Turkey Pepperoni Pizza Bites

I made these tonight for my family (my guinea pigs) and they were a big hit!  I must say I though they were quite delicious and a super healthy way to get that pizza craving squashed!

Ingredients (Makes 3 rolls, but of coarse multiple the recipe as desired)

6 Won Ton Wrappers
6 tsps Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
6 Turkey Pepperonis or 12 mini-turkey pepperoni's
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Parsley Flakes
 pinch of ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix olive oil and spices together in a shallow bowl or on a plate.  Set aside.

Place 2 won tons (one directly on top of the other) on a clean, flat surface.  Dab a finger in the o.o. mixture and moisten all four edges of the won ton.  In the center of the won ton, place 2 tsps of marinara, a 3rd of the 1/4 cup cheese and 2 or 4 pepperoni's.  Fold won ton from one corner to another forming a triangle.  Pinch each side and brush both side with a bit of the o.o. mixture.  Repeat steps and ingredients for every 3 won tons.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Serve with additional marinara if desired (a little dipping is free points ;)

Each won ton is 2 points (80 calories).  You can make them even healthier by using only 1 won ton skin.  It makes it a bit thinner, but just as yummy!  It would cut the bite to 1 point (40 calories).  I would suggest baking for 8 minutes so they don't burn.
  

Rough week...but came out on top!

I kind of had a mini-melt down on Wednesday night this week because I was completely off my normal routine.  I felt like I got a gutter ball right after a strike compared to the previous week.  We had friends and family in town, and went out to eat several times and I had several cocktails.  I never, ever do this in my average week.  I am so hard core, that I almost never drink anymore.  I truly have been treating my body like a temple lately.  I also didn't have time to go to the gym and skipped it Monday and Tuesday night.  So, when Wednesday night rolled around I got a text from my friend Heather (she has been a spotlight before in previous blogs) she said, "Do not beat yourself up about the week you've had, sometimes life gets in the way"  I was literally bawling for an hour straight.  She opened up the flood gates of the stress I'd been feeling about having a bad week and the fear of gaining weight.  I was nervous all day Thursday, even contemplated skipping my meeting.  But, I realized it's part of the journey.  I can't always be perfect.  I have to live my life.  Having friends and family come visit, is normal and something I'll have to deal with.  So I went, shaking and anxiety ridden, to my meeting and actually lost 1.4 pounds!!  The feeling I felt was pride and amazment!!!  I realized while it wasn't a strike like my 6 pound loss the week before, it was certainly NOT a gutter ball.  I did make healthy choices when we ate out and I completely tracked and stuck to my points.  So, I guess I can live my life and participate in family time and not be so hard on myself.  I can assure you I will never cry over it again!

My hard work and determination really paid off this week!!

I'm not going to lie, last week I was a bit disappointed with my weight loss. 1.6 is not going to cut it if I want to lose 100 pounds by Disneyland on April 20th. So I decided this week was going to be boot camp for me. I set my goals on Friday to do the following: eat more veggies and a bit less fruit (I ate my fruit in the morning and veggies at night), I cut out restaurant's 100%, worked out following my trainers regimen, drank lots of water and thought positive thoughts all week! It felt like it was going really well! I was always satisfied and didn't have any sore muscles from my work outs. The results...an astonishing 6 pounds!!! I was completely thrilled!!!! I feel like I earned every pound of that weight loss! I can't wait to tell my trainer! Thanks to all my supportive friends and family, as always, you keep me strong!

I feel alive!

Ok, so I finally mustered up the courage to tell my story to a personal trainer at the gym last week and we had our first official session on Tuesday night. I have been so excited about this all week (even though I was also terrified) to learn about healthy ways to tone my muscles. Well, let me just say I am still sore and it's Thursday. I did go on the treadmill last night but I had no idea how much weight training would kick my butt!! It's a good feeling though. I feel pride with every wince and painful reach. The fact of the matter is I would have NEVER seen a trainer 85 pounds ago. I hated sweating in front of people before and I especially hated feeling vulnerable by working out in front of other people. He had me doing bridges on a mat on the ground in the weight room and I did it with a smile on my face (ok a half smile). But it makes me feel so good knowing that I am showing commitment to this journey. I lost 1.6 this week. For me that is not typical and it made me upset at first. I honestly expected more. I ate healthy, went to the gym 4 days and made good choices. I'm not sure if it's because I'm gaining muscle or because I'm sore and my muscles are inflamed or if I just had an off week. But the point is, I feel good. I have never felt so alive and energetic! My sweet friend Heather said to me after my weigh in tonight, "screw the scale, just look in the mirror". Thanks Heath ;) So I will keep going and whip my sore muscles into shape and be proud that I have surpassed my own expectations so far and be proud of my accomplishments!!!