Super Bowl Party Starters

So, my husband and I are having a few people over on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl. This is a very special occasion...his favorite team, The Giants, are playing. (Re-match from 2007). I want to make sure that we have lots of great snacks to keep the party going. However, I don't want to go overboard, like we know is so easy to do during these types of events. My inner Skinny Chick says: Take your favorite recipes and lighten them up. This way you don't have to worry about going overboard on the things you love. 

So here are some great Super Bowl party starters that are sure to be the talk of the party; aside from the Giants winning the game, of course. Enjoy!

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=50409

CRISPY CHIPOTLE POTATO SKINS

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=100501

LAYERED MEXICAN BEAN DIP

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=105431

JALAPENO POPPERS

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=90601

CLASSIC GUACAMOLE

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=99671

BUFFALO WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE DIP

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=84571

BEEF, BLUE CHEESE AND SPINACH QUESADILLAS

 http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=89571

We Love Losing in Atlanta!

SKINNY CHICK NECOL 

LOST 45 POUNDS

AFTER LOSING 45 POUNDS

(She did it all with Weight Watchers) 

Another After Photo

Necol lives in the Atlanta area and was also featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution for her weight-loss success. I actually read her article back in November 2011 and that inspired me to submit mine to the newspaper. She is now a "Notes from a Skinny Chick" follower. Necol, you are such an inspiration! Let's keep LOSING, ATLANTA!

Skinny Chick Recipe Pick

SPICY BEEF TACOS

Only 7 PointsPlus per serving for Weight Watchers. Click here for full recipe http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=185901&sc=11

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

-Maria Robinson

A Day in the Life of a Skinny Chick

I feel like it has been forever since I have been able to actually write in my "Skinny Chick" diary. I have really missed it. I have been extremely busy lately. I have to admit that, while I do not like neglecting my blog and missing out on the therapy it provides me, I am really excited about how my life is changing from day to day.

As some of you may know, my day is mostly comprised of leading Weight Watchers meetings. I now have 4 of my own meetings that I lead. Two of them are At Work meetings (where I bring Weight Watchers to businesses and facilitate meetings over lunch) and two of them are traditional meetings in a Weight Watchers center. I also am a receptionist for two meetings. That is six meetings a week. I also sub for other leaders at least once a week, sometimes more.

I am loving how busy I am and I am so PROUD of all of my members. One of the meetings I lead is at an elementary school and there are 20 people who attend this meeting. This week, they are going into their 3rd week on the plan. After 2 weeks they have lost a total of over 100 POUNDS!! I am SO PROUD of them!

The meetings that I lead at the Weight Watchers centers have been successful as well. I have been able to grow those meetings from under 20 attendees to over 40 attendees per week and still GROWING! There are LOTS of "BELIEVERS" in metro Atlanta! Atlanta, let's show the rest of the country how to get HEALTHY!

Here are some pics of me in action at a Weight Watchers center:

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA WW CENTER

I have also been blessed to work with my church, Gwinnett Church, assisting in our UpStreet environment (elementary school ministry). This has been an AWESOME experience. Gwinnett Church is a new campus of North Point Ministries that just launched this past October. It is amazing to do God's work and be there to help from the ground up. Here is a picture of my husband and I at Gwinnett Church's first ever GroupLink event.

WE ARE GROUP LEADERS

My husband and I are leading a married couples small group. Our first meeting is this coming Tuesday! We are so excited! 

So, as you can see, 2012 is getting off to a great start! I LOVE serving others and giving back what the Lord has blessed me with. I feel that it is my responsibility to pour the knowledge that I have been given into others so that they may "pay it forward" in the same manner. 

Make 2012 count! Be an inspiration and ask yourself, "When was the last time I made a difference in someone's life?"

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing."

-Harriet Braiker

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"A setback is only a set up for a comeback."

-Anonymous

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva."

-Josh Groban

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

-Frederick Keonig

New Year, New Me!

As I was posting before and after pictures that were submitted to me from "Notes from a Skinny Chick" followers, it dawned on me to go back through some photos of mine. My Inner Skinny Chick says: During your weight-loss journey, you should keep old pictures of yourself at your starting weight and current pictures of yourself around. Look at the old pictures whenever you feel discouraged and compare them to your current pictures. This will help you see "the big picture" and keep your weight-loss in perspective.

Here are some New Year's Eve pictures of me:

New Year's Eve 2009

I am in the front, on the far right.

New Year's Eve 2011 (A couple weeks ago)

Looking at these pictures definitely helps me keep my weight-loss in perspective. I love the new me! I love the way I look, but most importantly, I love the way feel! I am HEALTHY!!!

Inspiration Defined

Meet SKINNY CHICK Krystle

Krystle lost 94 pounds using Weight Watchers!

Krystle had the opportunity to meet one person who continues to inspire and motivate her during her weight-loss journey...Jennifer Hudson!

Now Krystle is an inspiration to so many others. Get inspiration from Krystle daily by following her blog: Skinny Jeans Dreams http://www.myskinnyjeansdreams.com/

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Let reason, not impulse, be your guide."

-Kahlil Gibran
artist, poet, writer

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

-Maya Angelou

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"It is higher and nobler to be kind."

-Mark Twain

Who's Your Motivation?

Confession: Statement: "I am the ultimate Beyonce fan!" It's true. I really LOVE Beyonce. In light of everything that's going on in the media right now with her, I felt it necessary to give her the credit that no one seems to be giving her right now. I love Beyonce for lots of reasons, but my number one reason is that she was my motivation during my weight-loss journey. I have every one of Beyonce's live concerts on DVD. I would watch those religiously (and still do) when I was losing weight. I was in awe of how fit she was. Just watching her dance and sing, full-out, and the performance she puts on is just AMAZING. It is almost a sin (and I am embarrassed to say) that I have never seen her live in concert. Hopefully, when she gets a break from her new baby, Blue Ivy, she will tour again. *SIGH*

Back to reality, okay, motivation. Like I said watching Beyonce motivated me to be more active and get fit. She is in incredible shape and that's what I wanted for myself. As the quote says that I posted earlier by Zig Ziglar, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing; that's why we recommend it daily." It's true, we all lose our motivation at times. My Inner Skinny Chick says: That is why it is so important for you to find that "thing" or "person" that will keep you going when the road gets rough. 

In a Weight Watchers meeting that I led this week, I handed out straws to all of my members. I asked them to tell me what they thought the straw symbolized. They all came up with some very creative answers. I told them that I gave them the straws to symbolize their "last straw." Meaning, what was the last straw that made you decide you needed to do something about your health, lose weight, become more fit. You fill in the blank. They all began to tell me what the "last straw" was for them. Skinny Chick Challenge: Think about what "the last straw" was for you. Or have you reached it? Get a straw and keep it in a place where you will see it often. Every time you think that you want to give up or you feel as though your road is rough, look at that straw and remember where you were when you made the decision to change. This will motivate you to keep going so that you don't go back to that place.

There are many people in our lives that can motivate us as well. Here are three "Notes from a Skinny Chick" followers that can motivate us all! They have achieved significant weight-loss and are living a healthy lifestyle. Congratulations ladies! You are an inspiration to us all!

SKINNY CHICK Whitney 

47 Pounds Lost

SKINNY CHICK Dani

63.6 Pounds Lost

SKINNY CHICK Dacia

99.4 Pounds Lost

BEFORE

AFTER

I would love to showcase you as well. Email your before/after pictures to skinnychicknotes@gmail.com 

You just may be someone's motivation!

Skinny Chick Recipe Pick

 Chicken and Orange Salad

7 PointsPlus per serving for Weight Watchers 

Click the link for the full recipe http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=185891&sc=11

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"If you only do what you know you can do; you never do very much."

-Tom Krause

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing; that's why we recommend it daily."

-Zig Ziglar

A Little of This and a Little of That

As I was reading my current issue of Weight Watchers magazine this morning, there we so many interesting facts that I found really fascinating and helpful. I thought to myself, "Why not share these things?" So here they are:

Weighing Out Your Food Options
Here are some of our favorite foods and how much they weigh in relation to their PointsPlus values for Weight Watchers:

1 Medium Chocolate Chip Cookie- 10g-  1 PointsPlus
3 Cups Popcorn (Air-Popped)- 24g- 2 PointsPlus 
2oz Roast Beef- 56g- 2 PointsPlus
1/2 Cup Ice Cream- 68g- 4 PointsPlus
1 Cup Cooked Pasta- 140g- 5 PointsPlus
1 Thin-Crust Pizza Slice (1 Topping)- 78g- 5 PointsPlus
1 Small Bagel- 65g- 6 PointsPlus 


The Skinny on Omega-3 Fatty Acids 
-Great for your heart
-Helps with depression
-Helps with inflammation of joints

You should eat at least 2g of Omega-3s a day. Here are some great sources:

Flax seeds- 3/4 cup- 7g of Omega-3's
Atlantic mackerel- 4oz- 3g of Omega-3's
Walnuts- 1/4 cup- 2g of Omega-3's
Salmon- 4oz- 2g of Omega-3's
Soybeans, cooked- 1 cup- 1g of Omega-3's 

Skinny Chick Note: If you are going to eat fish to fulfill your serving of Omega-3's, remember don't fry it. Frying eliminates all the health benefits that fish offers.

Ponder This:
3 in 10 people who'd been told by doctors that they were overweight or obese still DIDN'T see their weight as a health issue. (Source: University of Florida, Gainesville) We need to do better and make our HEALTH our first priority!

Can You Sum Up Your Weight-Loss Journey in Six Words?

Weight Watchers magazine has examples of six words that can describe your weight-loss journey. Here are 3 of the the phrases they had:

-Ate too much. Changed my ways. 
-Love food. Love life much more.
-Been every size. Insides never change. 

Here's mine:
Inner Skinny finally meets Outer Skinny. 

What are the six words that describe your weight-loss journey?? Post them in comments and share with the world! 

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"Paths clear for those who know where they're going and are determined to get there."

-Anonymous 

Bethany Sweats Like a Skinny Chick!

"Notes from a Skinny Chick" follower Bethany sweats like a Skinny Chick!

Show that you're not afraid to SWEAT like  a Skinny Chick and email your sweaty pics to skinnychicknotes@gmail.com

Be sure to read my post "The Next Treadmill Over" to get inspiration on how to get sweaty!

Skinny Chick Quote of the Day

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

-Morrie Schwartz