Chaka Khan's Newly Slimmed Down Figure

 

Who doesn't love the lovely Chaka Khan???  More importantly, who doesn't love Chaka's newsly slimmed down figure?  I haven't come across any valid sources citing just how Khan lost the weight, but once I find out, I'll be sure to provide an update.





Photo-source:  www.taletela.com; www.contactmusic.com; www.sexystupid.blogspot.ca; www.blogs.centrictv.com; www.exposay.com

Janet Jackson After Losing on Nutrisystem

Still not a big fan of the Nutrisystem program, but damn does Janet look good after losing on the program:

Weigh-in and Update Week #11

So we're in week #11 already.  After slacking a bit last week, I'm back on program and am down a total of 4 pounds.  I wasn't worried about the 3 lbs weight gain last week as I knew once I got back on track with program and bumped up the workouts I'd start losing again. 

Dipping into my Activity Points has definitely helped with warding off hunger levels.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Weight Watchers Activity Points, they're points you earn while working out.  So for example, if I did an 1 hour of activity, I can earn 4 additional points and trade them in for food.  I would never dip into my Activity Points for fear of not losing or gaining, but as I've come to realize this week, I can use my daily points, extra weekly points and Activity Points and still lose weight and the 4 pound weight loss is a testament to that.

As for workouts, I'm working out 4 days a week and doing fitness classes at a local gym, light cardio here and there, and I just recently joined a Bootcamp which I hope to update readers on fairly soon. 


Here are my results for week #11:


Results
01/15/12: -2.2
01/28/12: -2.0
02/01/12: -3.2
02/11/12: -0.8
02/18/12: +1.4
02/25/12: +1.2
03/03/12: -3.4
03/10/12: -1.2
03/17/12: -0.8
03/31/12: +3
03/04/05: -4


Total Weigh lost:
14.6 pounds

Quick and Easy Stiry Fry

If you're anything like me, you probably don't eat as many vegetables as you probably should because you don't know what to do with them.  But one thing is for sure-I do know how to cook up a quick and easy stir fry so I thought I'd post up a simple recipe for those of you who can be a bit challenged in the vegetable department as I can.


Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cooked pre-cooked shrimp
• Sliced onions
• Chopped carrots
• Broccoli florets
• Baby corn (in can)
• Zuccini cubed
• Oil of your choice-3-4 Tbsp (I prefer canola or coconut oil)

Sauce:

• Hoisin Sauce-4 Tbsp
• Soy sauce-1 Tbsp
• Garlic Chilli Sauce-1tsp (more if you prefer)
• Chicken broth 1 cup
• Chicken Boullion Powder (1 Tbsp
• Cornstarch-1 Tbsp

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic chilli sauce, chicken broth, chicken boullion powder, and cornstart and set aside. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees, line pan with foil and spread shrimp evenly through pan.  Once oven has been pre-heated place shrimp in oven and let bake for approximately 10 minutes. 

In a wok or skillet, heat 3-4 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat; add in your onions and let sautee until slightly brown.  After oil has browned, add your vegetables: broccoli, carrots, baby corn, and zuccini and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes.  Once shrimp has cooked, add shrimp and stir fry for another 3 minutes; at this point you can then add your sauce. 

Once you've finished stir fry, serve with rice: my favorite is Jasmine rice.

Week 10 Weight Loss Update

I'm a little late with my week #10 update and I'll admit that I delyaed providing an update as a result of being ashamed with my latest results.  But then again, if it's all about being accountable to my followers then I need to come clean.   

In between a really stressful week at work and the visit of my friends (you know who they are) I ended up putting on 3 pounds:( . 

It all started a couple of weeks ago, where I had been super stressed at work and the arrival of my friends and before you knew it I was indulging and literally gorging myself with food (the addiction of food).  What ended up turning into a one day binge fest, turned into a 10 day fest and I had ended up putting on 3 pounds.  Iknow, I know, I'm so dissapointed in myself, but you know what, such is life.  I messed up, but the way I see it, I had 10 days where I slacked a bit on program, but as soon as those 10 days were over, I jumped back on board with program-wait to you see my next update: I've lost those 3 pounds and then some:). 

Either way, here are my results for week #10:



Results
01/15/12: -2.2
01/28/12: -2.0
02/01/12: -3.2
02/11/12: -0.8
02/18/12: +1.4
02/25/12: +1.2
03/03/12: -3.4
03/10/12: -1.203/17/12: -0.8
03/31/12:  +3


Total Weigh lost:
10.6 pounds

New Charles Barkley Weight Watchers Commerical

How can you not love Sir Charles:

Mel B New Spokesperson for Jenny Craig

Treat of Choice: Smoothie from Jugo Juice

When members on WeighWatchers think about how they're going to use up their extra 35  (or 49 on the new program) flex points they think about splurging it on pure junk-burger and fries, pizza, wings, ice-cream, chips; you name it.  Don't get me wrong I'll splurge on these things every once in a while, but I'll be honest in that one of my favourite splurges is a smoothie from Jugo Juice.  I'm a total Jugo Juice maniac and if I could have one everyday I probably would...but everything in moderation right?  

Either way, the smoothies from Jugo Juice are totally worth if you ask me.  They're not only made with 100% real fruit, but they're also good for you; totalling about 5 points (on the old program) for a 24oz smoothie.  

I know it's tempting to opt for the bad stuff when treating yourself, but there's nothing like treating yourself to something that not only taste just as good as the bad stuff, but is good for you at the same time.




Phots-source: www.googleimages.com

Down 1 Dress Size...but...

So I'm officially down a dress size but, for some reason, my mind hasn't caught up to the fact that I'm at a much smaller size than the previous size I was wearing.  Take the last couple of weeks for example, I was out shopping for a new dress for an event I was to attend the week after, and naturally I gravitated toward the size I had grown quite accustomed to for so long-a size 14/XL.  So I went and grabbed the dress, tried it on, and when I came out to get a better glimpse in the full length mirror outside of the change room, the floor lady was like "ahhh that dress is a tad bit big on you, you definitely need a smaller one".  I was like, what is this lady talking about, is she crazy, I'm thinking, "there's no way that I'm a much smaller size as this lady is suggesting." 


So as the story goes, the floor lady grabbed me the next size down a- 12/L and of course, it fit much better than the initial size I had grabbed.  I was down a size and I couldn't believe it, and despite being down in size my mind had a hard time catching up to it.  


Interesting thing is that I'm not the only one this has happened to.  When my best-friend had lost weight a few years back and had gotten down to a size 6/8 her mind was telling her that she was still the size she was months prior-size 10/12.  It took a while for her mind to catch  up to the fact that she was a smaller size, not to mention the few taunts she received from friends and family that her clothes were way too loose on her and she needed much smaller, fitting clothing.  The same thing with a few of the members at my meeting who had lost weight on Weight Watchers; I'm talking 50/100/150 pounds.  Despite losing significant amounts of weight, they were still living in their former fatter selves and believed that they were much bigger than they presented.  


I'm not sure why those of us losing weight go through this, but it's quite fascinating and one that I attribute to living in a culture or a society where nothing ever seems to be good enough and that seems to be the case with these examples.  


My only hope is that as I'm losing weight, I come to embrace the little changes that come my way, especially as my appearance starts to change with weight loss .  I'm of the mind-frame where: when I lose this weight, I want to keep it off for as long as I possibly can and if I can do those little things to embrace where I'm at with each day, it'll make the world of a difference.  

Mo'Nique: Fighting to Reach Goal Weight

“I want to get to 180. That’s an amazing weight for me. I’m still a thick girl but it’s a healthy weight.” 


Academy-winning actress and comedian Mo'Nique is not playing around these days.  Ever since BET cancelled her show, she's back watching her diet and exercising 5 times per week in an attempt to lose even more weight than she did last year and finally reach her goal weight of 180 pounds.  


Long-time followers and critics of Mo'Nique are not too happy with the once full-size woman, claiming that she's becoming one of those skinny chicks she used to despise, but Mo'Nique is keeping it real by spreading awareness that her former way of living was one that wasn't healthy and one that easily could have pushed her to the brink of death.  You go Mo'Nique!  












Photo-source: www.clutchmagonline.com

Healthy Girls Rock!

I'm so obsessed with Nicole Murphy these days-her body is insane!

Weigh-in and Update-Week #9

It's officially 9 weeks since I've been on WW and as of today I'm down .8 pounds. Didn't lose as much as I expected to, but hey, a  loss is a loss, as I always say, and I'll definitely take the .8 of a pound vs. not losing anything.


As far as updates, last week was a bit challenging in that I had days where I was just starving, and when I say starving, that insane type of starving where you're going to lose your mind.  The ironic part is that I've pretty much been eating the same type of things over the previous weeks as I was this week and I really can't pin-point what was different this time around.  It could be that the additional days of exercise and strength training has boosted my metabolism and as a result I'm having to compensate by eating more, but who knows.  I think for this coming week, I may have to experiment with the program a little by using my Activity Points.  If you're not quite familiar with WW Activity Points (AP's), AP's are points you can earn each week by incorporating exercise into the program.  So for example, on the old WW program (which I decided to go back to), if I exercise on one day for a total of 30 minutes at medium intensity I can earn 2 points.  I then have the option to trade in those points for food or I can leave them untouched.  The only catch is that those additional points MUST be used the same week you earn them. 


I've never really bothered much to use my AP's for fear of not losing, but I think my body's trying to tell me something with the increased hunger levels and it may be time to dip into those points I've been avoiding for so long.  


Aside from the increased hunger levels, the program is going pretty well and I am more determined than ever to reach my goal weight.  I have my days where I feel like caving in (as I'm sure we all do) but I'm feeling pretty optimistic that this time around will be different.  


Happy Saturday (oh and St. Patty's Day) everyone!  



Results
01/15/12:   -2.2
01/28/12:   -2.0
02/01/12:   -3.2
02/11/12:   -0.8
02/18/12:   +1.4
02/25/12:   +1.2
03/03/12:   -3.4 
03/10/12:   -1.2
03/17/12:   -0.8


Total Weigh lost:  
13.6 pounds

Jillian Michael's New Body Revolution

So adding this one to my collection:

Weekly Weigh-In

Here are my results from this morning's weigh-in:

Results
01/15/12:   -2.2
01/28/12:   -2.0
02/01/12:   -3.2
02/11/12:   -0.8
02/18/12:   +1.4
02/25/12:   +1.2
03/03/12:   -3.4 
03/10/12:   -1.2


Total Weigh lost:  
12.8 pounds

12 Week Bikini Body Challenge

Guess what I'm going to be doing over the next 12 weeks?  Joining a 12 week Bikini Body challenge courtesy of the girls who run the blog site Omalicha Curls.  I'm always up for a challenge and with summer just around the corner, not to mention a big trip I'm going on with family and friends, it's even more the reason for me to jump on board with the challenge in hopes of looking my best when that time comes.  


The rules of the challenge are really quite simple and are structured in such a way that anyone, no matter what program you're following can easily follow the program.  Here's an example:

• Weekly check-ins with progress including initial measurements of the waist line, hip line and bust line as well as the circumference of both legs (thigh area).

• A minimum of 3 meals a day (breakfast is required)

• Limited to two healthy snacks per day  (***MUST EAT ONLY ONE SERVING SIZE INDICATED ON THE PACKAGING)

• Daily intake of a Multivitamin supplement

• A minimum, of five 30 minute workouts per week, be sure to include 1 full rest day throughout the week

• A maximum intake of 2000 calories per day 

• No bogus supplements (e.g. quick trim, hydroxycut etc.)

• Incorporate two fruits or vegetables with each meal

• Drink at least eight-8 oz. glasses of water per day 

• No white bread-Wheat only!

Seems quite doable if you ask me and one that I can easily stick to since I'm already following Weight Watchers.  Besides many of the rules for the 12 week challenge are similar to the Good Healthy Guidelines set in place for Weight Watchers, so I should be able to have no problem  sticking to program.  

The challenge officially started this past Monday with I believe 20 of us in gear ready to get our bodies in tip-top shape by the time the 12 weeks roll around.  My first weigh-in is tomorrow so I will definitely keep you posted on how the first week goes.

For more information on the challenge check out: www.omalichacurls.com

Charles Barkley on Man Food

I love the message contained within this video clip.  Serves as a nice little reminder that a diet is not one where you deprive yourself.  A diet is one where still get to enjoy the foods you love, but enjoy them in moderation, and that's what Weight Watchers is for me and the many others who are on the program.

How Am I Doing?

I know it's been a while since I last posted on my progress since starting back on Weight Watchers, so I thought I'd do a quick update to let my readers know how I've been doing with the program, especially since many of you have been sending me e-mails inquiring about my progress.  


It's been a total of 7 weeks since I've been on program and I'm actually down a total of 11.6 pounds, which works out to an average of 1.65 pounds/week for weight loss-not to bad if you ask me.  


I will admit, that I have gone back to the old Weight Watchers points system since I'm not liking PointsPlus 2012 all that much.  It's definitely a great program as far as teaching and encouraging a healthier way of eating, but I'm not liking the fact that weight loss seems so inconsistent from week to week (no different from what I experienced when I did PP2011 last year).  On the new program, I'd have weeks where I have big losses, then weeks  where I gain and compared to the old program it's not very consistent for me in terms of tracking and getting a really good sense of how I'm doing with weight loss from week to week.  Then again, I can only speak for myself as far as my experiences on the program as I have friends who are on the new program and are having fantastic results from week to week with weight loss.  


Aside from from the diet component of the program, I've also upped the exercise and am exercising 4-5x/week doing a mix of cardio, strength, swimming, and Zumba.  


I'd say that things seems to be going pretty well and for once in my life, I am FOCUSED.  


I know that many of you have been sending me e-mails to check in on my progress, so here's a quick glance of how weight loss has been going since I started back on program:


Results
01/15/12:   -2.2
01/28/12:   -2.0
02/01/12:   -3.2
02/11/12:   -0.8
02/18/12:   +1.4
02/25/12:   +1.2
03/03/12:   -3.4 (switched back to the Old Momentum program at this point)

Grocery Haul: Oikos Greek Yogurt

My new favourite thing right now is Danone's OIKOS Greek yogurt.  Despite all the hype around Greek yogurt when it was first introduced a while back, I tried to get into it during that time, but had no luck as I couldn't get beyond the bland, unappealing taste of the plain options that were only available at local grocery outlets. Lucky for me, Danone has just come out with fruit, flavoured options that range from plain, strawberry, blueberry, right down to keylime pie, which is my absolute favourite of the varieties. 


For those of you who have never tried Greek yogurt, proponents of this style of yogurt don't lie  when they rave about how super thick and creamy its texture is compared to other styles of yogurt.  And the best thing of all is Danone's new OIKOS Greek yogurt is super low in calories, and works out to only 2 points on both the old and new WeightWatchers system.  Totally worth the investment if you ask me :)

Amber Riley Weight Loss: Before and After

"I'm a lot more comfortable in dresses, especially gowns"

After dealing with chronic stomach pains that drove her to her doctor last year, Glee's Amber Riley decided it was time to get healthy and lose some weight.  Since then, Amber has dropped a total of 2 dress sizes.  According to Amber, she's always been comfortable with her size, but wanted to get healthy for a change.  She also told People magazine that all the fast food that she was eating at one time was attacking her stomach and so desperately needed to make a change to her lifestyle.

I am so happy for Amber!  She definitely looks so much more healthier, not to mention, refreshing.  

Photo-source: www.googleimages.ca

Q & A with Tommy Europe

I'm a total big fan of Tommy Europe and I'm so excited about his latest project: Talk with Tommy which will be happening every other Wednesday.  For all you Tommy lover's, this is your opportunity to chat with Tommy and have him answer your questions on nutrition, exercise, and weight.   


For further details, check out Tommy's facebook page or his website at: www.tommyeruope.tv.


Check it out:

One on One Personal Training with Jackie Warner

The two latest home workout video's that I've had my eye on for weeks now is Jackie Warner's "Extreme Time Saver Training" and "30 Day Fast Start" DVD's.  If you've ever worked out to any of Jackie's video's you can attest to the fact that Jackie doesn't play around and means business when it comes to her workouts.  She certainly keeps things interesting by having you move non-stop and incorporating a variety of exercises you never thought your body capable of doing.    


Since I'm back incorporating strength training as a part of my exercise routine again, I definitely plan on adding these two video's to my already growing collection in hopes of mixing things up a bit as far as my workouts are concerned.  You know me...have to keep things interesting as I easily get bored.


Here's a sneak peak at Extreme Time Saver Training for you:

Weight Loss Made Easy

Too funny:

Style Icon: Solange Knowles

It's know secret that my two biggest style Icons are Tracee Ellis Ross (from the former hit show Girlfriends) and Solange Knowles (Beyonce's little sister) and with Spring just around the corner (well not quite just yet in my neck of the woods) I'm starting now to get a bit of inspiration as far as playing around with a few new looks.  And with me going on 7 weeks strong with Weight Watchers I'm hoping by the time spring rolls around, I'll be at the half-way mark and on my way upping the wardrobe just a tad bit-something that is long time over-do.  

My one style icon that has certainly made her mark in the fashion industry is Solange Knowles.  She's definitely one that's knows how to play it up with all sorts of colours, patterns and prints and I absolutely LOVE it!  

Let's check out a few of my favorite looks that I'm hoping to draw inspiration from when it's time to update the wardrobe:

Because It Works: Weight Watchers

I came across this video that  a friend of my posted on one of the Weight Watchers boards and I just had to share.  It's definitely one of those video's that offers a nice little boost for those of you who are struggling to keep up with your weight loss journey.  It's not easy, but video's such as these remind you that anything is possible as long as you stay focused, commit yourself and give it your 100%: 

Adele: Grammy's 2012

Definitely loved seeing the lovely Adele at the Grammy's this evening.  She's looking much thinner than I saw her last and she certainly killed it on the red-carpet.  Keep up whatever you're doing Adele-you're looking Fab-U-lous!

Janet Jackson was spotted recently at the LAX airport sporting a much smaller version of herself than we had seen when had first started appearing in the Nutrisystem commercials just after the holidays.  I personally think she's looking just a tad-bit too thin, but there's no doubt that the program must be working.  Let's just hope that she's able to maintain the loss once the program is said and done.  I've never been a big fan of programs that base their programming on pre-packaged meals as these type of programs teach you nothing about proper dieting in the real world, but hey, if the program is working for Janet and she's able to keep it up-skirts off to her!  

Tina Knowles' Recent Weight Loss

I've been following Tina Knowles over the years, especially after the launch of her clothing line which I love so much, but I must admit that I was a little disturbed when I came across pictures of Tina and Beyonce at the launch of the 2012 fashion line for the House of Dereon at London's Fashion Week late last year.  Now is it me or does something not seem quite right about the way Tina's looking?  I know she lost a ton of weight and got some work done after ditching Beyonce's Dad to the curb, which is fine, but something about the work she's had done, especially the weight loss isn't looking quite right.  Is it me or do others feel as such?

Saturday Weigh-in...

So I managed to make it to my Saturday morning weigh-in and guess what?  I'm down 3.2 pounds...woot, woot!  I didn't expect weight loss to go so well considering the fact that after a good couple of weeks on the program weight loss starts to slow down to an average of 1-2 pounds (2 pounds if I'm lucky).  But then again, I attribute this weeks loss to a few changes I made in my diet last week. For one, I'm definitely eating way more fruits and vegetables then I tend to eat and the biggest change is limiting what I typically eat for dinner by incorporating a healthy large salad with healthy fats such as almonds, avocado, fruit and a healthy low fat dressing of some sort.  My body is certainly getting use to all the changes I've made during the last 5 weeks and it's definitely showing on the scale. 

The Food You Eat...

Now this is a powerful quote-take note:


"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."  


Ann Wigmore

A Newly Slimmed Down Adele

Looks like pop icon and singer Adele is another celebrity to have gotten bitten by the weight loss bug.  She's an incredibly beautiful woman and looked amazing before, but if her recent loss is as a result of striving towards living a much healthier life, I'm all for it!  

Portion Sizes 101 with Tosca Reno

For more tips on Clean Eating, be sure to check out Tosca's Reno's "Eat Clean Diet".  You can always go to the website at http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ in order to learn more about the diet and Tosca's approach to eating in general.  It's definitely a way to go as far as eating is concerned and an approach I've adopted alongside that of Weight Watchers.  I still have a long way to go as far as completely switching to a 100% "Clean" diet, but I'm taking things slowly and hoping to get there some day.

You Know You're on Weight Watchers When...

A regular poster on one of the popular discussion boards I follow, posted this up this evening and it kind of hand me chuckling a bit.  Now for those of you who have followed Weight Watchers or are currently on the program, how many of you have displayed the behaviors captured in this post?  I hate to admit, but I on more than one occasion have displayed many of the behaviors highlighted below and still do from time to time (lol).  I guess that's the nature of being on a weight controlled program-it kind of makes you a bit neurotic doesn't it?  Well either way, I thought I'd humor you by, in turn, posting a slightly altered list on my page and adding a few of my own...enjoy!




You know you're on weight watchers when:

. You accidentally swallow toothpaste and wonder how many POINTS it had in it.

· You stand in the aisles at the grocery store with your WW PointsFinder figuring POINTS before you buy.

· Everyone at your lunch table is asking you to figure the POINTS on their lunch.

· You figure the POINTS on cough syrup.

· When you've run out your daily points for the day, you turn to the Weight Watchers 0 points soup as your meal of choice.

· You don't want to share ANY of your food with anyone because you've measured it and know exactly how many POINTS are in it.

· You know where every public restroom is wherever you go . . . you need it after drinking all that water!

· You wear as little clothes as possible during weigh-in, hoping that the less clothes worn the better the weight loss.

· On the day of your weigh-in (especially if a morning weigh-in), you skip eating your first meal of the day in hopes of producing great numbers during weigh-in.

· You weigh yourself before and after the bathroom just to see how much of a difference it makes.

· You ask your WW leader to bring in a curtain so you can weigh-in naked.

· You Calculate Activity points for Sex!

· People at work know when your weigh in day is because you have the same outfit on that day EVERY WEEK

· You take a bite and then spit it out because you realize it wasn't worth the points! 

· You mark all the food boxes in the house with points per serving.

· You carry your journal with you wherever you go.

· Kashi becomes your favorite snack food.

· You start wondering how many points are in bubble gum


· You know in advance, by heart, what you can and cannot eat at each and every restaurant.

· You take a big black permanent marker and not only mark the points but also write your name and "DO NOT TOUCH OR ELSE". 

· Everywhere you go, you take along two 'purses'. Your regular purse, and your Weight Watcher's Black Bag, with the point guides, Slider, and all other 'stuff' in there!

5 Pound Weight Loss=First Charm

Guess what I ended up purchasing this evening?  I finally ended up purchasing a Pandora bracelet and charm to signify my first 5 pound lost since joining back up with Weight Watchers.   I'm actually down a total of 9 pounds since starting back up on program 4 weeks ago, but hey, a loss is a loss as long as it's a loss in the right direction.  

As mentioned in a previous post, my goal from now until I reach goal (35  pounds in weight loss) is to purchase a Pandora charm for each 5 pounds lost while on program.  For someone who's doesn't always see the end in sight, I thought this would be an easy and effective way in keeping me on target with my goals.  Rather feeling discouraged with the thought of having to lose a good 35 pounds, I figured that breaking down my weight loss into 5 pound increments and tracking my loss by collecting charms would not only keep me accountable, but motivate me in a fun little way to keep on track with goal.  

UK Weight Watchers Commercial: Do It Our Way

A very inspiring promotional video featuring members who have lost on the Weight Watchers program and, in turn, have joined forces with the UK's Alesha Dixon in order to advertise the Propoints program (UK version of the PointsPlus program here in North America).  For those of you who have been getting a little  tired of the Weight Watchers commercials featuring Jennifer Hudson, you'll find this video nice and refreshing:

Healthy Habit: Meal Planning

This week I'm trying my hands at something I haven't quite gotten the knack of and that is meal planning.  Because you're primarily relying on a calorie/points counting method on Weight Watchers (WW), anyone that has ever followed the program and has had success on it, will swear by the importance of this simple habit.  

Now I haven't been always consistent with meal planning, but the one thing I've noticed when I do plan out my meals is that I'm more than likely to stick to the program and keep within my allotted daily points.  On the flip side, if I overlook this one simple habit, you can always bank on me going over my points each and every time.  Luckily, WW allots an additional weekly allowance for such situations, but I'd like to actually get into the habit of pre-tracking my meals so I can put those points towards my favorite treats.  

According to most experts, meal planning doesn't take much time.  All it takes really is you sitting down once or even a couple of times a week and coming up with a schedule of meals for the week.  There's nothing to it as long as you're willing to take the time and make it a part of your routine.  

So as of today, I'm making that commitment to start getting into the habit of meal planning.  I've already started this evening and you know what, it's actually not as hard as I thought it would be.  

Photo-source: www.sheknowsbest.com

Officially Back on Weight Watchers

There's been a lot of buzz as of late with the new and improved version of the Weight Watchers Points Plus program, and from following most of the weight watchers reviews online people seem very pleased with the results they've been getting on the new program.  


Now I did sign up and do Points Plus (PP) when the program was first rolled out in November of 2010, but I wasn't too impressed with the results I was getting on the program so I decided to stick with the Momentum Program (previous program before PP) since I had just signed up for it months before PP came out and wasn't quite ready to switch over to something new just yet.


Fast forward a full year later and I find myself drawn to the program once more, especially with all the latest changes that have been made to the program.  As a result, I enrolled in the program this morning and have decided to give PP a try once more.


So what exactly has changed on the 2012 edition of the program?

• Daily point targets have dropped to a minimum of 26.  On the previous program, the lowest anyone could go in points was 29.  
• There is now an opportunity for members to tweak daily points by -3 (with the daily minimum set at 26) if one is not losing on the calculated daily points based on one's height, age, and gender.  So for example, from calculating my daily points target using this formula, I've been given 32 points.  If by chance, I don't seem to be losing on the 32 points, then I can drop my points anywhere between 1-3 points to start losing again.  However, if I'm comfortable with how weight loss is progressing on 32 points then I can stick with my daily points value set in place.  
• The Complete Food Guide and Dining Out Guide have all been updated with new and accurate food listings.  When PP was first rolled out, a few mistakes were made with the PP values of given foods and some of the values given for foods were completely way off in points.  This is the number #1 reason why I always try my best to calculate point values on my own-I never like leaving things to chance.
• A new calculator has been introduced for the program and now takes into consideration the new minimum points target of 26.  From playing around with the calculator, there's really no difference between it and the old calculator, so if you're reading this and wondering whether or not you need a new calculator-you don't, you can just stick with what you had before.

I guess that's it really as far as changes to Points Plus.  I'm feeling pretty excited about jumping back on board with the program and can't wait to see what sort of results I get over the course of the following weeks.  

I do have a bit of a surprise for those of you who've been following the blog, but you'll have to wait at least a week for an official update (hee hee...I love surprises).

Kirstie Alley Set to Write New Book

Looks like Jennifer Hudson is not the only one that has rode on the weight loss bandwagon with the release of a new book.   Kirsie Alley is about to do the same with the release of her new book set for release in 2012.   and will chronicle how she keeps it fabulous at 60 after shedding more than 30 pounds earlier last year.  Nothing has been confirmed to date, but Alley is in talks with Simon & Schuster's Atria to imprint the new book and is hoping to have the book out in sometime in July.  

Jessica Simpson as New Weight Watchers Spokesperson

It's official, Jessica Simpson has just signed on with Weight Watchers, under a 3 Million dollar deal, as the new spokesperson for the company.  Simpson, who's battles with weight have been part of the public limelight, is set to start following the program after giving birth as a way to shed her baby weight.  


Critics are a little skeptical that Simpson is starting so early to start worrying about weight loss, but the way I see it, if you're a woman who's ever gone through child-birth, especially a first time pregnancy, it's definitely something every woman worries about-all that weight you gain in the process and how you're going to get it off (smiles).