I Got This (20 page)

For me, gaining control of my health was a long-term struggle that, for many years, I didn’t even realize I had been battling. Now that I’ve got it under control, I realize that I wasn’t living in the way God intended for me. But you know what? I’m okay with that because without all of those experiences, there’s no way I could fully appreciate everything that I now have as a result of losing weight and living healthy. It would be insanely greedy to ask for more. I’m grateful for everything that’s happened along the way. All I want is to be healthy and happy so I can be around to sing and act for decades to come.

S
o, here we are—at the end of our journey together. Isn’t it time to believe in yourself enough that you are willing to take chances in your life like the ones I’ve taken in mine? What about loving yourself enough to give it everything you’ve got and make the commitment to get rid of the things that have been weighing
you
down? Will you finally give yourself permission to break free from the chains that have bound you or will you stay exactly where you are, thinking it’s fine? Look, if you don’t like what you see in the mirror, don’t break the mirror. If you’re tired of being on that diet roller coaster and are finally ready to get off that ride forever, you have the power, the choice, and now the tools to make that happen. Life isn’t about what cards you are dealt—it’s about how you play that hand. Take it from me. I truly know.

I want to wish you my love, support, and inspiration in your journey. Remember, you’re making a lifetime commitment to health. It won’t happen overnight, but if you stick with it, I promise, it will come to pass.

In Good Health,

To my family. You are amazing and my reason for being.

To my JHud team, including Allison Azoff Statter, Stefanie Tate, Damien Smith, Lisa Kasteler, Samantha Hill, Marla Farrell, Graehme Morphy, Teri Martin, Matt Johnson, David Lande, Jamie Young, and the incomparable Walter Williams III. Thank you for not limiting me and allowing me to be who I am and for supporting my every dream and effort to continue to grow. That gift is what makes you all such a great team!

To my editor, Carrie Thornton, and everyone at Dutton for allowing me this fantastic opportunity to spread my wings and for giving me the chance to share my story through my own words. Thank you to Brian Tart, Christine Ball, Amanda Walker, Stephanie Hitchcock, Monica Benalcazar, Carrie Swetonic, and the entire Penguin team for your support and guidance to get my message out there. Also, thank you to Mel Berger, my literary agent, who helped take this vision to a reality.

Thank you to Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers, Weight
Watchers! There is not a day that goes by that I don’t say Weight Watchers is the greatest thing ever created! It really is! And I want the world to know it. To Liz Josefsberg, David Kirchhoff, Cheryl Callan, Donna Fontana, Danielle Korn, Veronica Bertran, Joyce King Thomas, Kathy Love, Sharon Ehrlich, and Danny Rodriquez—I love you guys!

Now, I had to save my family and fans for last because you have lived with me, you have watched me live, and through it all y’all have stayed next to me. I love you all so much for that! I’m so proud of all of my family, friends, and fans who have decided to make a life change, too. You amaze me.

Finally, without God nothing would be possible.

Weight Watchers Online offers members thousands of recipes and helpful tips. I’ve included some of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes for you to enjoy.

Main Meals

Desserts

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Course: Breakfast

PointsPlus
^®
Value: 4

Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 18 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Jalapeño and cumin give these scrambled eggs a bit of heat. They’re topped with a homemade spicy salsa for even more flavor.

Ingredients

14½ oz canned diced tomatoes, fire-roasted variety

¼ tsp chili powder, chipotle variety

2 Tbsp scallions, green part only, minced

2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

¼ tsp table salt

tsp black pepper

2 large eggs

3 large egg whites

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp table salt

tsp black pepper

tsp ground cumin

1 spray cooking spray

2 small shallots, minced

1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced (don’t touch seeds with bare hands)

Instructions

To prepare salsa, pour tomatoes into a fine-mesh strainer set in sink; press on tomatoes to drain off all liquid, leaving about 1 cup of diced tomato. Spoon tomatoes into a medium bowl; stir in chili powder, scallion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir salsa; set aside while making scrambled eggs.

To make eggs, in a medium bowl, beat together eggs, egg whites, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin; set aside.

Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add shallots and jalapeño; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Pour egg mixture into skillet; cook until eggs are almost cooked through, scrambling occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve eggs topped with salsa or salsa on the side. Yields about 1 cup of eggs and ½ cup of salsa per serving.

Notes

If you can find canned tomatoes with chipotle chiles, use them and omit the chili powder in the salsa. You can also save time by using your favorite spicy jarred salsa instead of making your own.

To make this recipe truly Tex-Mex, top with some baked tortilla strips (could affect
PointsPlus
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values).

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Course: Breakfast

PointsPlus
^®
Value: 4

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 8 min

Cooking Time: 14 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

This is a nice twist on the usual potato and egg breakfast. Leave an extra “stack” in the refrigerator for a quick, microwave-reheatable meal.

Ingredients

2 sprays cooking spray

4 frozen hash brown potato patties, prepared without fat

2 large eggs

3 large egg whites

3 oz Canadian-style bacon, finely chopped