Photographs- a lesson from WW

Working my way to becoming a leader at Weight Watchers has been so fun and exciting!  One thing they ask you to think about is your story and why you joined WW, what motivated you to finally be successful.  It took me a while to figure out what it was that really got me started at WW besides wanting to lose weight.  So many have a bad visit to the doctor, or a pant size they don't want to fit into (or can't fit into anymore)-something dramatic like that...I just couldn't think of any.  I mean I remember when I signed up very clearly, it was March of 2010.  Brian was still laid up with his broken leg...I think that may have been some of the motivation, just needing to get out of the house for a little bit of me time.  (No worries, Brian, you couldn't help it!)
But when I was looking for my before picture I was reminded very quickly why I joined WW.  I remember before I joined how I would hate getting pictures taken and ask Brian or whoever was taking the pictures to take another...and another...and another.  But alas, no matter how I turned or smiled or tried to get my "good side" I hated every picture.  And this bothered me so much because I wanted my pictures taken with my new baby (Aaron was only 4 months old), and my adorable family.  Seeing those pictures and cringing every time I posted one was what truly motivated me to lose weight.

I still remember some pictures that we took a few months after I joined WW and thinking, wow, I look a lot better than I used to in pictures.  I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be but I was starting to enjoy seeing myself in a few pictures.

(15 lbs lost)

And I very vividly remember last November at Brian's aunt's wedding, going into the photo booth and having a riot with the camera.  When we got home that night...or maybe the next morning...I remember looking at that print out and not thinking one negative thing about myself.   Now, typing this I realize this all sounds very shallow but it is what motivated me strongly on top of getting healthier and having a longer life expectancy. I wish I had a digital copy of the photos from that wedding but I still have those pictures hanging in my bathroom where I see them every morning.  And when I see them, I am reminded that it's okay to feel good about yourself and the way you look.  That is a new thing for me.  I was very ashamed of how I looked and was not able to let my personality come out.  Now I feel free to be me (thinking of a song...) and am so happy this way.  

Here are a few other pictures along the way of my weight loss journey...

This last one was just taken recently by my oldest and I love it!  What a feeling to be able to finally show my personality in my photos.  I am so grateful to WW for helping me find Tiffany back.  

If you are reading this and can relate...please do not be afraid to talk to me!  I love what I do especially when I get to see others be successful and become the amazing people God intended them to be without being weighted down with all the extra "weight!"  

Body Image Recheck

Two weeks ago I hit my WW goal.  It is a fantastic feeling.  I have worked very hard to get to this point and am very proud of myself for sticking to it for two years and learning how to eat all over again.
Things have been going well with maintenance.  It's taking some getting used to not to have the mindset that I need to be losing weight, but also realizing that I cannot eat the way I did prior to WW.  Duh, right?  But it is something so new for me that it is taking some getting used to.

Anyway, about the title of this post...
Friday my girlfriend Whitney and I went on a well deserved shopping spree to the Tanger Outlets in Howell.   It was so fun to have a day where we could just shop, try on as many things as we wanted to, and just be ourselves.  Not that we aren't ourselves everyday but when we have our kids (whom we wouldn't trade for anything) with us, we don't get to talk uninterrupted or just try on something because we want to see what it looks like on.  Needless to say, it was fantastic!  One store, we made such a mess out of the changing area, I was embarrassed to give the lady our pile of unwanteds!  But we got some great deals, so fun workout clothes to teach Zumba in, and some awesome clothes.
The best part of the day for me though was actually seeing myself in a full length mirror, in clothes that fit my body.  I realized a few things about myself.  In one of the first stores we were in, I said to Whitney, "Wow, I have a really athletic body."  Her answer was, "Yeah, duh. You work out everyday, what do you expect."  What did I expect?  I still see myself 60lbs heavier.  When I get dressed in the morning, I only see the parts of my body that I still don't like.  I don't ever look at my arms, except when they are too big for a shirt.  And I haven't really seen my legs in a while since we don't have a full length mirror.  So to see myself in shorts, or tank tops was a shock to me.  Now I'm not trying to say that I have a fantastic body, but I am okay with my body now.  For me, I have a fantastic body, one that I am not used to seeing but have worked super hard to get.  It was also motivating to me to keep up the workouts that I have been doing.

Here is a pic of me in my new dress from Friday, feeling strong and successful!

My next path seems to be leading me to being a WW leader and a workout instructor.  Friday allowed me to see that I have the body to match that career.  It was reassuring to me.  I hope this post doesn't sound too narcissistic.  I'm not trying to brag at all.  It makes me wonder how many of us, especially women, are plagued by a faulty body image.
Remember, your body is a temple of God, he created you to be beautiful and loves everything about you!

The two year journey-lessons from Habakkuk

First I apologize for this post being a few days late.  It actually worked out perfect though because today is my two year anniversary of starting Weight Watchers.  Two years ago, I had had enough of feeling rotten.  I was not happy with the way I looked and assumed that going to WW would help improve my self confidence and make me look hot. Little did I know that the next two years would be about so much more than my appearance.  

 

It seems so foolish to me that the reason I started WW was to "look better."  I have learned so much more in these two years that "looking good" is near the end of my list of reasons why I'm still a member of WW.  Weight watchers has taught me a lot about eating healthy and exercising, but I really needed to look inside myself and look to God for the real answers as to why I was overweight.  Like I said in the previous post, I am addicted to food, or addicted to eating.  Food is not the enemy, my enemy-the devil- just knows that food is an easy temptation for me.  But over the past two years with lots of prayers, Bible studies, friends, triumphs and bumps, I am right on the edge of overcoming.  I am a few pounds from my goal, which is fantastic, but is not my final goal.  My non-scale goal is to be able to use food for what God made it for, not when I'm needing something other than nourishment.

I talked before that I was getting depressed that this journey has taken so long.  I even calculated how much money we have spent on WW from my monthly dues.  Let me tell you, it was enough to make me mad.  A beautiful fellow WW has lost 80lbs in one year and was talking about how she was mad that it had taken so long.  I held my tongue but inside I was raging.  I was mad at God for letting it take so long.  Two years was enough!  If anything I just want to be able to have my $40 a month going toward something else...

Then while doing my devotions one morning I came across this passage from Habakkuk.  Yes Habakkuk!  I've been reading The Purpose Driven Life and the title for that day was, "There are no shortcuts to maturity." Thanks God, just what I wanted to read.  But I kept reading and here is what I read from the tiny book of Habakkuk.  "These things I plan won't happen right away.  Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient.  They will not be overdue a single day!" Habakkuk 2:3

Don't you love it when God throws a verse like that at you.  Right when I was mad at God, he gave me this beautiful verse.  It made me cry, and still gets to me how he timed that.  My Father put me in his lap and reassured me that my success would not be overdue.  I will be successful, and I can't do it without God.

So, here I sit, my goal in clear view, waiting patiently for God to get me there.  Waiting...not just sitting around, as we are reminded many times in Scripture, but I have hope and can't wait to see how God will use this two year journey to impact others.  Thanks for all who have encouraged me so far!  I truly cherish every thought!

A new identity: Hello, my name is Tiffany and I'm addicted to food

Putting all jokes aside, this really has become my new identity.  Many many factors have led me to see that I have an addiction as serious as alcoholism or gambling.  The "problem" was that my addiction is one that is socially acceptable, totally misunderstood, and hard to diagnose.  Who knew that 5 years ago when we joined Evergreen Ministries, that I would gain as much from the recovery aspect as I have and am still gaining?  I am an addict, and I can now freely admit it.  Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right?  Granted I am not going through the 12 steps yet, but that may be something that I do in the future to help me understand more of how to give God control.  Right now, I am feeling confident that I have a handle on my addiction.


How do I know I am addicted? Here is the definition from merriam-webster.com of addiction-
 compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal;broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.


Having a food addiction is tricky because I am addicted to something I need to have to survive.  Granted, the foods that I have problems with are things that were making me sick, not nourishing me.  Things like candy bars (I would buy one every time I checked out at the store), fast food (any time I had extra cash in my purse I ran through the drive thru), and packaged snacks (many times I have eaten a whole package of cookies).  I had to learn that food is for nourishment.  Let me say that again.  I HAD TO LEARN THAT FOOD IS FOR NOURISHMENT.  Food is not for a stress reliever. Food is not for celebrating.  Food is not for comfort.  Food is not an entertainer when I am bored.  I was compulsive with my eating and out of control.  


The end of the definition gets to me..."of a substance known by the user to be harmful."  The problem for me and for many others struggling with weight is we don't get it!  We don't get how harmful food can be.  It's food, for crying out loud!  But by taking these things out of my life, I realize now how much better I feel, and more importantly, how horrible I feel when I do eat those things that are not beneficial to me.  Not just physically ill, but also mentally and spiritually.  The physical part has only recently started affecting me, since I have only recently become aware that I can't even have certain foods occasionally.  I get physically ill and lethargic when I eat too much "junk". That tells me that I have only just begun conquering this addiction.  


This all leads to my next post, which I will save for tomorrow because it's a long one.  But I'll give you a snippet of it.  This weekend marks my 2 year "anniversary" of starting Weight Watchers.  A couple of weeks ago I was very depressed that it has taken me this long to get to where I want to be physically.  But I have had some revelations in the past few weeks that have shown me why it has taken me so long.  Stay tuned for tomorrow!

new specs!

I just got my new glasses in the mail!  I love them, all three pairs! And the best part is that I paid only $32.80 for all three pairs.  What?  Yes it's true, check out www.zennioptical.com.  I owe thanks to Lori Schrader for letting me in on this great website!  Brian has had two pairs from them and loves them.  All you need is your prescription from your doctor and the fun begins.  I uploaded a picture of myself to "try on" the glasses before I bought them and I think I did great.  Here's what they look like!

An ode to Sally Jesse...a little more modern though!

This is my favorite pair!

Oh yeah, I got sunglasses too!  With cute little bows!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I've seen other friends do a post like this and thought it would be fun.  Here are a few things I'm loving today!

 #1 Wearing pants in a smaller size than what I wore in high school

 #2 Snuggling with my adorable nephew (don't you love his hair!)

#3 Being on day 66 of my 90 day workout plan.  I have NEVER stuck to something like this for this long!  And the best part is that in 66 days I have lost 11 inches!

What are you loving today?

You are Not an Accident

For the season of Lent, I am reading through The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  I have had this book for many years and have yet to successfully read through the whole thing in 40 days.  Yesterdays reading really struck a nerve with me.  I distinctly remember reading this day previously and wanted to share with you one of Pastor Warren's most meaningful thoughts to me, on living life with a purpose.  Day Two is titled "You Are Not an Accident."  Now for me this has a little humor to it because I kind of was an accident, or as my parents say, an unexpected surprise.  But I know that God had and has big plans for me so it wasn't an accident.  But here is what Pastor Warren has to say about our origin.
"God had a plan creating you.  God know that those two individuals (your parents) possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom "you" he had in mind.  They had the DNA God wanted to make you."
That is so cool to think about our lives and our origin that way.  I am thankful for my parents, but regardless of who they are and how they raised me, God hand picked them out for me before he created the world.  And he hand-picked out yours too!  I know many people who don't know their parents, or have strained or no relationship with their parents, but in the midst of all of this; it's refreshing to know that no matter your relationship, God picked those two people to make you!  And I am so thankful he did!
"I am your creator.  You were in my care even before you were born." Isaiah 44:2.

On a different note, I'm really really close to my goal...keep watching to see my progress!  My goal is not only a number on the scale, but also being in control with food and using it for nourishment instead of all the other crazy things I use it for (stress, success, boredom, etc.)

Cleaner Eating, part 2

So I just have to rant.  I have been trying really hard to eliminate the chemicals that we eat and I must say, it's really hard!  And here is the part that is the craziest to me.  Almost everything that is "reduced fat" "fat-free" or other various diet type foods are full of chemicals.  It makes sense because if they have to take the fat out they have to replace it with something to make it taste the same.  Makes you think that we may be making ourselves sicker by eating these diet foods.  Even today when I was looking at butter, it was shocking.  I have switched to real butter and use it only when necessary.  But I had some time today at the store and took a sec to look at the ingredients.  On the butter container, it said sweet cream, olive oil and salt.  Sweet, that's easy to read and understand.  Then I saw light butter and thought well that should be better, I'll check it out.  The ingredients on that were 4 lines long with plenty that I could not even pronounce.  Scary!
So my thoughts on this are, do we really know what we are putting into our bodies?  Many of these chemicals are newer to the market, so we don't really have clear research on how it affects the body.  One thought that keeps me focuses on making these better but sometimes more difficult and costly food choices is one that I heard last summer during the packing event for Feed My Starving Children.  The presenter talked about how the founder of the ministry started out by collecting food from the US and bringing it to the starving children in other countries.  Things like cereal bars, snack bars, and other packaged food.  Do you know what happened to the kids?  They got sicker than they were before.  Their starving bodies could not process the food!  If that doesn't say something about the crap we eat then I don't know what will.

So my conclusion to all of this...sometimes you have to make choices to eat things that might seem "unhealthier" as far as fat content or calories, but in the long run who is really benefiting?  Are we poisoning ourselves just to lose weight?  What if we just ate things in moderation and focused on the healthy foods such as fruits, veggies, lean protein and dairy, and whole grains?  That's one of the reasons why I love WW.

Cleaner Eating

Lately I have been trying to eat "cleaner."  I was invited to a Wild Tree party where the sales lady talked about all of the junk in our food.  I have been hearing more and more about it and it is really getting my attention now.  I mean we all know that we don't eat the best food, but the problem is that we don't even know what we are putting into our bodies some of the time.  The list of ingredients is scary!  One thing the lady said that really stuck with me is the "anti-caking" agent that is put into a lot of powders and baking mixes.  It's the same chemical that is in the silica packets in new shoes that say toxic, do not ingest.   Now, I know it has to be a safe level according to the fda, but how safe is even a little?

So anyway, I've been trying to make more things from scratch.  Simple things like taco seasoning, pancake and waffle mixes, and snacks.  There is something really special about your kids eating something that you took time to make and know exactly what you put into them.  Now, I'm not perfect on this yet, I still do buy some snacks but every little bit helps.  I would really like to learn how to make graham crackers...those seem to be a staple here. But we did make brownies from scratch today, and they are amazing!  I am trying very hard to control myself around them, since they are 5 pts. a piece!
Here's one of my favorite cookbooks when it comes to making snacks for the kids.

And one of our new favorite recipes is the Chocolate Chip Cookies with chickpeas.  Yes you read right, chickpeas!  Here's how they look...

And here's Aaron enjoying them!  Even Brian liked them!  

The living word

While reading devotions with Brian tonight, we came across this quote, "Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years." ~ CH Spurgeon.

What a great quote!  It made us think about how every single time we read a portion of the Bible, something new jumps out.  It's just amazing to me.  Never have I read another book that does that. The Bible is truly alive. It is beautiful and so full, I get excited just thinking about it.  One example for me of a Scripture having new life is from Psalm 46:10.  Most are familiar with the first part of the verse, "Be still and know that I am God."  I even have this on a plaque over our entry door.  I love this Scripture, and for a long time I used it to remind me to take time and be still with God.  That is part of the verse but did you know there's more to the verse?  So often we only learn pieces of Scripture, and in turn miss out on even more.  The second part of the verse says, "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  So God is not just telling us to be still and spend time with Him, but He is saying in this time of uncertainty, that He is in control.  It's a lot easier to be still and know he is God when we know that in the end He will be exalted in the earth.

So my point of this post is~ next time you read or hear a familiar verse, dig deeper into it.  Look at the text around it and find out the content.  You may discover something new!  

Just had another quick thought connected to this...have you heard  Mandisa's song  "God Speaking"?  I love this song and it talks about the beautiful ways that God uses to talk to us.  Check it out!

Remember this?

I was surfing around on my WW profile today and saw this picture as my profile picture...

This photo was taken in the spring of 2010.  What a difference 50+ pounds makes!  

What do your cravings look like?

Reading through "Made To Crave" again is proving to be exactly what I needed to keep me focused and refocus  my cravings.  Cravings are funny little things...they can start as an itch and slowly or not so slowly creep up and take over your thoughts.  MTC talks about the ad campaign WW had a few years ago with the little red monster.  Remember him?  

One of the questions for discussion today was what do your cravings look like.  Mine are much different than this scary (okay really cute) monster.  Mine look more like an old friend.

Someone who when they come around, you want to sit and catch up.  You don't want to be rude and ignore them because you don't see them everyday.  And before you know it you have spent all afternoon with them, or in my case, the whole bag of chips.  When I get a craving for food, the devil makes me feel that it's okay because I haven't indulged in such a long time.  That's almost always never true because I certainly do not deprive myself, but the devil is sly and knows how often I can be fooled by that lie.

Did you know that cravings aren't bad?  In fact, God made us to crave?  "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!  My soul LONGS (craves), even faints for you. My heart and flesh cry out for You." Psalm 84:1-2.  It's all about taking those cravings whatever they may be for-food, shopping, relationships, money, etc. and searching for what you are really craving.  When I stop myself and ask what I am really craving, it's almost never food.  In those moments, I am learning to pray and ask God to fill me with what I need at that moment.  It's not easy, but life is a journey and I refuse to be controlled any longer by food!

10 lbs to go

I have been on this weight loss journey for almost two years and I can finally say that I have only 10 lbs to go.  Whew, that sounds great to say.  I have a deadline for those 10 lbs but only a few people know that and I am trusting on them to keep me accountable.  This month has been rough with Christmas in it so the weight loss has been slower than I would like.  I did start taking measurements though and have lost over 6 inches in just a month.

I'm so close...I have to keep persevering!  I can't wait to start the online Bible Study of "Made to Crave" and get that additional pumping up that I know will get me to the end.  The end...I mean the beginning, of a new stage called maintenance.  That will be a challenge!

Everyday miracles

I have been thinking about this post for a while, knowing that I will not have the adequate words to describe how I am feeling but here it goes...

How dependent are you on God?  Do you only ask God to give you the basics?  To heal the sick?  To cure diseases?  To bring the lost back?  These are amazing petitions, and I am not suggesting by any means that you stop asking God for these things.  But how often have you asked him to just get you through the next day, or the next few minutes?  I have seen so often how God has used my little prayers in big ways.  I want to share just a few examples with you. 

A few years ago, 3 months after Aaron was born, I was home alone one night with the boys snug in bed and Brian out playing soccer in a rec league.  I had just received an email from our tax accountant that we were going to receive more money back from the government than we had expected.  Now this wasn't just a few hundred dollars...it was $8000 more than we had originally been told.  I'm not saying that number to brag, well maybe to brag on God, but at the time that seemed like an unreal amount of money.  I distinctly remember finishing up on the computer, going upstairs, standing in the kitchen and praying to God, "Lord, you are giving us an amazing gift with this extra money.  Please don't let us blow this money and help us to spend it wisely."  Ten minutes later, I received a call that Brian had gotten hurt on the soccer field.  Long story short, Brian was off of work for 2 months, without insurance to help pay anything.  I think God answered my prayer that night!  We made it through a huge disaster just barely hanging on, so grateful for God's providence and the miracle that he performed that night.  If not for that money, we would have had to take out some major loans, or who knows what would have happened.  We are currently paying off the last bill from that event and will be free of that (minus the two large scars on Brian's leg) in a few months.

A much smaller answer to prayer came two nights ago.  My sweet little boys woke up puking in the middle of the night.  Yes I said both of them were puking...at the same time...coming out the other end too.  After getting them cleaned up for the 3rd or 4th time, I laid in bed praying to God, "Please Lord, don't let me get sick right now too!"  I was not feeling great, actually I felt as if I were going to puke any minute, but I knew that I couldn't get sick that night.  I kept repeating that prayer as the waves of nausea passed through me.  God answered my prayer.  I did not end up puking, and was able to help the boys return to their normal healthy selves again.  

Small requests, big answers.  I have been thinking a lot about miracles lately and am a full believer that God is still doing them today.  Here are two examples of mine.  I know there are a million others out there.  What's your miracle?  And more importantly, what are you NOT asking God for, for whatever reason?  

Why not give it a try?  Here's the kicker...you have to have faith that he will see it to fruition.  It might not be what you specifically asked for, but believe in him...

One last example-during my last Bible study at church we prayed intensely for a fellow member who was struggling with infertility.  She is now due to have their baby in the end of July!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

PS. I would love you to share your everyday miracles with me.  God uses our stories to help others!

John 14:13
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Family game night

Do you have a family game night?  A night where you "unplug" from everything and just spend some time together?  We try to do this one night a week.  Now you may ask, "How do you have family game night with a two year old and a four year old?"  The answer is simple games and lots of patience!  Here is a shot of some of our games

Some of our favorites not pictured are Elefun, Hungry, hungry hippos and Uno Attack.  Why do I insist on doing this once a week?  The pictures tell it all!

Memories like this are priceless!

Made To Crave...God Not Food!

I know I have talked about this before, but it's time for me to reconnect with this study.  Last winter I co-led a Bible Study based on this book and starting January 15, I will be starting the study again, following an online Bible study, as my life if quite busy this winter and this is the most convenient way for me to participate in a Bible Study and still stay accountable.  I would love to have you join me in this 6-week study.  You can find out more about it on this website.  Made to Crave is an amazing book that helps us see how God understands our struggle with food, and wants to meet us in our struggle and free us from it.  Remember Eve?  The first recorded sin involves food!  Your struggle is not something new for God.  Another great resource is Lysa TerKeurst's website.  She is the author of the book.

Maybe reading it through a second time will make it stick a little more.  I may have to read it through 20 times to fully "get" it through my thick sinful head.  I do agree with Lysa TerKeurst that my struggle with food is really a struggle with trusting God and not letting the devil have control over my life.  You may not see your struggle in that way, and I have all respect for that.  But as for me, this way of looking at my struggle with food is so helpful.  Let me know if you want to join me, I would love to have local support on this journey as well as the support of the online community.

Garden Vegetable Soup

As many of you know, I have been a part of Weight Watchers for a while now.  I'm very close to my goal, and plan to get there soon with some extra motivation from the new year.  Also, I have had this blog for a long time and not been very faithful with writing on it while I am full of ideas for things to share.  I am inspired by my cousin's wife, Michelle, and her beautifully written, very vulnerable blog.  You can check it out here...http://gettinghealthyonestepatatime.blogspot.com/
So I am attempting to get back at blogging in hopes that it will help me stay motivated and maybe inspire others to get motivated too!

So here's the scoop on one of my favorite recipes that Weight Watchers has.  It is my fall back meal when I know I am going to have a high point supper and need to have a filling meal with low points.  I have to admit that I have seen this recipe the two other times that I have done Weight Watchers and have turned a nose up to it.  It's Garden Vegetable Soup.  It's okay to admit that it sounds horrible, especially when others in the WW community call it Cabbage soup.  It grossed me out for the longest time.  Finally last year I decided to give it a try and I LOVE IT!  It's super fun to make and tastes really great.  It also, amazingly to me, fills me up!  There are so many yummy vegetables in it and it's easy to freeze and pop in the microwave when you are ready to eat it.
Here's a pic of it cooking on the stove (it also makes your house smell wonderful with the spices and garlic!)

Here's the recipe from http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=93151
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup diced onions
2 minced garlic cloves
3 cups fat-free broth of your choice
1 cup diced green cabbage
1 cup chopped spinach
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spay, heat.  Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add broth, cabbage, spinach, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer for 15 minutes covered.  Stir in zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes more.  Serve hot.  Makes 6 1 cup servings.  PP per serving-0!!!

I almost always double the recipe so that I have lots to eat and freeze.  Here is what a double batch makes for me. The smaller containers have one serving and the larger containers have two.

And here's my favorite way to eat it.  These crackers are my favorite and are 2PP for 5 crackers. Yes, I do only eat 5 crackers at a time!  Not to say I couldn't eat the whole box at once if I wanted to but it's all about control.

On another note, it's been great to see the impact my healthy eating and exercising has had on the people around me.  My beautiful friend Whitney has recently hit her goal weight at WW, and I am so proud of her!  And the impact it has on my family is priceless.  It's so great to see my boys choosing healthier options once and a while.