Battle of The Cheese Wedges: Weight Watchers Brand vs. The Laughing Cow Brand

Ask anyone who knows even just a little about me and they'll all tell you my favorite food is....say it with me....CHEESE!  I love just about every kind of cheese, except the stinky/moldy kind.  I knew when I started my journey to healthier living that my relationship with cheese was going to have to change.  Seriously, and I'm not proud of this - but I could sit and eat an ENTIRE block of sharp cheddar cheese.  All of it.  I freaking love it that much.  World's best snack?  Cheese & crackers.  Best way to jazz up just about any recipe?  Add cheese.  Favorite pizza topping?  Extra cheese.

The problem is that if you don't moderate your intake of cheese or any food, really - your body will rebel.  Food is meant to be consumed in moderation, not in entire blocks of cheese.  So, I cut back some and then discovered these spreadable cheese wedges.  They're great melted in pasta (thank you, Hungry Girl, for the idea!) if you're a mac & cheese type (seriously?  Who isn't a mac & cheese type?) and they're absolutely wonderful spread on to a Bagel Thin for breakfast.

But which brand is better?  Weight Watchers, or Laughing Cow?  Read on, and find out what I think!

Weight Watchers Brand
Judging from the research I did, the Weight Watchers brand of spreadable cheese wedges come in several delicious-sounding flavors:  Original Swiss, Parmesan Peppercorn, Jalapeno Pepper, and Garlic and Herb.  My local supermarket (a large multi-tasking store type chain) carries only the Original Swiss and Jalapeno Pepper varieties.  They are both very good, have a mild flavor and are spreadable as the package suggests.  They come with six in a package and at my particular supermarket cost $2.68 per package.  All varieties are 1 PointsPlus per cheese wedge. I really enjoy them.




The Laughing Cow Brand
According to their website, The Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges come in a host of different flavors: Original Creamy Swiss, Light Creamy Swiss, Light Garlic & Herb, Light French Onion (my personal fav), Light Queso Fresco and Chipolte, Light Blue cheese, and Light Mozzarella w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil.  Seriously, they sound fantastic, right?  Well, my supermarket (keep in mind, my town's population hovers somewhere near 7,500) only carries The Original Creamy Swiss, Light Creamy Swiss, Light French Onion and occasionally the Light Mozzarella w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil.  I have tried all but the latter, and they're really all fantastic.  I have taken a particular shine to the Light French Onion.  It is incredible spread on a piece of toast with a fried egg over top.  Or spread on to 12 baked cheese crackers.  I double checked the nutrition stats for all of their varieties (even the Original Creamy Swiss) and all varieties of this product are also 1 PointsPlus on the Weight Watchers system.  I adore this product....all of the varieties I have chosen have been excellent.  In my supermarket, they retail for $2.98 per package.



So which would I recommend?  I will, from now on go with The Laughing Cow brand.  Although the cost is higher, The Laughing Cow brand comes with 8 wedges to a container.  Each wedge of The Laughing Cow brand is 21grams.  Each wedge of the Weight Watchers brand?  Only 19 grams.


For me, one wedge of the LC brand (which is 2 grams larger than the WW brand) costs around 37 cents.  Each wedge of the WW brand costs around 45 cents. Each package of the WW brand contains 114 grams of cheese.  Each package of The Laughing Cow brand contains 168 grams of cheese.  I'm no math whiz, but that means The Laughing Cow brand cheese wedges contain 54 grams more of cheese than their WW counterpart.

Sometimes, folks, it's all about the math.  These cheese wedges are an awesome way to curb cheese cravings and can be used in so many different ways - melted into scrambled eggs, as a topping for a bagel, melted into hot cooked pasta, as a topping for crackers, spread on to vegetables.....they are very versatile.  But for my money?  I'll be going for The Laughing Cow from now on.




**** Disclaimer:  I was not compensated for this review in any way.  These are all my own personal opinions.  So there!

The Secret To Whooping A Day Into Shape (I'm Not Trying)

I'm going to tell all of you what it takes to truly take a day and make it yours.  It's painfully simple and excruciatingly complex.  All it takes is a positive attitude and a little confidence in yourself.  I've said before that I believe that weight loss is about 20% science (calories in vs. calories out) and 80% mental / emotional.  When we truly believe we can succeed, we succeed.  When we truly believe there's a chance to fail, we'll fail every time.

Riding the high of self-confidence now doesn't mean that in the future something won't happen to point me back to my old ways.  It's very easy to slip back into "What The Hell" mode.  It's comfortable.  It's what we know.  But true strength is forged OUTSIDE of our comfort zone.  It's earned through figurative and literal blood, sweat, and tears.  When we feel strong it's like a badge of honor, as well it should be.

Me?  I'm not going to try anymore.  A wise Muppet once said, "Do or do not.  There is no try."  When we use the word "try," we offer a chance of failure right in the front door.  Failure is like a vampire.  It can't come in unless we invite it.  And saying we're going to "try" something means, "Eh....I'll do a little of the required work, but if it doesn't pan out then who cares."  I'm not going to try succeeding.  I'm going to do it.

"I never try anything, I just do it." 

-Varla, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

30 Pounds Lost Incentive Earned / Self-Control

I reached the 30 pounds lost mark this past week and yesterday I collected my prize!  We dropped the girls off at grandma's house and went out on a wonderful date!  We headed to them movie theater to see Thor at 10am.  Can I just tell you that I LOVE the 10:00 show?  We both got in to see a 3D movie (which always carries that stupid extra surcharge) for $13.  FOR BOTH OF US.  That's not being cheap, that's being smart.  After seeing Thor (which was awesome, by the way.  Chris Hemsworth This piece of cinema is worth feasting your eyes on for 2+ hours.

After that, we headed to lunch with some friends.  We'd decided on TGI Friday's as we hadn't been there in many years and thought we'd give it a try.  My husband ordered a delicious looking BBQ Chicken wrap with fries (which looked yummy), and the couple we were with ordered some sufficiently yummy looking food as well.  I ordered the "Dragonfire Chicken" which was one of their "RPRP" (right portion right price) meals.  I also ordered a blackberry margarita.  It was a normal sized one, but I realized once and for all I don't really like margaritas.  I think it has something to do with the dreadful tequila they use to make them.   Anyway, I was pleasantly happy that my ENTIRE meal (sans drink) was only 11 PointsPlus, according to the nutritional information on their website (they do not list fiber values, however).  ELEVEN.  The chicken, which had this delicious kung-pao sauce with it was fantastic.  It came with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.  I couldn't have been more pleased.  I highly recommend it.  The cocktail - not so much.

Today was Mother's Day and my husband and daughters went the distance to make it an extra special day for me.  My husband cooked breakfast AND washed the dishes (thank you, dear!) and the girls had some wonderful gifts.  I did not track what I ate today, but as most Weight Watchers folks do, I mentally tallied points.  I figure I used about 4 -5 of my weekly points today.  I made sensible choices and felt like a "normal" person.  I didn't stress about food.  I just enjoyed my family.  That's what it's all about, y'all.  I will, however, be back to tracking tomorrow!!

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children"
        - William Makepeace Thackeray

Here's to all the moms out there who do their best every day to live up to the image their children have of them.

Fresh Starts / Feeling in Control vs. Feeling Powerless

I've spent the better part of the past 4 days not making the best choices, not tracking a good portion of my food and generally being in "who gives a crap" mode.  Last week I had a loss of 3.8 - somehow in my mind that equals "relax" instead of "keep it up!"

I sometimes think, in the throes of a binge, that it feels "good" to relax the weight loss journey a bit and just "live a little."  It's amazing how the concept of that phrase changes, isn't it?  Being out of control and not taking responsibility for your actions is not truly living.  I always feel like it's nice to have a day every once in a while where I just don't track anything and eat whatever the hell I want.  Like I've got my old life back.

But you know what?  It's all smoke and mirrors.  Having those days has the exact opposite effect on me.  It fills me with shame and guilt.  It makes me feel weak and powerless.  It makes me feel so...."less than."  That bloated, stuffed feeling serves as a reminder of who I used to be.  I am honestly not that girl anymore.

I have noticed that when I am on a downward slide and I start getting lazy, what usually stops it is when I have a full out binge.  Why is that?  Do I really have to be faced with such a low point to remember what it feels like? 

Today I woke up BRAND NEW.  I was ready to take on the day and make it mine.  I went to the gym and met a friend there, which was really nice.  I bested my time getting to 2 miles on the elliptical (17:03!!!) and then did 3.5 miles on the bike, a good bit of weight training and even half a mile on the treadmill.  Beth told me she could see my weight loss progress.  That felt good!  I gotta tell you - after leaving the gym I felt sore and INVINCIBLE. 

I tracked EVERYTHING I ate.  And we had even planned pizza for dinner.  Guess what I did for the first time ever?  Instead of having 2 pieces and blowing a shit-ton of points, I had one piece and a big salad, and I felt really good about that.

The common thread here is, no matter how good I think it's going to feel to binge and eat whatever feelings I'm feeling - it feels a million times better to be in control and responsible.  Spoken like a true mom, eh?  It's so true for me.  I felt like I was on top of the world today.  I tracked my food intake and had an honest number when I was done with the day.  No fudging the numbers.  That's mostly why I haven't logged anything in the "What I Eat" tab lately.  I couldn't be honest so I didn't put anything at all. 

I don't expect any sort of miracle on the scale on Monday.  But I chose to take the power back today.  I chose to make this day a day full of success and not shame.  I choose to remember why I'm doing this all in the first place - not to be a certain pants size, not to have the scale show me a certain number - but to FEEL good.  To do all the things I've always wanted to do.  I love myself.  I love my life.  It's time to keep showing myself that that's all true. 4 days of poor choices does not determine my fate.  I do.

Easiest Way To Survive A Holiday Meal

Holiday meals (in this case for me, Easter Dinner), are awesome.  So many delicious foods to sample, desserts to gorge on, and this time of year - C A N D Y!!!!

Here's some simple advice on how to survive a holiday meal with your sanity (and nutritional goals) intact:  ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE.  This year, I planned the menu with my mother in law, who is totally supportive of what I'm doing here.  On the menu?  Roasted chicken (yum)!  And I made baked potato wedges, steamed asparagus, lightened up deviled eggs, and brought dinner rolls.  My MIL made this completely and utterly awe-inspiring Dreamsicle Dessert.   I pre-planned what (and the amount) I would have of each thing and there was NO stress. 

I was able allowed myself to enjoy the experience of being with my family and my MIL, of watching the kids on their egg hunt, of having a nice (and not overdone - we usually have two to three times the amount of food we had today) meal with 4 of the most important people in my life.

This is the first holiday meal.... EVER ...... that was not a binge fest.  Where I didn't sneak back into the kitchen for one more bite....two more bites.....seven more bites.  It was heavenly!

Feeling in control is truly a wonderful feeling.

Oh and did I mention that I even had CANDY? 

Happy Easter / Passover, everyone!

Absenteeism / Wedding Day Jitters

The Fam & I at the wedding

I've been an absent blogger, I know it.  My last update was Thursday, which is unlike me.  But, I guess I just needed a break.  I don't know as I feel refreshed so much as ready to get back at it.  Thursday's post took a lot out of me emotionally and maybe I just wasn't ready to come back until now.

But what I have to tell you about is EPIC.  My father-in-law and his girlfriend of many, many years tied the knot yesterday.  It was a very special day in their lives and my wonderful husband actually performed the ceremony for his father and new step-mother.  As you're all well aware, with weddings traditionally comes lots of food and drink and this wedding was no different.  There was a lot of food and a lot of free beer to be had.  For a few days leading up to the festivities I was actually a bit nervous, but mostly because I didn't know what I was going to wear to the thing.

I did end up buying a new blouse for the wedding and I was SO FREAKING EXCITED that I went down a size in shirts.  That was a nice feeling.

I am happy to report I didn't binge.  And while I did have 3 1/2 alcoholic drinks AND a small piece of cake, I didn't even go over my daily Weight Watchers points.  I was so busy visiting with people and having a good time that food hardly even crossed my mind.  It felt so good to be in control of myself.  I got compliments on my weight loss (and my well-behaved kids!) and the whole event was just a lot of fun.  I wish my father in law and his new wife all the best.  I couldn't have had a nicer day.

Shakeology Day 1 Wrap Up (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly)

Well, I'm still alive and that counts for something, right? All in all, my first day of the Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse wasn't horrible. I came to a lot of realizations today, namely:

I EAT LIKE A HOG WHEN I PREPARE FOOD.

Seriously, I always kind of new I was a "taster" when I'm cooking (and believe you me, I freaking LOVE to cook). But today really brought to light how MUCH I do it. As I was preparing lunch for my own daughter and my daycare children I realized that no less than 10 times did I have to stop my hand from bringing some unneeded food to my mouth. And that's just making lunch for kids. I also noticed it when I was preparing dinner for my own family. If I could substitute carrot sticks, or celery sticks (I love both) and water for that snacking, that would be much better than what I have been doing. How many calories have I consumed over the years doing this? It all goes back to my dieting myth of "If nobody sees you eat it, it doesn't count." And , "If it's shaped like a circle that means it has zero calories."

Also:

3 CUPS OF SALAD AND 4 OUNCES OF PROTEIN (chicken, in my case) SEEMS LIKE A LOT

....especially when all you've had to eat all day was 2 Shakeology shakes and some water. It was a fantastic, wonderful salad and I look forward to the one from tomorrow as well.

Those things were good. Here's a "bad":

I couldn't get down my 3rd Shakeology of the day. Maybe the mistake I made was trying to drink it without having blended it with ice. But the texture just stuck in my throat and I just couldn't do it. So Livestrong.com is telling me I've only had 560 calories today. Can that be right?

I'm ready to start tomorrow. I hope the texture thing works itself out with the Shakeology. I'll go back to using a frozen banana in my shake for the morning and see how it goes.


The Ugly:
I don't have anything ugly to say about the experience! I was really terrified nervous before starting the cleanse. And there have been moments today where I've told myself, "You can't do this. It's too hard." This is where I push through and make myself BELIEVE I can do this.

Shakeology, Day 1 (Morning)

I'm starting the 3 day cleanse today with Shakeology. So far, so good. They recommend that you start the day with green or detox tea. I hate tea, so that was really a struggle to get down. Kind of made me want to vomit. But with a water chaser it was quickly forgotten. Then I made my Shakeology of the morning....it's chocolate flavored and you blend it with 8 to 10 oz of water. I chose to have my mid-morning fruit WITH my breakfast Shakeology and put a frozen banana in with the shake. I blended it with some ice to make it thicker. I've to to say, I'm VERY pleasantly surprised with it. It makes a good dead more than I thought it would and it's really tasty. My kids even liked it when they tasted it.

So now, just the rest of the day. I'll update tonight on how the rest of day 1 goes.

Better Than Sex?

Yesterday, I made a "Better Than Sex" cake. I don't know that it's better than sex, but it's pretty damn good. You know the kind - you bake a german chocolate cake and drizzle sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce over it and then top it with whipped cream and toffee pieces? Yeah. That kind.

Well I baked it for my husband to take to his lodge meeting and I'm cursing those men because they didn't finish the damn thing. It's in the refrigerator now and it sorta screams at me every time I open the refrigerator door. "EAT ME!" And man do I want to. But I'm not going to. At least right now.

I've been drinking water all day, and lots of it. Any time I lose any amount of weight, I have been drinking a lot of water. And I worked out this morning (see previous "F You Bob Harper" post). So I don't want to ruin it. Plus we're going to the fair tonight. Chances are at least a little bit of a funnel cake will find it's way to my belly. So I'm trying to prepare for that.

Better than sex? No f-ing way.