Do Your Hips a Favor and Brush Your Teeth

Okay, you're on a diet. That means it's time to pay attention to your teeth.

Huh?

By using -- or overusing -- a common diet tip, you can end up with thinner hips and whiter teeth.

Find a whitening toothpaste you really like. No, find several. As they say, variety is the spice of life. Now start brushing.

Brush when you wake up in the morning. After breakfast. Midday brush. After lunch brush. Afternoon brush. After dinner brush, and then again in mid-evening for good measure. Before bed brush.

Why? Because a clean, fresh mouth is a deterrent to eating. The obvious -- brushing makes your mouth feel clean and good, and you want to keep it that way. Also, brushing your teeth after eating sends a message to your brain that the meal or snack is over. Brushing at night also signals the brain that eating is finished for the day. In addition, food tastes unpleasant after brushing. Face it, nothing goes good with toothpaste.

If you're having cravings that you want to fight, the lowly toothbrush becomes a magic wand. By the time you walk to the bathroom, brush your teeth, swish some mouthwash and walk back, there's a reasonable chance that your craving will be gone. And even if it isn't, you're really not going to want to eat anything after that shot of astringent mouthwash.

If you're in a situation that you can't actually brush, use a meltaway mouthwash strip instead. It sends the same signals to your brain and makes food taste bad, too.

If such an exhaustive tooth brushing schedule is impossible for you to achieve, try adding just a couple of extra brushings a day, preferably during your high-risk times. If you crave mid-afternoon snacks, make yourself brush before indulging; it may just short circuit the craving. If you're a night eater, brush immediately after dinner and again before bed. You'll be sending a double message to your brain that the refrigerator is out of bounds.

Your hips will thank you, and your teeth will be healthier, which means less time in the dentist's chair. Additionally, your teeth will be whiter, and that will make you feel better about yourself.

So do your hips a favor and brush your teeth!

Note: If you drink soda, you should wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth. The reason is that soft drinks, and even sports drinks, contain acids that breakdown tooth enamel. Rather, rinse your mouth out with water, or something like Listerine, and then wait for 30 minutes before brushing. Best bet: stop drinking soda. Next best bet: rinse your mouth with water, go for a light 30-minute walk and then brush your teeth.

Easy Awesome Veggies

If you're boiling vegetables, you're losing key nutrients. Here's a better way:

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and roast 'em for 1 1/2 hours. High heat seals in the veggies' juices and nutrients, which leech out in boiling water. The flavor is remarkably better, too -- roasting caramelizes veggies' natural sugars, and heightens flavor and color. And you can roast fruit, too.

When roasting, cut the vegetables/fruit into similar sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, preferable the olive oil variety. Spread the veggies evenly out on the sheet, and spray with the oil. Add your favorite seasoning, and roast until the veggies are tender on the inside.

Try roasting these fruits and vegetables:

All potatoes, whole
All peppers, halved and seeded
All onions, whole or peeled and sliced
Carrots, whole
Celery, whole
All squash, hard or soft-skinned
Radishes
Turnips
Rutabagas, peeled
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn, in the husk
Eggplant, whole or sliced
Garlic, whole (cut off tops after roasting to spread on crackers or bread)
Leeks
Green Onions
Mushrooms, whole
All apples
All peaches, ripe, pits removed
Pears
Tomatoes, whole or sliced thick

At 400 degrees for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, they won't be very pretty, but they'll be intensely flavorful, delicious, and nutritious.

Roasted vegetables also make great pizza and salad toppings, and tasty sandwich fixings. They're also delicious added to risottos and soups towards the end of cooking for extra flavor, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

Snackin'

From a message board:

". . . my favorite filling snack is fat free bean dip spread on a corn tortilla and heated in the microwave.

I take a can of black or pinto beans and rinse and drain them; throw them in the food processor with a couple Tbls. of onion and salsa and puree. It's yummy and fat free. You can also spread it on fat free crackers or on celery too. . ."

From the "It Can't Hurt to Try" File --

From the "it can't hurt to try" file (and from a message board):
" . . . If you've reached a plateau in your weight loss program, try boosting your metabolism.

Here's the boost. ANY TIME YOU EAT ANYTHING (including snacks), first eat a raw vegetable, then whatever you planned to eat, then eat a raw fruit. Do this for at least 3 weeks. (They must be raw and not in juice form). . . "

This is Kind of Fun

This is kind of fun.

1. Select a carrot about as big around as an adult's thumb.
2. Wash & peel the carrot.
3. Cut a piece of English cucumber about the same length as the carrot.
4. Carefully push the carrot into the cucumber.
5. Slice the cucumber
6. Drizzle with your favorite ff salad dressing or dip and munch away!

I Finally Froze Some Grapes

I've often read about frozen grapes but never tried them. I think I figured that something so easy couldn't be that special. NOT. They're spectacular!

They have a creamy consistency when frozen, and freezing also makes them sweeter. They take longer to eat than regular grapes, so in all likelihood you’ll eat fewer. And not only do they taste amazing, they're also very good for you and provide quality nutrients.

I tried green grapes and they were delish, but I've read even more superlatives for frozen red grapes.

1. Buy a bunch of seedless grapes.
2. Wash them carefully and let them drain in a strainer.
3. Remove the grapes from the stems.
4. Place a handful or more in small bags.
5. Put them into a freezer and allow them to freeze.
6. Take out a bag when you feel like munching.

1 grape = 3 calories, so if you put twenty grapes in each bag, you'll have a 1-point or 60 calorie snack.

Use Your Freezer Wisely

Tomatoes are healthy, flexible, and yummy! One of the best things about summer is wonderful vine-ripe tomatoes. I always thought the only way to preseve them for winter was to can them. Well, that was never gonna happen at my house ... too complicated and time consuming. So I was thrilled when I read this little tidbit from eDiet News. Even I can manage this--

" . . . Do you have more juicy red summer tomatoes than you can eat? Imagine how wonderful your vine-ripe harvest would taste in the winter. As nights cool and summer tomatoes become scarce you can keep a reserve in the freezer.

According to the American Dietetic Association, tomatoes freeze nicely and can provide fresh flavors for winter soups, stews, sauces and casseroles. Freeze tomatoes whole on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, put into freezer bags, then remove them as needed. When using the frozen tomatoes you can cook them first, add them to the dish and allow to thaw during cooking, or thaw them, remove the peel, then add to dishes . . ."

Devil-ish Eggs

For your next picnic, keep it healthy and try deviled eggs without the fat.

When I first read this recipe, it sort of grossed me out and then I realized it was basically an egg half filled with mustard cole-slaw. That realization made it seem somewhat more palatable -- not necessarily my favorite deviled egg recipe of all time, but a nice little point-free garnish for your pick-i-nick plate.

Boil and split the eggs as usual, and discard the yolks. Finely chop cabbage and carrots (and any other raw vegetable you might want to add) and mix with fat-free mayo or salad dressing 'tinted' with a little yellow mustard. Fill the egg body with the vegetable mixture; a bit of cayenne or paprika adds color.

Point-wise, I think 1 egg, 2 halves, would be 0-points. If you eat 2 eggs, I'd count it as 1 point. (It really all depends on how much and what kind of mayo or salad dressing you use.)

It's also amusing to watch your guests' faces as they bite into the deviled egg ...

An Old Favorite

This is an old WW favorite if there ever was one. But sometimes we forget how good something is, and there are always newbies looking for new WW discoveries. (Ah, those were the days!)

Mix a 1-step angel food cake mix with a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple in own juice. Bake according to the package directions, using a tube, bundt, or 9 x13 pan. (Do not add additional water).

That's it! Easy, huh? And really good; much better than you might imagine.

The entire cake is approximately 36 points, 12 good sized servings for 3 points each. 36 cupcakes are one point each; 24 are 1.5 points. Calories depend on the size serving also, of course, but a medium-sized piece of angel food cake is about 135 calories. Just multiply the total calories on the box and divide by the total amount of servings you cut. Per piece, the pineapple should be neglibible.

Other variations:

Replace pineapple with a can of cherry or blueberry pie filling--or--

Replace pineapple with a can of pumpkin puree. Add a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor. (For 12 servings, only 2 pts. per serving)--or--

Replace pineapple with a can of sliced peaches or pears in lite syrup. Drain the syrup into the dry cake mix and then cut up the peaches into smaller pieces --or--

Add 1 package of sugar free jello and the correct amount of water (amount called for on cake package) for something different, too.

I've tried it with the cherry filling, as well as the pineapple. Both are very good! (I think the cherry is my favorite and it turns a lovely shade of bubble gum pink.)

Points/calories for variations vary.

Do I Love Baked Lay's?

Well, yes and no.

No, because like any other sane person, I'd rather have the real thing. Yes, because Baked Lay's have become an important part of my eating plan. Meaning, an important part of staying on my eating plan.

I only use single-serving bags, either bought that way or by dividing a larger bag into 2-point baggie packs. I never keep a large bag around the house -- too easy to 'eat just one (ten, twenty) more' chip(s).

I keep a few bags in the car to eat with fast food, (along with a 1-point bun, as I posted about before.)

They also provide a 2 point crispy potato-y side dish for lunches at home, say, with a tuna sandwich or grilled cheese. I suppose you could dip them in ketchup if you wanted.

They're a good snack because of the crunch. 2 points worth dipped in 1 points worth of sour cream mixed with salsa feels like cheating (in a good way).

I've even crushed them and used them as topping for baked fish. (A good recipe, which I'll post sometime in the future.)

I have a pretty steady supply of them these days, as I've settled into a routine which nets me a few bags a week. I order them as a side with my Pick Two at Panera, eat the soup or salad and half sandwich for lunch, and toss the bag of chips in the back seat of the car to have them available if I need them another day.

So, yeah, I sort of love Baked Lay's ... in a 'Love the One You're With' kind of way.

Late Night Cravings

From a WW member:


"I am a night owl, and used to have a bad problem with late night cravings--until my WW leader shared her secret with me. Now, I have no problems whatsoever.

It was very simple, really. The idea is to plan to have a bowl of high fiber cereal approximately 2 hours before you go to bed. You pre-track it (add it to your point total early in the day, before you've even eaten it), so you don't have to worry about not having enough points.

I generally swap brands after each box so that I don't get bored, and have found this to be a help in fighting those cravings. It's filling, and I enjoy the sensation of eating something crunchy that late at night."

Feed the Cookie Monster

Don't tell anybody, but these are healthy, high-fiber chocolate cookies. I haven't tried them, so I can't vouch for the taste, but the combination of fiber/calcium/vitamin C should keep the guilt level in check.

Apparently, if you drink 2 glasses of water with 1 of these cookies, you'll feel full for a long time. (Or so it says in my notes from 'somewhere'.)

High-Fiber Chocolate Cookies

1 box (15.1oz) low-fat fudge brownie mix

2 1/2 cups unprocessed wheat bran

1 cup calcium and vitamin-C enriched orange juice

Preheat oven to 375. Coat two baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray. In medium bowl combine brownie mix, bran and orange juice. Drop by 2 tablespoons 2" apart onto baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes (centers will be soft). With metal spatula, remove to wire rack. Cool. Store covered.

Makes 24 cookies. Per cookie: 91 cals; 2g protein; 1g fat; 9mg chol; 19g carbs; 58g sodium; 3g fiber.

It works out to be only 1 WW point per cookie and would be a great snack for when the Cookie Monster attacks ...

Good Day, Sunshine!

I've been on a Jello salad kick lately. Vegetable jello salads to be specific. Yes, I know it's not exactly haute cuisine, but it's another way of making myself eat more veggies.

My current favorite is Sunshine Salad. I grew up eating this and it still makes me think of long ago suppers at the picnic table in the backyard by the swing set.

There are several versions of Sunshine Salad, and mine is probably the easiest.
I use 1 large box of sugar-free orange jello (adding 3.5 cups of water rather than 4), a bag of shredded carrots, a large can of crushed pineapple with its juice, and a dollop of cider vinegar (not enough that you can actually taste it, but enough to cut the sweetness of the Jello a bit).

That's it. It's refreshing for summer, sort of a sweet crunchy side with lots of healthy carrots in it.

I count it as .5 points for each bowl, using rather small glass bowls. Other variations include adding chopped pecans (1 cup = 790 calories) and raisins (1 cup = 500 calories). I leave those out for obvious reasons. I think I've also seen a recipe with chopped celery added and that wouldn't add any more points but I can't do that either, of course, because the Sunshine Salad I ate at the picnic table back by the swing set only had carrots and pineapple. But you might like to try it that way.

At the Buffet ...

I've been traveling a lot lately and ending up at buffets every way I turn. It took awhile, but I finally developed a fairly easy plan to deal with them, a set of rules that keeps me from going too far.

1. I allow myself as much broth based soup as I want. Once I've eaten a bowl or two, I'm not as inclined to want to eat everything in sight.

2. After the soup, I allow myself ONE plate of food, following a modified version of the Plate Method. One half of the plate is veggies and salads, one fourth is carbs, one fourth is proteins. (You have to use your smarts here -- no mayo based salads and that sort of thing, baked fish rather than fried, etc.) Yes, the plate is pretty full sometimes, but only one plateful ...

3. I allow myself a taste of a dessert. Some buffets have very small servings of desserts (the Wynn in Las Vegas is a good one for this) so those who desire (and who don't have dietary restrictions) can try several. I eat one. If the serving sizes are large, I cut a 3-bite sized piece, get rid of the rest of it (give it to a waitress, even set it on an empty table, just get it out of my reach), then slowly enjoy my small dessert with a cup of coffee.

This plan allows me plenty of food, more than I need probably, but at least controlled. Sometimes -- often -- usually! -- I wish I could eat more, but honestly, more would be too much. I'm always as full or more full than I possibly could need to be.

So instead of concentrating totally on the food aspect of the buffet, I concentrate on enjoying being on a trip, enjoying the company I'm in, enjoying that single plate of food, and especially enjoying the fact that I stayed in control and don't have to walk out beating myself up over what I just ate.

Junk Food to the Max

Not very nutritious (actually, very little redeeming value at all and extremely high sodium), but if you're hungry for junk food, this would probably scratch your itch. Plus, I just thought it was funny recipe.

From a Message board:

If you like Dairy Queen Chili Dogs, I highly recommend this recipe.. it's very very similar.

Chili Dog Casserole

5 points per serving


4 Fat Free Hot Dog Buns (1 point each)
8 Fat Free Hotdogs (1 point each)
1/4 Cup Diced Onion
2 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard
1 (15 oz.) Can Hormel 99% Fat Free Turkey or Veggie Chili with Beans
1 Cup Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a medium-sized cassorole with cooking spray. Break up buns and put in the bottom of the casserole. Slice hot dogs into bite size pieces and place evenly on top of buns. Mix onion, mustard and chili; pour evenly on top of the hotdogs. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves: 4

Per Serving: 292 Calories; 3g Fat (9.3% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 2070mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 5

Calories In, Calories Out

We all know that what we eat is only part of how much weight we lose and how fast we lose it. Activity counts, too, and when we reduce our calories, we also need to increase our activity, for improved weight loss and better health.

To track how many calories you burn, healthstatus.com has a comprehensive (over 100 activities) Calories Burned Estimator for everything from archery to gardening to rock climbing, and everything in between. It's based on your weight and calculates how many calories you burn per minute for each activity.

Calories Burned Estimator

Say Olé!

Taco Salad Bowls

Turn a boring salad into a not-quite-as-boring salad for as little as one point (depending on the kind of tortilla you use). Make a tortilla bowl, throw in the salad, add salsa to your salad dressing, and say olé!

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a tortilla lightly with Pam on both sides and drape it over an upside down ovenproof glass bowl (whatever size is appropriate, so the tortilla hangs over quite a bit). It can also be fit into a sprayed ovenproof bowl, depending on which gives you the best shape. Be sure to spray the bowl (outside or inside, depending on your how you're using the bowl) with cooking spray, too.

Heat until crispy and brown (about 5 minutes or so), let cool before removing from baking bowl, and you'll have a tortilla bowl that is low fat (or no fat depending on your choice of tortilla).

Calories and points, of course, depend on your choice of tortilla.

A Cold Glass of Sumthin'

It's finally Summer in my neck of the woods and I'm looking forward to spending some time on the deck with a cold glass of sumthin' in my hands. Iced tea is always my favorite, but I drink it year round and Summer calls for a, well, Summer-y drink.

Enter Minute Maid Light lemonade. I was hooked on it a couple of years ago but forgot about it when Winter came around and haven't had it again till now. It's just as good as I remember!

I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime (for zingy tartness), drop the wedge in my glass, and pretend like it's real, old-fashioned lemondade. And that's not hard to do because it's so good!

1 can = 5 calories

Peanut Butter Pudding

Peanut Butter Pudding

1 3/4 Cups Skim Milk

2 Tablespoons Creamy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

1 (1 oz.) Package Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

1/2 Cup Fat Free Cool Whip

4 teaspoons Hershey’s Light Chocolate Syrup

In a bowl, whisk the milk and peanut butter until blended. Add pudding mix; whisk for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Divide evenly into 4 dessert dishes. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes or until set. Just before serving, add 2 Tablespoons of Fat Free Cool Whip to each dish and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Serves: 4Per Serving: 154 Calories; 3g Fat (16.7% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 400mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Non-Fat Milk. WWP: 3

Whoa!

Numerous studies have shown that it takes our bodies at least 20 minutes to produce the hormones that tell your brain you're full. So if we eat too quickly, regardless of how many calories we consume, our brain will be shouting “I'm still hungry!", even after our plate is empty.

Ways to slow it down:

Count between bites. It might work but it doesn't make for a very pleasant meal, especially for those who are eating with you!

Put your fork and spoon down between each bite and chew your food slowly. Chewing well also aids in healthy digestion of food.

Take a few sips of water between each bite.

Set a timer so you can pace yourself to stick to the 20 minute schedule, 25 to be extra safe.

Take smaller bites.

For me, the most fun way to slow down my eating is to use chopsticks. (I know there are people who eat as fast or faster with chopsticks as with silverware, but I'm not one of them.)

And finally, what works the best but is probably the hardest to do: When you're about two thirds through what you're planning on eating, take a little break -- 10 - 15 minutes. Make a phone call, wash your pots and pans, watch the news, brush your teeth. It will be hard to pull yourself away from your plate before you normally would, but if you can do it, chances are you'll decide you don't want the rest of the meal that you left behind.

Speaking of Baked Potatoes --

Speaking of baked potatoes, aren't they great? They're so satisfying and filling. And no pan to wash!

In years past, baked potatoes got kind of a bad rap. By now, everyone knows it's the not the potato that's fattening, it's what we put on the potato. Below are some low(er) point/calorie toppings for your potatoes. I've listed points/calories for some, but most vary by brand and whether you use low fat or fat free.

Mix and match -- less choices for when the potato is eaten as a side with meat or fish, more choices for a main dish entree. Remember -- no pan to wash! (And be sure to eat the skin -- lots of minerals [particularly potassium] and vitamins and filling fiber in it.)

Salsa
Fat free or low fat sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, or buttermilk
Fat free Ranch Dressing -- About 50 calories for 2 TBS/1 point
1 Wedge of Light Laughing Cow Cheese -- 1 point/35 calories
1 Square Cabot 50% less fat snack cheese -- 1 point/50 calories
1 Slice Kraft 2% American Cheese -- 1 point/50 calories
1 slice crumbled crisply cooked bacon -- 40 calories/1 point (somewhat less if microwaved)
Finely chopped raw veggies -- red or green onions, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers
Grilled, chopped portabello mushrooms
Cooked veggies, such as the zucchini/tomato side below, broccoli, steamed spinach, etc.
A poached egg -- 80 calories/2 points

Your favorite low point/calorie chili
A-1 sauce, Tobasco/hot sauce, or barbeque sauce
Sliced olives -- About 5 calories for 1 medium black or green stuffed olive
Roasted garlic
Herbs and spices, balsamic vinegar

On the Side

I'm not a veggie lover. (I guess if I were, I'd probably be blogging about marathoning or mountain climbing rather than dieting). I can't say that I'm veggie hater, either, but I'm not one of the lucky ones who gets a plate full of food and zeroes in on the broccoli first. To be honest, sometimes I have to force myself to eat them, and if there's something left on my plate when I've finished a meal, it's likely to be the vegetable.

Luckily, I do have a couple of veggie sides that I really like. Here's one, in honor of summer finally arriving and all of those zucchinis that are going to be invading our kitchens in a couple of months.

Peel and slice a couple of nice zucchinis. Saute in a large skillet with some Pam until golden brown. Add a can or two of stewed tomatoes (depending on how juicy you like it), and simmer for a few minutes. I guess you could throw in a pinch or two of Italian spices, but I never do. That's it.

This one veggie I never leave on my plate. I also like having it on baked potato night because I'm satisfied with it as a point-free topping for my potato. Sometimes I'll add a slice of 2% cheese, for a really yummy 1-point potato topping.

Does Your Yogurt Taste Icky?

I can hardly eat 'light' yogurt; it's just too sickly sweet for my taste. So I add an equal amount of plain non-fat yogurt (yummy Greek yogurt if I have any in the frig), and it becomes much more palatable to me.

Or I make my own light yogurt with non-fat plain yogurt, a blip of vanilla extract, pineapple tibits, diced strawberries, or partially mashed blueberries and artificial sweetener to my taste.

Stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours (until not quite frozen) for a cool treat!

The Endless Possibility Quiche

From a message board:








Endless Possibility Quiche


1 cup eggbeaters (4 pts.)

1 cup 1% or fat free cottage cheese (3 pts.)

Cheese – any kind – various cheese have different amounts for different points – 4 pts. worth

Optional – meat substitute – I’ve used sausage, bacon, turkey, garden burgers, etc. – 3 pts. worth

(3 points worth of olives can be substituted for the meat. All different sorts of olives can be used. An example of an olive variation is roasted peppers, Spanish olives and cheddar cheese. You get a surprisingly large amount of sliced olives for 3 points and it seems very decadent. Also, artichoke hearts are good with kalamata olives. This is not a good option if you're watching your sodium.)

Cooked vegetables cut into bite size pieces – about 3 cups worth or a 12 oz. package of chopped spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Drain whatever you’re using well – I press the water out of the spinach or broccoli

Seasonings – again, experiment, nutmeg is good with spinach, you can add chili powder, etc.



Mix it all in a bowl and pour it into a Pam sprayed 9 inch pie pan or an 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the center is pretty firm and puffy. (It will un-puff when it cools down). This whole thing is 14 points if you use the meat option, 11 if you don’t, and makes 4 good size servings.

Here are some of the options I’ve tried:

Spinach with bacon, feta cheese, and a dash of nutmeg Mushrooms with low-fat cheddar

Sun dried tomatoes (soaked and chopped first), mushroom and zucchini with 2% pepper jack and a dash of chili powder

Shredded zucchini, Greek style garden burger, and feta, with a pinch of oregano

Blue cheese with broccoli

Tomatoes, low- fat cheddar, and crumbled turkey or veggie sausage


There are endless variations. It’s a great way to use up bits and pieces of leftovers. It's good hot, or cold for a picnic. I usually make one on Sundays for four of my breakfasts the following week. It's still good on Friday, just refrigerate and wrap it well after it cools down.

... And For Dessert, Serve Mints

Super Fast and Easy Garlic-Bean Soup

20 (!) whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 19-ounce can undrained white beans, such as cannellini
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional garnishes, per cup of soup:
--1/2 tsp. chopped parsley
--1 tsp. crumbled goat cheese
--1/2 tsp. very dry sherry

Place whole garlic cloves and broth in a large bowl. Microwave until garlic is very soft, about 10 minutes. Put all ingredients in blender and purée until smooth. Return to bowl and reheat in microwave about 5 minutes. Put in serving bowls and add toppings. Serve with pita or bagel chips.

Makes 4 cups. 2 points per 1 cup serving (about 150 calories), without chips and topppings.

Simplicity and Beauty

A friend and I were talking about various diet plans the other day and she made the comment, “You know, I’d be willing to spend $5,000 if someone could guarantee me, absolutely guarantee, that I’d weigh 50 pounds less a year from now.” I nodded. It didn’t sound shocking to me because I was pretty sure I’d be willing to pay a relatively obscene amount of money to lose the weight I’d like to lose, too.

We went on to talk about other things. Why, after all, dwell on the impossible? Nobody could guarantee, absolutely guarantee, a 50 pound weight loss. It was an impossible dream.

But her comment stayed with me. “I’d be willing to spend $5,000 if someone could absolutely guarantee that I’d weigh 50 pounds less a year from now.” Something seemed unfinished about our conversation; something was left unsaid, unrealized.

And then it hit me, a moment of clarity so bright that I had to close my eyes to take it in. That impossible thing she wants so badly, that thing she’s willing to pay $5,000 dollars for -- is right there in front of her. It’s hers for the taking, absolutely free and absolutely guaranteed.

All she has to do is expend 500 more calories a day than she consumes, either through less food, more activity, or a combination of both. Barring metabolism problems, in a year she’ll have her "impossible" wish: she’ll weigh 50 pounds less than she does now. She's willing to pay $5,000 for it; is she willing to push her dinner plate away for it?

Okay, I know it’s not really that easy to do. If it were, I wouldn’t be writing about dieting and you wouldn’t be reading about it. But I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the frenzy of losing weight -- the obsession, the frustration, the seemingly sheer impossibility of it -- that we lose sight of reality.

And the reality of it is this: The beauty of losing weight is its simplicity. Eat less. Move more. Lose weight.

That’s it. It’s free, it’s real, and it’s guaranteed.

Now, do it.

Heck, Yeah, We Can Have Chips!

From a message board:

If you've been very good and wait to have your potato serving for a treat, you will DEFINITELY want to try this if you haven't already. Get your favorite dip recipes out!

Microwave Potato Chips

You will need:

Russett Potatoes (or your favorite variety)

Paper plates

Parchment paper

Pam cooking spray or Olive oil mister

Seasonings of choice (Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, Mrs. Dash, cayenne pepper.... etc)


Slice potatoes very thin with a mandoline(or slice with a knife but they need to be very, very thin), about 1/8th inch thick. Lay a piece of parchment on a paper plate and spray with Pam. Place a single layer of seasoned potato slices on parchment. Spray lightly.

Spray another pieceof parchment paper on both side and place over bottom layer of chips. Add another layer of potatoes, and repeat oiling and seasoning. Finish with a sprayed piece of parchment paper.

Microwave for 7-9 minutes. Microwaves vary so experiment, starting with the least amount of time and increase. Your potato thickness will also be a factor.

These will be golden and crispy! You can reuse the parchment paper over and over. Cooking more than two layers is your own choice, but it doesn't work well in mine so try it at your own risk. You can also try this with sweet potatoes.

Calories per medium potato = about 150 = about 2 WW points (because of the fiber)

Holding Pattern

Emotional eating is a problem for most of us, more so for some than others. If you're stressed/sad/scared, stuffing yourself with Oreos is a diversion and a distraction. It's sort of like sleep-walking, numb and automatic, and wraps a gauzy cloak of protection (from your troublesome feelings) around you.

Obviously it's not a good way to deal with your problems. Not only are you creating new problems by eating poorly, you're also not facing the problem at hand. You're ... sleepwalking.

The next time you find yourself in this pattern, try a different approach. When you want to go get that bag of Oreos, sit yourself on a comfortable chair in front of a clock. For 5 minutes, face what you're trying to avoid. Cry, yell, worry, scream ... face it head on.

When your 5 minutes is up, spend 10 more minutes doing something you find calming -- take a bath, dance to the radio, clean out a dresser drawer. If you still want those Oreos after that, have at it. But chances are, if you make it through your 15 minutes, fewer Oreos may be required to make a dent in your psyche. Or if things really go your way, you'll continue to do your calming activity and bypass those Oreos altogether.

A Worthy Back Up ~ Food Find

A lot of my WW friends in other states have said they can't find the 1-point buns. Not to worry ...

Sara Lee makes an excellent 2-point bun that you can find at almost any supermarket. Sara Lee® Whole Grain White Hamburger Buns are soft and fluffy, bigger and better than most 1-point buns (but not the slightly suspect Village Hearth Light Italian Buns), making them well worth using that extra point. The addition of whole grain flour is an additional perk, although you won't know it's there -- these are soft white hamburger buns.

120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber = 2.3 points

My Most Valuable Player

If I had to vote for a Most Valuable Player in my line up of foods that keep me on track, it would be the Lite (1-point) hamburger bun. My very first tidbit was about substituting a Lite bun for fast food sandwich buns and saving yourself 3-4 points, enabling you to drive through the Fast Food Lane now and then.

I use them for grilled cheese, french toast, and (diet) bread pudding. I even took the meat off a Philly steak hoagie roll once and put it on a Lite bun. If not for the bun, I would've had to pass on the Philly steak sandwich.

If I need comfort food and want some bread and butter, I use half a Lite bun with a thin layer of diet spread. Hot "rolls" with dinner? A heated Lite bun. Garlic bread? Yep!

I can make a dilly of a filling sandwich for two points using a Lite bun, a 1-point veggie burger and lots of lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion. I made a bread and tomato salad once using, yep, toasted Lite buns.

Remember that "Don't Leave Home Without It" American Express commercial? That's how I feel about my 1-point buns. I take them on vacation, I take them when I'm going to be out for the day, I always have a package of them in the pantry. My MVP!

Unfortunately, they're getting harder and harder to find. I used to buy Wonder Lite Buns but I haven't seen them in some time. Your best bet for finding them is in a large supermarket that has its own store brand. In the past several years I've bought them at A&P, Kroger, and Dominicks.

The most delicious Lite Bun I've found is Village Hearth Light Italian buns. They're much bigger than the others, have sesame seeds, and are softer and taste better. They're so much better that I feel a little uneasy eating them, because I'm afraid the nutritional info can't possibly be correct. They're hard to find but I sometimes get them at Caputo's, a Chicago area Italian supermarket. They're worth looking for!

For calorie counters, most Lite Buns have 80 calories and 3-4 grams of fiber.