Friends for Weight Loss

We actually NEED your help!  Jen and I both thought it might be fun to help you all come up with a name for her Weekly Recipe Series….Simply read what she is all about below and leave a comment with your ideas!

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My name is Jen, and I am mom to six kids – five boys, and one girl. Yes, you read that right. I spend my days making meals, cleaning up messes, doing laundry, and shuttling kids to lessons, camps, and activities. My life is probably very similar to many of you. However, we do have one big difference in our lives – food allergies.

Our oldest child, now 14, spent the first ten years of his life battling one illness after another. He had chronic ear infections, respiratory infections, and as a baby, suffered from serious acid reflux. None of us, doctors included, ever considered food could be a culprit in his struggles. Four year ago, one of his doctors looked at the whole picture, and suggested we do some testing. The results shocked us all! He was highly allergic to dairy and eggs, and a few other things. I went through the panic of what are we going to eat? I searched online, studied the aisles in the health food store, and finally found a balance in our menu.

Due to his results, we had the other children tested as well. We determined two others have gluten intolerance, and another is sensitive to milk. I went through another panic moment when gluten needed to be eliminated. Now, the foods I prepare for our whole family are dairy, egg, and gluten free.

So where does Weight Watchers fit into this? I struggled with my weight as a child, until high school, when I began exercising in earnest. I dropped thirty pounds over one summer, and never felt better. I maintained my weight until college, when I gained the dreaded “freshman fifteen.” I stayed at that weight, eating unconsciously, until marriage. Six babies later, and my body had been through a lot! Earlier this spring my good friend (Hi Jen!) began the Weight Watchers program. I visited her shortly afterward, and realized what a versatile program it was. She was still eating normal foods, and we even went out for ice cream. Inspired by her success, I joined the program in April 2011. Since that time, I have incorporated the points plus program into our daily menu. I’ve adapted a few of my stand-by recipes to make them healthier, and I’ll be sharing them with you. Weight Watchers has become a family affair in my house, and my kids are more aware that foods have value. My husband is also following the program, and has taken inches off his waist line. It’s an exciting time for all of us.

Do you have a fun name that we can give Jen’s Recipe Series?  Leave any and all ideas below because we would LOVE to hear them!