Saying a Final Farewell to the Baby Weight and Saying Hello to New Healthy Recipes!

In keeping with the most popular New Years resolution out there, I have made the decision to lose weight. Not only do I want to shed the last few pounds of baby weight that have hung on for far too long, I have extra special incentive to get in shape for the cruise Jonathon and I are taking with friends in May. The cruise will be to Turks and Caicos/The Bahamas and we will celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary a few months early!

Nothing better than goals to keep you focused when it comes to weight loss. Even more important than all of these, I want to be a healthy role model for Sam. My goal was to begin working on weight loss just before Christmas, because if I could lose weight at that difficult time of year then I could do it at any time and I would have a nice head start! I began Weight Watchers (only weight loss program that has EVER worked for me and got me in great shape just before our wedding) and have resumed workouts on our elliptical at home again (6 miles on average each workout). I’m thrilled to report that I’m down 7 lbs and counting and only OUNCES away from saying goodbye to ALL OF MY BABY SAM WEIGHT! Woo Hoo!!!!! More importantly, I am losing weight at a great pace and not going on a crash diet that will only give me short-term results. I guess the saying about it taking 9 months to put on and 9 months to lose was very true for me since Sam just hit the 10 month mark this past weekend. :-)

In working to lose weight, I’ve tried some great recipes from weightwatchers.com lately (could not live without being able to access everything through my phone- so convenient!). The program has recently changed a bit, (completely different point counting methods and all fruits are now 0 points, for instance) so being able to access and track point values with the touch of a button is so helpful for this busy working Mom that is always on the go.

Here are a couple of recipes that I found especially tasty. Both are a bit on the spicy side. I craved hot and spicy foods while pregnant with Sam (never wanted anything to do with them before that) and have loved them ever since.

Bean Burrito Soup
*Similar to a taco soup and great for cold weather. Sort of a “burrito in a bowl” with chunky veggies, beans and broth and tortilla, cheese, sour cream and cilantro on top.
5 PointsPlus per serving, makes 4 servings of 1 ½ cups each

2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
16 oz fat-free canned refried beans
16 oz frozen mixed vegetables (I used canned for convenience but removed the potatoes)
2 Tbsp Las Palmas Diced green chiles
2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free, 6-inch, cut into thin strips (about 1⁄2 cup) (I used the Mission low carb version which were 1 pt higher for the entire recipe)
6 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (I used the Weight Watchers brand Mexican cheese)
6 Tbsp fat-free sour cream
3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

Bring the broth and beans to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mixed vegetables, chiles, garlic, and chili powder; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.
Divide the soup evenly among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with about 2 tablespoons tortilla strips, 1 1⁄2 tablespoons each of cheese and sour cream, then a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

Hot Pepper Pretzels
*Nice change-up to a standard snack. I loved the kick!
3 PointsPlus per serving, makes 6 servings of 2/3 cup each

5 oz unsalted pretzels, about 4 cups, mini size
2 tsp light butter, melted
4 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper (added about two)
1 tsp garlic powder with parsley
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Toss the pretzels with butter, spread on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes. Sprinkle with soy, cayenne, garlic powder and salt; toss. Bake 2 minutes. Cool completely. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.