*NEW BLOG SERIES!* 35 by 35!

Welcome to my NEW blog series, "35 by 35"!  I've set a goal for myself to shed 35 UNwanted pounds by my 35th Birthday.   Today is Day 1 of my challenge and I couldn't be more excited about it!  

Today I'll be sharing my game plan and a taste of what you can anticipate in each of my 35 by 35 posts, including: Food Finds, Delicious Ways to Shrink,  TIP of the week,  My Progress Report, & a (Comments) Cheering Section!

I aim to lose just over 2 pounds per week for the next 16 weeks.  I believe this is absolutely doable with the following lifestyle changes:

MY DIETARY PLAN:

I will be following Weight Watchers old Points plan.  WW has changed their plan a few times since this program, but I've used their old points system in the past and it worked fabulously for me. I plan to repeat that process and hopefully the success as well!  I'll use the food calculator located HERE, entering in the calories, fat, and fiber of my food to calculate "points".  I'll start out allowing myself up to 25 of these "points" per day. In time I'll cut them back to 20.   The variation of my plan:  I will allow myself one "cheat meal" per week in which I can eat ANYTHING I want.  This works well for me because if I deprive myself completely of any particular food that I love I'll have a much more difficult time following my game plan.  (So, don't worry about me if I post a super indulgent recipe in the coming weeks ... that'd be my "cheat"!)
*I am not attending WW meetings, nor am I affiliated with them in any way.  I'm simply using their old points system as a guideline for my dietary plan.

FITNESS:

We're officially making fitness a family affair!  My hubby, girls, and I will begin Couch-to-5K  this Saturday. I first used this program in the Summer of 2011 and I cannot say enough good things about it!  It took me from loathing running to loving it!  It's been a while since I headed out in my running shoes, so starting from week one with my family will be a fantastic way to ease back into it! I can hardly wait!
*If you decide to join me in starting week 1 of Couch-to-5K this week, check out their helpful app!  It makes it so simple!

Now that you know the plan, I'm excited to share my first food find, delicious way to shrink, and tip with you!

FOOD FIND:  
Mama Lupe's Low Carb Fresh Tortillas

I LOVE these tortillas!  They're only 60 calories each, low carb, and with 4 grams of fiber they are filling!  I've spotted these at Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart. 

Delicious Way to Shrink:

Yesterday I used this week's food find to create an easy, peasy, and deliciously cheesy wrap.  It was so yummy (and low cal!) that I actually made a second one. ;)  Nothing fancy, schmancy, yet it takes only a few minutes to whip up and everything in the photo below is only 118 calories! It's a fantastic and quick lunch option!

Simple and Satisfying Cheesy Mex Snack Wrap

Ingredients:

1 Mama Lupe's Low Carb Fresh Tortilla

1 TBSP Light Sour Cream (divided)

Your preference of Taco Sauce (I prefer HOT)

1 TBSP Taco Cheese

Shredded Lettuce

Steps to Creating (LIGHT) Yumminess:

1.  Sprinkle 1 TBSP of Taco Cheese down the center of the tortilla.

2.  Pour Taco Sauce alongside cheese.

3.  Dallop and spread 1/2 TBSP of Sour Cream beside the sauce.

4.  Wrap burrito style, tucking both ends down first, then rolling until wrapped.

5.  Cook on stovetop in frying pan/skillet.  Turning to brown both sides to your liking.

6.  Dallop the other 1/2 TBSP of Sour Cream on plate and sprinkle lettuce on top for dipping.

7.  ENJOY!

Nutritional Info:
1 Mama Lupe's Low Carb Fresh Tortilla:  60 calories, 3g fat,  4g fiber

1 TBSP Light Sour Cream:  20 calories, 1.5g fat, 0 fiber
1 TBSP Taco Cheese:  28 calories, 2.25g fat, 0 fiber
1 TBSP Taco Sauce:  10 calories, 0 fat, 0 fiber
Lit'l bit of Lettuce:  -  Total:  118 Calories,  6.84 fat, 4g fiber  (2 Old WW pts)

Want to make it lighter?  Try using Fat Free Sour Cream.  Would you like it a little spicier?  Toss in some sliced jalapeno peppers!

TIP of the week:

Rather than serving your meals "family style" in the dining room, serve yourself in the kitchen before making your way to the table. When platters of tempting food are right there in front of me I find that it's easy to nibble here and there or spoon up a little more for myself, often without even thinking about it!  Keeping the entree and sides off the table helps me enormously!  It forces me to make a conscious decision to CHOOSE what I'm going to eat.  Give this a try!  

In my 35 by 35 posts I'll be turning my comments section into a Cheering Section!  If you'd like to join along and set a weight loss and/or fitness goal for yourself please leave a comment below and let me know.  I invite you to come back next week and share your progress.  I'm ready to cheer YOU on too! Whether you choose to participate or grab some pompoms, please let me know if you plan to follow my series.  Knowing that I'll be accountable to you will be a huge motivation!  Thanks in advance, friends!  Your support means so very much!  

'Til next Thursday...

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