Think You Can't Eat Chocolate? Think Again!

Chocolate. What would our lives be without it?

One of the things I love about Weight Watchers is the freedom to really eat what you want even though you're on a "diet". Weight Watchers is all about budgeting your points to eat the things you love and still lose weight. It gives you the freedom to eat chocolate and desserts, even if those things are higher in point value. To balance my sweet tooth and need to spend my points wisely, I've found some delicious desserts that are lower in point value while still packing that beloved chocolatey taste.

Skinny Cow Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich
Only 4 WW points per sandwich AND a good source of calcium and fiber!

 Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Snacks
Only 2 WW points per cup! This is a great way to get that chocolatey taste without all the calories and sugar. Try dipping fresh strawberries in the pudding for a fondue-inspired dessert! Or, if you're a caramel fan like me, try the Dulce de Leche flavor!

Breyers Fat Free Smooth and Dreamy French Chocolate Ice Cream
Only 2 WW points per half cup serving! I was skeptical at first of the taste and texture of this ice cream, but you would never know it was fat free! Try pairing it with their Fat Free Strawberry flavor for a delicious combination.

 Newton's Fruit Thins Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
4 WW points for 3 cookies! These are crunchy, delicious, and make you feel like you can eat a lot for a little. Try their other delicious flavors like Cranberry Citrus Oat and Blueberry Brown Sugar.

It is doable, people, to eat what you love and still lose weight! It's doable to choose smarter options and get more bang for your buck!

Enjoy your weekend, and happy chocolate consuming!

Biblical Motivation for Weight Loss

Happy Friday all!

To those of you who are watching your waistlines, like I am, I want to share some verses from Romans my mom shared with me when I began my weight loss journey. I have read these verses several times before, but never in the light of working out and eating right.

"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" 

Romans 8:12-15

As a Christian, this is really the motivation behind why I want to lose weight. It's not so that I'll look skinnier, fit into smaller sized clothes, or be able to run a marathon. It's ultimately about putting to death the deeds of the flesh - essentially saying "no" to giving in to the wants of my flesh and saying "yes" to the self-control of the Holy Spirit. Another passage comes to mind.

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body...Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 

1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20

As believers saved by the power of Christ, we should never become controlled by our appetites, and this includes our appetites for food. God has richly blessed us with all things that we need for life and godliness, including food, but we should never let food become an idol in our lives. Our flesh desperately wants to gain control over us in any way possible. Have you ever considered that overeating and laziness could be considered disobedience to God? I'm not saying that you can never eat chocolate again or that you can't sit on the couch and watch TV (which is actually what I'm doing as I write this), but I'm encouraging you to think about eating right and exercising as obedience to God.

Be careful to avoid extremes. Just as we can go overboard with how much we eat, we can go overboard with how little we eat. Don't take this as me saying you should never eat again and exercise yourself to exhaustion. That's called an eating disorder and you need to get help if you find yourself in that boat. 

All I'm saying is that, as I've gone through almost 2 months now of a healthy diet and regular exercise, I've begun to look at it with more spiritual eyes. I'm learning to gain self-control over my body and mind. I'm learning to eat with balance and moderation, instead of eating according to feelings. I'm learning to make myself exercise even when I don't feel like it. And what I'm learning in this area of my life, transfers to other areas of my life as well. I'm learning to be more disciplined with my sleep schedule, with my housework, with things like blogging and journaling, etc. 

Let me encourage you, if I can do and learn all this, so can you. But more importantly, if you are a child of God and have the Holy Spirit inside of you, then by His mighty power, you can succeed in disciplining your mind and body, in caring for His temple, in glorifying God with your body, in mortifying the deeds of the flesh. 

Don't let food be your master. Don't return to a spirit of slavery. You have been bought with a price, and with that purchase you have received ALL the power you need to succeed. Therefore, glorify God with your body!

Have Some Compassion

Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving-the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you.
2 Corinthians 9:6-14

During the fall of our first year of marriage, David and I felt compelled to establish a pattern of faithfulness to God with our money and to trust that He would always provide all we needed to act in obedience to His Word. My husband is one of the most numbers-oriented people I know. He's extremely careful with our money and expenses. But he's also one of the most generous people I know, desiring to give back to the Lord, others, and to me. 

So with all this in mind, and at the urging of some close friends, we decided to sponsor two children through the child sponsorship ministry of Compassion International. It was so difficult to choose from the many deserving and needy children on Compassion's website. But through much prayer and contemplation, God led us to two children from Ghana, Priscilla and Emmanuel, both around 10 years of age. 

It is amazing how much of a relationship we've been able to build with them in just over a year. I don't think we realize how well-off we are and how much just a little money each month can literally change and save lives. How a letter from overseas can encourage their hearts and let them know they are special and worth it in an environment of poverty and hopelessness. How a sheet of stickers that probably cost less than a dime can brighten their day. How they are being grown in the knowledge and Word of God through our support and Compassion's faithful ministry.

Praise be to God! He has so faithfully provided for us to continue our sponsorship even though our culture would look at David and I and say, "You can't afford that! You have a mortgage and bills. You're middle class at best. You need to leave some for yourself, what about the future, etc." But we believe the passage from 2 Corinthians above, that God will provide abundantly for us so that we can provide abundantly for others, even if we aren't what our culture would classify as "rich". 

I'd like to share with you some excerpts from letters from Priscilla...

"I pray that God will help you and your family to have a peaceful life."

"I also lead morning devotion at school."

"At the project, I lead in worship and praises, and read the Word of God."

"At church, I read the Bible, sing, and lead in worship."

"I thank you for what you have done for me and for taking me as your own child." 

Sadly, I am no longer able to support Priscilla. For financial reasons, her parents sent her to live with an aunt in a region of Ghana where Compassion has not yet established centers. As disappointing as this is, the effects of the child sponsorship program can be profoundly felt in her departing letter to me, written by the coordinator of her center:

"She wants to thank you so much for all the gifts and your words of encouragement. She has benefited (from Compassion) from the healthcare, and lessons from the Curriculum, and most especially letting her know about God. She prays that God bless you and protect you from the works of the evil one. She also prays that whatever you have given or spent on her, God should replenish in hundred folds by His grace."

I am now supporting Safyatou, a 7 year old girl from Burkina Faso. In her first letter to me, she wrote:

"Hi! I write you to thank you very much for all. Pray for me I'll be the best in my classroom. I am learning songs at the center and praising Jesus. Do you like singing?"

I cannot encourage you enough to check out Compassion. Not only can you make a huge difference in the life of a child, but I know that I have been grown and changed by both Priscilla and Safyatou. Receiving a letter from one of them brings the biggest smile to my face and joy to my heart. God is using me, only by His grace and through His provision, to change their lives and He is using them to change mine. 

Don't think you can afford it? Don't have time to write letters? Don't underestimate what God can do!

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

Ephesians 2:8-10

My Fuzzy Valentine

Happy Valentines Day all! Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or married, remember this MOST important thing, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God and such we are" (1 John 3:1). Praise God for His love and the gift of His Son!

And, whether you are single or not on this Valentines Day, it always helps to have a fuzzy friend to make your day warmer and brighter. So Happy Valentines Day to my "fuzzy" Valentine!

"My fuzzy Valentine, sweet comic Valentine, You make me smile with my heart...But don't change a hair for me, Not if you care for me, Stay little Valentine stay, Each day is Valentines Day."

Happy Valentines Day! Check out my post on The Marriage Files.

"No more pictures, please."

Recipe Reviews

Since starting on Weight Watchers, I've been trying my hand at several new recipes. Filling, yet healthy and low calorie recipes. Cooking Light has been a fantastic resource for me. I'd like to share with you some of my favorites from the past few weeks.

Spinach, Pasta, and Pea Soup
Only 7 WW points for 1 and 3/4 cups of soup! The chickpeas and spinach make this dish super filling, even though it's vegetarian. Delicious, warm soup for these cold winter days!

Chicken and Herb White Pizza
1/6 of this filling, delicious pizza is only 9 WW points. Plus you'll have lots of leftovers for future meals and, if you use a rotisserie chicken, you can use half of the meat for the pizza and use the rest for another meal.

Pork Chops with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa
This is one of my favorite recipes of the new ones I've tried. A whole 6-oz chop and 1/4 cup of salsa is only 5 WW points! Plus, it's super flavorful, delicious, and your kitchen will smell wonderful. Pair this with some fresh green beans or a spinach salad for a filling, low point/calorie meal.

Linguine with Easy Meat Sauce
If you're looking for a quick dinner or to use up that last little bit of ground beef you found in the back of your freezer, then look no further for a delicious, flavorful, and filling meal. At only 8 WW points a serving, this recipe literally took me 15 minutes to make. Heat up some frozen or canned veggies in the microwave and you have yourself a fast and easy meal. I didn't have linguine, so I used sea shell pasta instead, but any kind of pasta will work for this recipe.

Classic Meat Loaf
If you're looking for a lightened-up meatloaf recipe, this one does pretty well. At only 7 WW points for TWO slices of meatloaf, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Not the moistest meatloaf I've ever had, but this meatloaf was still able to pack a flavorful punch and, paired with some 0 point veggies, I was able to eat a lot for a little. I used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko.

Cheesy Potato Soup
Another delicious, warm soup for winter nights. 6 WW points for 1 cup. Easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Serve with homemade whole wheat bread for a satisfying supper.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken
This recipe is so delicious and easy to make ahead of time. 6 WW points for a 6-oz chicken breast. Really flavorful and easy to pair with some fresh or frozen veggies for a relatively quick and easy meal.

Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe is much more hands on, but the end result is incredibly worth it. These enchiladas were so flavorful from the poached chicken to the cream cheese to all the fresh veggies. 7 WW points for 2 enchiladas. If you're feeling up to a challenge, then make this recipe. Everyone will thank you for it!

*If you have leftover liquid after you've poached the chicken and made the sauce, hang onto it and try my Mexican Vegetable Tortilla Soup. This recipe was basically born from ingredients in my fridge I needed to use up!
Start with the reserved cooking liquid/remaining sauce or:
4 c water
2 c fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 c salsa verde
1 jalapeno pepper, halved
1/4 c regular whipping cream
Combine water, chicken broth, salsa verde, and jalapeno in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream. Remove jalapeno and discard.
Then add your veggies. You can follow what I did or create your own combination.
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 med onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 zucchini, chopped
2 each mini red, yellow, and orange sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T olive oil
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, saute till soft. Add broccoli, zucchini, and peppers; cook 5 min. Add tomatoes and broth.
Next, add in your spices. Play around with this to get the flavor/spicy level you like best.
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 t ground cumin, or to taste
1/8 t chili powder, or to taste
Add to veggies and broth; cover and simmer 10 min.
While the soup is heating thoroughly, make the topping.
8-12 corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked at 350 degrees for about 10 min
1/2 c lowfat Mexican blend shredded cheese
Divide soup evenly between 4 bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a fourth of the toasted tortilla strips and 2 T of cheese. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Serves: 4 (1 1/2 c and 1/4 topping)
WW points: 7

Bon appetit!