Serves 2
Purchase center-cut salmon fillets for this recipe — thinner fillets, cut from the tail end of the salmon, can too easily overcook on the grill. Tip: Salmon skin cooks to a tasty crispiness, so keep the skin on when grilling.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 center-cut salmon fillets, about 5 oz each

Instructions:

In shallow glass dish, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and vinegar. Add salmon; turn to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat grill (medium-high heat); lightly oil grill. Place fillets on grill, skin-side up. Grill about 5 minutes per side. Fish is cooked when a thin knife blade inserted in center reveals that the pink flesh is almost opaque. Serve warm.
Nutritional Information:

321 calories
22 total fat (5 g sat)
70 mg cholesterol
1 g carbohydrate
29 g protein
0 g fiber
330 mg sodium

3 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) (about 8 ounces)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup thin diagonally cut celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Cool completely.
Combine orange juice and the next 7 ingredients (orange juice through rice vinegar) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine. Add pasta, chicken, grapes, celery, red onion, walnuts, chives, and parsley; toss gently to combine.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 2/3 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 363(36% from fat); FAT 14.4g (sat 2.4g,mono 5.5g,poly 4.8g); PROTEIN 18.5g; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 553mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42g

Maureen Callahan

2. Mini Wraps… Roll sliced veggies into a tortilla with low fat cream cheese.

3. Baked Chips and Salsa… For salsa, combine chopped tomatoes, diced oranges, onion, lime juice, orange juice, salt, Splenda* Granular, and cilantro.

4. Mini Kabobs… Thread fruit such as pineapple and strawberries and cheese such as mozzarella onto toothpicks.

5. Strawberry Banana Smoothie… In blender, combine strawberries, banana, yogurt and Splenda* Granular; blend until smooth. Gradually blend in milk to make it extra creamy.

6. Ants on a Log… This is definitely a kid's treat...Spread celery with peanut butter and top with raisins.

7. Guacamole and Pita … Dip triangles of pita into mashed avocado, lime, salsa, salt and pepper.

8. Banana "Ice Cream"… Peel several ripe bananas, break into one-inch pieces, and freeze in a closed plastic bag. Just before serving, blend with small amount of water or juice.

9. Melon Balls… Scoop out some watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe and serve them on a tray with colourful toothpicks in each one.

10. Snackers Medley… Fill each cup of a muffin tin with different treats such as nuts, raisins, cheese cubes, pretzels, carrot slices and sunflower seeds.

For Mrs Harris that struggles with getting on the webpage, i'm going to try to email her our posts,until i can get to her house and help her.

What a great day to have a new Kick off. Friday , not the same ole stress of starting on Monday . Did everyone get on the scale today?
If not don't forget to do it later. Next week you might show a loss if you do it in the morning. I alway look better in the morning.

Remember ladies , We have goals ,don't get down on your self for not reaching those goals last time. Lets just focus on making new ones and getting it correct this time.

Have a great day
We are Sisters in the Struggle.

Smooches.

We tried this a different way and it didn't seem to work . So now we must try the old way.
Lets do this before we come to work . We can count points count calories. Count sheep. Count laps, just count something.
Send your meals in Email or on website

Those that did not say you wanted to stay. Thanks for trying to hang in there with us. you are welcome back anytime you let me know you want to join us.

Vacations are for unwinding and recharging. But just because you're relaxing your mind and body doesn't mean your healthy eating plan should go the way of your business suit. Here are some tips suggested by Andrew Leach, spa manager at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North; Vivian Delman, a registered dietitian in Jericho, N.Y.; and Brian Zehetner, registered dietitian at the Canyon Ranch Spa Club in Las Vegas, that will help you maintain your weight loss while you're away.

Drink Up.
You might think hunger is drawing you into that deli, but in reality, water may be the only refreshment you need, says Delman. Carry a water bottle during the day and drink from it often — especially if it's hot or humid.

Shop for Your Hotel.
You can't work out unless you have the facilities to do so. That said, before you book your lodging, ask if the location has a fitness center or even better, scheduled group classes. "Don't call the reservations line," says Leach. "Call the hotel directly. You'll get the most updated information that way."

Be a teetotaler.
A single fruity drink poolside can add 600-plus calories to your daily intake, says Zehetner. If you must have an alcoholic beverage, avoid anything that has more than one or two ingredients. Smart choices include wine spritzers, light beers, and rum and diet cola.

Do a Walk-By.
Buffet tables are wonderful — but not if you're trying to watch what you eat. Delman suggests assessing the entire table before you get in line so you can select items that you really want. And don't be afraid to serve yourself. Chefs are trained to pile it on. Can't wrestle the spoon away? Ask for smaller portions.

Get an Exercise Wake-up Call.
Sure, it's tempting to sleep in, but carving out 30 minutes in the morning for the treadmill or lifting weights will boost your calorie burn for the whole day.

Be a Dinner Detective.
Don't be embarrassed. Ask your server about portions and ingredients. For example, inquire about how many eggs the chef uses in her omelets, says Zehetner, and whether or not a sauce is made with cream or butter.

Share and Share Alike. A single restaurant dessert is designed for between two and four people, says Zehetner. "And they're really rich—loaded with calories. Don't eat an entire serving of cake by yourself," he says. Instead, get one or two servings for the entire table. "Fill up on veggies and protein at dinner and make dessert what it is: a treat."

NEXT STEPS

Driving to your vacation destination? Don't let fast-food joints and minimarts knock you off track while you're Road Trip Dining.

These wholesome, satisfying muffins are filled with tender pieces of pear and spiced with cinnamon. They freeze well; just heat in the toaster or microwave before serving.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons granular sugar substitute
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups 1 percent or fat-free buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 Bosc pear, cored and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly coat with cooking spray.

Combine flour, bran, sugar substitute, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, pear, and vanilla in another mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just to combine; do not overmix. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and serve.

Recipe from The South Beach Diet® Quick & Easy Cookbook. For information on the book, click here.

Nutritional Information:
130 calories
5 g total fat (0.5 g sat)
20 g carbohydrate
5 g protein
5 g fiber
200 mg sodium

"There are lots of reasons why stressed people might over eat or gamble or chase after hedonic rewards. Unfortunately this new result reveals another one,� said U-M psychology professor Kent Berridge. “People who feel bad during stress cope in part by overeating or pursuing other incentives.

“Now it turns out a stress chemical also activates the same brain mechanism that goes wrong in drug addiction to make us excessively want pleasurable things.�

The study, published today in the journal BMC Biology, shows that rats with levels of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in their brain similar to the levels experienced by humans when they are stressed show an exaggerated craving for a reward — some sugar -- whenever presented with a cue that had previously been associated with that reward.

“The brain stress substance tripled the intensity of desire for sugary treats normally triggered by cues for those treats," Berridge said.

This result explains why stressed individuals might be more likely to experience strong cravings for rewards and compulsively indulge in pleasurable activities such as eating or taking drugs.

U-M psychology researcher Susana Peciña and Berridge from U-M collaborated with Georgetown University physiology and biophysics professor Jay Schulkin to painlessly inject rats with either a high dose (500ng/0.2 ml) or a low dose (250ng/ 0.2 ml) of CRF, part of the brain’s internal stress-signaling system that serves as a brain stress neurotransmitter.

They injected the rats in a part of the brain called nucleus accumbens, known to be involved in the mediation of both pleasurable rewards and stress signals in humans as well as rats.

They observed the rats’ behavior in response to a cue -- a 30-second tone-- that had previously been associated with the release of a reward, in the form of sugar pellets.

When they heard the cue, the rats pressed on a lever that they expected to release more sugar pellets. The authors made sure that the rats did not experience stress due to CRF itself or to other factors in the experimental set-up.

Their results show that injection of a high dose of CRF tripled the intensity of bursts of sugar craving, measured by the pressing on the sugar-associated lever.

The lever-pressing activity was only enhanced if the injection of CRF was followed by the cue – it did not increase following the injection alone. The low dose of CRF, or an empty injection, also failed to enhance the lever-pressing activity significantly.

“When CRF reaches the nucleus accumbens it creates a special window of vulnerability to temptation,� Berridge said. “This could trap individuals into chasing incentives they could normally resist, pulled in by tempting cues or images that become more powerfully wanted.�

A healthy exercise program includes three kinds of exercise: aerobic activity, muscular strengthening and flexibility exercise. You can start your exercise program without investing in any elaborate equipment. For example, you can do simple exercises at home or at your desk at work, including sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups. For basic body weight exercises, weight-lifting equipment isn't required. Head for the kitchen and pick up the soup cans you have in the cupboard.

Aerobic activity can be fun Aerobic activity is defined as prolonged continuous movement of large muscle groups. Translated, that means do something that keeps you moving. Ideally, do it for 20 minutes straight. If you don't have that much time, two 10-minute aerobic activity sessions will benefit you almost as much.

The good thing about aerobic activity is that it includes many of the sports you probably already enjoy. Walking, biking, hiking, dancing, swimming, even basketball are all examples of aerobic exercise.

Another good thing is that you can easily accomplish those two 10-minute sessions with things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around the neighborhood after work or parking your car farther away. You could even turn shopping into an aerobic activity. Shopping is walking, so don't stop for 10 minutes straight and you've worked in one of your daily sessions! Check with your local mall for mall walker programs, and you'll have company.

Aerobic exercise is definitely good for cardiovascular health and fitness. And here's something else you'll like: Aerobic activity can help you lose weight.

Plenty of good exercise all around the house. If you do housework or yard work, you're doing yourself a favor. The stretching and lifting housework entails is good exercise. So is work you do outside. Yard work uses many muscle groups, especially activities like planting and working in the garden.

Raking uses your arm and back muscles. Digging gives your arms and legs a workout. And gardening provides a bonus: You'll have more fresh vegetables and fruits to add to your diet.

Is one time better than another to exercise? It's really up to you. You can exercise in the morning, afternoon or evening. Lunch breaks offer an excellent opportunity to get out of the office and exercise. Use your coffee break to take a short walk around the office. Get rid of the day's stress by fitting in an exercise session after work.

Whatever time you choose, make sure you stick with it. For some people, it's easier to stay with an exercise program when you do it with a friend or co-worker.

Make time to stay healthy Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you're basically healthy, get going right now. If you're 40+ or have any health problems, consult your physician first.

c 2000 American Council on Exercise