Plain Greek Yogurt for Baking

Plain greek yogurt is a great substitute for oil and butter in your baking. When baking muffins or other breads that call for oil or butter replace the it with plain greek yogurt to lower the calories and the fat!

I still use butter in our diet because I believe in healthy fats. But for baking I use plain greek yogurt as a partial replacement to cut down on calories. Use 1/4 cup greek yogurt + 1/2 cup butter instead of 1 cup of butter.

• 1 cup butter = 1,628 calorie & 184g fat
• Greek Yogurt + Butter = 847 calories & 92g fat

We’ve cut all oil out of our diet, especially vegetable oil. You can use 3/4 cups greek yogurt for every 1 cup of oil in your recipes.

• 1 cup vegetable oil = 1,927 calories & 218g fat
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt = 100 calories & 0 fat

Plain Greek Yogurt for Dips

I also love to use plain greek yogurt in the place of sour cream or mayonnaise in dips.

• 2 tablespoons sour cream = 60 calories
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise = 180 calories
• 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt = 33 calories

Hint: Try it on your tacos or other Mexican dishes instead of sour cream

Use your favorite dip mix and replace the sour cream or mayonnaise with plain greek yogurt. Or make your own dips with your own spices and herbs.

Amazing Light Dilly Dip

• 1 teaspoon fresh dill or dill paste
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt

You will find that some brands of plain greek yogurt are strained more so they have a thicker consistency. Find the perfect brand for you, if you like thick dips use a thick yogurt if you like a dressing like dip use a thinner yogurt.

Hint: Try 1/2 greek yogurt and 1/2 light mayonnaise for your chicken or tuna salads

Spaghetti Squash

Pasta is very high in calories and carbs. I will eat whole wheat pasta every so often, but my favorite substitution that offers no guilt at all is spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is a squash that once you cook it comes out in spaghetti like strings.

• 1 cup whole wheat paste = 174 calories & 37 carb
• 1 cup spaghetti squash = 42 calories & 10 carbs

Extra Lean Ground Meat

Switching from full fat ground meat to only 7% fat will quickly lighten up your meals. You don’t necessarily have to give up ground beef either.

My husband is a big red meat eater and he really doesn’t love the taste of turkey. But after really looking at some labels I realized I could get ground beef with the same percentage of fat as ground turkey.

• 4 ounces ground beef 80/20 = 288 calories & 19g fat
• 4 ounces ground turkey 93/7 = 150 calories & 7g fat
• 4 ounces ground beef 93/7 = 170 calories & 8g fat
• 4 ounces ground chicken 93/7 = 140 calories & 5g fat

We still do eat ground turkey but I let us have one serving of lean red meat a week so that my husband can have his favorite meals.

Sugar Substitutes

My favorite sugar substitute is stevia, it is all natural and no calorie. My favorite brand of stevia is Truvia, mainly because they add another natural sweetner to cut the bitterness stevia can have.

I do also use Splenda for cooking as it is easier for me to get ahold of. I once was able to find a bag of off brand truvia for cooking, but haven’t been able to find it again.

• 1 teaspoon sugar = 15 calories & 4 carbs
• 3/4 teaspoon Truvia = 0 calories & 3 carbs
• 1 teaspoon Splenda = 0 calories & 0 carbs

What do you use to make your recipes lighter?

Posted on the Gathering Spot Link Up

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

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I learned so much from the sugar mini challenge and loved it! So this week we have a new mini challenge!

My goal is going to be to try and get 7500 steps in a day. I want to build up to 10,000, but my work is pretty sedentary so I’m working on figuring out how to get those extra steps in.

This challenge is running on facebook and on Google+. Come by, join us, and check in each day!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

AT&T Accessories

I’ve had a Fitbit on my wishlist for 3 Christmas’ now. AT&T then offered me a FitBit One I jumped at the chance. At first I was surprised because I didn’t even realize AT&T sold FitBit products. I went down to the local mall and stepped into the AT&T store for the first time. I found that they carried a lot of accessories for their phones, and since the FitBit One syncs to the newest phones they offer them in their stores. I liked being able to check out the FitBit and a couple other devices in person. I had only seen them online before.

FitBit One

One reason I picked the FitBit One is because not only does it track your activity, it tracks your sleep as well. If you have read my blog before you know that I battle sleep apnea.

Put it On & Keep it On

One reason I haven’t invested in a FitBit was I was concerned that, just like my pedometers, I would be really bad about putting it on. That I would wear it for a few days but then it would be forgotten.

I’m in love with my little FitBit and it goes with me everyday. I don’t know if it’s how accurate it is or if its extra functionality makes it so much better, but I’m in love with it. Also I don’t have to worry about it falling off (like some of my pedometers) and losing it because the silicon case and tight metal clip holds it on so well!

Track It

I think one of the things that I love about the FitBit One is that it tracks everything! You can track:

• Your Steps
• Your Stairs
• Your Distance
• Your Calories Burned
• Your Goal Progress (the growing flower)

You can also track your sleep with a night wristband you can place your FitBit into. When you enter when you went to sleep and when you woke up on their website or app it will show you how well you slept.

Sync It

To Sync your FitBit you have a couple choices your phone or your computer.

Your Phone

If you have an iPhone 4s, iPhone5, iPod Touch (5th Gen), iPad Mini, iPad 3 (Retina), Samsung Galaxy III, or Samsung Galaxy Note II you can sync to your device. Basically you have to have the newest generation in bluetooth to sync to your device.

Your Computer

Download their program to your computer, connect your wireless sync dongle, and anytime your are within 20 fit your FitBit will sync.

Sync it with My Fitness Pal

You can actually sync your FitBit to a few different apps, but if you know me I’m in love with My Fitness Pal. This option is one reason I picked FitBit over a few different devices out on the market. My Fitness Pal has the best food database than any other fitness app, plus you can enter your food with a quick scan of the barcode.

I was really happily surprised when I found the sync works both ways. You can use My Fitness Pal to track your food and when you go to FitBit.com or their app your calories are already entered for you.

I’m In Love

It has been a month since I received my FitBit One and I have not missed one day wearing it. I would say this is one of my favorite tools now to help me monitor my activity and help me lose weight!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

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This week I have a mini challenge for you. This is only a one week challenge! Let’s look and see how much sugar we are eating in a day. You don’t have to count exact numbers, but be conscious of what you are eating.

The goal is to try and stay under 40 grams of sugar for each day.

This challenge is running on facebook and on Google+. Come by, say hi, and join us!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

It is time to get back on track and get going on those last 20 pounds I have to lose! Here are some tips on how to start working towards your weight  loss goals after taking a break.

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

I have a confession for you today. I haven’t lost a pound in 6 months! After 6 months of no weight loss it is so easy to to get discouraged and just give up. I could come up with lots of excuses why my weight loss has stalled, but instead I am going to share how I looked back at my photos and got motivated again! And why you need to take photos even when you hate them!

That First Photo

That first photo is the hardest one! I could tell how much I hated this photo by the fact it took me over 15 minutes finding the original image and also realizing I never uploaded it to my Flickr account.

I know that you will hate that first photo, that it will be heart breaking to see a full body shot of yourself, but I promise it will be worth it in the future!

As you make progress you will see how far you have come. You will remember what you looked like in the beginning and how much progress you really have made. When you are struggling you can pull out that first photo and motivate yourself to keep on strong and tell yourself even if you don’t lose more weight you will not go back to where you started!

Keep Taking Photos

Taking photos may be more helpful than watching those numbers on the scale. This is a photo of me now (left) and a photo from the last time I lost weight (right). You may not see much difference, but I do. I see that I’m actually toning, my skin is tightening up (which I was sure would never happen), and that I’m still making progress.

I didn’t even realize how much difference there was in the last 6 months until I uploaded a new photo for my Facebook profile and I saw it next to my coverphoto. I realized that even though I was in a plateau that I should have still stayed up with taking photos. I quickly set up and took my latest body shot.

Take that first photo and hide it away if you need to. Then make an appointment to take a photo every month to see your progress. Even if you don’t see a lot of difference at first, you will love seeing them side by side when you hit your weight loss goals and have a photo to see the real difference you are making.

When you are ready pull out that first photo, you once hated, you will see how much your hard work has changed you!

So go now and take your first photo!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

One Day Only

Tillamook Cheese is letting you actually order Squeaky Cheese for the first time ever in their 104 years of business! There is only a limited amount of cheese that they can send out so make sure and jump on their online store on February 13th!

Support the Oregon Food Bank!

As if getting Squeaky Cheese delivered to your door wasn’t enough, funds raised will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank!

What is Squeaky Cheese?

Wait you think this all sounds great, but are asking “What the heck is Squeaky Cheese?” Basically Squeaky Cheese is very fresh cheddar cheese curds that when you bite into them will squeak. It is something fun and silly that millions of people drive to the Tillamook Cheese Factory to experience, including me and my family. To this day I can remember the first time I got Squeaky Cheese at the factory and I love to go back to get cheese anytime we go to the beach.

So set your phone to remind you to get your order in tomorrow or even sign up for a reminder on the squeaky little Squeaky Cheese page!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

You have seen most of these pictures when I announced that I was going to be bring back Project 52: Self Portraits. But each month I will share my review through the project. So you can see the photos that I have taken.

Ironically last week I found another blogger talking about feeling too fat to have your photo taken. Teresa had the same realization I had in 2011 when I first did this project. People will want photos of me, my children, my husband, my family, my friends. They will not see my weight they will see me, the person they love. Take the time to read So you’re feeling too fat to be photographed . . . and consider getting in front of the camera!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

The #64ozchallenge is about to start! Here are a few tools you may want in your house before you start the #64ozchallenge.

Water is something that a lot of people struggle with even though they know that getting in their recommended daily amount of water can make a huge change in their lives. Water can help you lose weight, boost your immunity, give you more energy, clear up your skin and even more. But how do you get your daily water? Well a good place to start is to get the tools you need and put them to use. Here are 5 tools that can help you drink more water every day.

Water Cups or Bottles

I love using insulated cups with straws for my water. I can take them anywhere with me, so I always have it available to take a sip. But also I can measure my water intake better.

Straws

Straws help you drink more because you can’t exactly see how much you are drinking.

A Pitcher

If you know you are going to be hanging out at home all day have a pitcher filled up in the fridge with your 64 ounces of water. That way you can actually see your progress. Your water will be nice and cool for you also!

Flavored Water Enhancers

Let’s just face it switching to straight water is hard and sometimes impossible for people. I know someone who literally gags if she tries drinking straight water. But even if she adds just a little flavor to the water she is fine. So if you just can’t get straight water down don’t punish yourself. Try using a flavored water enhancer.

I personally like these better because I can add just a little flavor to my water it doesn’t become overwhelming like the single server flavor packets can be. Also you can slowly wean yourself off full flavor by just adding a little less flavor each time.

Fruits, Herbs and Vegetables

Sometimes you want to stay away from artificial sweeteners, you can still add flavor to your water by adding sliced fruit, vegetables, or even herbs. You can them straight in and enjoy or you can soak them overnight for an even stronger flavor. Some of my favorite things to add include lemon, lime, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, mint or even cilantro

An Alarm or An App

One of the best ways to make sure you are getting enough water through the day is to know how much you should have drank by when. You know you should have 16 ounces drank by 9:00am, 32 ounces drank by Noon, 48 ounces by 3:00PM, and you will be finished with all your water by 6:00PM. Of course you could change the times to fit better into your day and your schedule.

Set an alarm on your phone to go off at each of these times and drink your water when the alarm goes off.

If you want an easier system find an app that will automatically send you reminders to drink your water.

Daily Water (iOS App)

Drinking Water (Android App)

A Friend or Group

Friends make everything easier! You are able to say your goals and plans out loud (which really does make a difference), you have someone to keep you accountable, but also it makes you feel like you can’t let them down by not hitting those goals.

The #64ozchallenge is going to be a great way to connect with others and help you make and meet your goals on drinking more water. So definitely sign up and join the challenge!

Pepper Ferguson

Healthy Mom = Healthy Family - That is my life motto and I hope to encourage it to be yours too. January 2011 I made the decision to lose weight and lost 80+ pounds. I saw my boys start getting active with me and I realized I wasn't only changing my life but also my boys.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook