Two Ingredient Dough

If you don't know, now ya know! Two ingredient dough has taken over the internet (atleast in the Weight Watchers community). For all those people out there that "just can't" escape the carb life - this post is for you.

It has it's own hashtag! #2ingredientdough - I recommend following it to see all of the crazy things people come up with to utilize this dough. The recipes range from pretzel bites and bagels to pizza and bread sticks.

It is one of the easiest, most versatile [base] recipes that I have ever worked with. It is equal parts 0% Fat Greek Yogurt (extra emphasis on the Greek) and Self Rising Flour (extra emphasis on the Self Rising). I give extra emphasis on these points because you cannot sub out plain yogurt or plain flour for this recipe.

For easy comparison:
Regular Bagel = 9 points
2 Ingredient Dough Bagel = 3 points
Regular Pizza (Slice) = 6-10 points
2 Ingredient Dough Pizza = 6-10 points

The 2 Ingredient Dough Bagel Recipe:
-1 cup Self Rising Flour
-1 cup 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
-Egg wash
-Any toppings you want!

Mix the flour and yogurt together in bowl (with a spoon) because that is how real people mix things. Knead it together and shape it into a big blob. Cut into 4 equal parts. Roll each part out into a bratwurst length and shape. Singe the ends together. Mix one egg together and add to the top of the bagels as an egg wash. Top with whatever toppings you see fit! I have done "Everything But The Bagel" seasoning from Trader Joe's for your savory folks or a Cinnamon Sugar mixture for your sweet loving folks.

Why Weight Watchers Worked for Me (But More Importantly, Can Work For You Too!)

Year after year since graduating from college I told myself “I’m going to lose those 10 pounds this year”. The problem? I never did and found myself 30 pounds heavier after a couple of years of those empty promises to myself.

I went back and forth on the whole “gym thing”. Don’t get me wrong – I give some serious credit to those who have found their groove in running, weight lifting and circuit training. However, it just was not for me. After watching my (now) fiancé wake up day after day at 5 AM to head to the gym I found myself questioning why I couldn’t have the same dedication. Is something wrong with me?

NOPE. Nothing wrong. I had not yet found what “worked for me”. Enter stage left, Weight Watchers. While I had always been a HUGE foodie (hence the food blog, come on now) – I was starting to gain some really bad habits on the eating side of things. Items I considered “light” or “healthy” just… were not.

Left is November 2017, Right is October 2016

Weight Watchers allowed me the ability to not have to give any ONE thing up. As I sit here drinking my go-to bourbon on the rocks post a delicious Blue Apron meal of stir fry with fried egg – I find some serious (lifelong) comfort in being able to enjoy myself while also keeping my health in check.

Find what works for you! What can you (realistically) commit to? Go with that. Do not try to “fake it until you make it” when it comes to your health. Period.

Wonder what in the world I am talking about? Check out this post:

http://www.maryinthekitchen.com/2017/07/part-1-getting-started-with-weight.html

Please reach out to me at maryabrahamson08@hotmail.com if you have any questions!

Part 4: Go-To Meals for Weight Watchers Success – Lose Weight Eating Pizza

For weight loss success, you HAVE to find what works for you. Do you love pizza? Same. For me to stick with something long term it MUST include pizza. Since February, I have really had to put in extra effort to figure out how to make “my favorites” work for me – but it really paid off!

26 Pounds Down!

This post is about having go-to meals, however, it is important to not limit your “go-to” meals, either. Your body gets used to eating the same thing over and over which can sometimes cause you to hit a plateau. Be sure to change it up!

I feature a couple of recipes below from skinnytaste®. Her site is perfect for when you are on a plan – she notes on ALL of her recipes what plans it works with (keto, low card, weight watchers, etc) and notes how many Smart Points it is. What a fabulous thing the internet is!

AT HOME

Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables (4-6 Points)

I buy the marinated half of a whole chicken at the grocery store and already cut up root vegetable package. The root vegetable packages I get already have some herb butter with them (I only use about half of it). Root vegetables are typically parsnips, butternut squash, potatoes and onion. I stick them both in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes and WHA-LA, dinner is served.

Zucchini Noodles, Marinara and Turkey Meatballs (5 Points)

This couldn’t be easier. Pick up some already made zucchini noodles (Whole Foods), heat up some marinara and heat up some already made turkey meatballs – usually found in the frozen section.

Cauliflower Fried Rice (2-5 Points)

Skinnytaste® Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/cauliflower-fried-rice/

You DO NOT need to make your own cauliflower rice. Simply pick up a bag of Green Giant Cauliflower Rice. The recipe mentioned above is relatively simple, but feel free to add chicken or shrimp for only a few extra points!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps (3 Points)

Skinnytaste® Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/asian-chicken-lettuce-wraps/ 

It’s no PF Changs, however, still a delicious go-to.

Pizza! (4-10 Points)

People think that pizza and weight loss do not mesh well. I am here to tell you it does! During my 8 months on Weight Watchers, I had pizza a minimum of once a week (sometimes more like 3-4 times). It is all about how you make it. Some alternative crusts include cauliflower, rice, lavash flatbread and more.

My favorite is a cauliflower crust, marinara, low fat pizza blend cheese, basil, prosciutto and arugula.

Some other options from skinnytaste®:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/french-bread-pizza-caprese/

http://www.skinnytaste.com/lavash-flatbread-pizzas/

Avocado Toast (4 Points)

This is my favorite breakfast of all time. Find any bread or toast you like, add avocado, tomato and seasoning (I do salt and pepper or everything bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s) – that is all you need! The best part about this breakfast is that it is 1) it’s tasty 2) it includes veggies and 3) it actually fills you up.

OUT TO EAT

Mexican

1 Chicken Taco with all the fixins’ (6 points)

Salsa (0 points)

12 Tortilla Chips (4 points)

Ceviche (2 points)

Sushi

Lunch = 1 California Roll with side ginger salad (8 points)

Dinner = 2 California Rolls (10 points)

Subway

6-inch Turkey Sub (8 points)

6-inch Veggie Sub (7 points)

No, these don’t have cheese or mayonnaise!

Pho

Kids size Pho Tai (8 points)

Chic-Fil-A

8-count Grilled Nuggets (2 points)

Chicken Noodle Soup with Saltines (4 points)

Panera

Chicken Noodle Soup (3 points)

Half Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken (5 points)

Drinks

Vodka Soda Water with Lime (3 points)

Bud Light or Comparable Light Beer (3 points)

Wine (4 points)

What are your go-to meals? Please share and thank you for stopping by!

Part 3: Tips and Tricks for Succeeding on Weight Watchers

Starting Weight Watchers and being successful at it are two different things. Its not enough to simply download the Weight Watchers App and cross your fingers. Get a game plan together that works for you and will ensure that you are in this thing for the long haul.

Here are the first 5 of my top 10 tips and tricks for shedding those pounds, when you are on Weight Watchers:

1) Weekly Points

First and foremost, use your weekly points! They are given to you for a reason. Secondly, be sure to save your weekly points for your weak times, whether it is weak times during the day (everyday) or weak times during a particular part of the week. For me, the weekends are my time to enjoy myself and weekly points make that possible!

2) The Scale

Make sure you have a scale at home. Before this program, I did not have a scale at home. I shouldn’t be too surprised by my weight gain if I wasn’t monitoring it! Get on the scale at least once a week and keep track of your progress in the Journey > Progress Chart section of the app. Ideally, you would plug in your weight on the same day each week and at the same time of day for consistency.

3) Reward Yourself Everyday

It’s important to keep yourself sane on the program and reward yourself at least once a day, but only once a day. If you cherish a glass of wine at the end of each day, place priority on that glass of wine and turn down the office doughnut snacks in the morning, for example.

4) Snacking

There will be weak points during the day that you may need a quick bite. The issue here is that if you aren’t prepared for it, you may run into a rut (point wise). An example of this is being at work and needing a snack between lunch and dinner. Many work offices only have chips, bars, crackers and pure play snack foods to choose from. Don’t blow your points on a snack, instead, be sure to always keep around a low point snack in your drawer, purse, car center console and more. Yes, I have saltines in the center console of my car – the food struggle is real!

5) Make Substitutions

If you are a big rice, potato or pasta lover - these may be items that you choose to substitute for replacements (sometimes just as delicious) for the sake of points. I love rice, but I now only reserve it for eating sushi. When we are making a stir fry at home, I now substitute rice for riced cauliflower. When we are in the mood for pasta, we now use zucchini noodles – they are a great substitute as they are relatively bland in taste and therefore take on the taste of whatever sauce you are using!

Stay tuned for the next 5 tips and tricks. Be sure to plug in everything today!

Part 2: Going Out to Eat on Weight Watchers

While I love to cook, there is a time and place for it! All weekend long, typically, we are eating and drinking our way to Monday. This post includes the top three tips for how to maintain your Weight Watchers goals while getting to live (a little) and cook for none. J

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

I guarantee there have been times that you’ve had an idea of what you wanted to order at a restaurant [relatively healthy], only to get there [so hungry] and order that fried appetizer or that tasty looking cheesecake.

NEWS FLASH: We’ve all been there.

The best way to combat this while on Weight Watcher is to look at the menu BEFORE you get to the restaurant. Here is this concept broken down into four simple steps: 1) Look at the menu online 2) Pick out what you are going to eat 3) Check the points in your Weight Watchers App 4) If you are happy with your selection, plug it in!

By plugging in what you are going to eat [and drink], you are less likely to peruse the menu when you get there and make a bad decision. Want to add some extra point security to your outing? Tell the person you are going with that you’ve decided what you are going to eat and plugged it in. This way, if you STILL make a bad decision it isn’t just you that knows. Insert judging eyes from your dinner date.

The last important piece about planning is that it provides a way to plan for your whole day. If you know you are going out to sushi for dinner (3 California Rolls = 15 points), by plugging it in at the start of your day you can ensure your breakfast and lunch allow for those 15 points. For me, 15 points for dinner is half of my 30-point day. In this scenario, I would likely bring it down to 2 California Rolls.

DON’T CHEAT THE SYSTEM

The Weight Watchers App has paired up with many restaurants to provide you with an exact point value for their menu items. Some restaurants include but are not limited to Chic-Fil-A, Subway, Outback and more. To search this restaurant list, view their Restaurants section in the app where you can sort by restaurant name and point value.

For the restaurants that you go to that are NOT in the app, don’t cheat the system or yourself. 

Let’s break it down into a real-life scenario:

If you are eating a cheese quesadilla and you go to search for that item under the food search it will return several different “cheese quesadilla” dishes. The dishes will likely range in point value from 6 to 25. I am not saying you need to use the 25-point value option, however, you likely aren’t eating the 6-point value one either. Use your best judgement and always overcompensate as opposed to under-compensate.

REMEMBER: If you cheat the system, you are cheating yourself.

MY GO-TOs

I wanted to list out some of my go-to items at different types of restaurants to make it clear that you can eat out and still be successful on Weight Watchers. I’ve listed out a couple of options at some spots. YOU CAN DO IT!

Mexican

1 Chicken Taco with all the fixins’ (6 points)

Salsa (0 points)

12 Tortilla Chips (4 points)

Ceviche (2 points)

Sushi

Lunch = 1 California Roll with side ginger salad (8 points)

Dinner = 2 California Rolls (10 points)

Subway

6-inch Turkey Sub (8 points)

6-inch Veggie Sub (7 points)

No, these don’t have cheese or mayonnaise!

Pho

Kids size Pho Tai (8 points)

Chic-Fil-A

8-count Grilled Nuggets (2 points)

Chicken Noodle Soup with Saltines (4 points)

Panera

Chicken Noodle Soup (3 points)

Half Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken (5 points)

Drinks

Vodka Soda Water with Lime (3 points)

Bud Light or Comparable Light Beer (3 points)

Wine (4 points)

Roughly 17 J Thanks again for stopping in!

Part 1: Getting Started with Weight Watchers

Oh, food – what a wonderful thing food is. It was pretty much my favorite thing until the scale crept up on me because of it.

In January, I found myself hopping on a scale for the first time in a year at a doctor’s appointment. Low and behold I had gained 9 pounds in less than a year and about 20 pounds since college. WOW. Seriously? What happened!

Enter: Weight Watchers

My company had been promoting Weight Watchers internally and was even holding meetings right in our building. I talked to some coworkers who had started the program and had lost 12, 15, even 30 pounds. I knew it was time to give it a try. Couldn’t hurt, right?

I knew NOTHING about the program before starting. Well, I did know one thing - that Oprah was the spokesperson - that's something, I guess? You get the picture. So, to start, I downloaded the app for $3.91 a week. I did some reading and realized that the NEW and improved Weight Watchers program promised 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week. That sounded too good to be true.

Enter: The Weight Watchers App

I immediately started entering everything I ate into the app (February 22, 2017). I was stunned to see that some of the foods I had previously considered “healthy” were eating up a half days’ worth of points.

Let me explain, quickly, how the app works:

You fill out a questionnaire to begin with so the app can determine how many points you get for each day (I get 30, for example). Before you eat or drink something, you search for it in the app (anything from cooked meals, items at restaurants to raw ingredients) which you then add to your day, for that meal. For example, if you are eating avocado and egg wheat toast for breakfast you would search for avocado, add the amount you are going to consume of it and then search for wheat toast and add the amount you are going to consume – these would both be added to “breakfast”. It will automatically deduct those points from your day (this is 6 points for the one I make, so it leaves me with 24 points for the rest of the day).

YUMMY, RIGHT?

Aside from your daily points, you get a set amount of weekly points which essentially are cheat points. These can be used a little bit per day or blow them all in one day!

What I learned very quickly were two things 1) that you must plug EVERYTHING IN - you are only cheating yourself if you lie to the app and 2) if you plug everything in and stick to the system, you are 100% going to lose weight.

The pounds really started shedding off in the beginning. My body was quickly adjusting to taking unnecessary items out of my day. WINNING! Some of the items that I wasn’t willing to “waste the points on” anymore:

-Coffee creamer (2 points)

-Starbucks breakfast sandwiches (8-15 points)

-Rice (6 points for a 1 cup)

-Overeating at dinner (Unlimited)

-Margaritas (17-25 points)

I was quickly finding ways to eat breakfast and lunch  low in points (while still feeling full) so that I would be able to enjoy a glass of wine when I got home. Yes, you can drink on Weight Watchers.

I would go into tips and tricks for low point meals, however, this is only Part 1 of this series! Here is what is up next:

Part 2: Eating Out on Weight Watchers

Part 3: General Tips and Tricks for Weight Watchers

Part 4: Go-To Meals for Weight Watchers Success

Please follow along with me on my journey to hitting my weight loss goals and keeping it off! My hope is that if you are reading this you have a goal of your own and Weight Watchers can help you get there.

To help further intrigue you to read Part 2, Part 3 and so on – take a peek at how far I have come in the past five months!

February 2017 – 144 pounds

July 2017 – 125 pounds

You can see it clearly in this log (below) that you can keep of your weight in the app. It shows where I started and how my weight loss journey has taken shape throughout the last five months. First step was getting a scale :) In addition, it helps me to track what my average "weekly" weight loss is - which is exactly 1 pound! They don't fudge the facts, folks.

As always, thanks for stopping in!

Sausage & Gravy Biscuit Casserole (with Eggs)

Christmas is right around the corner! What that means in our house is lots of cooking. Breakfast casseroles are a HOT ticket item around here 1) for quite simply how tasty they are 2) being able to make them ahead of time and store them well and 3) because they are certainly not a dainty meal that will wither away by mid-morning, like a danish might.

This recipe makes some seriously delicious breakfast eats for 6-8 people. It can easily be doubled if you are having more!

Sausage & Gravy Biscuit Casserole (with Eggs)

12 ounces of buttermilk biscuit dough (I like to use the Grands! Flaky Layers Butter Tastin' Biscuits) 

6 eggs

1 package peppered gravy mix (makes 2 cups)

1 lb sausage, any flavor (if you like spicy, definitely go for the HOT flavor)

1 cup cheese, shredded (cheddar or a mixed cheddar bag works well)

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13×9 pan (I just used spray coconut oil for this).

While the oven is heating, begin to brown the sausage in a skillet until all of it is nice and browned! Drain browned sausage thoroughly.

Cut biscuit dough into 1″ pieces, and line the bottom of the pan. For most biscuits, this means to cut each biscuit up into four pieces.

Layer cooked sausage over the biscuit pieces (all of it). Then layer shredded cheese over sausage. If you have extra to use, just make sure it is a covered layer!

Whisk eggs and milk, add salt and pepper and pour over the layers you just made.

Make gravy according to instructions, and pour over everything. Again, make sure it covers most all of the top! You will want gravy in every bite J

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until eggs and biscuits are cooked through. You do not want to overcook this dish! Reason being is it is important to have the cheese, gravy and eggs be creamy while having the biscuits be soft enough to cut through.

Serve right away – or warm at least. I mean, how could you not? Doesn't it look delicious? 

NOTE: This recipe stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days.