Happy Friday! To celebrate the beginning of another glorious summer weekend we are giving away a Cuisinart 3-½-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker! (You'll find all the details at the end of the post.)
But first, here's a collection of Weight Watchers friendly articles and recipes for you…
Slimming Bites: Inspiring Articles & Recipes for Weight Watchers
Encouragement and inspiration and are critical when you're trying to adopt new habits. This is especially true when the habits involve eating better, losing weight and creating a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Sticking with the slow and steady sensible balanced approach to lasting change can seem dull and out of step when compared with our society's obsession with the opposing messages of overindulgent excess on one hand, and extreme fad diets on the other. It can be so tempting to seek out the latest fad or silver bullet.
Fortunately, are many great people providing helpful information and delicious recipes for Weight Watchers and others pursuing sensible weight loss and healthy balanced living. I love the opportunity to highlight them. Here are this week's hand-picked selections. I hope you find the time and space to sit down, perhaps with a cup of coffee or tea, or glass of wine or bubbly water, and savor them!
Healthy Weight Loss Inspiration
Longevity Pose: Teaching Yoga at 97 | New York Times by Corey Kilgannon. Meet my new hero, a 97-year-old yoga teacher that is still going strong, even after three hip replacement surgeries. "I haven't finished learning," she said. "My students are my teachers." If you think you are too old, think again.
The Key to Starting any Exercise or Diet Plan | Dr. Spencer by Justin Komph. One of the strongest sources of self-efficacy is experience. Many of us think we have to make a large overhaul to our lifestyles in order to achieve a healthier body. This can be totally overwhelming. The simple truth is that we do not have to change everything to become healthier, we just need to get started. The best way to get started is with a step-by-step process we are confident we can accomplish.
Ten Fun Ways to Reduce Your Cortisol Levels | Lissa Rankin by Lissa Rankin, MD. The body knows how to heal itself. However, these natural self-repair mechanisms get deactivated when your body is full of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine in “fight-or-flight” mode. The good news is that it’s easy to shift the body into the opposite of the stress response into the relaxation response, and when this happens, your cortisol levels drop and your body’s self-repair mechanisms get back to work doing what they do best – healing you. All of the following techniques have been scientifically proven to activate relaxation responses and return your self-repair mechanisms back to optimal operation.
Nine Helpful Tips to Avoid Weight Gain on a Cruise | SkinnyTaste by Gina Homolka. Got a cruise planned? You'll want to after reading about Gina's 10-day cruise aboard the new Carnival Vista which started in Barcelona and ended in Athens. She even managed to lose one pound while sailing and eating her way through the Mediterranean.
A Teacher Lost 56 Pounds Eating Nothing But McDonald's and People Are Pissed | Nia Shanks - by Nia Shanks. Helping people with their health and fitness goals is about meeting people where they are. Someone's starting part may be different than another's. Someone's first step toward making better health choices may mean swapping out a Big Mac for a regular cheeseburger, or getting a small fry instead of a large. That is likely, for many, easier and more practical than going from a Big Mac to cedar plank roasted salmon and vegetables. It's about making better decisions, gradually, that lead to long-lasting change.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
Favorite Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes for the Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers (6SP,7PP)| Organize Yourself Skinny - Lean poultry Italian sausage gets covered in sauce, bell peppers, and onions and then simmers all day in the slow cooker. Enjoy as is or serve in a hoagie roll or over a bed of whole grain pasta or zucchini noodles. Delish!
Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Pulled Pork (5SP, 5PP) | Emily Bites - This Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Pulled Pork is based on Emily's mom's amazing pulled pork recipe, to which she added apples and bacon. This Slow Cooker Apple Bacon BBQ Pulled Pork makes an awesome sandwich, but it’s also great on its own, on a baked potato or sweet potato, in a wrap or quesadilla, on a pizza or flatbread, the possibilities are endless (and delicious).
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken (2SP, 4PP) | Slender Kitchen - Slow cooked chicken tossed with just the right amount of buffalo sauce. Use it in tacos, lettuce wraps, sandwiches, chicken salad, the list goes on and on. And if you really want it to taste like a buffalo wing, add in the butter at the end for a smoother, richer taste.
Crock Pot Lime Chicken Fajitas (6SP, 4PP) | Dashing Dish - I just love chicken fajitas. They are such a wonderful 'family' food in my opinion, because they suit just about everyone's taste. The great thing about fajitas is that the basic ingredients are naturally healthy. However, many recipes call for a heavy amount of oil, making them surprisingly high in calories. This recipe is flavorful, light, and so easy to make. Just put everything in a crockpot in the morning (or the night before), and you will have a healthy and complete meal ready in just a few hours.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Molasses (5SP) | Snack Girl - These slow cooker baked beans with molasses are vegetarian and will outperform any can of baked beans. This recipe makes seven cups of beans and you can bring it in your slow cooker so the beans remain warm. I love these as a side for anything at a BBQ because they go so well with hot dogs, corn, coleslaw – you name it. (This should also work in a 4-quart slow cooker (affiliate link). Cut the recipe in half if 14 servings is too much.)
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6/20/16 GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!
The winner of the slow cooker is: Jack C, who said, "Need to lose 25 lbs. to fit into Army uniform. Grandson wants me to wear it to his graduation from basic training. Mexican fajitas in the slow cooker."
Congratulations Jack! Contact support@simple-nourished-living.com to claim your prize. And thanks to all of you who stopped by and participated. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you being part of this community.
****************** Now onto the Giveaway… Up for grabs is something that's been on my wish list for a while… a Cuisinart 3-½-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. (The slow cooker I use most often is a basic manual 4-Quart Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker, which works fine for our needs. When and if I ever upgrade, it will be to this handsome baby which is perfect for smaller families!) To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post: This is a two part question: Just let me know what your goals are for this summer and what you'll make with your new slow cooker should you win it and you'll be entered to win. One entry per person, please. Winners will be announced Tuesday morning. Be sure to check back to see if you won. Have a Wonderful Weekend and Good Luck! Giveaway sponsored by Simple Nourished Living You Might Also Like: This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase! This giveaway is sponsored by Simple Nourished Living. Awarded prize may differ slightly (color, design, etc.) from images that appear here - based on availability. Giveaway prizes may be forfeited if not claimed within 90 days. The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
TO ENTER
THE RULES
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Ann Bailey
My goal is to recover from shoulder surgery, and I will cook a delicious chicken dinner in my new crock pot so I can divide into individual WW servings to freeze for dinners for myself.
Patricia Pinney
I am going to reach my goal this summer and STAY THERE!!! Making my delicious Lime Chicken Fajitas in this wonderful crockpot will help me to achieve that goal!
Robin Strachan
My goals are to add even more vegetables to my diet, especially since I got a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles instead of flour-based pasta. If I had this slow-cooker, I would be able to create even more protein-based recipes to share with others. I've been successful in losing weight, and I want to help other people be successful, too.
Ruth Annie
I plan to try new things -food.fitness &, fun. I plan to use the slow cooker to make.shredded chicken in all flavors to enhance the summer goals.
Diane L
My goal this summer is to reach my goal weight of 160 (I'm only 8 pounds away now!!) and to continue an active lifestyle. Mmmm...I think I'd make some sort of chicken in my new crockpot. Would love the programmable feature so it can do its thing while I'm at work! Thanks for this giveaway offer!!
Pat
My goal for this summer is to help my daughter lose another 20 lbs. I'm going to be making her a lot of the soups from the slow cooker cookbook.
j maggie weiss
What great questions! I made a goal, at the start of 2016, to eat more vegetables and am doing just that. The results are great: Healthy, Tasty and Weight Watcher success!
If I were to win the slow cook, I would use it all week long. As I recently accepted a new position that is a long commute...60 miles each way, I can drive in peace knowing my food is awaiting my arrival. Feels as good as having a private chef!
Cheryl Myers
My goal is to run/walk 2 more 5K's. There are just so many things I want to make in the slow cooker, mostly chicken recipes
Beverly Doherty
My summer goals is to exercise more, eat healthier and loose some weight. If I win the slow cooker, I will make chicken recipes and pulled pork in it
joyce fliegel
My goal for the summer is to get in better shape - start moving more. My other (personal) goal is to drop another digit in the "tens place"!!! (So far, I've dropped 3 "tens place" digits! 🙂
If I win this crockpot (which I'd LOVE), I'd make spinach lasagna!!
joni stein
my goals for this summer are to keep on my meal plan and diet that is working so well for me..So are I have lost just shy of 34 pounds! I am doing this mainly for my health. I have serious arthritis and orthopedic problems so less weight is going to be very helpful for my joints! I am have also started on a exercise plan through our university's kinesiology dept. My summer is full and having a crockpot would be so helpful in preparing meals. I need to find out more ways to cook ground turkey that don't dry out and become tasteless. At age 71 I am still willing to learn!
Terrip
My summer goal is to continue enjoying the summer produce, remain active, and live each day in the fat burning mode. The forst thing i would make in my slow cooker is skinny pulled pork.
Colleen Richards
My goal is to work on losing the weight I gained while in the Hospital.
Chicken Fajitas, with lots of vegs.....
Love your recipes have used A lot of them...Keep them coming......
Grace Mancini
My goals for this summer are to keep my happy hour drinks in check and to make fun outdoor exercises a priority. I have recently lost some weight and am doing everything within my power to keep it off!
I would love a new crock pot to make low fat pulled pork and chicken.
Kim
I have recently lost almost 60 pounds in which I am have been in maintenance for a little over a year. With that, I actually have 2 goals for the summer: (1) to stay in maintenance or maybe lose 5 more pounds and, (2) take a martial arts class.
I would make my favorite crockpot dish which is chicken breast, 1 can Rotel, and add in 3-4 sections of Laughing Cow cheese after the chicken is shredded. SO GOOD.
Pat
My goal for the summer is to lose close to 20 pounds of weight gained since I quit smoking last year.
As to what I will cook in this crock pot - EVERYTHING!! As an avid recipe reader and collector, I probably have close to 2000 recipes for the crock pot. There is not a better appliance in the kitchen for the busy people who cherish meals at home without a lot of time and fuss.
Diane Reid
My goal for the summer is to eat all the fresh vegetables I can. Preferably organic. If I owned this slow cooker I would be able to make more healthy and favorable dishes. This
way when I get home tired my healthy meal will be ready and I can avoid eating the bad
things.
Diane R
Cecilia Gonzalez
My goal for the summer is to continue eating healthy and losing weight, and applying this feeling of wellbeing to other areas of my life. It's been an amazing start!
I will prepare the spinach lasagna!
Jennai
My goals are to be more active and lose some weight
I would cook chicken cacciatore in the crock pot!
Louise Jenkins
My goal this summer is to figure out how to get "me" back on track. My husband recently passed away after a 3 year illness. As caregiver, I took no self-time. Ate whatever could at each meal& between-/ gaining 30 pounds. I now am working to get my my mind set on me- to eat healthier and cleaner - as I grieve my significant loss.
Using the crock pot would be in so many ways! Making lean protein in larger quantity - then freezing in single servings would be my focus. Chicken, pork, beef made tender & flavorful, then used on salads, in single size casserole, wraps, etc.
Not any single thing.
Thank you all.