If you don’t know by now…you SHOULD know that I am one of the co-founders of the Wii Mommies. A Ning community that is based on the idea of virtual fitness we are there to support everyone in their fitness and weight loss journeys. My co-founders Sarah Pinnix and Julie Maloney and I are all Mommies…thus the name. The great thing? We have a very diverse population in our community! Men, women, moms, dads, single folks… they are all there supporting each other! Check it out!

Don’t have a Nintendo Wii game system? It just might be your lucky day! Today is the last day to enter our Citizen Journalist Program. We will be choosing FIVE individuals to receive and review a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board! You will receive the product and be asked to post weekly at Wii Mommies for three weeks as well as do one radio interview with us on Blog Talk Radio. Sound great? Get on over and apply today!

We can exercise to our hearts content…but being healthy…being fit… takes a complete package.  You need sleep, you need to eat right, and you need to destress!  Today’s Wii Eat Healthy is Dinner…an easy, quick recipe that you can make any night of the week…you can even toss it in the freezer to have on hand when there isn’t any time to cook!

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Photo Courtesy of Weight Watchers

1/2c.  fresh lemon juice

1/2c. fat-free chicken broth

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves; minced

1 1/2 lb.  boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Cooking Spray

1 lb. uncooked new potatoes, cut in half (about 10 potatoes)

Place lemon juice, broth, olive oil, garlic and oregano in a large resealable bag or medium glass bowl.  Add chicken, seal bag or cover bowl and marinate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 11″ pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken and marinade in pan, add potatoes  Bake 45 min (breasts) or 60 min (thighs) or longer for softer potatoes.  Yield is 1 breast or 2 thighs and appx 5 potato halves per serving.

This is  8 Weight Watchers Points Per Serving.  Pair it with some fresh, steamed green beans to round out your meal…be full, be healthy with very little mess to clean up when you are finished!

Tips:

*To make ahead and freeze: After you have added the chicken to the marinade, seal bag with as little air in the bag as possible.  Set in the freezer on a flat surface (cookie sheet or shelf) to freeze.   The night before you plan to serve, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge.  Marinate all day the next day before baking.

* The longer you let this marinate, the better the flavor will be when you prepare it.

* This would be a great freezer meal to make for a friend with a new baby or who has been in the hospital.

Want to hear what other people have to say about their fitness journies?  Want to share your own story or get encouragement from others who are fighting the good fight?  Visit Wii Mommies and join the community!

Did you realize that the Wii Mommies are ONE YEAR OLD?  It seems unreal to me… that it was JUST one year ago that we all began this adventure together…and at the same time it seems like JEEZ…a year? Really?

We kicked off last year with the “New Year, New You Challenge”… challenging everyone to take charge of their fitness and health goals….and I was so excited.  One month later I found myself pregnant with my 3rd child and 20 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight from #2.  With the help of the Wii Fit … and the support of all of the members of the Wii Mommies… I was able to keep my pregnancy weight gain to a mere 26 pounds….not my goal…but incredible none the less considering that with my first I gained at LEAST 70 and with my second I gained a good 45 or so.  I was so proud of myself.  I really think that NOT being 9 months pregnant at the Holidays helped

So what happened? How did I get HERE?  And by HERE …I mean 60 pounds from my ideal weight and 70 pounds from my dream weight?  *sigh*  I forgot to factor in that whole “Post Partum + Holidays + No Self Control” thing.  I knew I was out of control… one of the tell tale signs that I am in a bad place is that I begin to hoard and hide food.  Not just food…but candy…chips…JUNK food.  Its a weird leftover habit from growing up with an eating disorder.  My husband recently found my stash again and the embarrassment coupled with the realization of what I’m doing to my body brought me to tears.

Then there was the point about 2 weeks ago when I looked in the mirror and I no longer recognized the woman that was looking back at me.  She was old, tired…and a COMPLETELY different shape than the Jenn I know and love.  Again, I broke down and cried.

Then I pulled myself together and called my friend Sarah, and got together a game plan.  She had such success with her sugar detox that I decided to give it a try… to kick start myself back into healthy eating.

I’m still breastfeeding….two kiddos… so anything with the word “detox” is usually off limits to me…I won’t even consider it.  This is different however…you are cutting your dependency on sugar, your cravings…and working on re-establishing a healthy metabolism for your body.  Basically…chicken and veggies… lean protein… 6 times a day for four days.  Let me just tell you that I was STARVING on Day One.  Then I realized that I forgot to account for the fact that I AM NURSING TWO KIDS… so I had to up the amount I was eating…and the frequency. I decided that eating whenever I felt hungry was appropriate…I just made sure to stick to the planned foods.  Today is Day Four:  I’m feeling fantastic.  I’m still having some cravings…but I notice the TYPE of cravings I’m having has changed.  Instead of looking wistfully around the kitchen for some chocolate… I’m thinking about oranges and bananas!  I can’t WAIT for fruit salad tomorrow morning at my in laws!  I feel less bloated, more comfortable…less ICK.  And you know what else?

This morning I was down NINE POUNDS.  That is sickening!  To me, this is a true testament to how much I desperately needed this in my life.  I am completely aware that a healthy weight loss constitutes 1.5, MAYBE 2 pounds per week…not NINE.  But I also know that your first week of any weight loss is generally higher…and a large amount of what I lost was likely water weight as carbs bring with them bloating.

I didn’t realize until I started doing this how much food I was eating on a daily basis that was CRAP … things I wasn’t counting (when I was actually counting) in Weight Watchers… half of a chicken nugget on Brendan’s plate after lunch…. a whole one on Lilli’s… a breakfast bar here and there… snacking, snacking, snacking…and not on healthy food…on JUNK…and Christmas cookies (which I can’t , in good conscious, call junk LOL).

So now what do I do?  I move onward and DOWNWARD!  My husband is on this journey with me…and our next step is to reintroduce whole grains…fruits…and more lean proteins into our diet as we follow a Weight Watchers plan.  I am working out on the Wii Fit Plus again…I want to work out every day from now until Blissdom … and then start with an EA Sports 6 week challenge when I return.

Thats my plan, and I’m sticking to it.  One day at a time and all that jazz.

Want to see what other people have in line for their Fitness Friday? Have a fitness post you want to share?  Come on over to WiiMommies and share!  Working towards a fitness or weight loss goal? Come sign up with us and let us help you along the way!!

1/4 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

3 oz. soy/meat alternative crumbles

3/4 tsp. chili powder (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 oz. canned chopped green chilies, drained

1/4c an diced tomatoes (3.75 oz)

1/4 can black beans, drained (3.75oz)

1/4 can kidney beans, drained (3.75 oz)

1/4 can tomato sauce (3.75oz)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers, onion and garlic to taste and heat until they soften.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

WW Points Per Serving: 4

Its no secret that although I’m sort of being drug behind the wagon…I’m a big fan of Weight Watchers.  Here are two recipes for Steel Cut Oats that I found in the Weight Watchers forums.  Both call for being cooked in your slow cooker overnight…but I would hesitate to cook them a full eight hours unless you are completely sure of the heat levels your slow cooker cooks at.  If possible…make one of these recipes the first time during the day and check for a finished product after approximately 5-6 hours of cook time.

Apple Steel Oats

1 cup steel cut oats
1 apple — coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 1/2 cups skim milk — or water

In a slow cooker, add all ingredients and set to low heat.  Let cook overnight.

Serves appx. 4 people (1c. uncooked steel cut oats generally makes 4 servings)

5 Points Per Serving made w/skim milk

3 Points Per Serving made w/water

Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal

2 cups steel cut oats
1 12 oz. Can fat-free evaporated milk
1- 15 oz. Can pumpkin
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup splenda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup

1. Just put it all in the crock pot, mix until no chucks of pumpkin left. Cook on low for 8 hours (while you sleep). Yummy breakfast for the entire week.

2. For an apple version: substitute 2 cups sugar-free applesauce for the pumpkin. Add on large chopped apple. Substitute 2 teaspoons cinnamon for the pumpkin pie spice .

Serves appx. 8 ppl

4 Points Per Serving

Here are a few more tips for cooking your steel cut oats that I found in my search:

• Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray before you start adding ingredients.  I’ve read over and over how much easier it makes cleanup in the morning…almost to the point of a MUST.
• If you want more texture to your oats…toast them first.  Lay them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes before adding to slow cooker.
• As I mentioned earlier…know the strength of your cooker…and adjust the cooking time as such.  You can always cook them longer…you can’t unburn them.
• Cook oats with water and any variation of dried fruit…serve w/ fat free half and half and honey to sweeten for appx 5 points per serving (I’m thinking of trying craisins and apricots)
• If you are using a large slow cooker…you may be better off doubling the first recipe…2c oats and 8c water seems to cook more evenly in a large cooker.
• Steel cut oats cooked overnight freezes very well.  Making a large batch and either keeping it in the fridge for several days or freezing it will make for easier, yet still healthy breakfasts on those days you are rushed.

Looking for games for the Wii efficianado in your life?  Today you can get Active Life: Extreme Challenge Bundle with Mat for $34.98 plus free shipping.  This is a 42% savings!  A fun game for those long winter days ahead where everyone is trapped indoors!!

EA Sports Active: More Workouts is on Lightning Deal at Amazon for the next several hours (or until it sells out) for $29.99 down from $39.99 (Final discount will show up when you checkout). This new release of the game is amazing…it is harder more intense workouts.  I’m currently doing the 6 Week Challenge and rest assured…my husband is laughing as I gimp around the house with sore muscles!

One of the many, many great things about being a co-founder of the Wii Mommies is that very often I have the opportunity to review the latest and greatest in virtual workout software…for free.  Yesterday I received a copy of the newYour Shape game courtesy of Ubisoft.

I just started my post-baby workouts and journey back to fitness this past week…so you can imagine me gimping around my house with sore muscles.  Monday I broke out the Your Shape and not only did I get a great workout in….I found some motivation.

Your Shape is a game that utilizes a small web cam that interacts with your Nintendo Wii.  I clipped mine to my sensor bar on top of my television.  The camera will lead you through a body scan…then “Your Shape” is up on the screen.  Looking at myself….REALLY looking at myself…was huge motivation to get this party started!

After the scan the game walks you through your goals…you pick your target areas and address what type of goal you have…”Burn”, “Tone”, “Strengthen”.  You are led through a fitness test to asses your current level of fitness, then the game builds a customized workout for you.

You also have the ability to address “Special Challenges”…or special goals that you want to set for yourself.  I was so pleased to see that there was one for new moms!  The one missing piece to the virtual fitness software that I’ve tried is that none of them address pregnancy or post partum fitness.

What is so interesting is that you are working out while watching a split screen of you (from the camera) and the virtual trainer.  The camera “watches” you and will give you feedback on how well you are working out.  For instance…if you are doing lateral raises and you aren’t really getting your arms up there….the virtual trainer will let you know.

You are working out without the Wii Remotes and getting some real feedback at the same time!  You set your calendar of workouts and the length you want your workouts to be…and you’re off!

The thing that makes this game so much different from the others is the real time feedback.  One of the problems that MANY of us face is that we work out and we work out and we feel like we aren’t really making any progress.  The sad truth is, we might not be.  If you are working out…but doing so incorrectly…you may not be burning the calories you think you are…you certainly won’t be strengthening the muscles you think you are…and you have a lot of wasted time and energy as well as a growing level of frustration.  The camera scan and side by side visual workouts give you the opportunity to make the most out of your workout!

I am excited to see what happens with this game…and with the scan of myself at the end of 6 weeks.  I’ll be combining Your Shapeand Wii Fit Plus on my off days for the EA Sports Active: More Workouts 6 Week Challenge.

Want to read more from others working on their fitness and weight loss goals?  Have a goal of your own and want to share it with us and get some support?  Head on over to the Wii Mommies blog and check us out.  Then join us on our Ning community to meet some incredible people and hopefully find some motivation!

I have loaded the Weight Watchers app to my iPhone. I’ve updated my points intake…I’ve actually removed the soda (diet or otherwise) from my home. I made up a pitcher of Crystal Light and filled my water bottle first thing this morning.

That was the easy part.

Today is the first day of the new EA Sports Active More Workouts 6 week challenge….and I’m nervous. It turns out being pregnant and having a baby was the easy part for me. Up and down all night crazy feeding schedules chasing three kids around…and oh, Halloween…have done a number on me and now that Ryan is 2 months old…I’ve actually managed to gain weight.

I didn’t have much luck with the plain ol’ EA Sports Active…because it was difficult to do while I was pregnant….and now I’m severely out of shape and my body and mind are in desperate need of some one to one attention from me. So here we go.

I’m going to be sore. I’m going to be tired. And it is going to be more than difficult to squeeze one more activity into my day. I have been giving it some thought and I think the best thing for me to do is to bite the bullet and try to work out WITH the kids…instead of fighting the uphill battle and trying to workout around their schedules. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Wish me luck as I begin this journey….again. I’ll need my Mommies to help push me on!!

Why is it so incredibly hard to lose weight and maintain our healthy lifestyle goals?  We try and we try….and many, many of us derail ourselves time and time again.  Maybe its time we look a little deeper… our habits, our lifestyles…what pitfalls could we avoid that we don’t even see coming?

Originally I was looking for the “not so obvious” pitfalls….because we all know the major culprits, right? NO!  Silly me!  What an assumption to make.  Some people don’t know…or haven’t been exposed to the information that some of us (ahem…me) obsess over regularly.  So I’m going to lay it out here…some of the old…and a couple of new things that I hadn’t ever thought about before.

Fad Diets

Any diet that drastically restricts your caloric intake or the types of foods you are eating for a long period of time is going to ultimately derail you.  Notice I said “for a long period of time”.  Sarah did a carb/sugar purge that is actually very beneficial to break down addictions and clean out your system.  It is not a long term restriction.  Much different.  Diets that eliminate portions of the food pyramid indefinitely can leave you craving those foods…and binging on them down the road.  You can also risk damage to your organs by overloading your system with too much of one type of nutrient.  For example, a diet that focuses mainly on proteins is going to overload your kidneys and your liver.

The other problem with fad diets…or very loosely planned diets is skipping meals…ultimately back loading all of your calories into the end of the day when you just can’t take it anymore.

The solution? What some of us have been saying all along: eat in moderation.  Eat a variety of foods…cover ALL of the food group requirements and eat throughout the day.  Don’t restrict yourself from the foods that you love..just eat them in moderation.  Julie will tell you time and again: Put what you want on your plate….then put half of it away for another time.

Social Situations

Work in an office? I bet you have a “snack room” or a “lunch room” where yummy, calorie laden food magically appears.  Every day you dutifully bring your carefully planned sack lunch to work…so why are you not losing weight?  Maybe because when you are tired, or stuck on a particular work point….you need to break up your mental monotony … so you stretch your legs…and end up in the snack room…only to see that Rich down the hall brought in donuts.  Eating just half of a donut won’t hurt, right?  Well what about later when you come back and eat another half…or “just a small piece” of the birthday cake they brought in for your boss?  What if you are craving some caffeine but the only soda left in the fridge is non-diet?

Stay at home with your kids? My biggest diet fail is inconsistency.  I’m so busy taking care of the kids half of the time that I realize its 3 and I haven’t eaten yet…so I sit down for some lunch.  What I fail to take into account is that I ate the little bit of eggs that Lilli left on her plate at breakfast…and half of B’s grilled cheese from lunch…and I grabbed a muffin on our way out the door to class…and, and, and…..

The Solution? Hold yourself accountable.  Put it in writing.  Just like our bank accounts…those “little” expenses add up to be a big deficit if there are too many of them.  The most successful program I’ve followed is Weight Watchers.  Why? Because you journal each and every thing you put in your mouth and you assign it a points value.  You can eat whatever you want to…but YOU have to plan it…YOU have to write it down and YOU have to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day.  If we become brutally aware of what we are eating…we are less likely to eat what is uneccesary.  If you have a daily caloric goal (points, whatever)…you are going to make yourself more aware of what you are eating.  I can crave a Blizzard from Dairy Queen until I look up the points value…is it worth it to put 16 of my daily 35 points into this ONE treat? Nope.

Relaxing

What?  Am I saying don’t relax? NO!!!  Actually…make SURE you relax.  Not sleeping and resting enough can cause your body to go into hibernation mode…and save every last calorie that you put into your body for a “rainy day”…or hibernation.

What I AM saying is watch how you relax.  Again…hold yourself accountable.  Families who spend a large amount of time watching television have substantially more weight and health issues than families who spend their free time in other ways.  Why?  Its not the sitting around part that is the problem, oddly enough…its the advertising and the fact that you aren’t paying attention when you do eat.  Children and adults who watch television are subjected to advertising which can subconsciously cause you to wander to the kitchen in search of a snack…even when you aren’t hungry.  Eating while you are watching television may cause you to eat without thinking….empty calories and too many of them!

The solution?

Plan activities for you and your family that don’t involve the television.  Pick a literary series and read them out loud to each other…plan one night a week for family game night.  Plan a healthy snack before you begin and prepare it so you don’t eat mindlessly.

So what can we do to help you avoid these pitfalls?  We can help you hold yourself accountable….and you can do the same for us!

Planning menus and journaling your food intake will drastically cut down on overeating, binging and general unhappiness with what you are eating.  We are opening a section of our forum where you can come and share what you ate for the day…share your goals, your outcomes…and get/receive encouragement from the rest of us!

Photo Courtesy of Dinner's On Me

This is sort of a no brainer, it seems to me.  The healthiest snacks you can have are fruits paired with a little bit of protein.  Sugar to boost you and protein to help sustain the energy!  Plain ol’ fruit and yogurt gets boring after a while…especially if you are trying to please kiddos at the same time so here are a few ideas I’ve gathered from Twitter and from my own childhood:

Frozen Bananas: My mom used to make these all the time when we were little and they are amazingly yummy.  On a stick or not…individually wrapped in saran these bananas will not brown as they freeze.  My mom used to dip them in chocolate first so they had a nice outer coating…I heard this week to dip them in yogurt (Yoplait Whips freeze nicely) and then roll them in nuts before freezing them and I think that sounds DIVINE!

Frozen Grapes/Blueberries: Eaten frozen these fruits will give you a little blast of cool, refreshing flavor that is (yes…I’m going to say it) better than ice cream!!  You can snack away and have none of the guilt.  Dip them in some yogurt to round out the snack.

Grapes and Sour Cream: Yes, you heard me.  Throw some grapes in bowl with a dollup of sour cream on top, sprinkled with a little brown sugar.  This looks pretty and tastes YUMMY…even though it sounds a little crazy.  The sour cream balances well with the sweet of the grapes and the sugar.

Apple O’s: Cut the core out of your apple then slice it into rings.  Spread a little peanut butter on the apple rings and make a little sandwich out of them.  Kids especially will LOVE this treat.

Just a couple of my favorite ideas for sprucing up your fruit snacks….what are some of yours??

Photo Courtesy of CookingLight.com

I found this recipe in Cooking Light back in 2006.  I absolutely love the way this cooks up so quickly…virtually no chopping or prep… and it makes the house smell WONDERFUL when you are cooking it up. Again, I use the meat/soy substitute, Quorn, for chicken in this recipe which lowers the calories/point intake even more.  This recipe says that it is a 4 serving size…but I’ve served 6 adults with it and had leftovers….an incredible amount of food!

Penne and Chicken with Spiced Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. ground fennel seed (I’ve not been able to find this so I use whole and crush it up a little)

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground corriander

1/4 tsp. ground black pepepr

1lb. chicken breast tenders, cut into 1″ pieces OR 1 package Quorn Meat alternative

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

4 cloves minced garlic (I’ve used fresh and pre-packaged…the already minced is much easier)

4 c. canned, diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. white wine (or white cooking wine)

8 oz. uncooked penne

1/4c. freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4c. fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and rub over chicken. (If you are using Quorn, you can pour the mixture over the frozen pieces and add to the pan that way.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat and add chicken.  Cook about 4 min, turning once. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic.  Cook roughly 30 seconds, until garlic is soft.  Add tomatoes and wine, scraping bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits (not likely if you use Quorn).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add chicken and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat.  The recipe says to toss pasta and sauce in a bowl and top with basil and cheese right before serving.  I’ve found that you can mix it in the skillet and keep it warm for a bit…making it an easy make ahead or make for company dish.  DO wait until you are ready to serve it to add the basil and the cheese.  Not only does it make a nice appearance when you are serving it but the flavor is amazing.

So what is the nutritional outlay for this dish?

With Chicken, cooking wine and a full Tbsp. olive oil you will have 9 Weight Watcher points per serving, or 446 calories and 7.2g of fat if you have 4 servings.  I will say again that this is MORE than enough for 6 people…at 6 servings the Weight Watchers points  per serving is 6, or 297 calories and 4.8g of fat .

With Quorn as a subsitute for the Chicken, you can also reduce the amount of olive oil that you use…adding a little cooking spray to cook the garlic.  Four servings will be 7 Weight Watchers points per serving.  Six Servings will be 5 points per serving.

This easy vegetarian lunch is super filling and is versatile enough that you can make a double batch and have it a couple of times!  Even my kids will eat this if I tone down the spices just a little.

Made with Jasmine rice this dish is 6 WW points per serving, with brown rice it is reduced to 5 WW points per serving.  I’ve also served this in smaller portions as a side dish with chicken and without the rice and wrapped in a tortilla.  By itself the bean and tomato mixture is only 2 WW Points per serving!!

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

1/2c. chopped white onion

4 cloves garlic, minced ( I cut this back drastically for the kids)

1Tbsp. olive oil

1 14.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5 oz can Mexican Style Stewed Tomatoes

1/8 – 1/4tsp. crushed red pepper

2c. prepared brown rice

Cook brown rice according to directions.

Cook garlic and onion in hot oil in medium sauce pan until translucent.  Add tomatoes, beans and crushed pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Last week I talked about Nintendo’s Personal Trainer: Walking for DS and we explored how many steps was “enough” in the course of a day. Much to my dismay I discovered that anything less than 5000 steps per day was considered a “sedentary lifestyle”.

So, how do we increase our daily steps? This week I did some exploring… this is what I learned:

20 min of walking or aerobic stepping will net you roughly 2000 steps.

2000 steps is the equivalent of roughly 1 mile.

If swimming is your thing, you can add 150 steps per day for each minute you swim.

But what if you aren’t going to add exercise to your routine? What if you are starting slowly and just want to find ways to add movement to your day to day activities? Here are some tips:

Add 3-500 steps to your day by parking in the spot furthest from the entrance at the grocery store. Double that by walking your cart all the way back into the store when you are finished shopping and loading your car.

When shopping for groceries, don’t skip the aisles that aren’t on your list. Quickly walk down them anyway. At my store of choice, Dillon’s, this adds 40 steps per aisle.

When you talk on the phone, walk around instead of sitting down.

If you are in an office…use the restroom or water cooler furthest from your desk.

What are your tips for adding extra steps to your day? What simple ways can you think of to get more movement into your life?

Do you have a Fitness post you’d like to share?  Want some extra support in your fitness/weight loss journey?  Check out Wii Mommies and link up…or sign up in our forum and  join the fun!  You don’t have to be a mom…you don’t even have to own a Wii…just have a desire to be healthy and part of a great community!

Who would think that cinnamon rolls would show up here in a post about healthy alternatives for meals??  Good ol’ Weight Watchers came through again with a recipe renovation for the warm, gooey treat.

I love to bake…and I love to have special breakfast for my family on the weekends, especially.  We used to buy those cans of premade cinnamon rolls and gorge ourselves silly….but you see where THAT got us!  These do take a little time … you have to wait on them to rise!!  But sooo worth it!  At 3 WW points per roll…they TOTALLY beat out the 9 point Pillsbury Grands that I did NOT eat just one of (yikes!).

Cinnamon Rolls

1c. fat-free skim milk

1Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. yeast (about 1 pkg)

2 1/2 c. All-purpose flour, sifted and divided

1/4c. unpacked brown sugar

1/4c. dark corn syrup

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. orange zest, grated

1/4c. raisins, dried cherries or cranberries

Stir together milk, vegetable oil, sugar and salt in a small saucepan.  Heat to lukewarm.  Pour yeast over 2 tbsp. lukewarm water and let sit 5 min.  Stir into milk mixture.

Transfer warm milk to a large mixing bowl and beat in half the flour by hand or with an electric mixer (I’m a big fan of my Kitchen Aid).  Mix in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Let rest 10 min; knead well on floured board or with an electric mixer and dough hook; let rest 10 min.

Spray a large, clean bowl with cooking spray, add dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.

Lightly coat a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle.  Spray with cooking spray.

Stir together brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest; brush over dough.  Sprinkle with raisins.  Roll up tightly, like a jelly roll.  Cut inot 12 pieces.  **I find it easiest to use a serrated knife or a piece of dental floss!  Put the floss under the roll and then criss-cross it on top…pull it through quickly!

Place the buns cut-side up in baking pan.  Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Bake rolls until firm and nicely browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Cool completely before inverting onto a serving plate.

Enjoy!!

If you follow the Wii Mommies at all…you have heard us talking about Personal Trainer: Walking
for the Nintendo DS.  I’m not going to spend time reviewing it for you here…there are several awesome reviews you can read at Momspective, Real Life Blog, and at The Dad’s Center.  I’m here today to talk to you about the nitty-gritty… how does this work? What do we need to do to make the most of this great new tool?

Like everyone else I know who is using this new game to keep moving…my husband and I are in competition to see who walks more steps during the day.  I’m pleased to say that I am in the lead…proving once and for all (?) that I don’t JUST sit around all day watching Soaps and eating BonBons.   What I am enjoying is not only the tracking of my steps…but the ability to see what my movement looks like throughout the day.  Am I resting like I should be to keep my pregnancy in check? Am I sitting too much?  Do I push hard and then crash?  Its very easy to see patterns in my behavior…or “Life Rhythms” when I look at the graph on the DS each night.

So I can see my patterns…and track my steps.  The Personal Trainer sets a default goal of 3000 steps per day….but how much should I be walking? What is a decent amount of steps to be taking and what should I do to increase my activity?  These are all questions that I’ve been asked over the past three weeks as I talk to everyone I possibly can about Personal Trainer: Walking.

So I cracked open my computer and began to search…to see what research has been done…to see how much we really should be moving…is it the 3000 steps a day that the Personal Trainer defaults to?  Not. Even. Close.

The best article I found was on About.Com based on research published in a 2004 issue of Sports Medicine by Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke.  I find About.com a reliable source of information…their health and fitness articles are reviewed by their medical review board…a board of certified medical professionals.

Based on the idea that 10,000 steps a day is an active lifestyle…the article breaks down your number of steps into lifestyle patterns like this:

*Under 5000 steps per day is qualified as a “Sedentary Lifestyle”

*5,001 – 7,499 steps per day is considered a “normal” activity level exclusive of sports/exercise.  This would be considered “Low Activity Lifestyle”

*7,500 -9,999 steps per day accounts for daily activity that includes some exercisze/walking or a job that includes more daily walking.  This is a “Somewhat Active Lifestyle”

*10,000 steps a day is the referrence point used to qualify people as having an “Active Lifestyle”

*Anything over 12,500 steps per day is considered a “Highly Active Lifestyle”

“Whhhaaa??”"  I have a lot of work to do.

So what do you do if you are a sedentary person trying to increase your walking?  You don’t want to set yourself up for failure.  A person who walks 3000 steps per day isn’t going to jump to 10,000 with no complications or much success.  What is a person to do?  This article suggests that you wear your pedometer and track your steps/activity for several days to determine your average steps per day.  Then slowly increase your steps by 2-3000 steps per day.  This is the equivalent of 20-30 minutes of walking.  That is NOT much time to step up your activity level!  When that becomes average…step it up again (pun intended).

Adding 2000 steps per day to your routine can keep you from gaining weight.  6000 steps per day promotes a lower risk of death and 10,000 steps per day promotes weight loss.  2000 steps is approximately 1 mile.  You don’t have to walk that mile all at once, however, to reap the benefits of the steps.  Broken up over the course of a day you will still benefit from being a more active individual.

The recipe sounds amazing…and I’m a big fan of quick breads and this is one I hadn’t thought of.  I love that it includes whole wheat flour.  If you make Sarah’s Recipe as is and account for 18 servings per loaf (I can make 18 muffins out of a quick bread recipe…that is how I judge my serving size) you will have 4 WW points per serving.

I did a post a couple of months ago about Cooking Smarts: easy ways to cut the fat and calories in your baking and cooking… if you apply those tactics here…you can reduce these to 2 WW points per serving by substituting applesauce for the oil.  To make this a little more shocking…there are 38 WW points in 2/3c of vegetable oil … and 1WW point in 2/3c natural, unsweetened applesauce.  AMAZING.

This will make an awesome afternoon snack for you and your family…or a quick breakfast on the go!  Like I said earlier…I like to make my quick breads in muffin tins… it makes designated portion sizes and is quick and easy on the run.

31 weeks and counting!!  This morning is my ob appointment and I’ll get my weigh in.  Two weeks ago…before I left for BlogHer I was 13lbs. from my start weight.  I’m gaining about 1lb a week… which is the general rule for this stage of pregnancy.  So why do I feel lousy?

Because I’m pregnant.  LOL.  That and my OB set a goal for me to only gain 15 pounds.  I’m not going to make it.  My own goal was 20lbs…I’m not going to make that either, I’m afraid…but I’ll be close.  If I continue at this rate I will have a total gain of 23lbs.  This should be amazing to me…not dissapointing.  TWENTY-THREE POUNDS.  That is a hell of a long way from the 60+ I’ve gained in previous pregnancies.

I’ve been derailed in my plans to exercise.  Contractions keep me less active than I would like.  I’m thrilled to be using the Personal Trainer: Walking for Nintendo DS because it is making me aware of exactly how much I rest and don’t rest…how sedentary I am.  But I’m staying on track with my eating.  This is a major accomplishment and a success due in no small part to the Wii Mommies and all of the support and accountability I have through this group.

So find my tweets, my posts… all based on keeping me healthy and on track in these last few weeks of pregnancy and beyond.  I need YOUR help as well…it is through the success and trials of everyone around me that I stay motivated … that I continue to see a goal at the end of this journey…one that seems obtainable.

That is what this is all about, really.  Support…friendship…accountability.  Without these things each of us would be fighting an uphill battle.

So…if you find yourself struggling to stay healthy, strugglingn to lose weight…check out Wii Mommies blog and forum.  You don’t have to be a Mom…you don’t have to own an Wii   It is a place to find all kinds of support and encouragement.  You can follow us on twitter through the hashtag #wiimoms .  Have a blog?  Post your trials…your successes…then link up with us on Fitness Fridays and get even more support from those around you.

This recipe gives you a great cream flavor, without the fat and calories that usually accompany a cream dish.  The strong flavor of the mustard is something I was leery of…but even my kids enjoy this one!

Tilapia in Mustard Cream Sauce

• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  ounce  portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons  whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard

Sprinkle fish with thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish; cook 1 minute on each side.

Add broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until mushrooms are tender. Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

Add cream and mustard to pan; stir with a whisk until well combined. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce over fish.

I like to serve this with asparagus or some other bright green veggie…really helps to balance out the color and the flavors.

One serving of this dish is 184 cal; 4.6g fat.  It is 4 Weight Watchers Points.  Served with asparagus adds 1 point.  Add some wild rice and you have an additional 3 points per serving.  You have a very filling, pretty  meal for 8 points!

I originally got this idea from a recipe at Weight Watchers…but I’ve modified it quite a bit to my own liking.  I use Morningstar Farms or Bocca crumbles instead of burger and always make sure to use some kind of leafy green lettuce instead of iceberg.  The dark green veggies like leafy green, romaine or spinach have so much more nutritional value to you than iceberg lettuce…which works well as a filler.

Because half of the appeal of food is how it looks…I like to serve this in my trifle bowl…its pretty when you layer it together.

Taco Salad

1pkg meat substitute (ie Bocca, Morningstar Farms, Quorn)

1pkg taco seasoning

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. frozen corn, thawed

4c. (about 1.2 head) chopped leafy green or romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2c. fat free shredded cheese

1 sm can sliced olives, drained

1 bunch green onions, sliced

That’s it!  Layer them in the order listed for a fantastic summer treat!  This makes an ENORMOUS 4 servings at 4points each.  Realistically…you can make 6 servings out of this for 3 point per serving.

I like to add a combination of Kraft Free Catalina Dressing and Taco Sauce as my salad dressing to spice it up a little bit…at 1tbsp. each this adds another one-half point.

This is so filling, and with good greens it is very crunchy…I don’t find the need to add tortilla chips or any other to the mix.  Some other additions would be sour cream, guacamole or straight avocado…but again, whatever you put on…you are adding more points to your meal.  I find this so yummy as is I’m pleased not to cover the flavor with additional ingredients.

Well…its been a while…but the Wii Mommies are back to their Twitter Party ways…and let me tell you….we are doing it RIGHT!

To celebrate our trip to BlogHer courtesy of the EA Sports Active team… we are throwing a Twitter Party on Thursday, July 16 from 8-10pm EST.  As always…our prizes have proven to be fantastic!!  You can check out the different prizes on all of our sites.  To find out all of the details on this fabulous party…and to find out HOW to attend a Twitter Party…visit the Wii Mommies website.

Julie has an incredible Collector’s Edition Harry Potter Game set…that’s right…the just released Harry Potter game.

Sarah is giving away a copy of the EA Sports Active…we all are so pleased with what this game can do…we thought we should give away another one!

Our Grand Prize?  Visit the Wii Mommies home page and you can register to win a Platinum Edition Hoover Bagless Upright!  Julie reviewed one and is in love….you can’t miss the chance to win one of these!!

What can you win from yours truly??  How about the Sims 3 Collector’s Edition?!  This game is SOLD OUT online and is a hot commodity…and you can win it here!!

What do you do to get entered to win these fabulous prizes?  See the details for the other giveaways on their corresponding sites…as for me…

The Following are REQUIRED to gain entry into the giveaway… please leave one comment letting me know you have completed them:

1)Follow Me on Twitter…it IS a Twitter Party after all.

2)Must be a member of the Wii Mommies forum.  Leave your forum ID in the comments.  Remember..you don’t have to be a Mommy to be a member of our forum!! You don’t even have to own a Wii!  Just have the desire to get and stay fit!

3)The only other requirement (besides being a US Resident over the age of 18) is that you have to be present and active during the #wiimoms Twitter party on July 16, 2009 from 8-10 PM EST.  We’re not saying you have to attend the entire 2 hour party, but we will verify that the winner was present and active at the end of the evening and re-draw once the party ends if the winner chosen does not participate.

That’s it!

Want additional entries?  Leave one comment for EACH item that qualifies you for an additional entry.

*Tweet this giveaway and use the hashtag #wiimoms.  One tweet per day..include a link to the tweet in your comment.

*Post about this giveaway on Facebook.  One post per day, please include a link in your comment.

*Add SuperJenn to your blogroll…if you already have me linked as The Coupon Coup…update it and that will count!  Leave a link in your comment!

*Add my button to your site…if you already have it, make sure it has been updated to SuperJenn instead of The Coupon Coup.

It goes a little bit further than that, however. Its really important to have support at home, as well. Often our spouses, our children…don’t understand and make it more difficult for us to accomplish our goals. This is the way it is at my house. While my husband loves and supports me…he doesn’t have the same drive that I do for weight loss…and can/will only follow a plan if I lay it out in pieces for him. This is really frustrating for me.

Struggling as I have been the last few months to keep my pregnancy weight gain to a minimum…I don’t feel successful, I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing anything…and I’m VERY anxious about meeting so many of you in just THREE weeks at BlogHer. What will you think? This very round Wii Mommy…

So today, on his day off…my husband and I packed up the kids bright and early…and we took them to his brother’s house. His brother and my pregnant sister in law took on our two kids along with their own toddler so that we could go shopping, uniterrupted.

Then my husband proceeded to spend over 2 hours in Motherhood Maternity with me… pulling out every single thing he could find that “might” work…and many that he just hoped would appease me… listening to my snide comments…stepping back when I hormonally snapped at him because only *I* can make those jokes…and holding my hand when I was on the verge of tears.

And do you know…that through all of this he maintained composure…showing a strength of character and strong will that I didn’t know existed. I put this man through the RINGER…as I am NOT in the proper state of mind to be shopping.

Then to follow it up….he took me to a tanning salon that does spray on tanning…(he has been on my case about being pasty…see more about THAT on Tuesday)…and sat in the car for half an hour while I got it all figured out. And he only referred to me as “Ross” once. He just couldn’t resist.

My point in telling you all of this…is to remind you again of how important it is to continue to support each other. Eric being with me today didn’t make me any thinner, didn’t make me any more comfortable in my current body…but it did make me feel like I could get through it… like there was a light at the end of this pregnancy…and that, my friends, makes all the difference in the world.

Need some support of your own? Want to read some stellar inspirational stories of fitness and weight loss? Visit the Wii Mommies and read other Fitness Friday posts…then hop on over and join our forum…you just never know what you will find there.

I’m going to use this opportunity to share with you some healthy recipes, some great ways to save money on healthy food, and how to bring more healthy into your kitchen. Over the next four months I will rotate Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks each week…hopefully passing on some great ideas!

This week I’m going to share a breakfast dish I discovered about a month ago on The Thrifty Mama. This recipe for baked oatmeal can be found originally at $5 Dinners. It is quick, healthy, and inexpensive…and everyone in my family loves it!

This recipe is so flexible, you can add whatever fruit you want and it will be fantastic. We used blueberries this time and served it with vanilla yogurt.

My husband topped his off with some crushed strawberries that I was preparing to make jam with and thought that was pretty tasty.

The original recipe can be found at $5 Dinners it is super simple, just oats, eggs, sugar, applesauce and fruit..a little baking soda and some salt…. The Thrifty Mama suggests that you can substitute yogurt for applesauce in the recipe…I’ve tried it both ways and we liked it better when we baked it with applesauce. We’ve also cut the recipe in half and found that is a better meal size for our family of four. We just baked it in an 8 x 8 glass pan.

I entered this recipe into the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder…half of a recipe with a full cup of blueberries and 1% milk and got 3 points per serving for six servings in an 8 x8 pan. Add to this whatever topping you choose to use…it still makes for a very healthy, filling, low points breakfast!

The most expensive part of this meal for us what the blueberries which cost about $2.50 for a bag of frozen… you could use whatever fruit you have on hand…apples, strawberries, raisins… if it is in season it will be even LESS expensive.

This is a big hit in our family…I hope it is in yours!

First of all…if you deprive yourself of the things that you love while you are trying to get fit or loose weight, you will be fighting a losing battle. The best thing you can do for yourself is to allow yourself the occasional treat… and practice portion control.

The Edy’s ice cream come in individual sized cartons. You can enjoy a cool summer treat without over indulging. What could be better??

How about the fact that these little gems are nearly FREE? At my Target, single serving containers of Edy’s Ice Cream are priced at $1.19 each. Target has a printable coupon available for $1/1 Edy’s Ice Cream that does not specify a size…making these $0.19 each!

Enjoy!

I was so optimistic this pregnancy…maybe a little bit in denial. When I was pregnant with Lilli I was on bedrest from 19 weeks on because I was having contractions that landed me in the hospital. Nothing EVER came of those contractions but for a wee little bit of dilation. Let’s say “Irritable Uterus”. A better description would be “irritating uterus”. So here we are with #3 and I’m thinking that exercise and less weight gain will help me avoid that complication again…but I was wrong.

Maybe its that I started 18lbs over my previous start weight…maybe its that I’m getting OLD (I will be 35 in August) or maybe its just the way I’m built. I’ve been having fairly regular contractions since I hit the 18 week mark, 5 weeks ago. I was thinking that doing the EA Sports Active would be okay with just the upper body and dance routines..a little Wii Fit FreeStep on the side…but in reality I can only do that about every 3 days or so…and that is the ONLY thing I can do that day…no shopping, no housecleaning, nothing else or I’m in some serious trouble…and I’m generally worn out the next day as well. Am I that out of shape? Other pregnant women are working out and getting fit!!

NOW…that being said…it is also important to know that I am completely at peace with the well being of my baby and my pregnancy. I’ve delivered 2 healthy, full term babies..this one will be no different. I get my cervix checked via sono on a regular basis to make sure nothing crazy is going on. It is just annoying…and a little painful.

So there it is…I’ve unburdened my soul…I feel *slightly* better. I’m just unable to work as hard as the rest of you right now…but darn it if I’m not holding on to your every struggle and success to get me through and keep me motivated to burn all of this off once this little boy arrives!

All whining aside…I AM doing SO MUCH BETTER this pregnancy than I did with either of my other two…its just that pesky 18lbs extra I started with that is making it not seem so. Today I am 23 weeks pregnant (26 if you ask me LOL) …and to date I have gained 8lbs. EIGHT! That is unheard of for me. I would really like to have my total weight gain for this month be 3 lbs, not 4 ..and I have one week to go *gulp*…wish me luck.

To see some REALLY fit folks giving it their all…visit the Wii Mommies. Have a fitness goal of your own? Grab our button and BLOG IT! Then come on over on Fitness Fridays and link up your story! Need some support or advice? Join us in our Forum. This ain’t just for Mommies you know!

Well the time has come!! The Wii Mommies are taking a short detour in our mission to Fitness this week…everyone has been working so hard…its time for a little play! In just 4 weeks we will be hosting a giant Mario Kart Race!

Starting this Monday, June 15th members of the Wii Mommies Forum can begin to register for The Big Mario Kart Race. What’s that? Not a member of the forum? What are you waiting for?? Not only will you be able to join in the Mario Kart racing fun…but you can get support in all of your fitness ventures! You don’t even have to be a Mom to join!

Here are some benefits to joining the Wii Mommies Forum:

* Support from nearly 750 members with goals just like yours: To get fit…to get and stay healthy!
* Tips and tricks as well as recipes that will help you cook for a more healthy you and your family!
* Your own personal therapist! Ok…sort of. We have an entire “On the Couch” section of our forum where you can look for support in areas not directly related to weight loss and fitness…but which absolutely affect your ability to accomplish your goals!
* Exposure! The next 8 people in our forum to reach over 100 legitimate posts will get their blog’s RSS feed routed straight into the forum. After that…it will take 200 posts to get your feed linked in.
* Don’t forget…access to the Greatest Mario Kart Race on Earth!!

Ok…so next week, Monday June 15 through Friday June 19th you can sign up for The Big Race.

In order to register and play you will need to following things:
* Be a member of the forum
* Have access to Nintendo WFC (internet access)
* Have a Mario Kart Driver’s License Number to enter at registration (see Julie’s Post)

That’s it!

Some of our details are up in the air…and will be subject to how many people we have register for the race. We will release You will be divided into teams of either 6 or 12.

Each team will have a Captain designated by the Wii Mommies.

The races will be run on the standard courses on the Nintendo Wii Mario Kart game. This way you don’t have to worry about unlocking courses or characters in order to race…and you will not be hit with a course you’ve never raced before (unless you don’t practice!!) when it is time to race.

All races will be VS races… no Coin Runners this time. We will run a cup series in order to determine winners and team Captains will verify the winners for us. Courses and series will not be announced until the day of the race! (Gotta keep it interesting!)

Here is the schedule:
June 15 – 19th : The Big Race: Mario Kart registration in the Wii Mommies Forum

Week of June 22nd: We will announce the number of participants and assign team captains.

Friday, June 26th: We will announce teams and “brackets”. A special section of our forum will be open that will list all participants by team and their Mario Kart Driver’s License Number. This will allow you to begin registering each other on the Nintendo WFC. We will register by DL numbers ONLY…not personal Wii registration.

Monday, June 29th: We will announce the actual dates and times of the races.

Friday July 3rd: Deadline to have your act together! You must have everyone’s DL numbers registered on your Wii by this point or you will not be allowed to participate.

Week of July 6th: THE BIG RACE

You can use the hashtag #thebigrace along with #wiimoms to tweet about this on Twitter. You can practice online with other members of the forum…and you can meet up with your team to practice once they have been announced. If you have questions or problems, tweet them or leave them in the forum and we will do our best to help you out!

Not a great gamer? Don’t worry! Neither are we!! Sarah has a great post that will get you started on Mario Kart Racing…with some tips and tricks to help bring out your inner Indy Driver.

I was super excited that the beginning of the 30 day challenge fell during Julie’s visit to Kansas. I’m getting a little nervous about my own exercise routines with my pregnancy. I’ve had complications in the past and I’m sort of treading on thin ice as it is..so I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my pregnancy or my ability to work out. So I was thrilled that she would be here and I could use her experience with the EA Sports Active to help me customize a challenge workout that would be both safe and beneficial.

When we got the profile set up we headed straight into the challenge. Julie was showing me how to customize the workout and how to x out the things I shouldn’t be doing….and we kept x’ing and x’ing… and when we were finished…we had an 11 minute workout that had a target caloric burn of around 75. Oops. That wasn’t going to do anyone any good.

So we played around for a little while and decided that the best bet for me right now was to do the upper body workouts that are separate from the 30 day challenge. I take great issue with my arms and their flabbiness and in a pregnancy where I have little control over my body…this seems like an area I should be able to actually see some progress in.

I will be following the schedule of the 30 day challenge (I’m on Day 4 today)… and attempting to use the Wii Fit at LEAST on my “off” days to do some aerobic exercise.

I’ve found the upper body exercises…at low intensity…to do a fabulous job of exposing my weakness!! My arms were hurting as I did the first day of exercises. Julie kept asking me if anything else hurt…could I “feel the burn” anywhere else. The only thing I could think of was that my front-heavy self wasn’t liking the bent rows very much and it made my back hurt.

I discovered on Tuesday what she was talking about. My back was ACHING…in a good way! I can feel across my shoulders and down the sides of my back muscles that have been neglected. I’m having more and more trouble with my posture the more my tummy grows…and I felt strength in my posture that I haven’t felt in a couple of months!

Julie and I made a vlog of my Day One experience…but, true to form, I haven’t finished editing it yet. I’ll try to get it up and running before the day is over! It will be good for a laugh, no doubt!

I also want to take a moment to invite you all to visit Frugalicious Mommy and welcome her to the Wii Mommies forum! She and I are sharing many similarities in our pregnancies…both pregnant with #3 … we are due just weeks apart from each other… and we both love our wii fits! The difference, I believe, is that she looks pretty in shape to me!! ANYWAY…I have tweeted and tweeted to find another preggo taking the 30 day challenge to no avail.

I received an extra copy of EA Sports Active to give away to anyone I chose to be a workout buddy…so I thought what better than to add another preggo to the blogroll! Virginia will be joining us next week on the challenge once she receives her Active!

I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about the 30 day challenge…about your own fitness quests… about pregnancy or fitness in general!

Want some support on your journey to a more fit you? Check out the Wii Mommies website and forum and see what all of the fuss is about! Find your niche and receive much needed support to help you achieve your goals!