M.I.A.

Me     In     Action

Made by Sydney Grossman

Yes, that's right. It has been a while since my last blog post (hence me now being in action) and it's time to have a catch up post.

I don't know where to begin and I am worried that all I want to share will wind up sounding scatterbrained.  Hopefully, I will keep my paragraphs short and to the point.  So grab your glasses, cozy up with your comfort drink...

Chef BoyarMEE

Sticking with this new theme of healthy living and weight loss, I have decided to fall in love with cooking thanks to David, Joe, and Jen. Who you ask? David, as in David Tutera party planner/wedding planner galore; Joe, as in Trader Joe's (YUM); Jen, as in Jennifer Hudson, the newest spokesman for Weight Watchers.

Now for those of you who don't know me, I am not a cook. That doesn't mean I'm a bad cook though, because I'm not, it's just that I enjoy eating out and having sushi or lobster or upscale Italian meals. Let me just say that it's a good thing I am having my wake-up call now.

I'M IN COLLEGE. I SHOULDN'T WANT TO EAT OUT. I WILL HAVE NO FRIENDS. NO ONE CAN AFFORD IT. IT'S A BIT RIDICULOUS--TO SAY THE LEAST.

Well now that we have that out of the way, I can continue. Since starting Weight Watchers, I have been into shopping at Trader Joe's and even began using the new Weight Watchers Point Plus Cookbook. The cookbook comes with recipes that are broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and offers a range of difficulty levels for each dish.

With the addition of watching my guilty pleasure, My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, I get to see some of the amazing catering services he hires for the weddings.

My newest and most favorite meal is now listed below for all of you to enjoy. For those of you who are into WW (Weight Watchers for short), this meal is a whopping 5 POINTS!

Ingredients:
1. Trader Joe's frozen Grilled Vegetables
2. Trader Joe's Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese
3. Tofu (Marinated or not and optional)
4. Watermelon
5. Tomato
6. Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Salad:
Thinly slice the watermelon and tomato and layer on top of one another. Drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette on the salad and, walah! you have a 0 POINT starter course.

Main Dish:
For one person, use 1/4 of the grilled vegetables and put straight onto the frying pan-NO OIL. Once the vegetables start to sizzle and heat up, add (if you want) the tofu. When the vegetables and tofu seem to be almost ready, add one scoop of the ricotta cheese. Once the cheese has melted, your dinner is done!

There you have it folks. Seeing David Tutera's caterer make the watermelon and tomato salad and with the help of the cost efficient and tasty Trader Joe's market, dinner is satisfying, healthy and yummy!

Don't hesitate to add some of your favorite dishes! I'd love to learn...

Why Weight?

We live in a country where obesity is the leading cause of death for Americans. 50 percent of American families are overweight, unhealthy and are on more medications than you can imagine in order to maintain being alive. Not only are we as a country significantly unhealthy and overweight, we are dying before the age of 50.

When is enough going to be enough? When should parents intervene in their children's life? When will those in charge change our food chains and alter portion sizes in restaurants? How many people need to die to wake America up? The questions can go on and on. But who cares? It doesn't seem as though anyone is listening.

The Biggest Loser is in its eleventh season. The first family has a garden that produces fresh and organic vegetables to their community. Iron Chef America hosts special battles promoting healthy eating. Is any of it really working? Sure, friends and families of contestants watch, but how far does it go? Whatever the rate, it isn't fast enough.

We are fresh into the new year and a number one resolution for many people around the world is to lose weight. Guess what? IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO WANT IT! You need to put your words into actions and start moving. Walk around the block every day. Run one mile. Eat one salad every day for lunch. Join a dance class twice a week. And no one said you have to do it alone.

Did you know that starting a habit is easier than breaking one? It takes more than three weeks to break a habit. After one month of intense cardio and kickboxing with my trainer and joining Weight Watchers for $1 (only available until March) my body had kicked into gear.

I challenge you to check out their new program. It allows you to eat around 30 points a day, with an additional 47 for the week to be used as you wish and extra awarded points for any activity or workout. Don't sit around and wait for your life to change. It won't. Be true to your word and have integrity for your own life and the lives of your family and friends.

Cheers!

          

     

From Oprah's Lips to Our Actions

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”


Get out your journals, diaries, notepads, anything to write on and a pen! It is time to create the infamous new year resolution list. 


What's is going to be for 2011? Weight loss? A relationship? Better grades? More money?


Yes, those are all wonderful things. We would all love to be 15 pounds lighter, in love and rich. But instead of creating a list that caters just to personal needs, let's expand and better our family, friends and community. For every one listed item that is personal, write two that cater to someone else.


Need help? Request ideas (or offer some) in the comments area. 


Ready?...


...GO!