Tiny Tip -- March On!

While watching TV, spend 10 minutes of every half hour standing up and marching in place (or around the room) while you watch. If you watch TV for 3 hours, you'll end up with an hour of exercise under your belt!

TJ's Cilantro Salad Dressing Revisited

When I passed along this product a few months ago (1/21/09), it was one of my "from a message board" posts. I finally got to try the dressing myself, so I want to add to the poster's review of it.

This stuff rocks! The cilantro taste is mild but it has a pretty strong garlic wallop, even though garlic is pretty far down in the list of ingredients. It's sort of thin in consistency, but that makes it easier to pour over a larger area of your salad than if it were thick.

But, to me, the best thing about it is that it's not just for salad. I used it in a pita sandwich with a little chicken, yum, a perfect mayo replacement for a fourth of the calories. It would also be good as a veggie dip, perhaps mixed with some fat free sour cream or fat free ranch dressing to reduce the calories even more.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, give this stuff a try. It's with the fresh produce and a somewhat pricey $3.49 at my store.

Per 2 tablespoons, 45 calories, 1 Point.

A Plan For Your Plan

While planning is the key to good eating, even our best plans can go awry. Studies show that tempting foods are more likely to make us overeat when we come upon them unexpectedly. Say, for example, the cheesecake lady at Costco. Cheesecake would never be in our plans, but if someone offers a big chunk for free, it will probably be hard to resist.

Unexpected food is everywhere: A co-worker shows up for a meeting with donuts. Your significant other can't resist buying girl scout cookies. The waiter brings a free dessert because your fish was undercooked. Aunt Edith unexpectedly turns up at a family dinner with her peanut butter pie. And it always happens when you least expect it.

So make a plan for when your plans go awry. Devise a script to follow when unexpected food tempts you. Before you even consider indulging, recite your line: "No thanks, I just ate." "I probably shouldn't because of my food allergies." "I couldn't eat another bite!" "No, not my favorite." Whatever works for you, say it, and go back to what you were doing before the food suddenly appeared in front of you.

The key here is to keep the script on the tip of your tongue. If you hesitate, you might give in. But once you've recited your line, you should be able to pull yourself together and stay with your original plan.

Babybels for Less

I found Babybel Light Mini cheeses at my Sam's Club. I'm sure you know what they are -- the little red waxed rounds of cheese that fit in your palm. They're small but surprisingly filling, especially if you have one with a few celery or carrot sticks, or a handful of grapes.

But, anyway, the reason it's significant that I found them at Sam's (other than the fact that they're sometimes hard to find), is the price. I got almost twice as many for the same price as at my supermarket. These little gems are are a tasty, portion-controlled snack, but they're pricey, so a good deal on them is a real find.

Each Babybel is 50 calories, 1 point.

Green Fries

Some people consider these a good substitute for french fries, but I guess that depends on how much you like french fries (and green beans). But they are good!






Roasted Green Beans

2 lbs green beans
1-2 tablespoon olive oil (just enough to lightly coat beans)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste, may substitute other powdered seasoning, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash, trim, and dry beans. (Drying the beans is probably the most important part of this recipe -- if they're moist, they end up soggy rather than crisp and crunchy.)

Put the beans in a zippered bag, add olive oil, and seal well. Shake bag for several minutes. Be sure the beans are evenly coated with oil. Add dry seasonings and shake some more.

Spread them out into 1 layer on a low sided cookie sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, turn, and roast for 10-15 more, until they're brown and sort of shriveled. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4
Calories: about 100; 0-1 point.
(If you base your points on total calories, including the green beans, it's one point. If you count the green beans as "free," it's just over 0 points.)

Framing Your Salad

Salad is probably the number one diet food, but we all know that the salad dressing you use can turn a dream meal into a nightmare. But the good news is that salad actually tastes better with less, rather than more, dressing.

Too much salad dressing will make your greens soggy and mask the flavors of your other salad components. Like a frame on a picture, the dressing is supposed to highlight the salad, not overpower it.

Try to use about a quarter cup of dressing for each 6 cups of greens. Mix the dressing in well, or even shake the salad and dressing in a zippered bag, to make sure each leaf gets coated. If you don't feel there's enough dressing, add a tablespoon or so at a time until you get it right.

Would You Rather Burn 50 Calories or 2 Calories?

If you’re not currently strength training, now’s the time to start. One pound of muscle burns between 35 and 50 calories per day, while a pound of fat burns about 2 calories per day.

If you have a friend who is experienced with weights, let them help you get started. Or better yet, hire a trainer for a few hours and let them set up a well-balanced weight training program for you. And although weight training is the best way to gain muscles, any kind of strength training is going to increase muscle mass, even Pilates and yoga. Pilates strengthens the core of your body -- your back, your abdomen. Some forms of yoga have a similar effect.

Strength training has another beneficial side-effect that has nothing to do with burning calories. Stating the obvious here, but it makes you strong. And feeling physically strong leads to feeling emotionally strong, which has a huge impact on the success of your diet, and the rest of your life, too.

So if you've been thinking about getting started with weights, do it now. Building lean muscle is a huge difference maker in terms of calories burned, which leads to pounds lost, which leads to weight loss success. And isn't that why we're all here?

Zucchini Chips

Remember this recipe later in the summer when it's raining zucchini!

Zucchini Chips

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

2 servings; about 100 calories per serving; 2 points.

It's Like This, Dude ...

From a message board, about exercise:

"It's like a drug, man. And you need it. Studies show there is a significant decrease in self-esteem when people stop exercising. Doing cardiovascular activities or strengthening combined with stretching produce equal increases in self-esteem. And best of all, it's legal."

Fool-proof, Low Calorie Comfort Food

Fool-proof, low calorie comfort food; can it get any better than that?

Jennie-O Oven Ready Boneless Turkey Breast is easy and delicious. Simply put, take it out of the freezer, remove the outside wrapper, and put the turkey (in a bag) in a roasting pan in the oven for about 2 hours. That's it. What you end up with is real roast turkey, and you don't even have to touch it until it's cooked and ready to eat.

A gravy packet is included, but I can't comment on that because we didn't use it. (I imagine it tastes somewhat salty because salt is the second ingredient on the ingredient list, and it has 360 mg of sodium per quarter cup.) But the turkey is good and very easy. It can also be cooked in a slow cooker (which I think I'll try next time, because my only complaint is the turky was somewhat dry) for 4 1/2 hours on high or 6 1/2 hours on low.

Find it at the supermarket with the 'regular' frozen turkeys. The turkey is 100 calories, 2 points for 4 oz. The gravy is 25 calories for 1/4 cup.

Tiny Tip -- It's Raining Veggies!

Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low calorie dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day to fill you up and slim you down.

Strawberry Mousse

Strawberry "Mousse"

1 (4 serving) envelope low-calorie strawberry gelatin

1 c. boiling water

1 pt. strawberries, hulled and crushed

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 c. Cool Whip Free

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in strawberries and lemon juice. Chill until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into individual dessert dishes. Chill until set, about 2 hours.

6 servings. 50 calories per serving, 1 point.

Do You Need a Little Motivation?

You been following a plan for awhile now, doing well with food and exercise, but the weight is coming off slowly. You're finding yourself getting discouraged and questioning whether you can or want to continue. Before quitting, remind yourself that:

Nothing is guaranteed in life. Everyday is a gift and we have no control over what happens tomorrow. Do you want to spend your time on this earth tired and overweight, or thin, healthy, and active?

Any decision you make about your body is yours alone. You alone are in control of your success or failure. If you quit now, no one else but you is going to suffer for it.

There are people who have disabilities that keep them from walking, much less from exercising and participating in physical activities . They have no choice but you do. If you're lucky enough to have a working body, don't you think you should use it?

You went on a diet because you were dissatisfied being overweight. If you quit now, you'll most certainly feel that way again. How much of your life are you going to waste feeling dissatisfied?

If you're good to your body, it will be good to you. A healthy weight is one of the surest ways to a healthy life.

Millions of people have lost weight and kept it off. You're just as smart as them; you can do it, too!

Pineapple Chicken

Pineapple Chicken

6 chicken breast halves without skin - skinned and split

20 ounces pineapple chunks or tidbits in juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic - minced

Arrange chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the drained pineapple tidbits, mustard and soy sauce. Pour over chicken. Add minced garlic. Cover and cook on LOW 7-9 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

Makes 6 servings.

190 calories; 4 WW points per serving.

Get the Best of Your Next Sweet Tooth!

We all know what having a 'sweet tooth' means, and our sweet tooth invariably acts up when we're dieting. Traditionally, satisfying a sweet tooth often means having dessert, which can undo a healthy meal in the blink of an eye. What to do?

Research has shown that incorporating something sweet into your meal neutralizes a sugar craving and helps you avoid dessert. A few chopped apples or a handful raisins added to your salad should do the trick nicely. Or find recipes that use fruit as an ingredient in your main dish, such as pork loin cooked with apples or orange chicken. (Stay tuned for a fruit and chicken main dish tomorrow).

Give it a try; it's a win-win situation. You're adding healthy fruits to your diet and avoiding dessert cravings at the same time. And nothing feels better than getting the best of a craving!

Tiny Tip -- A Dip into Summer

Mix fat-free sour cream with sugar substitute, cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg for a delicious dip for strawberries and other summer fruit.

I Might Need To ID You Before You Read This ...

There's no absolute science behind the idea that "drinking stimulates appetite" but most people don't argue with the suggestion it often does. I know, personally, if I have even a couple of glasses of wine, caution about what I'm eating flies out the window.

So the next time you're going to a club or a party, ask your designated driver to be your designated food watcher, too. Ask in advance if she/he sees you're being careless with either your food or drink (drinks have calories, too!), to get you a glass of club soda, pull you aside, and remind you of all the hard work that you're sabotaging.

The key here is that your friend talks to you before you're 'too far gone,' and apt not to care or listen. Not only will it save you calories, it may help you 'save face,' too.

Hollywood Spuds

California Baked Potatoes -- From Kraft Foods

3 cold baked Idaho potatoes, cut into spears

1/2 cup Kraft Catalina Free fat-free Dressing

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Toss the potato spears with dressing and place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parsley. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Note: You can substitute raw potatoes for baked; prepare as directed, increasing baking time to 65 minutes

4 servings; 140 calories per serving; 2 points.

Flaky Soup

I remember an old diet recipe that consisted mostly of broccoli boiled in broth, then whizzed in a blender for "cream of broccoli soup." I tried it. It didn't look creamy, it didn't taste creamy. It wasn't creamy; it was thin and watery.

One of my favorite simple soups is canned pumpkin, chicken broth, and a few spices cooked together. The pumpkin thickens it somewhat, but the soup is still quite thin. It needs just a little something to thicken it up.

I know I can thicken thin soups with flour, but that adds quite a few calories and unless I add just the right amount, it can end up tasting pasty. Corn starch is an alternative; however that's never appealed to me for some reason and the calories are still pretty high. But I've finally run onto an acceptable alternative to thicken the soup while adding very little calories -- instant potato flakes.

Start out with about a Tablespoon (20 calories) for 4 servings of soup. Add more if necessary, but go easy because the soup will continue to thicken as it sits. Don't worry about your soup tasting like potatoes, because using such a small amount won't alter the taste of your soup at all. But for everything from broccoli, to pumpkin, to --yes -- potato soup, the potato flakes give thin but healthy soups a stick-to-your-ribs consistency without adding significant calories.

Don't Move!

If you're getting out of control with between meal snacking and grazing, try a week or two of eating in only one allowable place in your home. That is, pick one place, preferably your kitchen or dining room table, as the only place you will eat for the week. Meals, snacks, whatever, must be taken there.

Be sure you're seated, eat slowly, and concentrate on your food. (There should be no television on, but relaxing music is okay.) You'll begin to associate and identify that area as the only place you should eat. Additionally, eating slowly focuses your attention on what you're eating, so you break the habit of mindless eating.

Of course, it would probably be best if you could always limit your eating to this one area of the house. That's probably not going to happen, but a week or two can accomplish a lot toward forming habits that will make you more aware of what you're eating and when you're doing it.

Easy One Pan Pork and Apples

This is an easy one pan meal, made even easier with cole slaw mix. If you want, you can throw in a few quartered (lengthwise) baby carrots, too.










Easy One Pan Pork and Apples

1 lean pork loin chop
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed, or 1-1/2 tsp. fresh, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 onion, cut into wedges
1 cup shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix

Sprinkle pork with rosemary and press with hands to adhere. Spray small sauté pan with Pam and sauté pork 2 minutes per side or until golden. Add remaining ingredients to pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Cover skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-12 minutes or until pork is cooked throughout (160 degrees internal temperature). 1 serving.


240 calories, 5 WW points, per serving.

Tiny Tip -- Craving Buster

Perfect food craving buster -- polish your nails. In the time it takes for you to do the job and the polish to dry, the craving should be gone.

AMAYW Green Beans

I'm just slightly embarassed to tell you this.

There have been times when I'm dieting that I've been so hungry I've gone in the kitchen, opened a can of green beans, and eaten the whole thing straight from the can. I think, maybe, one time I ate two cans but I'm not sure. Probably blocking that particular memory ...

Anyway, the good news is, I wasn't bingeing on 'forbidden foods,' and there weren't a lot of calories involved.

The bad news is, well, the taste, and there's a lot of sodium involved.

With a little forethought, however, my binge could have been more pleasant and less salty, if I had just planned ahead with these:

AMAYW* Green Beans

4 cans of green beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of low sodium tomatoes
1 can of low sodium chicken broth
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 Tbs. brown sugar
Red pepper flakes, to taste

Throw it all in a crockpot and let it cook a few hours for the flavors to meld. Or cook on the stove for awhile, if you prefer. Store in the refrigerator; heat up in the microwave. Good hot or cold.

*As Much As You Want

On The Go Eats

Summer is here -- hallelujah! -- and that means vacation time can't be far behind. While it's always best to plan ahead in terms of eating on the go, sometimes we don't end up where we planned and/or don't have a lot of choices.

Here's a quick list of commonly found foods that will keep you healthy (and thin) while you're on your way to summer fun:

1. A small slice of cheese pizza (or veggie pizza), and a side salad with fat free Italian dressing. About 250 calories/5 points.

2. A half sandwich with about 1/4 inch thin layer of lean ham or turkey with mustard and lots of lettuce and tomato, and the same salad as above on the side. About 150 calories/3 points.

3. 1 plain, soft pretzel (the old-fashioned kind, not the flavored variety) with mustard. About 200 calories/4 points.

4. A kiddie hamburger, with the above side salad. About 300 calories/6 points.

You can add baked chips (2-3 points/around 140 calories, depending on the size of the bag) or a cup of vegetarian vegetable soup (about 2 points/100 calories) to round out your meal.

If you must have dessert (you're on vacation, after all), have 4 ounces of non fat frozen yogurt (about 100 calories/2 points), or split a York Peppermint Pattie with your traveling companion (about 80 calories, 1.5 points for half.) Also, 3 starlight peppermints are 1 point/60 calories.

Bon Voyage!

Should You Be Afraid of the Dark?

A tip I often run across, and it seems like a good one, is to clean your kitchen and turn off the lights after dinner to signify "the kitchen is closed." But there are a couple of studies that found people are more likely to binge when there's less light.

Apparently, dim light makes you less aware of your inhibitions. It's easier to slip into that zombie-like binge state when the lights are low. Conversely, bright lights make you more aware. If you're more conscious of what you're doing, you're less likely to indulge in mindless eating. I wonder if that's why many of us tend to binge late at night rather than during the day?

It's one of those "your mileage may vary" scenarios. What works for one might not work for the other, and vice versa. Anyway, I doubt that anyone is going to keep their kitchen lights on around the clock. But just being aware of how darkness can entice you into unwanted behaviors may be enough to stop your next binge in its tracks.

Okay, We've Done the Fruit and Bran, How About ...

CHOCOLATE??

Yes, they're a little more complicated, but they're fabulous and --need I say it again?-- chocolate!

Fudgy Muffins

3 cups Fiber One cereal

2 cups hot water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups Splenda

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine cereal and water, and allow to soften. Add vanilla and egg whites to the softened cereal. Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the cereal/egg mix.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The mixture will appear to be very dry but as you continue to stir it will moisten up.

Divide the batter into 24 muffins cups sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

Note: If you prefer a mocha flavor, use coffee in place of the hot water.

24 muffins, 1 point, about 75 calories each.

Encore to the Encore

Since I put the muffins on the table, so to speak, here's another one for you to try, especially if you're looking for a way to add more fiber to your diet. One thing especially nice about these muffins is that Krusteaz makes several flavors* of fat free muffin mix, so there's a lot of variety to play with. They're small, but at 1 point each, you could have more than one for breakfast or a snack.

Krusteaz Bran Muffins

3 cups All Bran Extra Fiber cereal
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 box Krusteaz fat free muffin mix, any flavor

Soak All Bran in the water for 5 min, until the bran is soft. Add baking powder and muffin mix to cereal. Mixture will be very thick. Drop into 24 muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. Bake according to muffin mix directions.

Makes 24 muffins at 1 point each, about 60 calories.

*Cranberry Orange, Wild Blueberry, Apple Cinnamon, Banana, Honey Cornbread and Muffin Mix.

Encore Muffins

There are a lot of people googling this recipe. I know, because I get more referrals from Google to this recipe than any other page on my site. I decided to share it again (and this is not my recipe, just one that has made its way around the internet) so those of you who who missed it the first time and have never heard of it (and therefore wouldn't even think to do a search for it) can get in on the goodness of it.

These are easy to make sweet-ish muffins, fairly small, but weigh in at only 1 point a piece (about 50-60 calories).

Jiffy Pineapple Corn Muffins

2 small boxes Jiffy Corn Bread Mix

2 small cans crushed pineapple/natural juice

Mix together. Spray 24 muffin tins with Pam. Bake at 400 until golden, 20-30 minutes. Let rest 3 minutes before removing.

Brown Bagging It ... On Your Day Off

From a message board:

"I struggle with eating too much on my days off but I found I can control it when I use the 'brown bag' approach. I organize all my snacks and lunch as I would if I were going to be taking them to work. I put them in bags and I write it down in my journal before I even eat it. And then I don't eat anything that isn't in the bag.

It's a perfect solution for me. On work days I always do really well because I only eat what I brought with me. On days I stay at home I tend to do a lot of grazing. If I pre-plan by writing down what I'm going to eat ahead of time, then choose, measure out, and bag my food (or plastic wrap it, or whatever it takes to store a particular food), I'm a lot more likely to stay within my points prior to dinner."

Pop 'Em

I love edamame. These "young" soy beans boiled in the pod don't sound particularly appetizing, but they're just as addicting as potato chips. The good news is it takes a little time to pop them out of the pod, so they take longer to eat. And they have more fiber and less fat than most snacks. But too much of anything is too much, especially beans, which can be a bit calorific.

That's why I was thrilled to find a big bag of single serve pouches of organic edamame at Costco the other day. They're made by GreenOrganic and each pouch is 90 calories, 2 grams of fiber, a little less than 2 points per pack. You can let them thaw or heat them in the microwave for a quick, filling, portion controlled snack.