I caved...

I caved and signed up for Weight Watchers. After not having consistent weight loss with my own watch-what-I-eat-and-work-out-on-my-own plan, I figured why not just try something new. They were having a special this month anyways (who knows if it's actually a deal or not, but I bought into it) so I figured why not? Plus, I was also inspired by Angie's success with it and I've heard from other friends that it works really well.

WELL

it's awesome! In the past week or so that I have been using it, I've lost 3 pounds and 2 inches already! And I swear on my beloved calendars and fun pens (treasured items of mine, if you didn't know) that it's actually really easy to follow and use! :) I love that fruits and veggies (with the exception of a few) don't count as any points so I can have as many of those as I want in a day, which helps fill me up. I love eating fresh fruit all the time, it's like my dessert now and I actually crave it.

I even found some great recipes to try that I love!

I went to Docco's tonight and we made this one:

Chicken and Penne Casserole with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Weight Watchers Recipe

Course: main meal PointsPlus™ Value: 8 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 58 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

	8 oz uncooked pasta, penne variety
	2 tsp olive oil
	3 cup(s) cremini mushrooms, sliced
	1 medium onion(s), chopped
	2 medium tomato(es), chopped
	1 cup(s) Chicken breast without skin, roasted, cubed (chopped)
	1 cup(s) canned black beans, rinsed and drained
	1/2 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
	1/4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
	2 oz hard-type goat cheese, low-fat, crumbled
	2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
	1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
	1 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  
  
• Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Transfer to a large bowl.
  
  
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the pasta in the bowl. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, beans, egg substitute, and broth. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish. Top with the goat cheese.
  
  
• Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until the topping is browned and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Yields 1 cup per serving.

It was yummy! :)

Anyways, losing a couple pounds and enjoying this new program gives me even more motivation to stick with it and lose some more!