I just got on the scale just to see where I am at my mid-point check in this week (my Weight Watchers weigh in day is Wednesday) and I’m excited to say I’ve hit the 30 pound milestone. Crazy. Absolutely crazy. I started Weight Watchers the day after my Dad’s funeral in early February. I think I was desperate to gain back some control having lost so much control watching him die right before my eyes. I know that is dramatic and I don’t mean for it to be. It’s just the truth and it is exactly what forced me to look deeper once he passed. I needed to feel like I had control over something.  Evidently, I was ready for that change because fast forward 6 months and I’m down 30 pounds. Everyone has been so kind through the process — meaning they’ve either complimented my progress OR they’ve not thrown a punch at me when I mention the word, “points.” (I hope I didn’t just give anyone any ideas.)

On another note, I kind of took the month of August off. I stopped recording my points. I stopped using the WW app on my phone. I just kind of thought I was maintaining, but I quickly realized I was NOT maintaining when I gained a few of the pounds back. So, the last week or so I decided to start using the app again and saw results. I’m telling you, those WW people have it down to a science.

Speaking of science, I seriously don’t think I could have done any of this so fast had I not found Skinnytaste.com. For me, I need recipes that I can make from scratch kind of like I used to do with Barefoot Contessa but with just less butter. And cream. And…well, you get my point. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been keeping up with some of my favorite new finds to share with all of you! Here we go:

Everyone knows that I love Mexican food: Queso, Guacamole, Quesadillas, Fajitas, Queso, Queso, Queso…oh, sorry. I get carried away sometimes, which might explain why my kid calls any Mexican restaurant, “the cheese dip house.” Whoooopsie. So you can imagine my delight when I found a recipe for Skinny Taco Dip on Skinnytaste.com. You can also imagine how happy I was to find out after making it how incredibly good it was. DELICIOUS, I tell you and only 2 points per 1/24th of the dish, which is why I might have had 5/24th of the dish. (Just kidding.) (Sort of.)

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Next up: Let’s talk about the Baked Zucchini Sticks recipe I found on Skinnytaste. Now, I know what you are thinking and you are absolutely right. This recipe takes a little effort. Heck, anything that requires dipping in breadcrumbs is going to take some effort. That being said, if you go into it knowing there’s dipping involved and you just get zen with it from the beginning, I’m telling you it will be worth it. I doubled the recipe, which means it takes double the pans and double the process. Nonetheless, this was a big hit and I particularly liked it paired with my tomato sandwich. 1 zucchini cut into sticks = 3 Points. So with my low cal bread (2 total points), tomatoes (0), and a little mayo (1 pt), you are witnessing a 6 point dinner! Boom!

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Now let’s talk lasagna. I’m not a huge lasagna fan if truth be told. It’s just always so H-E-A-V-Y. I feel like it’s work just getting up from the table after I eat the stuff. Skinnytaste is to the rescue AGAIN. She figured out that one lasagna noodle rolled up with delicious stuff inside is doable– both from a points standpoint and a comfort standpoint. I tried her Spinach Lasagna Rolls and finally found something that works for me! It was light yet filling and only 6 points. SIX POINTS FOR SOME LASAGNA. I paired it with an iceberg salad full of tomatoes and topped with Skinnytaste’s Skinny Herb Buttermilk Ranch Dip. Oh, and I added like 5 croutons. Sue me.

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Okay last but not least, I’ll talk about something else I discovered this week that has absolutely NOTHING to do with Weight Watchers. It’s called the Buttermilk flavored popsicle from Steel City Pops. Or, you can just call it PARADISE because that is what it tastes like! I have no idea how many points this thing has in it. I don’t want to know how many points it has in it because I plan to enjoy this treat as often as I possibly can. Let’s just pretend they use fat free buttermilk. There’s no way, but let’s just pretend.  I cannot begin to tell you the deliciousness that I experienced while eating this popsicle. I think this could be the very thing that forces me to walk the Lakeshore Trail daily so that I can have one of these bad boys as often as I possibly can. RUN and get this flavor, but you better not get the last one before I am able to get there because that could get very ugly.

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So there you have it: A few recipes, a milestone reached, and a little bit of real-life no-counting-points kind of treat. Hope y’all find this helpful!