Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning

First of all, you've gotta love a product whose website url is: www.NoMoreNakedPopcorn.com.

I went looking for this stuff after I saw an ad for it in WW magazine claiming it was zero points. I found it at Albertson's (and I know it's Lucky now but that's how long ago it was), bought the white cheddar flavor, and then it was gone. I tried all my local grocery stores and Stacey even went looking hither and yon for the elusive Kernel Season's popcorn seasoning.

The white cheddar flavor is YUMMY. The caramel, not so much (or you have to seriously douse your popcorn with it before you can even begin to taste it). There are eight other flavors I have yet to try, all of which can be ordered online, and a variety can be found at some movie theaters in gigantic shakers that you can pour all over your $50 popcorn.

So, if you're hesitant to switch to 94% fat-free popcorn, try some Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning. I've got both the popcorn and white cheddar Kernel Season's in my office, so stop on by if you want to perform your own taste test.

TJ's Brown Rice Pasta

A few weeks ago, I picked up a bag of brown rice pasta from Trader Joe's and I've been putting off cooking it because of some not-so-great experiences I've had with whole wheat pasta. I'm not very fond of the gritty texture and have yet to find a whole wheat variety that my palate can accept as pasta.

So today, I cooked a small portion of TJ's brown rice fusilli just to give it a try, and I gotta say, that's some damn good pasta!

What's great about this stuff, in addition to it tasting great, is that it's wheat/gluten free and FAT FREE too! Its only ingredients are brown rice and water. If you're following WW, it's 4 points on flex, and since it's made of brown rice, it's also core!

South Beach drink mix - "Tide Me Over"

I found this in Target (again, while I was starving...do you see a trend here?) and I needed something to tide me over until I could get home & eat something reasonable.

It's a powdered drink mix by South Beach/Kraft, and it has 30 calories, 3 grams of fiber & 5 grams of protein. It sure as hell took the edge off and kept me from buying a big candy bar and devouring that on my drive home.

Jane also found a powdered drink mix by Wyler's, called Wyler's Light Fiber Singles to Go. I'm going to try some with my lunch today.

Is it lunchtime yet? What about now? How about now?

Eat the right foods before and after a workout

I went to the gym this morning, and afterwards I was starving! It never occurred to me to eat before a morning working out, but this article on MSNBC explains what you should be eating pre-and post-workout.

Depending on the day of the week, I work out at various times. Now I know what I can eat before a workout, and what I should have on-hand afterwards. This'll keep me from hitting the McDonald's thru for some fries after spending an hour on the elliptical.

Eat This, Not That

I heard about a book today called Eat This, Not That. It was featured on the Today show, and it talks about choosing wisely when you're eating out. It's based on a regular column that appears in Men's Health magazine, and it examines the nutritional values of various items from various restaurants.

An excerpt of the Today show feature can be found here.

Week 3

Big group today! I think we agreed that 12:15 would be the regular meeting time on Fridays. Our hot topic was self-sabotage. Laureen brought in a WW recipe for fudge. I brought my big-honkin WW recipe book which will be kept in FA for anyone to peruse at their leisure. I also brought in my scale.

Action items:

• Yetunde will commit to three days of exercise this next week, including one day over the weekend.
• Stefanie will commit to breaking up sugary snacks into individual portions, will prepare salads for lunch next week, and will bring in her tennis shoes.
• Laureen will commit to three days of exercise next week, including one day over the weekend.
• Theresa will continue to plan her lunches, and commit to breaking up snacks into single-servings and try a new recipe.
• Leti will commit to walking more and bringing her lunch.
• I managed to leave without giving myself an action item. So...next week, I commit to eating breakfast every day, journaling everything (including bites & nibbles) and working out four days during the week.

Since next Friday is a holiday and we won't be able to meet, our commitments have been extended to include the week after next as well. Good luck to everybody in sticking to it!

Update: I inadvertently left Stacey off the list! She will commit to staying away from junk food and going to the gym after a injury-related hiatus!

Gym Cooties

If you're afraid of germs, and you work out at a gym, read this Newsweek article:

Six Gym Health Hazards

My favorite tip is the one about not wandering about naked in the gym. Not only do I not want your cooties, but I don't need to see your bare behind as well.

Walk Away the Pounds

It was the infomercial that got me to buy these videos, I must admit. That was several years back, and I can safely say that these are still some of my favorite videos when it comes to working out at home. You don't need ANY equipment (hand weights are optional, and you may even already have them at home), and you don't need a whole lot of space.

One of my many goals is to work out at home whenever I can't make it to the gym, so I've got the 3-mile and 4-mile DVDs out. It would probably help if I actually DID the workout, but baby steps...

Anyway, since I've got them out, if anyone wants to try them, let me know.

Week 2

The change for this week was trying to use the scale in the Health Center, but it was one of those doctor's office scales (duh) and it was too hard to get an accurate reading. I've offered to bring a scale in from home.

We talked about our challenges this week and declared new goals for the coming week.

Action item: Everybody bring in a recipe!

Prevention's Flat Belly Diet

"Eat & think your way thin."

Okay, I think I've tried my very own personal version of this diet, but it didn't work out for me. It may have had something to do with oh...I don't know...the CRAP I eat?

Maybe I should read up on Prevention Magazine's Flat Belly Diet.

Thanks, Jane, for finding this and passing it along!

Recipes from Everyday Food

In my never-ending quest for good (healthy) recipes, Yetunde sent me a link for recipes from Everyday Food.

It's a cool cooking show (I catch it on PBS) where they make healthy dishes from healthy ingredients. It's produced by Martha Stewart, which apparently makes it "a good thing." Plus there used to be this cute guy on the show, but he's gone now. But anyway...

Go make something healthy for dinner tonight! (And make some for me, too.)

The recipes can be found right here! Thanks, Yetunde!

Fiber One bars

They're only 2 WW points and they're really good. Really good. But they've got 9 grams of fiber, so don't get all excited and eat a bunch.

You'll regret it.

Trust me.

What’s a Healthy Weight Loss Goal?

What’s a Healthy Weight Loss Goal?

Saw this article on the MSN homepage this morning. If you need help setting your goal, this might help!

The New Rules of Lifting for Women

The New Rules of Lifting for Women

Ran across it on The Diet Blog. It intrigues me. (Plus, it got awesome reviews on Amazon.) The post about the book is here.

Fiber Cakes

They have an ungodly amount of fiber (so drink LOTS of water), but they taste pretty good, and you'll be full for DAYS (or a really long time). Fiber cakes by Zen Bakery...get 'em from Trader Joe's!

Thanks to Kathy for sharing!

The Microwave Hard Boiled Egg Thingy

It hard boils 4 eggs in the microwave. In my microwave, it takes about 7 minutes. I love this thing! It's the Egg Boiler made by Nordic Ware. Get one today!

Week 1

We weighed in, we talked, we made plans for next week.

The weigh in was painful for me...gotta love reality. I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with my work buddies. I need the support. Thanks for getting together. We've got a long road ahead of us, and our weekly gatherings will keep me in check. Plus, it's great not to be on this journey alone.

Action item: Everybody decided to plan lunches for this coming week. Check back in 7 days and see how we did!