Virtual High-Five to Coaches and Clients: Newsletter 4/15/24

 Please click below to view my OPTAVIA Healthy Habits eNewsletter from the week of 4/15/24. If you'd like to receive a copy in your email each week, please complete this quick form https://forms.gle/294fANVKAafReuQJ7 with your email address and a request to subscribe to the newsletter. 

If you'd like to learn more about the program and how to utilize it as a tool to reach your health goals, let's talk! https://form.jotform.com/223644431205144

Read the newsletter here: https://optaviashare.com/p/8b33c79ec70f1c9f9ca7940de9f7d0c4/14975537

Six Months!

It's been SIX MONTHS since I made a decision to take control of my health. October 11, 2020 was the day before I started on this program. I was nervous and scared, but also so so so tired of feeling like crap. I had zero expectations, and I was positive it wouldn't work for me, but I also told myself I was giving it 100%, so that when I didn't have any results and still felt like crap in two weeks, it was because the program didn't work, not because I didn't follow it properly. <Yeah, read that again - I know how twisted that sounds.>

I actually wrote down "I am going to put 100% into this program. I need it for myself" and "I want to feel healthy. I want my kids to have a good example. I want my boyfriend to be proud of me. I want to fit into my clothes again. I want to travel."

Those are all superficial reasons - but they were all I had at the time. I didn't know how much my life would change from this program. I didn't know that in 4.5 months, I'd lose SIXTY POUNDS and keep it off. I didn't know I'd build healthy habits that will last me the rest of my life. I didn't know that my body would finally balance out, my inflammation would go away, my digestive issues would be nearly completely resolved, I'd be able to eat whatever I wanted again (in moderation), and I'd feel friggin amazing with more energy than I've had in years. I didn't know that I'd be sleeping better, and that making myself a priority is not at all a selfish thing to do, and that taking care of myself feels pretty darn amazing. 

I took that picture on the left on October 12, 2020. I was absolutely certain it wasn't ever going to be seen or shown anywhere and I was going to delete it (but I didn't, because I needed some sort of visual to see if I made any progress). You can see the defeat on my face. The picture on the right is from this month - April 2021. I can't even put into words the difference in my outlook and demeanor. I feel alive again. I have hope - maybe for the first time in my entire adult life. I HAVE HOPE FOR MY FUTURE.

It took me three days to know this program was different. 

It took me three weeks to know I had to share it with others, because keeping it to myself was not ok. 

I changed my life in a matter of weeks. After struggling for YEARS to make a difference, I found my health on this program. And I want that for everyone I know. I am HERE for it. When you're ready, I'm here for you. I want to help you, too. I want you to feel this amazing, and experience this level of freedom. I want to share it with everyone I know. It's too good to keep to myself. 

Six Months on OPTAVIA - MyJourneyToAHealthyMe.com

www.MyJourneyToAHealthyMe.com

Breakfast Scramble - Complete Lean and Green Meal

I really wanted scrambled eggs today, and I had some extra veggies to use up, so I mixed up this Breakfast Scramble. It is a complete Lean and Green meal. I had some leftover ground beef from a previous meal, so I split the protein between the eggs and the beef, and added veggies. You could easily substitute other veggies (be sure to weigh/measure) and a different healthy fat, depending on what you have on hand. I will include some suggestions below. 

PLEASE use the Vegetable Conversion Chart to WEIGH your foods! 

Again, this is a full and complete Lean and Green Meal! You do not need to add anything else! 

Breakfast Scramble - Complete Lean and Green

Ingredients:

1 cups liquid eggs/liquid egg whites (1/2 LEANEST)

2.5 oz cooked 93% lean ground beef (1/2 LEAN)

1 cup spinach, cooked* - (2 GREEN)

0.5 cup sliced portobello mushrooms, cooked* (1 GREEN)

5-10 black olives (1 HEALTHY FAT - read your label to determine serving size)

*I cook first, then weigh my veggies according to the vegetable conversion chart

Directions:

1. Preheat skillet on stovetop over medium heat, spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

2. Add sliced portobello mushroom to skillet, let sit for 5 minutes, and then stir for another several minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and weigh them (0.5c cooked portobello mushrooms from raw = 60.5g = 1 GREEN)

3. Add spinach to skillet, stirring and heating just until wilted. Remove from heat and weigh (0.5c = 90g = 1 GREEN, so 1c = 180g = 2 GREEN).

4. Add ground beef to skillet to brown, and cook thoroughly. Remove from heat and weigh (2.5oz cooked 93% lean ground beef = 1/2 LEAN). Drain any fat from the skillet. 

5. Add 1c liquid egg whites/substitute (1/2 LEANEST) to skillet, and stir while cooking until desired hardness. 

6. Add cooked ground beef, cooked mushrooms, cooked spinach, and black olives (weighed to proper serving) to skillet, stir together, and serve hot. I topped with a dash of hot sauce! 

Substitutes:

• Any approved vegetable can be substituted for the spinach or mushrooms for your GREEN - be sure to weigh and measure properly!
• Top with 2 Tbsp Sour Cream, and remove the olives, for your Healthy Fat
• Mix in 1 Babybel or 1 Original Laughing Cow, and remove the olives, for your Healthy Fat
• Remove the beef, and use 2 cups of liquid egg white/substitute (add 1 Healthy Fat if you do this)
• Remove the beef, and substitute with 3 oz cooked shredded chicken (add an additional 1/2 Healthy Fat if you do this)

This recipe is very versatile - so customize it how you like, and enjoy! 

Exercise and/or Long Hours and Optavia

If you work out strenuously, or work long hours, you might have questions about how Optavia can and will fit into your life. Here are some guidelines. Find them on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid0uiqbhkgUdG7F2qnSs4MSgxWfWN7gguaBS2qcaL5vLrRvLujB8mG2NUAH6qh8dnSl

How to Fix OPTAVIA Fuelings

HOW TO FIX YOUR OPTAVIA FUELINGS 

Fuelings come ready to eat, and as a powdered mix that you prepare before eating. Keep this process simple! 

Read the details here on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid02m5afh3fPmscTkHCY7Z9nNb437iUC9JT8KBCSYUV4oCBUTbwKsRv15b1REqEP7vYAl

Tuna "Sandwich" Lean and Green

I have been trying to use up some of the food in my fridge before it goes bad, so I pulled this Lean and Green together today and it was quite yummy! If you eat snacks, you could also use a dill pickle spear for the crunch with the tuna, or just on the side! I mixed the cucumber and mayo in with the tuna, and made myself sandwiches and wraps with the lettuce and sandwich thins. It was so filling and tasty! 

3 Outer Aisle Cauliflower Sandwich Thins (3 thins = 1/2 Lean + 1 Green)
3.5 oz tuna canned in water (1/2 Leanest)

0.5 Tbsp mayonnaise (1 Healthy Fat)

0.5 cup diced cucumber (1 Green)

1 cup romaine lettuce leaves (1 Green)

Lean and Green - Tuna, Romaine, Cucumber, Outer Aisle Cauliflower Sandwich Thins

When Eat Healthy + Exercise ≠ Healthy Body/Weight

I feel like for years I’ve been doing ALL THE THINGS to get healthy, and yet I kept running into a wall. I’ve gained and lost the same 10-20 pounds countless times in the last few years. 

I was following the formula. I knew what to do. Eat healthy + exercise = healthy body/weight. It should have worked. 

But it didn’t. 

I spent a lot of time listening to my body to determine what foods hurt and what didn’t. I forgot to find the foods that helped.

When eating healthy + exercise ≠ healthy body/weight, even when I was doing everything “right”, I told myself I must not be trying hard enough, and to keep trying. I worked out at ridiculous-dark-o’clock every morning. I cut some foods out of my diet, and added others. I ate less (then more). I tried intermittent fasting. I bought all the vitamins and supplements to try to feel better and feel healthy. I was sleeping like crap, exhausted, and barely surviving on caffeine. 

It wasn’t working. NOTHING was working. I kept hitting that wall. I needed a new formula. I found it in October. I am going into the new year more than 40 pounds lighter and feeling a million times better than just 2.5 months ago. I FEEL AMAZING and I WANT THIS for all my friends who have not only struggled with their health, but are also doing the mental gymnastics to simply keep your head above water. I would love to help you find your health!

Post-Holiday Weekend Exhaustion?

How are you feeling after the holiday weekend? Are you tired and exhausted and worn out from all the holiday excitement? Did you take a nap? Did the stress and chaos give you a headache? Are you rejuvenated and ready to go today?

I used to *need* a strong kick of caffeine just to get through the day - that afternoon slump around 3pm was awful. When I had several busy and/or stressful days in a row, I’d tell myself I earned a nap - and then I would prioritize that nap on weekends. I have never had a lot of luck with sleeping in (so I’m always up around the same time every day), but for a long time (years!) I would wake in the middle of the night, and lay in bed for an hour or more trying to fall back asleep. No matter when I went to bed, I wasn’t getting enough sleep. That constant cycle of being tired, and needing caffeine, and then being even more tired, and then getting a headache from being so tired, was…exhausting. 

I didn’t even know it was possible to break that cycle…but I did! I changed my diet. I prioritized myself. I am sleeping solidly and soundly 8-9 hours a night (yes, for real!) now. I take Natural Vitality Calm, a powdered form of magnesium, at bedtime and I swear it helps with my sleep. I haven’t had a headache in months. 

Look at my eyes in these pictures. There’s no filters on them. Look how tired I am in the photo on the left, with circles under my eyes. I wasn’t healthy! My sleep wasn’t healthy! I was so bloated and inflamed! 

Look at me on the right - awake, alert, and I feel like my eyes are brighter and clearer. It’s not just about surviving each day, it’s about living each day. Join me in living each day, I would love to share this program with you and help you feel amazing and get the good sleep too!

Christmas on Optavia

I love cooking and baking. I especially love the tradition I have with my children to bake holiday cookies - peanut butter blossoms, cut-out sugar cookies with frosting, snickerdoodles, oatmeal chocolate chip, and sometimes even more. We bake everything dairy-free, and often gluten-free also, and it is something we all enjoy. 

I'm not going to lie, it was REALLY difficult this year to not taste-test the batter (especially the oatmeal chocolate chip batter) or the cookies (the peanut butter blossoms are my favorite!) but I asked myself one simple question and it helped me refocus: "What do I want more - that cookie, that I already know how it tastes (and honestly, it's probably not as good as I'm imagining it to be), OR to keep feeling amazing and not destroy my stomach by eating foods it isn't used to?" The answer was simple at that point. Maybe some day it won't be simple, but this year, it was easy to choose ME over the cookies. It was easy to put myself first, and break that habit, and remind myself it was things like those cookies that got me to where I was in the first place. There is a time and place for choosing to indulge in a sweet treat, but I am not at that time nor that place right now, and I made a very conscious and intentional choice to NOT taste-test the sweets this year. 

But what about dinner? 

I know there are tons of ways to create Optavia-compliant holiday meals and side dishes. Several are listed here. Much like Thanksgiving, I just don't have the same sentimental attachment to holiday foods that a lot of people seem to have. I don't need the meat and cheesy side dishes. As a kid, I would only eat mashed potatoes (no gravy) and pumpkin pie and cookies. 

I know a lot of people make the conscious choice to go off-plan for the holidays, to splurge a little bit, or take small tastes of foods that they would normally not eat while following Optavia. All of that is fine, especially when it is an intentional decision. 

So what did I eat?

I had my five Fuelings - I added a dash of nutmeg to a creamy vanilla shake and it was delicious! - and I ate seafood and spaghetti squash, with salad, for my Lean and Green. It was yummy, it was filling, and it kept me in Fat-Burn!

A Tale of Two Dresses

I bought the dress on the right to wear for an event a few years ago. I loved it - the material, the fit, the way the bottom hem looks. When I got home though, it was a little too snug to wear comfortably. I called all over town looking for another store with the same dress in a bigger size - found it - and went and bought it. That's the dress on the left. I don't have many occasions to get dressed up (especially this year), but I last wore the larger size dress to a Roaring 20s party last December, and absolutely loved being dressed up and out with my friends and felt good in what I was wearing (despite hiding behind a shawl). 

I tried on dresses last night so my daughter and I could take silly pictures in front of the tree (you've seen the pics from the 50s and 60s floating around of women decked out posing with their trees, right?) and the larger size dress was falling off me, so I tried on the smaller size, and that's what I'm wearing in the picture. It actually has too much room in it now, but I still love the material and the way the dress flares, and that's the dress my daughter chose for me to wear last night for our silly pictures because she likes the hem too. 

So, I'm officially retiring the dress on the left, and probably need to retire the dress on the right too, and buy myself some new fancy clothes for the off-chance of getting dressed up and going out someday ever again. If you're like me and have a closet full of clothes you hold on to, on the off chance of maybe possibly fitting into them again someday, let me help you get your someday sooner rather than later. It took me 2 years to decide to commit to this program, and choose myself and my health; don't wait as long as I did. Give yourself the gift of health this holiday season. I'd love to celebrate you fitting into your "someday" clothes in a few weeks!

What is Fat-Burn? When am I in Fat-Burn on Optavia?

EXPLANATION OF FAT-BURN : https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/285714560016766

Sugar inflammation and low glycemic foods

 I've been reading more and more about how sugar affects the body, and how low-glycemic foods, like the foods on the program I'm following, benefit the body and reduce inflammation. I really feel like this was the missing piece on my path to being healthy. 

I spent nearly the past two years trying to sort out what foods bothered me. I was following a pretty strict elimination diet, basically ovo-pesco vegetarian eating gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, mostly soy free, plus avoiding a bunch of random stuff (artificial sweeteners, canola oil, apples, beer, most wine, mushrooms, black beans, yeast, celery, and probably some other stuff I forgot about). I spent over a year carefully adding things back into my diet and noting my body’s reaction. At the same time, I gained 20ish pounds, and my weight would fluctuate 10 lbs at any time (sometimes even within a day or two 🤯). I gave my gut time to heal while I was following the elimination diet and figuring out what I could and couldn't eat, but I was still having random flare ups of bloating and other gut problems. 

When I started this program, something clicked in my body. The low glycemic foods seemed to be the key. I could suddenly tolerate - in limited quantities - foods I had been avoiding because they made me bloated (gluten in particular), AND the bloating and inflammation was going away, which resulted in my clothes fitting better and the not-unwelcome effect of weight loss (which has resulted in basically a new wardrobe).

I am now eating a low-glycemic, healthy, well balanced diet full of all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients my body needs. I am building healthy habits, like eating every 2.5-3 hours to maintain my blood sugar levels, and reducing the number of empty carbohydrates and added sugars I eat to help stabilize the sugar levels in my body. 

I am so happy I started this program, and I'd be happy to share it with anyone who can relate to what I've been through. 

P.S. Recommendations are for adult women to have no more than 25g of added sugar each day. Men can have up to 36g of added sugar. 

One 12 oz can of soda has 39g of sugar. Coffee drinks aren't better.

Thanksgiving and Optavia

 I love cooking and baking. I love it so much, I spent the day baking five pies, cooking different side dishes, and enjoying being in the kitchen. 

I know there are tons of ways to create Optavia-compliant holiday meals and side dishes. Several are listed here. I just don't have the same sentimental attachment to holiday foods that a lot of people seem to have. As a kid, I would only eat mashed potatoes (no gravy) and pumpkin pie. 

I know a lot of people make the conscious choice to go off-plan for the holidays, to splurge a little bit, or take small tastes of foods that they would normally not eat while following Optavia. All of that is fine, especially when it is an intentional decision. 

I chose to remain on plan today. I didn't even lick my fingers (well, there's COVID to thank for that restraint also!) but I did not have a single lick or taste or bite of something that wasn't one of my Fuelings or my Lean and Green. Honestly, I didn't even really consider not staying on plan. Turkey doesn't like me, and I prefer to not feel like crap from eating foods that don't like my body. 

What did I make? 

My daughter and I made vegetable quiche for breakfast. She is dairy free, so everything we made today is dairy-free. 

We made a loaf of bread.

We made FIVE pies - three pumpkin pies, one apple crumb pie, and one pecan pie. (We have 4.5 pies leftover)

We made sweet potato casserole, and garlic mashed potatoes. 

We made bacon-wrapped scallops. 

We made candied pecans. 

There was stuffing, and turkey, and cranberry sauce, and rolls, and deviled eggs. 

There was a lot of food here. I'm sure all of it tasted delicious. We have a lot of leftovers (apparently I don't know how to cook for just my family - we could have easily fed 15 people with the food we have). 

So what did I eat?

I made myself a salad, with avocado and seared scallops and a drizzle of Walden Farms French dressing. 

And you know what? Scallops with salad and avocado is one of my all-time favorite meals, and I was perfectly happy and content to eat it today. It was delicious! 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving meals!

Lean and Green - Scallop Stacks

 Today I adapted a recipe for Shrimp Stacks for my Lean and Green, and it was delicious! I cooked 1.25 cups of cauliflower rice, diced .25 cups of cucumber (3 servings of my green), mashed 3 oz of avocado (2 servings of healthy fat), and cooked 7 oz of scallops (1 serving of leanest). Then I layered the cucumber, avocado, scallop, and rice, in that order, in a small measuring cup (1/4c and 1/3c both worked) and flipped the cup over onto a plate, tapped the bottom, and had a really amazing looking scallop stack on my plate! I topped with a tiny bit of Walden Farms chipotle mayo (1 condiment). You could top with 1T of soy sauce (1 condiment), or 1 tsp sesame seeds (1 condiment), or another creamy spicy sauce (check nutrition info and amounts) as well. 

The original recipe calls for shrimp, but this would easily work with any seafood - tiny bay scallops would be good also, but so would sushi-grade salmon or tuna (in the proper amounts). 

This satisfied my sushi craving too!

Scallops Stack Lean and Green

Cheese and Dairy on Optavia - How does it count?

Cheese is tricky! It can count different ways when you're on the Optavia 5&1 Program. Here are some guidelines on cheese and dairy options. https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/274369217817967

What do I eat on Optavia? Can I eat out?

 When you're following the Optavia 5&1 Program, here is info on what you can eat: https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid035Yw4STFavJ9u8kAyMjrJB3psaHVuxexpxGpJmq9JZvzhtMdUm68Ki59GXG6vMxpcl

How to Calculate Optavia Lean and Green

Lean and Green Nutritional Parameters

Read here:

https://www.facebook.com/myjourneytoahealthyme/posts/pfbid02BeZDRuyzQmc1UyN5pQYPTGwrWiw5iHqBLzvkTB8sEVoTQP958zqaB7FJ8tPX2iMFl

Here's a handy graphic to save with these guidelines, and bookmark this page!

Lean and Green Guidelines - OPTAVIA 5&1 - MyJourneyToAHealthyMe.com

Getting Enough Water on Optavia

 Optavia recommends drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. My coach recommends 100 ounces of water. 

I've always drank a lot of water each day. I keep a 30 oz insulated stainless steel tumbler with me at home, and I drink from a stainless steel straw, which I think makes it easier to drink more for some weird reason. I'm home most of the days, so this works for me, because with my tumbler and straw, I don't have to worry about it spilling or tipping over just moving around the house.

I try to drink a full tumbler of water before I do anything in the morning, and that helps me get started off on the right foot with my water for the day. 

I keep a 90 oz tempered glass water pitcher at home to track my water each day. I refill it every morning and just leave it on my counter. I refill my tumbler with ice throughout the day, so I'm actually getting more than the 90oz in the pitcher when the ice melts, and it has been amazing to keep up with my water intake. This is the pitcher I have, and it has a stainless steel lid that can filter out infusions if I want to add fresh cucumber or lime or lemon to my water for a little bit of flavor.

If I'm not at home, my water containers of choice are Klean Kanteen (this link will get you 25% off your first order) or EcoVessel, and I alternate which one I use and the lid/cap based on what I'm doing. They have different options, so it's easy to pick and choose what's best for the day - a cafe style lid if I'll be in the car, or a loop cap if I'll be out walking or hiking. I don't like plastic or silicone so I am very mindful of that for myself, but my kids love the EcoVessel straw lids - and they don't leak! 

I've seen big plastic cups that mark how much water is in them too, that would be helpful if you're out and about and need something to track it. The 3L or 1gal jugs of water at the grocery store are also helpful to keep on track with water consumption if you're out and about or traveling by car. 

Drinking this much water each day can deplete your electrolytes, so if you ever feel slightly off, I highly recommend drinking some Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Hydration Powder mixed with water, or something else like Powerade Zero. It usually helps me immediately. Of course, if it is happening often, please consult your doctor!

What other tips do you have for getting in enough water each day? 

Optavia and my MUST-HAVE appliances/tools

One of the great things about Optavia is that you don't need anything special to prepare the Fuelings, besides a microwave and the blender bottle that comes in your kit. HOWEVER, we all know that there are some tools or appliances that can make your Fuelings a little more exciting, a little more fun, and a little more tasty!

Here are some of my must-have appliances and tools for preparing my Fuelings. Please know these links are to Amazon, but they are not affiliate links, and I definitely encourage you to shop around to find the best price! 

I also created a handy dandy Amazon list of my favorite items. YES - you can find them in local stores, sometimes at better prices (sometimes not). You can add them to your own cart from this list for quick and easy purchasing though! Just be sure when you order, you have it shipped to you! Wish lists can be tricky!

Some of my must-have appliances and tools for OPTAVIA Fuelings

Dash Mini Waffle Maker is awesome at preparing Fuelings. I love to do the brownie, smashed potatoes, biscuit, and oatmeal in the Waffle Maker. It comes in different colors, and some of them even make the waffles into shapes (pineapple! snowflake! heart!)

Note: Here are the guidelines I follow when preparing my Fuelings in the Dash. Some are the same as the package, some are slightly different amounts of water. Nothing is quite so disappointing as scraping a failed Fueling out of the waffle maker and still eating it because you're determined not to waste a Fueling :) 

Dash Mini Griddle is amazing for the Chocolate Chip Cookies! It gets them perfectly crisp on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside - the exact way I like cookies. I also use it when I need extra protein, to cook an egg - it's super quick and easy, and much faster than using my normal cast iron on my stove top.

If you don't already have a personal blender, I highly suggest getting one. I like the Ninja brand, this is the model I have. I like the individual cups the best, and they make your Optavia shakes super yummy if you blend them with ice and water (or cold brew coffee if you're feeling adventurous). There are tons of options for personal blenders, so be sure to choose something that is powerful enough to blend ice. Because my home blender is too big for travel, I also have a small Hamilton Beach personal blender that I keep in its box for when I'm out of town overnight or for the weekend. It is small enough to easily pack, and although it isn't as powerful, it does the job. 

My next suggestion is a frother. There are SO MANY CHOICES, but this is the handheld frother I bought and it has worked well. I don't use it often, but sometimes if I don't want to blend my shake, or use the shaker bottle, this does an excellent job of mixing it up with the water and it's super yummy - it seems like it makes it creamier, if that's possible. I also use it to mix up the Hot Chocolate Fueling with a little bit of cold water, before pouring the hot water into the mug - it seems to make it even creamier and more delicious!

I also suggest a mini whisk if you don't already have one. Mine is Pampered Chef, but you can find them anywhere. I often use a fork to mix up my fuelings, but the whisk is handy to have around. 

I couldn't resist picking up a little cast iron skillet either - I love it for baking the brownie or chocolate chip cookie, if I'm not using the Dash. It turns out so yummy! Follow the directions for baking on the Fueling packet, or shorten the baking time a little bit if you want it slightly gooey. 

My final recommendation is to get a good insulated container. I love my insulated Klean Kanteen Food Canister. I will often prepare soups or pastas (as directed on the package) when I'm making a different fueling, transfer it to the insulated container, and let it sit on the counter until my next fueling time. It really softens up the pastas and noodles. I've also made the soup by adding the Fueling packet to the insulated container, pouring boiling water over it, and then closing the lid and letting it sit for 2-3 hours. 

What other appliances or tools are you using for your Fuelings? Let me know in the comments!

Dash Mini Waffle Maker/Griddle + OPTAVIA Fuelings Guide

General directions to prepare Fuelings in the Dash Mini Waffle Maker or Dash Mini Griddle:

• Mix Fueling and mix-ins well
• Plug in Dash Mini Waffle Maker (to make a waffle) or Dash Mini Griddle (to make a "pancake") and wait for light to go off
• Spray both sides of Dash with nonstick spray BEFORE MAKING EACH WAFFLE/PANCAKE
• When the Dash stops steaming, or the steam significantly slows down, open to check for done-ness
• If you're pre-making Fuelings, you can store them in the freezer and then reheat in toaster oven or microwave
• Note: Some people use egg whites instead of water. I do not do that because I don't like to alter the Fuelings and have to track what I add to deduct from my daily Lean and Green
• I generally try to add just enough water to make the Fueling like a batter or thin dough. Too watery, and it will overrun. 

Optavia Oatmeal Fueling made in the Dash Mini Waffle Maker

Fueling and Mix-In Guide:

• 2 Tbsp water + Fueling = 1 waffle/pancake 
• Brownie 
• Biscuits
• Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Cream Cheese Swirl Cake 
• 3 Tbsp water + Fueling = 1 waffle/pancake
• Sweet Potatoes
• 3 Tbsp water + Fueling = 2 waffle/pancake
• Pancake
• Shakes
• Smoothies
• 4 Tbsp water + Fueling = 2 waffles/pancakes
• Smashed Potatoes
• Oatmeal
• Prepare/cook as directed on packet with slightly less water = 1 waffle/pancake
• Mac and Cheese (make sure it's thicker than normal)

What other Fuelings have you made in the Dash? Let us know how you prepared it!