Light Treat of the Week: Special K Chips

My classmates have been raving about these Special K Cracker Chips. You can eat 30 chips for 110 calories. That's right; 30 chips! The entire box is only 3.5 servings. In other words, even a potato chip fiend like me will rarely eat an entire serving. 

I'm not a flavored chip kind of girl. I prefer an ordinary, salted chip so I tried the sea salt flavor, but they are also available in sour cream and onion. I thought the chips were great. I didn't feel the need to eat an entire serving. They definitely satisfied my salty snack craving. The chips tasted similar to Pringles or Munchos, but looked more like a deflated mini rice cake. I put them out during my Super Bowl party, hesitant people would steer away from the "diet chips," but everyone gobbled them up. Dan thought they were a little plain, so he ate his with dip, which worked well. I will definitely be buying them again. The Special K Cracker Chips were available at my local Walmart Superstore and Shaws. Check them out.

Do you have a figure-friendly snack you think everyone should try? Leave a comment and share. I know I'm always looking for tasty, healthy food.

Adventure of the Week: Returning to the Gym

Well, my gym date with a friend helped get me back to the gym. I'm still not going every day, but I think I'll finally start getting into a routine. The other night I went with Dan to meet with the trainer and setup a new workout routine. This was the first time i met with this particular trainer, and he made some serious changes to my workout. For instance,  I'm now going to be doing only about 10 minutes of cardio each day. That doesn't sound like enough to me, but he assures me that weight and core training are equally, if not more, important to my weight loss. He emphasized the importance of holding a position during core exercises and frequently varying the core exercises I do. He showed us how to properly use the machines and how others are often doing the exercises wrong. Take, for example, the elliptical. Did you know that most people use it wrong?! If you are not using it properly, your head will go up and down, defeating the purpose of a low impact machine. When we tried using the elliptical properly, it was much more difficult!

Going to the gym with Dan was great. Having a buddy not only makes you feel obligated to go, but it mean you have to wipe the machines down less because you can switch with each other, and you can correct each other's form (especially during weight training).

On days I don't go to the gym, I try to do some yoga using On Demand (sports & fitness-- Exercise TV). My favorite workouts on there are the ones by Yoga Works. Their Body Slim yoga routine is a great workout! I even saw the DVDs on sale at Target. I think I could get into this yoga thing. I can tell it really works my body, and I think it revitalizes me and helps relieve stress. 

Advice You Didn't Ask For

Expand your taste buds.

Taco Salad 

I think a key to continued weight loss is enjoying the foods you are eating. I have tried my share of diets throughout my life, and Weight Watchers has proven the easiest to stick to. I really believe in eating what I enjoy (with some modification, of course). I am so glad I came across Gina's website. She makes some really awesome dishes that I love to make (macaroni and cheese, meatballs, enchiladas, buffalo chicken dip, chilis, etc.) Through her website, I have found a new love for ethnic food. I now cook Asian and Mexican dishes. I notice that preparing ethnic foods can be a great way to get a lot of flavor without the calories. However, I was bummed when I realized that eating Mexican at a restaurant is much worse for me than the Mexican I prepare at home. The restaurants use full fat cheese, sour cream, meat, and fried chips. So, be careful.

Greek Salad

This brings me to my craving of the week: Greek food! There's this delicious restaurant in Concord, Remi's Place, which looks like a standard pizza place. Remi's Place is owned by an Albanian family (Remi himself does most of the cooking) and also offers Greek and Albanian dishes in addition to their pizza, pasta, subs, etc. After eating their chicken gyro, I fell in love! Dan and I go at least once a week and try a new Greek/Albanian dish. I think their grilled chicken is awesome; I don't know what they do differently to it. Put it on a salad, a pita, pizza-- I'll eat it. LOL! Lately, I've been craving their simple Greek salad (often a side to their other dishes). The Greek dishes I usually get are packed with fresh veggies (tomato, cucumber, onion, green pepper) and served with grilled meat, tzatziki sauce (cucumber, garlic, and dill yogurt sauce), and fresh made pita. Dan indulges in everything from fried Greek meatballs and stuffed grape leaves to lamb kabobs and baklava. I like to make some simple Greek dishes at home using fat-free yogurt, fat free feta, whole grain/low carb pitas, and, of course, my favorite, tzatziki.

My advice today is to try new foods. Don't let your taste buds get bored. Keep it exciting. Try those new foods a few times from different places or prepared differently. It could really make a big difference. Try foods that you haven't had in awhile because you "don't like it." You might be surprised. 

My new food venture is going to be fish. I really need to try some different kinds prepared a few ways to see if I can like it. It would really expand my dinner possibilities. 

Happy eating!