Happy Halloween!!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Chocolate GlazeServings: 32 • Size: 1 cookie • Calories: 82.0 • Fat: 2.0 g • Protein: 1.5 g • Carb: 16.4 g • Fiber: 0.2 g • Sugar: 9.8 • Sodium: 57.1

Ingredients:
4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
1/4 cup 1% buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

For the chocolate glaze:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp 1% milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheet with silicone mat.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Mix in pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.

In another bowl combine flour, spice, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to pumpkin mixture; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto silicone lined baking sheets.

Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire rack to cool.

For the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Place in a piping bag or a zip lock bag with the point cut off and drizzle onto the cookies

Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

...About Small Eating Changes
1. Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)

2. Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with somebody. Or ask for a "to-go" container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.

3. Cut back on butter and mayo.

4. Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.

5. Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.

6. Replace ground beef with meatless products or ground turkey.

7. Try at least one new food every week. If you're bored with what you're eating, you're more likely to give up.

8. Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.

9. Measure your portions until you're sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control, an essential key to weight-loss success.

10. Try not to drink high-calorie beverages.

11. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You'll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.

12. Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods.

13. If you don't really love it, don't eat it.

14. Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you're having.

15. Always eat something for breakfast.

16. Read food labels. Check serving sizes.

17. Add vegetables to everything.

18. Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.

19. Give food to guests to take home.

20. Write down everything you eat and drink, without fail.

21. Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.



...About Small Exercise Changes

1. Take the stairs every single time they're an option. No more elevators or escalators.

2. Make exercise a priority, not an inconvenience.

3. Park far from your destination so you're forced to walk. This works at the supermarket, the mall, wherever. (This also helps you waste less time looking for a parking space!)

4. View tiring chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity.

5. Take the grocery cart back to the store when you're done loading your bags into your car.

6. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early.

7. Work out with a buddy.

TGIF

Wide Row Exercise

Wide Row
Targets: Back and shoulders

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie facedown on a stability ball with legs straight behind you, toes on floor, and arms extended toward floor, palms facing toward feet.

Drive elbows up and out to the sides to bring weights near armpits.

Pause for 1 count, then lower to start.

Do 15 reps.

Target tip: The closer together your feet are, the more of your core you'll use to balance on the ball.

Week 8 Results

14.1 is the total amount of pounds we lost this week as a group. CONGRATULATIONS to all of you that were able to lose weight this week!

The top three contestants for week #8 are as follows:
First place this week is a tie between Ryan and Jennifer VanderLaan with a total weight loss of 1.64%!!!

Second place goes to Julie Kellar with a week loss of 1.24%!!

Third place goes to Cadence Seeley with a week loss of 1.03%!


Do you think it is possible for our entire group to lose a total of 25 pounds in one week????

Here is my challenge for week #9: As an entire group we lose a total of 25 pounds. This comes out to 1.25 pounds per contestant.

Reward: If we achieve this challenge we all gain an extra piggy pass. Who could not use a free piggy pass with Halloween being this weekend????

Rememer there are only 4 more weeks till the end of this competition! Give it your all the next four weeks. With hard work and a lot of determination you can meet your goal!!

Low Fat Chocolate Mummy Cupcakes

Low Fat Chocolate Mummy Cupcakes

Servings: 18 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 164.7 • Fat: 3.7 g • Protein: 1.2 g • Carb: 31.7 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar: 23.6

Sodium: 300.7

You will need:

18 Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes - see recipe from October, 22.

For the Vanilla Frosting:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup light butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 - 3 tbsp boiling water

For the eyes:
36 m&m's

Directions: Start with the basic Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes recipe, without the chocolate frosting. When cooked and cooled you can decorate with the frosting.

For the frosting: combine confectioners' sugar, melted light butter, vanilla and enough water to achieve frosting consistency, starting with 2 tbsp and adding more if needed.

Place frosting into a piping bag, cut the tip off and pipe onto cupcakes. (no need for a fancy tip unless of course you want to use one!)

While frosting is still wet, press 2 m&m's (letter side down) of the same color on each cupcake to create the eyes.

Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes

Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes (without Chocolate Glaze)

Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 93.8 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: 1.1 g • Carb: 17.5 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar: 9.9
Sodium: 281.8

Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes (with Chocolate Glaze)Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 104.6 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: 1.2 g • Carb: 20.2 g • Fiber: 1.4 g • Sugar: 12.3

Sodium: 288.5

Ingredients:
18.25 oz Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1.4 oz sugar free, fat free, instant chocolate pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/3 cups water

For the chocolate glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2-1 tbsp 1% milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.Combine pumpkin puree and water in a large bowl; mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix and mix well

Add chocolate cake mix and beat 2 minutes.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 25 - 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.

For the glaze: combine all dry ingredients, add vanilla and 1/2 tbsp milk, adding more 1/4 tsp at a time if needed until smooth.

Add to a piping bag or use a zip lock bag and cut the corner off, drizzle onto cooled cupcakes.

TGIF

Week 7 Results

How many of you were so nervous getting on the scale this morning?

I am sure many of you are wondering, did we get another piggy pass????

Well our total weight loss as a group for Week #7 is 18.7 pounds. MUCH BETTER than last week!

Unfortunetly, not everyone lost weight this week. Therefore, I am sad to report, no extra piggy pass! BUMMER!!!

The top three contestants for week #7 are as follows:
1. Melissa Otten with a weight loss of 1.61%.
2. Katy Kraker with a weight loss of 1.26%.
3. Melissa Van Dam with a weight loss of 1.25%.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who were successful at losing weight this week.

I am curious to hear from you guys on what you thought of the challenge during week 7. Did it help you watch what you ate and exercise more? Do you think more weekly challenges would help you stay on track? I would love to hear some feed back.

GOOD LUCK to you all during week #8.

Week 6 Results

SORRY....I am having a hard time updating the spreadsheet. I keep getting error messages. I will try again tomorrow to update it!

Anyways...the top three contestants for Week #6 are as follows:
1. Rebecca Post with a weekly weight loss of 1.16.
2. Cadence Seeley with a weekly weight loss of 1.09%
3. Katy Koeman with a weekly weight loss of 0.87%

I am still waiting to hear from two contestants on their results. From the results I have we lost as a group a total of 2.2 pounds. NOT GOOD!!!

How many of you watch the Biggest Loser? LOVE that show! I love walking on the treadmill and watching it because I feel guilty sitting on the couch watching it. Do you feel the same way?? If you are familar with the show you know they have challenges for each team to compete in to earn a bonus. The bonus may be an extra 2 pound advantage at the weigh in or a phone call from home.

Just like the Biggest Loser, Win at Losing has a challenge as well. Our team consists of all 20 contestants and here is our Biggest Loser challenge for Week #7:

NO ONE GAINS A POUND!!!

That's right NO ONE!!! We ALL need to lose something next week! Even if it is only 0.2 pounds.

If we meet this challenge we ALL gain another piggy pass!!!!!!!! Who could not use another piggy pass??? Especially with the Halloween weekend coming up! I don't know about you, but I LOVE candy!!!

Are you up for the challenge? Don't let your team down!

I hope this puts a little pressure on all of us to think twice before we order that dessert or don't want to go for that 30 minute walk.

We CAN do this!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!! Let's earn that extra piggy pass!

If you have any questions please let me know.

Build the Perfect Workout Playlist

Build the Perfect Workout Playlist

Skip the musical roulette.

Instead of setting your MP3 player on shuffle, proactively build playlists that provide the right energy all the way through your workout.

Keep it fresh.

Pick one weekend a month to see what's new on the iTunes charts by your favorite artists and in your favorite genres so your playlist never goes stale.

Get in rhythm.

Studies have shown that listening to music that syncs with your movements provides a better workout than exercising without tunes. See how to match your grooves to your moves below.

Beats per minute Perfect for
160 and up Running, jumping rope
140 to 160 Jogging, Spinning
125 to 140 Power walking, stair-climbing, elliptical
105 to 125 Walking, toning
60 to 115 Stretching, yoga, warming up

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and CheeseServings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup •

Points+: 8 ptsCalories: 314.9 • Fat: 9.8 g • Protein: 17.7 g • Carb: 44.3 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 4 gSodium: 215.7 (without salt)

Ingredients:
12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp light butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
8 oz (2 cups) Sargento shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
salt and fresh pepper to taste
12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I used pre-cut bag)
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Directions: Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butters. Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top.Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Top 25 Fitness Motivational Quotes

1. Strive for progress, not perfection. -Unknown

2. You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it. -Maya Angelou

3. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. -Wayne Gretzky

4. If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying. -Unknown

5. You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted. -Ruth E. Renkl

6. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mahatma Gandhi

7. Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. -Norman R. Augustine

8. I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate. -George Burns

9. Energy and persistence conquer all things. -Benjamin Franklin

10. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

11. No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. -Aesop

12. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

13. Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. -Lou Holtz

14. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryan

15. I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. -Michael Jordan

16. Fear is what stops you... courages is what keeps you going. -Unknown

17. The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race. -Unknown

18. The difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline. -Steve Smith

19. Just do it.™ -Nike

20. In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself. -Anonymous

21. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. -Mark Twain

22. It's not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. -Anonymous

23. Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. -Oprah Winfrey

24. It's never too late to become what you might have been. -George Elliot

25. Clear your mind of can’t. -Samuel Johnson

Week #5 Results

CONGRATULATIONS to all the contestants that were able to lose weight this week! The top three contestants are as follows:

1. Cadence Seeley with a weight loss of 2.2%
2. Nicole Morrison with a weight loss of 1.45%
3. Ryan VanderLaan with a weight loss of 1.39%

Keep up the good work! Good Luck to everyone during week #6. We are almost half way there. There is still plenty of time to meet your goal.

Easy Way to Cut Calories

Losing weight is all about consuming less calories and burning more calories. Luckily, there are easy ways to cut calories. 1. Order ham on your pizza instead of pepperoni to cut 50 calories per slice.
2. Drink a glass of water with lemon instead of soda.
3. Eat Kale Chips or Baked chips instead of regular chips.
4. Eat at the table with no distractions so you will eat less.
5. Drink water before every meal to fill up faster.
6. Switch from whole milk to skim or 1% milk.
7. Eat a sandwich on whole grain with low-fat cheese or no cheese at all.
8. Eat a piece of fruit instead of drinking fruit juice.
9. Switch to a light mayonnaise and reduce 50 calories.
10. Switch from beer to wine and drink your wine in a champagne flute to consume less.
11. Use a stevia extract to substitute sugar. Stevia has zero calories and tastes great in coffee and tea.
12. Don’t eat the skin on your meat. Most of the fat is in and around the skin.
13. Always eat lean cuts of meat compared to the fatty cuts. Switch a chicken leg for a chicken breast.
14. Eat grilled or baked meats and veggies instead of fried.
15. Season your food with herbs instead of butter or oil.
16. Eat your salad with light or no dressing.
17. Switch to a high fiber, low sugar cereal and sweeten it with Stevia extract.
18. Stop going to buffets. ’nuff said.
19. Drink green tea instead of regular. Green tea helps boost your metabolism.
20. Use a smaller plate. Less room equals less calories.
21. Eat whole grain pasta with lots of veggies instead of white pasta with meat.
22. Read the food labels and stay aware of how many calories are in your food.
23. Eat slow. Your body will start to fill full sooner.
24. Use mustard instead of ketchup. Mustard has almost no calories whereas ketchup has many.
25. Order a kid’s meal if you must eat out.
26. Order flatbread pizza or sandwich instead of original or white.

Are you addicted to Pop?

We all know that soda or soft drinks are bad for you. Tons of empty calories (no nutritional value), gobs of sugar, high caffeine and dehydration effects are just a few or the reasons why soda is no good, especially for those trying to lose weight. But it tastes so darn delicious, right?! Welcome to the weight loss world. If it tastes really good, it’s probably bad for you and in the case of soda, it’s super bad for you.

But how does one quit drinking soda and lose weight? To be honest, it’s not super easy. Especially if you’ve been drinking soft drinks for a long time.

First, stop buying soda. When you have a 2 liter sitting on your counter, you are more likely to go for it than a glass of water. Get rid of the temptation. Do not throw out all the soda you currently have, just stop buying it from now on.

Second, slowly stop drinking soft drinks. Don’t just stop all at once. You’ll go through all the soda withdrawal symptoms like headaches, grumpiness, and tiredness. If you usually drink 4 cans of soda a day, drop it down to 3 cans for the first week, 2 cans the second week and then 1 can the third. After the third week, only drink 1 can of soda every three days. Get yourself a calendar and keep track.

Third, avoid diet soda. Many people think they can lose weight by quitting soda and switching to diet soda. It may happen at first but slowly, you will regain that weight. Aspartame (sweetener in diet soda) causes you to crave sweets so you may not be drinking sugar but you will be eating it someway or another. And aspartame is junk.

Fourth, drink flavored water. Going from thick, syrupy, sugary soda straight to plain water will piss off your taste buds and cause you to crave soda even more. Low to no calorie flavored water is best and you may even find you like it more.