RECIPE: Crockpot Italian Chicken

This could not be easier!!

Crockpot Italian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Mine were huge so more like 6 equivalent)
1 cup light Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden Light Italian)
8 oz fat free cream cheese

Put chicken in crockpot and pour Italian dressing over it.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours depending on your crockpot.  Or do it on high for like 4 hours.  When you are about 30 minutes from when you want to eat turn the crockpot up to high and cube the cream cheese and add it.  After it softens you can mix it in with a spoon or wisk to make a creamy sauce.

Serve over egg noodles or rice.  As you will see in the picture below I had mine over riced cauliflower.

Enjoy!

Italian Crockpot Chicken

Weigh-In: Weeks 47, 48 & 49

The last three weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster...

Week 47:
    This week:  +1.8
    Total to date:  -99.6  (I am NOT happy that I have slipped below the 100 pound mark!)

Week 48:
    This week:  -3.0
    Total to date:  -102.6

Week 49:
    This week:  +2.4
    Total to date:  -100.2

Week 49 was Christmas week so I wasn't surprised by the gain.  I wasn't upset by it either.  I enjoyed the holiday and didn't stress about counting points too much.  I feel comfortable that I have got this and that I can go off plan very briefly and come back to it.  And I did.  I have no doubt that if I hadn't gotten back on plan it would have been more like a 5 pound gain that week!!

What did I eat to gain 2.4 pounds?

• pizza
• chicken wings
• deep fried mushrooms
• cream cheese stuffed peppers
• onion rings
• Christmas cookies
• chocolate
• breakfast casserole (our Christmas morning tradition)
• chicken fingers
• beef on weck
• cheese--LOTS of cheese!
• WINE--even more wine than cheese!
• Moscow Mules (my new favorite alcoholic drink!)

And it was all delicious!  Was it worth it?  Some of it was and some of it wasn't.  I definitely wish I had skipped the chicken wings, deep fried mushrooms and onion rings.  They were good but I felt gross after eating them.  And on Christmas day I munched on snacks so much that when it was time for dinner I wasn't even hungry.  Of course I ate anyway and after dinner I was STUFFED!  I haven't had that feeling in a long time and I can't say that I enjoyed it.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and it'll be another rough one!  I am saving all of my points till evening and I definitely will be WAY over!  But I don't care.  This is a journey, not a sprint, and I believe that to be able to do this forever I need to be able to have these special "days off"....but only one day off...New Year's Day it's back to business!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your NYE tomorrow!!!

Weigh-In: Week 46 & 100 POUNDS!!

This week:  -2.0
Total to date:  -101.4

Yep, that just happened!!!  I have lost ONE HUNDRED FREAKIN' POUNDS!!!  I said I was going to do it but holy crap....I actually did!!

The whole thing feels kinda weird.  Not like I expected to feel when I reached 100 pounds.  I thought I would be celebrating and so happy.  Don't get me wrong....I'm happy about it....but it's just another day in the journey.

When I look in the mirror I still see the old me.  I don't feel like I look like I lost 100 pounds.  I guess I thought it would be more significant....but maybe it's just because it's happened gradually?  When I see people that I haven't seen in a while they definitely notice a difference.  When I look at pictures from a year ago I can see a difference.  But when I look in the mirror it just looks like me.  Hmmm....

I'm loving my new bling...If you had told me I would have that 100 pound charm someday I probably wouldn't have really believed you...

I AM doing this!!

The journey continues...

My 100 pound charm!!

Weigh-In: Week 45

This week:  -5.2
Total to date:  -99.4

Who loses 5+ pounds over Thanksgiving week??  Yep... ME!!  I was totally excited about that number!!

No, not my actual dinner.  Mine might not have been presented
 as well but I bet it was every bit as delicious!

Thanksgiving was delicious! LOL  I didn't go crazy but I definitely didn't stay within my points.  I stayed away from the butter and the rolls and stuff....but definitely enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and my favorite--stuffing!!  Man, I love that stuff!  We tried to prepare the foods more healthy--like not adding butter to the squash and the mashed potatoes.   We substituted green beans for the usual corn as beans have 0 points and corn has points!   And did you know there are less points in white meat vs. dark meat?   And the next day I did it again and indulged in the leftovers!  Good thing I went Black Friday shopping and did a lot of walking to offset all of the calories!

Weigh-In: Week 44

This week:  -1.4
Total to date: -94.2

Lost 1.4 this week which I was okay with because it wasn't a full week.  Because of Thanksgiving there was no weigh-in at my regular location so I had to go to a different meeting about 40 minutes away on Tuesday instead of my normal Thursday.  I was proud of myself for actually going and not just skipping since it fell on Thanksgiving.  :)

Thanksgiving....sigh!  A mine field for those of us trying to eat healthy.  But I am going to enjoy myself and just get back on track the next day.  That's the plan anyway....

Recipe: Lightened Up Version of Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse

This was dinner tonight!  Everyone liked it but I left the mushrooms off of the boys chicken.  Silly boys, mushrooms are delicious....and point free!

As I prepared the recipe (see my modifications) it was 6 points per serving.  But I made changes and divided the sauce among 5 pieces of chicken.

Lightened Up Alice Springs Chicken

Alice Springs Chicken (Lightened Up)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thick (I used 5 that totaled 1 pound)
seasoning salt or regular salt
4 slices bacon (I used chicken bacon)
1/4 cup yellow or spicy brown mustard (I used spicy brown, they say not to use the dijon though)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's)
2 tablespoons non-fat plain yogurt (I used Fage brand Greek)
1/2 tablespoon dried onion flakes or 1 tablespoons chopped scallions (I used scallions but more than the recipe called for)
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil (I omitted this completely and saved a point or more per serving)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded (I used fat free--doesn't melt as well but less points)

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Line a microwave safe plate with several paper towels.  Place bacon on top and cover with more paper towels.  Cook for about 4 minutes until bacon is crisp.  Blot well, cool slightly and crumble.  Set aside.
3. Add mushrooms to a small bowl and cook in the microwave for 1 minute to soften.  Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, honey, mayonnaise, yogurt, and dried onions or scallions.  Set aside.
5. Coat a large non-stick pan with cooking spray.  Add oil and heat. (Works fine without the oil though) Place chicken in pan and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes per side until browned.  Move chicken to a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
6. Spread most of the honey mustard sauce over each chicken breast, then layer each piece with mushrooms, top with the remaining sauce, sprinkle each with crumbled bacon.  Finally, top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and chicken is done.  I topped with a few more of the green scallions when it was done.

Weigh-In: Week 43

This week: +2.0 lbs.
Total weight loss:  -92.8 lbs.

Ugh!  I am getting so frustrated with the way things are going lately.  I am still doing what I need to do but the pounds are just NOT coming off.  :(  I hate weeks with a gain.  Fortunately there haven't been too many in the last 43 weeks but when they happen it really sucks!

I knew I was up before I weighed in.  I ate breakfast at Denny's that morning with a friend and even though my breakfast was fine on points--I had the Fit Fare Veggie Skillet for 10 points--it was actually heavy in actual weight.  I usually eat something that is very light on Thursdays.  And I ate a little for lunch which I don't usually do.  Oh well!  But I think the biggest problem was that I couldn't poop again!  GRRR!!  Why does that only happen on weigh in days???  Can someone solve this mystery for me?

This next week I have to weigh in on Tuesday because of Thanksgiving.  I don't want to skip it though so I am going to go to a different location on Tuesday night.  I am really hoping to have lost that 2 pounds I gained and a little bit more to make it to 95 before Thanksgiving.   Send me some weight loss vibes....  It will only be 5 days since the last weigh-in so it'll be tough...

Non-scale victory!!

I know I put a lot of emphasis on the number on the scale and the total amount I have lost.  Sometimes I lose track of the other changes that are happening...

I have always hated seeing myself in pictures.  It's been many years since I looked at a picture of me and thought "hey, you look pretty good!"  

So it is a major non-scale victory for me to have recently looked at a picture and LIKED the way I looked in it.  I could see the difference in it.  It was a pretty cool feeling!  Hoping that I can look forward to many more pictures of myself that I don't hate!!

With my hubby and oldest son, Connor, at his soccer senior night.  <3

Weigh-in: Week 40, 41 & 42

Yep, been a few weeks again!  Bringing it up to date...

Week 40:  -.6 lbs.
Week 41: -.2 lbs.
Week 42: -2.4 lbs.

Total loss to date:  -94.8 lbs.

I was happy with this week's loss but the two before that kinda sucked!  I feel like the next 5.2 pounds to get to 100 is going to take FOREVER!!

Weigh-in: Week 39

This week's loss:  -1.2 pounds 

Total loss to date:  -89.8 pounds

Seriously?  89.8??  I couldn't get that last .2 to hit 90 pounds?!?!  Grrr!!  It better happen next week!!

I'm finding it hard not to get frustrated when I have a small loss week.  I'm just so close to 100 pounds that I am anxious to get there.  I remember when I started this journey and 100 pounds seemed next to impossible and now I am only about 10 pounds away and completely confident that I will get there.

Someone I hadn't seen in a while told me tonight that I looked like I lost a whole person.  While I don't think it's that dramatic it sure it good to hear!  I love being able to buy regular jeans that don't look like "mom jeans."  I feel more confident about my appearance.  Sometimes I miss nachos...and chocolate...and butter...I can't even tell you how much I love butter...but the changes I already feel are totally worth it.  I look forward to feeling even better about myself and more healthy as I continue on.

Fingers crossed that my next post will be me telling you I have hit 90 pounds!!!  XOXO

Recipe: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

We ate this twice--once over rice and then had the leftovers on tortillas with a little cheese on top.  Mmmmm!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients

• 24 oz (1 1/2 lbs.) chicken breast (I used 2 lbs.)
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (I used plain diced tomatoes and tossed in a small can of diced mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 oz frozen corn (I used a bit more)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped (I didn't have any so I didn't t use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except chicken in crockpot and stir .  Season chicken with salt and lay on top.

Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.  A half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.  Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.  (I didn't even remove it, I just shredded it in the crockpot) Serve over rice or tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Santa Fe Chicken

I served it over rice

Recipe: Chicken Francese

Chicken French is my favorite!!  I hated the idea of having to give it up except for special occasions so when I came across this recipe on skinnytaste.com I was excited to try it!  It didn't disappoint and it will become a regular in my house!!

Chicken Francese

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I just used 1 lb of really thin cut breasts)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites, beaten
• juice from 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons, to taste)
• 1/2 lemon sliced thin
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 15 oz. low sodium chicken broth
• cooking spray
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter

Season the chicken with the salt & pepper.  Place the flour in a bowl and the egg whites in a separate bowl.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.  When hot, spray with cooking spray to lightly coat the bottom.

Lightly flour chicken, then dip in eggs and add to hot pan.  Saute chicken 2-3 minutes on each side (I am a freak about chicken being well done so I did it longer!).  When cooked, transfer onto a plate.  

Place the chicken broth in the bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk.  Add to the pan along with the juice of the lemon, white wine, lemon slices, parsley and butter and simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes so it reduces slightly and thickens.  Return the chicken to the pan with the sauce.  Serve immediately.

Healthy chicken French--sooo good!!

I served with white rice and asparagus.  We spooned a bit of the sauce over our rice.

5 Point Breakfast

I am one who LOVED (I am saying it in past tense!) to go through McDonald's drive thru or Dunkin Donuts and get one of those yummy, greasy breakfast sandwiches to start my day.  Sigh!  I admit I will still occasionally go there....only now I get the Egg White Delight McMuffin (8 points) at McD's or the veggie flatbread (10 points) at Dunkin.

So I've had to get creative at home so that I could still enjoy a yummy breakfast!  Here is what I made today--and for ONLY 5 POINTS!!

Breakfast sandwich at home--5 points!

I must say, it was quite yummy!  It is made from some egg beaters egg whites (0 points for 1/4 cup), 2 slices of chicken bacon (1 point), a slice of fat free cheese (1 point) and a light multigrain English muffin (3 points).  Oh, and a little spray butter on the muffin (0 points).  Happy breakfast!!

I seriously love this chicken bacon!  2 slices for 1 point and it's pre-cooked
 so you only have to heat it in the microwave.  Definitely check it out!

Another version of a healthy breakfast sandwich--bagel thin (4 points),
egg beaters egg whites (0 points) and 1 slice of fat free cheese (1 point).

4 Week Update!!

I've been a real slacker with updating lately!  A couple of you have pointed that out to me so I am here to bring you up to date!!  It's been a roller coaster ride lately....some ups and some downs....but I'm still making progress!  As long as there's more downs than ups it's all good, right?  Well, at least when we're talking about weight loss...  :)

Week 35:   -1.4 pounds this week

                  -85.0 to date

Week 36:  +2.0 pounds this week (Yeah, this was a BAD one!)

                 -83.0 to date

Week 37:  -4.2 pounds this week (Got rid of the 2 gained last week plus two more!)

                 -87.2 to date

Week 38:  -1.4 pounds this week

                 -88.6 to date

Life has just been busy with the boys being back to school, soccer practices, piano lessons and all the other crap!  I'm still at it and still attending meetings each week, I just haven't taken the time to update the blog.  I am feeling pretty good and still determined to do this!!  Thanks to all for your support!  You are the best!! <3

Weigh-In: Week 34

Loss this week:  -5.2 pounds
Total loss to date:  -83.6 pounds

I was very happy with this week's weight loss!  More than 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks...that's the biggest loss I've had since I first started!!  A few weeks ago I was excited because I had gotten to the 70s, something I had never done in previous weight loss attempts, and now I'm in the 80s!!!  90s here I come!!!

Happy dance!!

I've had a lot of stress this past week which is probably helping my weight loss efforts.  I am not a stress eater like so many are...I find I lose my appetite and don't feel like eating.  Not a method I recommend but hey, a loss is a loss!

I still haven't added in exercise.  I know I really need to but I am struggling to find the motivation.  And now with the colder weather coming I am afraid I will be moving even less.  Can someone please kick me in the ass?

Weigh-In: Week 33

I am BACK ON TRACK!!  WooHoo!!

Loss this week:  -5.4 pounds
Total loss to date:  -78.4 pounds

Phew!  I got rid of the extra I had accumulated over the last couple of weeks and am headed in the right direction again!  I was struggling for a couple of weeks and eating everything in sight.  Last week I found myself trying to come up with an excuse to skip the meeting.  That is the first time since I started in January that that thought has even crossed my mind.  Usually I look forward to the meeting so I can see my progress.  When I realized how dangerous that thought was I realized I was in trouble.  I knew the scale was going to go up....but I also knew I HAD to go!  I truly believe I was at that point where I could have easily gone the other way and that quickly I would have seen my progress slipping away.  I didn't want to face the scale...seeing a gain is tough...but I am glad I went.  It was a reality check--I can't allow myself to live the way I was before--and that the food I was eating was NOT worth it.  I didn't feel good about it--I felt guilty--and for the first time in a long time I actually felt sick because of the crap I was putting into my body.  I can't say I didn't enjoy the food (and the drinks....OMG, lots of drinks!) but afterward I realized that the temporary enjoyment I got from eating it wasn't worth the guilt I felt after.  Duh!

So I refocused and have rededicated myself to this new life.  Maybe I needed that little journey off track to give me the jump start that I needed.  I know this won't be the last detour on this path but I am hoping that I am learning how to recover from the detours and not let them be the end.  This is a lifelong thing....not a diet...and it's not realistic to think that I won't have "bad" days.  But before a bad day would become a bad week, and a bad month....I will NOT let that happen anymore!  And I was pretty psyched about a 5.4 pound loss this week...that is the biggest one I've had in a LONG time!  Would love to hit 80 pounds next week!!!  Fingers crossed!

Adirondack Vacation

Wanted to share a few pics from our vacation in the Adirondacks in August.  We went with friends of ours who we vacation with every year.  We have 2 kids and they have 2 kids and this year we let each kid bring along a friend.  So 4 adults trapped in the woods with 8 teenagers!  Sounds like a recipe for disaster, huh?  It was actually GREAT!!  The kids all got along and couldn't have been better!  We had tons of fun exploring Lake George & Lake Placid.  Can't wait till our next adventure!!

All the kids in Lake George

The boys at Lake George
(they were waiting patiently as the adults were wine tasting!)

The whole gang!  Great group of kids!

Evan & Jake on our dinner cruise

We went on a dinner cruise on Lake George.
Perfect night for it!

Cody & Connor

Evan & Jake at the beach

Cody & Connor

Me & Brenda

All the kids again!

Evan, Beth, Connor & Andi--the 4 kids we always travel with! :)

Our group of 8 that vacation together each year...

The boys and their bear slippers--they had to have them!

Kids on the deck of our home away from home

Keith and I with all of our boys

At Lake George

At the top of the ski jump in Lake Placid

Connor, Evan & Cody--Lake Placid

Cody & Connor going down on the ski lift that goes up to the ski jump

The boys checking out the rink where the Americans won the
gold medal over the Russians in 1980--
the "Miracle on Ice"

Evan & Jake in the gondola going up Little Whiteface Mountain

Evan & Connor on top of Little Whiteface
with Whiteface Mountain in the background

The boys on top of Whiteface Mountain

Climbing down Whiteface Mountain

Keith & I during the climb down Whiteface 

Girls Trip 2016

I recently was able to get away for 5 days with 3 of my best friends in the entire world!  These chicks kinda rock!  We had a great time but I definitely didn't stick to my WW plan.  I tried to make smart choices with my food....and we walked quite a bit...but there was definitely too much alcohol consumed!  As the saying goes:

Anyway, we were able to get away to Baltimore/Washington without kids or hubbies!  We are trying to do this every year.....last year was Atlantic City.....next year is Florida!  We are thinking camping the year after that....and then Vegas!  Yes, we like to plan!  Gives us something to look forward to!   I am truly blessed to have these girls in my life and I am so glad we are able to take the time each year for our trip.

Here are just a few of the MANY pics from the trip....  please note that we did do lots of sightseeing....visited educational places....brushed up on our US History.....it wasn't just all drinking... 

On our sightseeing cruise in the Baltimore Inner Harbor

When we were in Annapolis the weather turned on us and we
just HAD to take shelter somewhere with beer!

We found this wine bar in Annapolis called "Red, Red Wine"....get it??  Think 80s music!
 The wine was good and the cake wasn't bad either.
Are you starting to see the problem?

Watermelon margarita, where have you been all my life?

On the tour bus in DC....this was the "before" pic....
I will spare you the "after" one where we are sweaty messes!

Tammy and I at the White House

Tammy and I at the Lincoln Museum/Gift Shop

Brenda and Katie at the Inner Harbor

Tammy & I at the Inner Harbor--
I hate that my shirt was so big that it hung down and made me look fatter than I am!

The Capitol

Washington Monument & the Capitol

Sangrias at the Hard Rock Cafe in DC

The Inner Harbor

The ship we took our sighting cruise on

Jefferson Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Brenda & I...we were in Annapolis where the Naval Base is located 

Watermelon margarita with a Corona at Bubba Gump....delish!!
I bought those blue bottle holders so I can recreate it at home!

Cucumber Chiller....very refreshing on a hot day!
Yes, there was vodka or something in it...

Ford's Theater--the booth where Lincoln was shot

Hilary and I--this is not a political statement--they both suck!
I just think she sucks a little less...

Katie and the Donald
(Yes, she is obviously confused but I still like her in spite of it!)

I would like to note that the other 3 of us split some bruschetta while Katie ate this.
 I did have one bite or two though...