A Few of my Tips

I wanted to post some of the tips that have helped keep me successful on Weight Watchers.

1. I just do not like plain water well enough to drink 6 - 8 cups a day. So, I found the greatest drink mix to flavor it up! "Fulfill" is the name of it and it is ZERO points. You add 1 pack to a 16 ounce water. The water remains clear and that taste is unbelievable. It has 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sugars, 0 carbs, 0 protein, and 35 mg of sodium. On the box it says: "Fulfill, Vitamin Enhanced-Fitness Drink Mix." It comes in Wild Berry(my personal fav), Peach(my 2nd fav), Kiwi-Strawberry(good), Grape(good), Black Cherry(too strong),and Lemon(don't care for this one). You can find them in some Wal-Mart's and Food City. This is my best find!

2. Salad, Salad, Salad! I have always liked salad, but not like I do now. The best salad dressing I've found is O'Charley's Reduced Fat Honey Mustard. You can use it as a salad dressing or as a condiment with chicken. If using it as a dressing, you can add a little water to it to make your dressing go farther. Very yummy...... If you have a Sam's card, I recommend getting it there! You get a huge bottle for the same price as the smaller bottle at Ingle's or Wal-Mart.

3. Speaking of salad......I love the "Sunkist" brand sliced, toasted almonds to top my salads. There are a few flavors in these, with Roasted Garlic Caesar being my fav. I also like the Honey Roasted. I can't remember the others' names, sorry...but, they're 1 point for 1 TBSP.

4. Another tip of mine is to add a little shredded cheese to the top of my salad. I don't always get in my milk for the day, and this is one way to at least get some in.

5. Steamed Veggies are the best ~ I like the mix of brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots. I have a set of cookware that came with a steamer. I put about an inch of water in the bottom pot and of course the veggies go in the pot with holes in the bottom, put the lid on and bring water to a boil and allow the steam to cook the veggies for about 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness. I put a little "Light Butter" and just a tiny bit of salt on my veggies and they are scrumptious! Don't know why I didn't eat them before I started WW, they're that good!

6. Shrimp is a low point food! So, I buy fresh shrimp (not frozen) from my grocery store, and mix up my own marinade of Olive Oil, Mrs. Dash, Garlic Powder, and pepper. Stir the seasonings and oil together until well mixed, pour over shrimp and let marinade for a little while in the refrigerator. Cook on top of the stove in nonstick cookware until done. Won't take long. No extra oil is needed in the pan, the oil in the shrimp will be sufficient.

7. Pampered Chef has some great tools to help with measuring portion sizes. I especially like the Adjustable Measuring Spoons, Adjustable Scoop, and Measure-All cup. Very handy items!

8. If you like a little sugar in your coffee, I recommend Splenda. I really like it in my coffee! Doesn't taste any different than sugar, in my opinion.

9. Join a support group of some kind. I attend Weight Watchers meetings with a group of great ladies as well as post on a message board with wonderful supportive gals! Studies have found that people who lose weight with a support group lose more weight than those who go at it alone. It's nice having someone to talk to that truly knows what you're going through.

10. Weight Watchers muffins are yummy for breakfast and they're only 3 points each! They really are delicious!

11. Fruit, Fruit! Eat lots of it and many different varieties! They truly are delish! Apples in peanut butter are one of my favs!

12. Another great tip I have learned, I learned from Weight Watchers. Journaling, or writing down everything I eat has helped in my weight loss. It really will help show what all is consumed in a day and make you think what alternatives you could have made.

13. I have started getting up about 30 minutes earlier, just to get my workout in before work. My time in the evenings is so limited and by the time Jacob goes to bed, working out is the last thing I want to do. Working out in the morning, gets me energized for the day and really is quite refreshing. Now that I've been doing it for almost a month, it has become routine for me and isn't as hard to do as it was in the beginning. Stick with it and make yourself get out of the bed, it will get easier as you go.

14. Invest in a few workout dvd's. Try to find ones that you are interested in. I enjoy dancing, so finding dance workout dvd's was ideal for me. I also use others, but the dance ones are my favorites! You can visit your local library and try some that they have to see what you like before investing your money into it. (I didn't do this, but thought it was a great tip I read from WW magazine)

15. Have a splurge! Eat something that you want! Don't deprive yourself of things you like. You can eat anything, as long as it is in moderation! I wouldn't recommend eating those things every day, but you need to occassionally have those foods or you won't stick with your plan.

16. Fat Free Pringles are *Yum-O*! They taste great and are fat free!!

17. Baked Chips are much better than the greasy regular ones. They taste great too.

18. Realize that a diet will not work long term. As soon as you quit "dieting," and go back to your normal lifestyle, the weight will more than likely return. I have realized that for me, it is a lifestyle change. The changes I have made are not just until I get skinny ~ I want to be healthy for life.