strength in numbers!

It's so true what they say- there is strength in numbers!

Karlie and some gals in her church started a weight loss support group. They get together once a week, weight in, and share their weight loss strategies and stories. Katie and I were lucky enough to be invited and today was my first time participating!

Let me just tell you- those women made me feel so welcome! There's nothing like getting together with fun, strong, encouraging women! It was better than any weight watchers meeting I've ever been to! (Not dissing WW, but sometimes their meetings are so boring and preachy!)

This week, Katie shared what works for her. One of the things she talked about was stopping herself from overeating. I've been so guilty of overeating. It's a daily struggle and something that I have to constantly be aware of. If have something that tastes good in front of me, I'll probably finish my plate...and then go back for 2nds. It's a hard habit to break! Telling myself that it's OK to leave food on my plate or to not get another scoop of something is slowly becoming a good habit.

They say when your stomach is empty, a complex combination of body processes sends "eat now" messages. (i.e. rumbling stomach, decrease in energy, etc)

When you're eaten enough your brain knows it. If you're not sure if you're satisfied, wait 20 minutes...if you're still hungry, eat a little more (not overdoing it!) and then wait another 20 minutes. Also, when your body is full, you'll naturally do the "I'm satisfied sigh".

If you ignore the signals and overeat, you'll feel full. It's uncomfortable and your stomach might burst...j/k...but it is uncomfortable.

The girls in the group also brought in some of their favorite low calorie snack ideas for us to sample!

Here's a few of the ideas....

-Crunch Master Rice Crackers (available at Costco) w/ cottage cheese & salad supreme sprinkled on top.

-Saltene crackers w/ a teaspoon of low fat cream cheese spread & a sliced cucumber w/ seasoning on top

- Chocolate Bran Muffins

(1 pt each on Weight Watchers)

3 c. All Bran Cereal

2 1/2 c water

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 package of Krusteas Fat Free Brownie Mix

*soak cereal in water for 5-15 minutes, stir in rest of ingredience, & fill greased muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes

-Curried Deviled Eggs (2 pts per serving on Weight Watchers)

4 lg eggs, hard boiled and shelled

3 tbsp plain, fat-free yogurt

2 tsp curry powder, mild variety

1/4 tsp salt

4 sprgs cilantro (to garnish)

hard boil eggs, peel, and slice in half lengthwise, spoon yolk into a small bowl, mash with yogurt, curry powder, and salt. spoon yolk mixture back into egg white halves and garnish with cilantro. 2 egg halves is one serving.

~Shannon