If You're Going Trick or Treating ...

If you're going Trick or Treating with your kids, here are a few rules to follow to keep yourself on track despite the candy deluge:

First and foremost, don't go out hungry! A healthy family dinner before Trick or Treating will help everyone resist the urge to dig right into the treats.

Take a healthy treat for yourself, like an apple, a 100-calorie pouch, or a bag of popcorn, so you'll have something to munch on while everyone else is eating candy.

Once you get home, let another adult supervise the children's candy. Let the kids pick out a few things they want and then have the candy put away (or hidden, if you know you won't stay out of it) and gradually doled out. Good for you and the kids.

Finally, if you've been good all evening, reward yourself with one treat. Most mini bars are only 1-2 points and, after all, it IS Halloween!

Short and Sweet

One candy corn 'kernel' has 3.57 calories.

(The day before Halloween, Oct. 30, is National Candy Corn Day, a celebration of a confection first produced in the 1880s by the Wunderlee Candy Company. More than 35 million pounds of the stuff will be produced this year.)

(I love this tip. You will probably see it every year.)

Halloween Popcorn Treats

Halloween Popcorn Treats

1/2 c. candy corn

Vegetable cooking spray

4 c. miniature marshmallows

8 c. air-popped corn

1. Lightly coat 6 quart Dutch oven, spoon and 13 x 9 inch pan with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Slice each piece of candy corn in half lengthwise.

3. In Dutch oven over very low heat, melt marshmallows, stirring constantly with spoon. Remove from heat.

4. Add popped corn, stirring to coat evenly; stir in candy corn.

5. Using waxed paper, press mixture evenly into pan. Let cool about 1 hour. Cut into 24 squares.

(1 square:1 point; 55 calories.)

Every Little Bit (Still) Counts

So it's your treat day and you've decided to indulge in fast food with the rest of the gang. You order a cheeseburger, french fries, and ... a large diet Coke. You hear some snickers.

Go ahead and let them snicker. Every little bit counts and by ordering the diet Coke, you just saved yourself 270 calories!

Other ways to save calories while still indulging in your fast food fix:

Order your burger with mustard rather than mayo or a special sauce. Ketchup, while not as low in calories as mustard, is okay, too, in the quantity that would be on a burger.

Order the smallest burger, with lots of lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles. It will fill you up!

Drain excess fat from your burger with a napkin.

Take your own light bun from home and save 80-150 calories.

Skip the cheese (and save about 100 more calories).

Order small fries or, better yet, split them with a friend.

Forget you've ever even heard the word "Supersize."

Take a walk later in the day to work off some of your indulgence.

Do enough of the above and you won't have to save burgers for a treat day!

“Safe” Halloween Treats

Safe for YOU, that is.

Halloween safety is important for anyone who has children. It's also important for anyone on a diet, and these are the kind of safety tips listed here. If you don't want a bowl of Snickers bars at your fingertips as you wait for the Trick or Treaters to ring your doorbell, here are a few other Halloween ideas:

Small boxes of raisins, or dried fruit or cranberries.

Stickers--get some packets of large colorful ones and cut them into individual stickers. The smaller children will love them.

Temporary tattoos.

Party favors -- find them at the dollar store, split them up, for a safe and economical Halloween option.

Crayola has "snack packs" of three crayons. And if you made your own, you could probably put more than 3 in for the same $$.

Coupons from fast food joints (almost all of them have special coupons for Halloween.)

If sweets are your downfall, packets of peanuts or sunflower seeds.

Pencils with specialty erasers, or with holiday or cartoon themes.

Envelopes of instant cocoa with marshmallows.

Individual juice boxes.

Pennies, nickels, dimes, whatever your bank account allows.

And if you must give candy, sealed lollipops at 1 point per --or--at least give something you hate!

Let Happiness Work for You Now

There's no doubt that losing weight will make you healthier. It will most likely raise your self-esteem and make you feel more confident. It will probably even make you happier.

But will it solve all of your problems? Will you be happy all day, everyday? Of course not. The number that shows up on your scales in the morning should not, and cannot, determine the your level of happiness.

Okay, you need to lose some weight and it will be great when it comes off, but don't put off happiness until then. Live for today. Be happy for all of the other things in your life that make you smile -- your family, your friends, the upcoming holidays, your pets, your hobbies, your talents.

You don't need to suffer through your journey to your ideal weight. Take each day as a gift and enjoy it, whether you have 10 pounds or 100 to lose. Success is much more achievable if you're happy and positive than if you're unhappy and negative. Grab the happiness in your life and let the optimism it brings work for you. Happiness, like love, is not a limited resource -- there's enough for now and enough for later, too. Live!

Black Bean Salad

This is kind of a "throw it all together until it tastes good" salad with lots of healthy fiber. It tastes best after it chills awhile.











Black Bean Salad

16oz. canned Black Beans, drained and rinsed-
Crushed Garlic to taste-
Chili Powder to taste-
Chopped Fresh Cilantro or parsley, about 1/4 cup-
Fat Free Italian or Vinaigrette Dressing to taste (or make your own)-
Chopped Veggies (Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Red Onion, scallions, Tomatoes)
Lime wedges

Mix it all up and let chill. It's good with a squeeze of lime, over a bed of chopped greens or as a filling for a tortilla.

Points depend on amount and type of dressing you use, but are mainly in the beans: 2 points per cup with old WW fiber rules, 4 points per cup with new rules (227 calories, 1 gram of fat, 15 grams of fiber). If you add a lot of veggies, naturally you can have a larger serving for less points.

Pumpkin Pie Leather

Pumpkin Pie Leather



1 cup pumpkin pie mix -- canned-- not just plain pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Liberally spray 15x10" nonstick jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray, or line bottom and sides with foil. In medium bowl, combine pumpkin pie mix and applesauce.


Spread mixture evenly over bottom of pan; smooth with spatula. Dry in 140F oven for 8 to 10 hours, or until surface is no longer sticky to touch. Remove from oven; cool slightly.


Loosen edges with metal spatula. Starting at narrow end, lift up corners; peel back slowly. (If foil liner is used, peel off foil.) Cut into desired lengths. Roll up and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Calories: 385
Fiber: 15 gr.
Fat: .5 grams


If you divide the recipe into 7ths, it would be 1 point per serving.

How Many Steps Do You Walk Each Day?

I've been researching pedometers. I've had them in the past but I've never really felt like they were accurate, so I'm looking for one that does the job well. As I've researched, I've found a lot of helpful information for when I finally find that perfect pedometer.

Studies have shown people who walk fewer than 5,000 steps each day are more likely to be overweight while those who take more than 9,000 steps daily are more likely to be of normal weight. 10,000 steps a day seems to be the target number that's linked to a number of health benefits. 10,000 steps a day is the equivalent of 5 miles, so those of us who work at desks are going to need to make a lot of trips to the powder room! (So you might as well drink your water; you'll have something to do once you get there.) Further, more recent research suggests that for successful sustained weight loss, 12,000-15,000 steps may be required.

These numbers are far more than most of us walk during our normal daily routines and it's a good idea to work up to your target number of steps. When you first get your pedometer, set a baseline for your average daily step number by wearing it for a week but not adding extra steps. Average the daily number of steps you take that first week and add a 1,000 steps a day each week. That is, if your baseline is 3,000 steps per day, walk 4,000 steps each day the following week, 5,000 steps each day the following, and so on.

Most of us will have a hard time reaching the upper numbers with just our daily routine. A morning or evening stroll, or both, will probably need to be included in your day to reach your daily goal.

Caramel Apple Smoothie

Caramel Apple Smoothie

2 cups lite vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup ff caramel topping
sweetener, if needed, to taste
ice cubes for thickness desired

Mix all in blender until smooth. Serves 4, about 100 calories, 2 points.

Quick Tummy Toner

If you find yourself visiting the bathroom several times a day on those days you're drinking all the water you should be drinking, use those visits to your advantage. Each time you walk to and from the bathroom, tighten your stomach muscles. A little workout, several times a day!

Easiest Chicken Marinade Ever

Marinate boneless chicken breasts in salsa for about an hour or so, then bake or grill as usual. It adds excellent flavor and color, and is good served with fat-freef refried beans, tortillas, and chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. It's also good sliced on a salad.

The marinade adds 0 points and virtually 0 calories to your chicken.

How to Make a Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

I've tried several different methods of making hard boiled eggs through the years and finally settled on this one as the absolute best. Fix a few of these on Sunday to have available for quick, portable high protein breakfasts.

1. Place eggs gently in pan. (Don't use cracked eggs because they might contain bacteria.)

2. Cover eggs with cold water.

3. Put on high heat and bring to a bubbling boil.

4. Remove completely from heat (set on a cool burner) and let sit, covered, 30 minutes.

5. Run cold water over the eggs until cool enough to handle.

6. Peel.

This has always resulted in perfectly cooked eggs for me, with no greenish ring around the yellow.

Notes: Never use cracked eggs, they could be harboring bacteria; for best results, let eggs come to room temperature before boiling; the older the egg, the easier it is to peel; adding a bit of vinegar to the water will keep the egg white from coming out of the shell if any of them crack while cooking; adding a teaspoon full or so of salt is thought to make the eggs keep from cracking and easier to peel.

Does Breakfast Make You Hungry?

Do you eat breakfast? I usually don't, and I know that's not a good thing. But I know that if I eat in the morning, I'll get hungry again earlier in the day than if I had not eaten at all. So I seldom eat breakfast.

That's the short story. There is a longer story and it has to do with protein and carbs. If I eat carbs for breakfast -- (And face it, carbs are usually the easiest breakfast. Think: toast, bagels, english muffins, cereal) -- I'm always hungry again in an hour or two. If I eat a healthier carb breakfast, such as oatmeal, I might stay satisfied a bit longer than a couple of hours, but by an hour before lunch, my stomach is rumbling.

There was a time, however, when I found a breakfast that worked for me and kept me full until lunch. I would make a 'sandwich' using 2 Wasa fiber rye crackers, a small slice of lite swiss cheese, and a single very, very thin slice of deli ham. I figured the points, based on the size of the components I used, to be about 2-3.

I'm pretty sure the reason it worked for me was because it was mostly protein. I stayed satisfied until lunch, and I felt better overall as the day went on. Somehow I got out of that healthy phase and went back to no breakfast, but when I get it together again, I know a high protein breakfast is the answer for me.

If you're always saying eating breakfast just makes you hungrier, try a high protein breakfast. My Wasa sandwich was great. Or try mixing and matching from the following list to make your own perfect high protein breakfast:

Eggs -- lowest calorie choices are egg whites, hard boiled eggs, poached eggs, Eggbeaters.

Cheese -- light string cheese, light swiss cheese, 2% American cheese.

Meats -- thinly sliced ham or turkey, leftover chicken, etc.

Cottage cheese, preferably low or nonfat.

Fruits and veggies -- you may find you like sliced tomatoes with your poached egg, or an apple or pear with your string cheese. Go for it, but go easy on the fruit because the carbs and the calories can add up.

A few almonds.

A Tablespoon of peanut butter.

Breads or crackers -- use only true whole grain and make them a small part of your total meal.

Mix Ahead Oatmeal

Mix Ahead Oatmeal













2 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
3/4 Cup Splenda Granular
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Butter Flavored Granules, such as Butter Buds
1/4 teaspoon
Salt

Combine all ingredients and place into an airtight container.

To use: Mix well with a spoon. Place 1/3 Cup of mixture into a microwave safe bowl. Add 2/3 Cup Water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Stir and Serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Per Serving: 117 Calories; 2g Fat; 3g Dietary Fiber. 2 Points

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Healthy and low point/calorie; perfect for a cool Autumn day.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Not an "exact science." Don't worry, it'll be good.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.Spray cookie sheet or shallow baking dish with Pam.Use whatever veggies you like. If you want it to be 0 points, try the following:

Coarsely chop --

2 large onions

3 stalks celery3 zucchini

2 yellow summer squash

1-2 cups shredded green cabbage

1-2 cups mushrooms, quartered

1-2 cups fresh green beans, about 1" pieces

Spread out veggies on the cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil or Pam. Bake for 25 minutes, stir, and bake for 25 more minutes.

Put 1 qt. or more chicken broth in a saucepan. If the chicken broth isn't salted, salt the veggies while still spread out on pan. Add veggies to broth.

Add--1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (regular would be fine)

1/4-1/2 chopped fresh herbs, your favorite(s)

fresh garlic (you decide how much)

Heat through.The veggies are so sweet that if you only added salt & pepper (rather than the herbs) it would still be great.

Little Low Calorie Craving Buster

Are you yearning for something sweet and gooey, but only have a point or two to spare? A few toasted marshmallows really hit the spot. They're about 20 calories each; not much for such a rich treat! Roast them over the stove (or grill or fire if you happen to be picnicking) until they're golden brown, sugary, and gooey. Savor each bite.

Going Backward

Even though you're eating well and getting adequate exercise, not only are you not losing, but you're suddenly gaining weight. What the heck??

WebMD has an article about weight gain that explains why this might happen. In a nutshell:

1. You're not getting enough sleep. It doesn't seem like there should be a connection between sleep and weight loss, but apparently there is. And it's twofold. First, lack of sleep results in stress to the body, which results in biochemical changes that cause your body to store fat more efficiently. And, two, being up longer hours and later at night results in increased calorie intake.

2. Stress is causing you to gain weight. When we're stressed, our metabolism slows down and our bodies produce hormones that cause weight gain in our tummies. Most people eat more when they're stressed, too.

3. Medications are causing you to gain weight. Some can cause as much as an additional 10 pounds per month. Some common medicines that cause weight gain are steroids, antidepressants, diabetes meds, heartburn medications.

4. A medical condition could be causing you to gain weight. The most common condition that causes weight gain is hypothyroidism, which decreases metabolism. Cushing's syndrome is a rarer disorder that causes excess production of a hormone that results in weight gain.

5. Menopause may be causing you to gain weight. A lot is going on here: changing horomones, decreased metabolism, less physical activity.

If the scales are creeping up for no obvious reason, check into the above. Be vigilant about getting enough sleep, learn to handle stress. If it's a medical condition that's causing the extra pounds, treatment could control that.

Medication and menopause are more complicated. Your doctor might be able to change your medication if it's causing a gain, but it should never be stopped or changed without your physician's guidance. And menopause is like death and taxes -- inevitable. If you're at that stage of your life, increase your activity with a special emphasis on strength training and concentrate on a calorie controlled diet, rich in calcium and vitamin D.

Campfire Marshmallow Bananas

Campfire Marshmallow Bananas

1 ripe banana, unpeeled

20 miniature marshmallows

aluminum foil

With the peel on, cut banana down the middle. Stuff with marshmallows. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place on hot coals for5-7 minutes, or until marshmallows completely melt, turning frequently.

IT WILL BE HOT when removed from fire. Open foil while wearing oven mitts or let it cool for awhile. Eat out of the banana peel 'shell.' It will be messy eating. But worth it.

1 serving

Per serving: 150 calories, 3 points.

Small Change

Do you know you need to make some major changes in your eating habits but, for one reason or another, just don't feel up to it now? Perhaps you're swamped at work or you have an emotional issue you're dealing with. Something is going on in your life that has you so consumed that you're pretty certain any attempt to improve your diet is doomed to fail.

We all go through times like that but stewing over your diet and not doing anything about it is only going to worsen your situation. How about making some small, hardly noticeable changes that will point you in the right direction and ease your mind that you're at least doing something?

Where do you start? Hang this list on your refrigerator door and do as many as them as possible on a daily basis. And prepare yourself to face that fact that if you want to make BIG changes to your body and health, someday you're going to have to buckle down and make BIG changes in the way you live.

Brush your teeth or chew sugarless gum after every meal.
Eat off a smaller plate.
Switch from sugared cereal to a lower calorie, higher fiber cereal.
Eat vegetarian one day a week.
Add one extra fruit or vegetable to lunch and dinner.
Switch from whole milk to 2%, or from 2% to 1%.
Substitute non-caloric iced tea or water for pop.
Walk an extra 500 steps a day, even if it's only around your house.
Always eat sitting at the table.
No more supersizing. Ever.

No Pain, No Gain?

You hear it all the time -- "No pain, no gain." But is it really true?

Nope, not at all. Your mind and your body and your spirit are all working together, so if you want to stick with your exercise, you need to be getting some enjoyment out of it. Choose an activity you've always loved -- hiking, biking, playing tennis -- whatever brings a glow to your skin and a smile to your face. Be smart about it and spend enough time doing it to get your heart working and to burn some calories, and it will work just as well for you as time spent in the gym. A calorie burned is a calorie burned.

You don't have to suffer to be fit. You just need to be smart.

Self vs. Self

Everyday I have good intentions to walk outside or on the treadmill, but everyday I have as many excuses not to as I do good intentions. So my walking schedule is pretty hit or miss. I've learned over time, though, that I can 'trick' myself into walking or exercising. Sometimes my sneakiness works and sometimes it doesn't, but it may be worth a try for you if you have a hard time getting yourself moving.

First, I make a deal with myself: I'll put on my walking shoes, get my ipod, keys, etc., together and ready to go, and then I'll make the decision about walking. 'Self', I say, 'it's up to you whether you walk or not, but at least get it together like you're going to. At least do that much.' It's fairly easy to make myself do that part of it.

But sometimes that's still not enough to get me moving. If I'm still resisting, I make another deal. I'll tell myself to just give it 5 minutes. FIVE measly minutes outside or on the treadmill, and if I don't want to continue, I won't beat myself up over it.

Once I'm outside or downstairs on the treadmill moving, the cobwebs (usually) clear and I realize how good it feels to get the heart pumping. From then on it's a breeze and I feel great when I'm finished.

So if you can get yourself to start your exercise, chances are you can get yourself to finish it.

I'm pretty lucky that the part of me that doesn't want to walk is dumber than the part of me that does. As long as I can keep tricking myself, I'll keep moving!

A Cary's Recipe

"Apple Pie" topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, or your favorite slow churned ice cream.

Place 1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce in a medium saucepan or 4 cup glass measuring cup. Stir in 2 Tbsp raisins, 1 tsp apple pie spice, and 2 Tbsp Cary's sugar free maple syrup (or 1 Tbsp. regular maple syrup). Cook over medium heat on the stovetop, or microwave on high, until very warm. (Cool if using on ice cream).

About 1 point per 1/2 cup of topping.

Not Just for Breakfast

Cary's Sugar Free Syrup is sweet and maple-y, and one of those products that make you feel like you're not on a diet. It's good on whole wheat pancakes, egg white French toast, oatmeal, or anything you ordinarily eat with syrup.

But there's more to Cary's than breakfast. It can also be used in one of the many low-calorie WW pumpkin pie recipes, to make barbecue sauce (with a little tomato paste or ketchup and seasonings), even in a smoothie with vanilla yogurt and bit of pumpkin. Or how about mixing it with a tablespoon of peanut butter on a graham cracker for an afternoon snack?

There's a lot that can be done with it, and at 1 point (60 calories) for a half a cup, what are you waiting for? Get creative!

Talisman

From a message board:

A few weeks ago I went on an internet search for weight loss quotations -- motivational, funny, informative, whatever -- and ended up with over 100. I copied and pasted them into Word, then cut each quotation into individual strips. I folded them and put them in a pretty ceramic jar on my kitchen desk. Every morning when I leave the house, I pull one out and that's my talisman for the day.

I keep the strip of paper with the quotation on it out on my desk as a reminder to myself of how hard I'm working to get to where I want to be. My office mates are getting into it now, too, and everyday ask me what today's quote is. Even if it's just a funny little joke, seeing laying there on my desk keeps me mindful of what I eat.

Party Heartier

Okay, so champagne's not your style, rustic or not? How about Hard Lemonade?

Mike's Light Hard Lemonade is just 75 calories a bottle. A lot of people like it better than the original, according to the comments on their website. Mix it with an equal amount of sparkling water and you can have about 24 oz. of party beverage for only 73 calories -- only 25 calories per 8 oz. At that rate, you can have more than one bottle and won't have to spend the majority of the evening empty handed (unless you're driving, of course).

Rusticity

Want to watch your calories but don't want to be the only one not drinking when you're at a cocktail party? How about a glass of "rustic champagne"? And just what is rustic champagne, you ask? It's light beer but, shhh, don't tell anyone.

I can get about three half-full champagne glasses from one light beer. It's dry and fizzy and, surprisingly, when I sip it slowly I end up with a happy little buzz. Keep your eyes open for Miller MGD 64 (it may already be test marketed in your area), Miller's new light beer, which is just 64 calories for a 12 oz. serving -- 20 calories per glass of "rustic champagne."

Popcorn Balls

Popcorn Balls


Fantastically easy, these marshmallow popcorn balls have a soft, chewy texture, even after cooling.







5 oz. of mini marshmallows (half of a 10 0z. bag)
1/2 bag of lite, butter flavor popcorn (pick out unpopped kernals)
2 Tbsp. light butter

Mircrowave the light butter until it's melted. Add the marshmallows and microwave until they puff up. Stir until the butter and marshmallows are mixed. Pour over popcorn, stir till popcorn is coated, then form into 6 balls. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to store.

To color the popcorn balls, add a few drops of food coloring to the smooth marshmallow/butter mixture. Mix well to distribute color evenly, then pour over popcorn as instructed.

Per popcorn ball:
115 calories; 1.5 fat grams; 2 grams fiber. 2 Points.

Pen to Paper

I've been on so many diets in my life and will probably be on many, many more before I go to that great McDonald's in the sky. If I had to pick the ONE thing that has worked the best for me, that has helped me the most, that has improved my chances of succeeding, it would be journaling.

Every time I've lost a significant amount of weight, I've kept a journal. So why do I fight it so much each time I'm starting a new program, or even when I'm trying to maintain? It's a pretty surefire route to success, but yet I tend to avoid it.

Laziness, for one thing, probably. Just taking the time to sit down and think about what I've eaten and record it, either by hand or on the computer. But that's not the real reason. The real reason is I think I'm trying to avoid facing what I'm really eating; a case of knowing that when I start writing everything down, I can't sneak a bite of chocolate, a root beer, a little slice of cheese. Simply put, when I'm journaling, I can't cheat.

So it's time to start journaling again, because I've finally reached the point that I don't want to cheat myself anymore. I've got several pretty notebooks that I've bought in the past just for that task, and there are lots on online journaling sites, too. Just Google 'diet journal' and you'll get more hits than you'll care to look at.

I'm ready to be honest with myself and to stop ignoring what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm ready to put pen to paper. Won't you join me?

From the Every Little Bit Helps File

We've all heard to drink eight, 8 ounce glasses of water a day. If you drink very cold water, your body has to work to heat back up. And that results in a rise in your resting metabolic rate. So, not only does the water help you feel full and keep you hydrated, you can burn more calories by drinking it cold.

Obviously, drinking cold water isn't going to make you lose a significant amount of weight. But if you feel like your metabolism is low, it's a something you can do that may help raise it. Every little bit helps.

Pumpkin Sauce

This dish is quick to prepare and can be used as an accompaniment to pork or chicken in place of applesauce. But unlike applesauce, the emphasis is on savory rather than sweet.

Pumpkin Sauce
Serves 4-6

1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon apple juice
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups peeled and coarsely shredded pumpkin
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Salt (optional)

In a large non-stick frying pan, add the stock, soy sauce, apple juice, onions, pumpkin, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add salt if you prefer.

Total Calories Per Serving: 46
Points: 0
Fat: less than 1 gram