Deanna Wooten

Twelve years ago, John Wooten wasn’t sure why they included a kitchen in their new house, but that changed on January 19, 2008 when wife, Deanna, “woke up and saw the light.” She decided right then to go for it, by beginning to watch what she ate. She tried to keep her caloric intake under 1,500 a day, and began walking and exercising that April.

She never really thought about cooking healthy and had pretty much given up, but now at 150 lbs. less, she sees that anything is possible. She internet surfs on recipe boards and Pinterest for healthy recipes, things she would not have chosen five years ago. And John can no longer hide her Christmas presents in the oven.

Her PLAN to be successful says, “Don’t just go on a diet, make a lifestyle change.”

P-Program your mind for change. Living and eating healthy is a choice you make. (To change your body, you must change your mind.)

L-Learn what works for you. This will take a journal and a lot of trial and error, but it will be the key to your success.

A-Add some type of exercise to your day. If it’s fun to you, you will more than likely keep doing it.

N-Never give up. If you make a bad choice one day, get back on track ASAP.

There will always be birthdays and holidays. Enjoy them in moderation.

Also, she says you need an accountability partner, and to set goals and reward yourself when you reach them. (Anything from an article of clothing to a manicure/pedicure,  etc. just something you don’t do for yourself very often.) “Keeping the weight off is 10 times harder than losing it!” she said.

She learned to cook from her grandmother with lard so it was a real big thing to start all over in the way she prepared food. “It takes time. You have to be willing to try new things to avoid boredom.” Now she says it is fun to try new things and she doesn’t cook the “old way” much at all anymore.

Deanna offers these tips: she uses a lot of deer meat. Use spicy mustard on sandwiches. Replace mayo with lowfat plain yogurt in tuna and chicken salad. Substitute sweet potatoes for white ones. Feed a craving–if you don’t eat what you are craving, you will overindulge with other foods trying to satisfy it. (“I will normally just half whatever it is–a piece of cake or a candy bar–just to satisfy that craving and still be able to stay on track, or I might just have some sour Skittles.”) Limit breads and sugars. Use olive oil instead of vegetable/canola oil.

“It’s not lower in calories, but it’s much more healthy.” Use bananas or unsweetened applesauce in place of butter or oil when baking. Keep boiled shrimp in the fridge for a fast, healthy snack. Grilled pineapple with cinnamon is also a good snack. A green salad that carried her through the whole time included dried cranberries, Feta cheese, and pecans.

Caramel Pecan Delight is a dish Deanna takes places often, but “it is not healthy at all!”

Delicious Healthy Turkey Sandwich
2 slices 40 calorie white bread
1-2 slices deli turkey
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, melted on turkey
1-2 Tbsp. Smucker’s Red Raspberry preserves
1-2 strips turkey bacon (if desired)

Ranch Dressing
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
Whisk all ingredients together and chill.

Cauliflower Patties
(taste like potato patties)
1 head cauliflower
2 eggs
2-3 level Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Grated onion, if desired
Cook cauliflower until very tender and separate and chip into tiny pieces. Beat eggs. Add flour, cheese, onion and cauliflower until blended. Spray pan with Pam or lightly coat pan with olive oil. Drop spoonfuls of cauliflower mixture into the pan allowing room for patties to spread. Cook until brown on both sides. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Frosty No-Bake Granola Bars
2 large overripe bananas
1 cup oats
1/2 cup crunchy cereal
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or any other sweetener you use)
2 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries or other fruit
2-4 tsp. cocoa powder
Line muffin pan with paper liners, or use silicone muffin pan for easy removal. Mash bananas. Add wet ingredients and cocoa powder and mix well. Add all other ingredients, mix well then press into prepared muffin tin. Freeze at least 60 minutes before serving.

Apples in a Bag
1 small apple (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)
1 packet sweetener (Splenda) or a tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
1  Tbsp. water
Small handful raisins, optional
Peel or don’t peel apple, core and slice or dice. Place in freezer-quality plastic zippered bag along with remaining ingredients. Seal bag and shake well to mix ingredients. Reopen bag just a touch to vent. Microwave on high two minutes–longer if you used a big apple. Carefully (it will be hot and steamy) open bag and pour over plain or cinnamon-sugar pita chips, flour tortilla chips, oatmeal or ice cream.

Chicken Salad
2 cans white chicken
1 medium Greek lowfat yogurt
Optional 1/2 cup walnuts,  5 grapes halved or 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 small box raisins
Serve on toasted 40 calorie wheat bread.

Caramel Pecan Delight
1 Mrs. Edwards’ pecan pie (to be crumbled into bite size pieces)
Mix together one box confectioner’s sugar, one large Cool whip, one cream cheese
Walnuts
Smucker’s Caramel Syrup
Toffee Bits
Layer in this order:
Crumbled pecan pie pieces, white mixture (sugar, Cool whip, cream cheese), caramel syrup, toffee bits, walnuts. Repeat.

Ice Cream Sandwiches
Graham Crackers
Fat free/sugar free Cool Whip
Spread Cool Whip between two sleeves crackers. Roll in foil and freeze.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
4 cups raw cauliflower rice (about one medium heat)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese (Chevre)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 400°. To make cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved. Fill large pot with about an inch of water, and bring to boil. Add “rice” and cover; let it cook 4-5 minutes. Drain into fine mesh strainer. This is the secret: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up steamed rice in towel, twist it up, then squeeze all excess moisture out. In large bowl, mix you strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese and spices. Mix well. Press dough out onto baking sheet line with parchment paper. Keep dough about 1/3″ thick, and make edges a little higher for a “crust” effet. Bake 35-40 minutes at 400°. Crust should be firm and golden brown when finished. All favorite toppings to pizza. Return it to 400° oven, and bake additional 5-10 minutes, just until cheese is hot and bubbly. Can make double batch and make up one to freeze.