I'm now a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers

Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!! I DID IT!

I maintained my goal weight through my birthday, the holidays, some pizzas and one of those all the meat you can possibly eat Brazilian steakhouses. And I actually went down a pound. I was getting a little nervous there for awhile with all that food and not being able to weigh in for several weeks because of the meetings being cancelled for three sessions due to the holidays. When week number six rolled around, I had to miss the meeting to take my kid to a doctor's appointment.

Anyhoo.... I made it. I rock and I have a brand new sized small black t-shirt and a golden key for becoming a lifetime member. The t-shirt reads in small print, "*Results not typical." That is the usual disclaimer in ads for weight loss products and we adopted that little slogan for the t-shirts for lifetime members of our group. I think its pretty cool.

I feel great. I reached my goal and lost 35 pounds since summer 2006. If I can do it, so can you!

Kat's NOT fat!

Smashing good substitutes for Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite everyday comfort foods. Unfortunately, they are not a dieter's dream, especially with all the butter, milk and gravy that accompanies the innocent vegetable. Here are some lower fat and healthier alternatives to the traditional mashed potatoes with gravy.

Add other vegetables: Turnips, parsnips and cauliflower all make great mashed potato mix-ins. To add even more flavor, add some horseradish or garlic.

Skip the potatoes all together: I often make sweet potatoes or turnips instead of potatoes. Just the other day, quite by accident, we made a delicious vegetable soup by adding red peppers to the turnips we were boiling on the stove. You never know when you will come up with a yummy combo like that.

Use non-fat dairy: Substitute down the fat content of dairy products by using things such as non-fat half and half or skim milk and a buttery spread with no trans-fat such as Smart Balance. The same goes for baked potatoes, instead of loading them up with butter and sour cream add broccoli and spray with Parkay. You can also add fat free sour cream. The main thing is to get the fat out of your dairy products. It makes a big difference.

Here are a couple of recipe links to get you started:

Horseradish Smashers from The Healing Gourmet
and
Hungry Girl's Miracle Mashies a one-point garlic mashed potatoes with cauliflower recipe.

Yum!

Herbed Rib Roast

WeightWatchers.com: - Herbed Rib Roast

WW POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 80 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This herb-crusted roast makes a wonderful holiday dinner. Turn leftovers into flavorful steak sandwiches or eat some for breakfast with scrambled eggs.

Ingredients

4 pound lean whole beef rib(s), trimmed of visible fat
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp horseradish sauce
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 375°F. Season roast with salt and pepper.

* In a small bowl, combine garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish. In another small bowl, combine parsley, thyme, dill and 1 tablespoon of mustard mixture.

* Place meat, rib-bone down, in a roasting pan; coat top with remaining mustard mixture and cook meat until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of roast registers 110°F. Coat roast with remaining mustard mixture and press herb mixture onto mustard with your hands.

* Continue cooking roast until a thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 140°F for medium, or longer until desired degree of doneness. Cover loosely with foil and then let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving into 12 thick slices. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Buzz Kill - Calories in your drinks

Not to be a buzz-kill but....

I'm telling you after the holidays so as not to spoil your holiday cheer. Here is a rough estimate of how many calories are in booze.

What’s in a Drink?
As a drink’s alcohol percentage increases, so do the calories.

Eighty proof bourbon, brandy, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka, and whiskey each have 65 calories per one-ounce serving. If you’re on a diet that restricts carbohydrates use club soda, diet soft drinks or water instead of a sweetened mixer. And choose clear liquors, which have fewer carbohydrates, over wine, beer and dark liquors. In general, liqueurs cram in 70 to 120 calories per ounce.


White wine spritzer - 80 calories
Red wine - 170 calories
Champagne - 86
Light beer - 75
Bloody Mary - 130
Dry martini - 163
Dessert wine - 174
Hot buttered rum - 254
White Russian - 404

Source: The Skinny on Alcohol

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year!

As we look back at 2007 and forward into 2008 many of us make resolutions. Personally, I always resolve to not make resolutions. LOL

Here are some tips from Hungry-Girl.com for 2008.

1. Don't go "on a diet".
2. Don't deprive yourself.
3. Drink lots of water.
4. Listen to your body. It knows things.
5. Live one day (or even one MEAL) at a time.
6. Get exercise with activities you enjoy.
7. Let yourself cheat a little.
8. Keep track of what you eat. Write it down.

Best wishes for the new year. Here is a fun look back at 2007 from jibjab.com.