining oil and pancakes. Bake until crisp and cooked through, 5-7 minutes.

[cat lover]

POINT Value | 5

2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup canned cranberry sauce
2 tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1 tbsp whole cloves
2 pounds lean ham
1 medium mandarin orange cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For glaze, in a small saucepan over low heat, stir together orange juice concentrate, cranberry sauce and brown sugar, whisking till smooth. Stick cloves into top of ham. Place ham in a baking dish and brush with some of the glaze. Bake for 1 hour, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes. Slice thinly and garnish with orange wedges and serve. 8 servings

[cat lover]

Praline Pumpkin Cake


POINTS Value: 5

nonfat spray cooking spray
15 oz canned pumpkin
12 oz fat free evaporated milk
1/4 cup fat free egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
18 1/4 oz unprepared white cake mix
1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
1/4 cup reduced calorie margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Coat bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray.Stir pumpkin, milk, egg substitute, sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl till smooth and pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and gently press it into pumpkin mixture to moisten. Sprinkle cake with pecans and then drizzle margarine evenly over top.Bake uncovered till knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing into 16 pieces.

[cat lover]

Spicy BBQ Meatballs

POINTS Value: 1
Servings: 30

1 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup uncooked quick oats
2 medium egg whites
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except barbecue sauce in a bowl and mix well.Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape meatball mixture into sixty 1" balls and place on baking sheet.Bake at 350 degrees till cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a chafing dish or crockpot to keep warm.Heat barbecue sauce over medium high heat tillhot. Pour sauce over cooked meatballs, toss gently and serve. Yields 2 meatballs per serving.

[cat lover]

Cheddar Cheese Soup

POINTS Value: 4

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cup fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cup skim milk
7 oz low fat cheddar or colby cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and add onion and cook till soft, about 2 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and simmer till soup thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly.Working in batches, puree soup in a blender till smooth and return puree to pan and reheat soup to boiling. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cheese; stir tilll melted (if cheese does not completely melt, cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly till melted season with salt and pepper. 4 servings


Ladle 1 1/4 cups of soup into each of 4 bowls and sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon of pap

[Caima2]

I also would like to mention, if you want to buy some of the items available at meetings, you can go to any ww meeting and purchase them. I do the online program and buy my cookbooks and calculators, some of their snacks, etc. there too. I love ww! It's the only program that works for me. It's do-able in the REAL world!

[Caima2]

Whoops! I also forgot to mention a site to look for recipes!
Aimeesadventures.com

[cat lover]

Here's a WW Halloween treat recipe!

Crispy Chocolate Rice Bark
Makes 1 lb (approx. 12 servings)
POINTS value | 4 per serving

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Sprinkle a large baking sheet with several drops of water, then line the sheet with wax paper. Set aside. Place half the chips in the top half of a double boiler set over 1 inch of simmering water. Cook until melted, stirring constantly with a heat-safe rubber spatula. Alternatively, place half the chocolate in a large glass bowl and microwave on high in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. In either case, add the remaining chips to the melted chocolate and stir until all is fully melted. Stir in the cereal until evenly coated, then pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture a little thicker than 1/4 inch with an offset metal spatula or a rubber spatula. Set aside to cool at room temperature until firm and cool, about 4 to 6 hours. Peel the bark off the wax paper and break into twelve pieces, each about the size of a credit card.
Serving size: one piece, 1 1/3 oz.

[cat lover]

Deep Dish Taco Pizza

1 lb ground round
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
cooking spray
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.Cook beef and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium high hear till beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well and return beef mixture to pan. Stir in tomatoes and seasoning and cook
over medium high heat for one minute. Set aside. Unroll pizza dough, press into bottom and half way up sides of a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon beef mixture over dough. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.Makes 6 servings, 7 WW points per serving.

[ajrsmom]

Checking in to see if anyone is still doing WW? One of my girlfriends has been doing the WW Points system and really likes it. She said that it is very easy to use.

I decided to go back to low carbing and it's working for me. :)


Overall, I think that it's important to research different programs and maybe even try a few to see what works best for you. ;) Trendy is one thing but being able to find a plan and stick to it, is the most important factor. And remember.....you need to make a lifestyle change because diets don't work if you go back to your old habits!!

[Sammi1961]

Jennycheri, I just recently joined Weight Watchers online. I lost 4 pounds the first week and am just starting my second week so it does work. The points plan is fairly easy to follow and if you aren't sure how many points a certain food has it is easy to look up on the website. You can also get lots of recipes there. When you sign up online, you list your weight and how much weight you would like to lose and will be assigned a certian number of daily points to use but you also get a number of "weekly points" in addition to that incase you go over. You are supposed to exercise and any exercise you do has a point value as well so if you go over your daily points but have exercised you can swap exercise points for food points. I know it sounds complicated but it is actually very simple. The first week you usually lose 2-4 pounds but each week after I have found that you lose 1-2 pounds. (this is the second time I have done the online program) What I like about the points program is you can pretty much eat what you or your family usually eat - you don't have to buy special foods etc. It is more paying attention to portion sizes. It also got me to drink more water. I tried just dieting on my own but had no idea about reasonable portion sizes until I did WW. Hope this helps.

[cat lover]

A friend recently joined WW and she sent me this recipe; she tried it and said it was pretty good. She didn't give me the point value of it though!

Blueberry Bran Muffins (from weight watchers)


2 items egg white(s)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large banana(s), mashed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup uncooked oat bran
1/4 cup uncooked wheat bran
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 serving Brown Cow Apple Cinnamon yogurt
45 gm Tropical Nut & Fruit Walnut Halves and Pieces
3/4 cup Tree of Life Blueberries, dried


Mix dry and wet ingredients separate, then combine until well blended. Fold in blueberries and pecans. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

[cat lover]

Low Fat Pork Tenderloin

WW Points:4


1/2 cup reduced-calorie pancake syrup
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 1/2 pound lean pork tenderloin, use two 1 1/4-pound pieces

In a large zip top plastic bag, combine syrup, dry mustard, cloves, ginger, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Trim pork of all visible fat and cut each tenderloin in half widthwise. Add tenderloins to plastic bag and squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat tenderloins. Place bag on a plate and refrigerate on bottom shelf turning bag occasionally at least 2 hours or overnight.Preheat broiler. Place tenderloins in a roasting pan and pour marinade over them. Broil 5 inches from heat till pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees about 6 minutes per side. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing. Yields about 4 ounces of meat per serving.

[blessedmomof04]

I have been on weight watchers for 11 weeks now. In total I lost 6 lbs. I go back and forth with the gaining and lossing. I know my down falls. Now I just have to work on them.

[cat lover]

Losing the weight slower is much better for you though! Good Luck!

[Audrey]

I'm attending meetings again with a friend. I'm happy to support her. I'm lifetime so there's no cost to me and I learn something new each and every week.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I've never done WW, but I know a lot of people who do and like it.

[Audrey]

The thing with WW is that it's not a "diet" it's a lifestyle.

[cat lover]

Orange Cranberry Pancakes WW 4 points
4 servings

1 cup buttermilk baking mix
1 large egg v bgfree skim milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh cranberries,chopped
6 tbsp reduced calorie pancake syrup

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Combine baking mix, egg, milk, sugar, zest and nutmeg in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in cranberries.Warm skillet over medium high heat. Pour batter onto skillet in 1/4 cup measures and cook for 1 1/2 minutes then flip and cook till lightly browned about 1 minute more. Set aside and keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately. Yields 2 pancakes and 1 1/2 tablespoons of syrup per serving.

[cat lover]

Weight Watchers Irish Stew


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 pounds lean boneless lamb, cut into 1-1/2" squares 1/2" thick (or boneless chuck)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1 bay leaf
6 whole new red potatoes (5 oz each)
15 oz small onions, peeled
1 cup or beer
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
Chopped parsley
6 slices Italian bread (1 ounce each), optional


In a large heavy saucepan heat 1/2 of the oil. Add 1/2 of the lamb or beef and cook till well browned on one side 5 to 7 minutes. Stir and cook 1 minute longer and remove meat and set aside. Add the remaining oil, the lamb (or beef) and chopped onion to the pan and cook till browned. Return the first batch of meat to the pan. Add broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add thyme and bay leaf then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes, onions, beer and salt. Cover and simmer till potatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. To thicken stew, add cornstarch to 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl and stir till smooth. Add to simmering stew and stir gently till thickened. Garnish with parsley. Serve Irish stew with bread. 6 servings


Serving (with 1 slice of bread) provides: 1/2 fat, 1 vegetable, 3 proteins, 2 breads (if served without bread, subtract 1 bread).

Per serving:
With bread: 409 calories, 29 g protein, 9 g fat, 644 mg sodium.
Without bread: 332 calories, 27 g protein, 8 g fat, 478 mg sodium.