MIDWEEK MINUTES October 19, 2013


Midweek Minutes
October 19, 2013
Hello, Winners!

Drat! It's a full moon again. Yes, I got the urge for chocolate right on schedule! I play some vocabulary Bingo and other games with my students, so, of course, this time of year, one has to give away Halloween candy for prizes, right? Right? What I didn't count on was that darn full moon! So, I am here, sitting at my computer having a talk with myself.

I bought the candy on Tuesday because I had to go to a workshop that day in Hastings, where another (normal weight) teacher gave me the idea of using Halloween candy as prizes instead of the usual hard candy I have. Why not? I bought those little packs of M&Ms and Skittles because that's what this teacher had for demos at our workshop. I care NOT for the Skittles. They are NOT chocolate. Tuesday was cloudy. I did not see the moon. I stowed the candy away at school in my file cabinet.

I made it through Wednesday alright even though I saw that big ol' yellow full moon first thing Wednesday morning!!!

I made it through Thursday a bit shaky, but fine. Some of my classes did their games. Others will do them tomorrow.

I am writing the bulk of this newsletter on Thursday evening. If I eat a healthy supper, I will be satisfied with drinking some sugar-free hot chocolate, and by tomorrow morning, the moon will be less full! I will be getting rid of all the candy at school either by giving it away tomorrow to my students as prizes or taking it to the elementary and giving it away to my grand kids who are down there. It's NOT mine to eat, and if I do choose to have some, I will ask myself, "Is this worth 2 PP, and can I stop at ONE bag?" Thank goodness we are a nut-free school, so I didn't even bother to buy the peanut ones, which I totally could NOT be in the same room with. It's the peanut M&Ms that are my trigger food.

Friday: I think I'm going to be fine. Chocolate went to kids and not me. I was proud of myself. Then, I went to the dentist after school on Friday and afterwards to get my nails done. As I posted on ZIG'S WINNERS FaceBook page, there was that HUGE bowl of Halloween candy at the nail place. Yikes! Thank you, Wanda, for reminding me that one cannot eat candy with wet nails! I got a REAL BOOST of motivation to stay away from the candy after announcing publically about the goodies and chuckling at Wanda's response!

Sometimes we have to have talks with ourselves,, but MORE important, we need the support of OTHERS. This is what Weight Watchers is ALL ABOUT! We NEED our meetings, especially around the time of the dangerous Bermuda Triangle of holidays rushing towards us. The Routine of the Month...to get up and move 5 minutes every hour is perfect for this month because I truly can get in some more activity if I want to spend PP values for chocolate.
I will finish this newsletter on Saturday after I come home from Omaha...I'll keep you posted how things are going.

Saturday evening: I'm home from Omaha, and dear members, 2014 is going to be THE YEAR for fabulous weight loss success! It was a wonderful day, and you're going to love the New Year! PS: No chocolate at the staff meeting!
I will actually be leading the meeting in Superior this coming Monday, but I thought Dorothy did a great job, and I wish her the best as she begins her own meetings in Concordia, KS. We'll see you all there. I need a meeting. You need a meeting. Also, next Saturday in Hastings, it's usual time at 9:30, so please come. We're talking SNACK MONSTERS this week!

See you in the meeting room! --Zig

These Members are LOSING IT!
Superior: -17 lbs.
Hastings: -5 lbs.

5 lb. star
Danetter K. (H)

Biggest Losers
Lori G. (S)
Danette K. (H)

Change Is Good

Discover simple ways to refresh your plan and your outlook.
Article By: Amanda Genge

As the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life.” But did you know that changing things up can also help you reach your weight-loss goals? Periodically varying your routine — even a little bit — keeps things interesting so you’re more likely to stick with healthy behaviors like this month’s routine: Walk at least five minutes each hour. For example, you might choose to walk up and down a flight of steps, or do a quick lap around the office, or pace the sidelines while you're at your kid’s little league game. And like with all the other healthy behaviors you've been practicing, the best way to get comfortable with change is to start small. Maybe sit in a different seat at your meeting this week. Although this is a minor adjustment, the new vantage point (and new “neighbors”) might encourage you to re-engage and re-focus.

Mix it up!
Although we can all benefit from adding a little variety to our daily routine, if you’re a creature of habit (hey, you're not alone!) moving out of your comfort zone might feel a bit awkward, at first. And that's OK. Remember, start small. There are lots of little things you can do to change up your regular routine a bit. And none of them require tons of time, effort or money. The ideas below can help get you started. (Some are pretty straightforward — like changing the time of day you work out. While others might be a bit unexpected — like grilling your dinner on a cold night.) Pick at least one to try this week. And keep the ones you enjoy in regular rotation.
  1. Become an “Iron Chef” at home. Pick a few random ingredients from your pantry, fridge or freezer (heck, be brave and ask your kids to select them). Then plug the ingredients into Find and Explore Recipes to get ideas and come up with a plan-friendly meal on the fly.
  2. Have a flashback family fitness day. Ban all electronics! Grab a jump rope, draw a hopscotch board on the sidewalk, play a game of kickball, tag, Twister, or run a 3-legged relay race or have a go at any other fun kid-friendly activity.
  3. Drive a different route to the office. You might discover a park or path on the way where you can go for a post-workday power walk.
  4. Give someone a compliment. It can be a friend, coworker, or a stranger on the street. You’ll feel good about making someone else feel good! Random acts of kindness are also wonderful ways to lift the giver's and receiver's spirits!
  5. Enjoy breakfast for dinner. Morning comfort foods like eggs, pancakes, French toast and frittatas are cheap, easy and satisfying. On the flipside, try having more typical “dinner” food (even leftovers) for breakfast.
  6. Read a book instead of spending time in front of a screen. Forgo the TV, computer, tablet or smartphone in favor of some old-school page turning. Dig up an old favorite you haven’t read in years or hit up the library to check out something new. Kudos if you stand up while you read!
Satisfy that Chocolate Craving!!!


LOOK at a couple of the cool holiday recipes there are in the new WW Magazine!!!


ON SALE IN YOUR MEETING ROOM NOW!

The Trick to Treats

Forget the haunted house — the spookiest Halloween specter is the candy. Don't be scared; be prepared!
Article By: Melissa Sperl and Leslie Fink, RD

Halloween is a hard time to stay on Plan. Store aisles overflow with 5-pound bags of candy, your kids come home with bags of loot from parties and trick-or-treating and at night's end you're inevitably left with half a bowl of candy by the front door. How can you be expected to resist your favorite candies when they are within arm's reach, no matter where you turn?
Here's how. These tactics will help you stay in control in the face of nightmarish temptation.
Resist sales and bargains. Don't fall for coupons or BOGO deals. A 5-pound bag of candy on sale is still a 5-pound bag of candy. Buy what you think you'll hand out to trick-or-treaters, and not a mini-bar more.

Buy late. The closer to Halloween you buy the candy, the better. And once you bring it home, don't even rip open the bag until the first trick-or-treater comes. That way, you'll have less total temptation time to cope with.
Choose candy you don't like. Hate coconut? Load up on Mounds and Almond Joy. You get the idea.

Devise a game plan. Start giving out more candy to each costumed kid as the night wears on, so there's less left over. If there are still remainders, get them out of the house. Give the candy away to a food charity, collect it all and offer it to the neighbors or bring it to work (and drop it off in a different department!).

Go out on a full stomach. If you plan to escort your kids house-to-house, make lunch your big meal of the day, so you're not walking around hungry with bags full of candy at your disposal. Carry a mug of something hot to sip on, or chew minty gum. It’ll help kill your urge to put candy in your mouth.

Manage the kids' haul. Once the candy's home, work with your kids to decide what to do with it. Have them pick their 10 favorite pieces and save the rest for lunches and parties.

Ditch the sense of occasion. Remind yourself that you can buy candy any time of the year. There's no need to load up on fun-size bars on October 31 when you can enjoy them whenever your heart desires.

Keep things in perspective. Eating a little bit of candy on Halloween doesn't make a person overweight — it's constant overeating that can pile on the pounds. So don't assume you can't enjoy even a single treat, especially since deprivation is a tactic that often backfires.

No Tricks with These Treats!
We searched the shelves for lower PointsPlus value candy that still satisfies a sweet tooth. Miniatures are a great deal in terms of portion control, while chewy candies turn out to be a big mouthful bargain, and hard candies and lollipops score high for long-lasting satisfaction. Here’s a sampling:
Item
Serving size
PointsPlus value
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Twists 3 pieces 2
Charm’s Blow Pop 1 junior or regular pop 2
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Mint Patties 1 piece 2
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops 1 regular 1
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Peanut butter crunch 1 piece 1
Skittles Original Bite Size Candies (fun size) 1 bag 2
Candy corn 1 oz 3
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats 1 bar 2
Jolly Rancher Gummis 9 pieces 3
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans 1 oz package 3
Twizzler’s Cherry Bites 17 pieces 4
Junior Mints 16 5
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Rolls 13 small 4
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Caramel drops 7 pieces 4
Member Kits are STILL ON SALE while supplies last!
Here's a great recipe from the cookbook What to Eat Now from the kit.

Potato Lover's Soup with Crispy Bacon
Source: What to Eat Now By, Weight Watchers
Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup
Points+: 5 pts+
Ingredients
3 large (8 ounce) baked russet potatoes
3 strips bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup fat free half and half

Instructions
1. Leaving skin on, coarsely chop potatoes; set aside

2. Cook bacon in large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off and discard all but 1 teaspoon of drippings.

3. Add garlic and half of scallions to drippings in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper sauce, and potatoes, mashing potatoes with wooden spoon to break them up slightly. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until heated through. 2-3 minutes

4. Stir in half and half and return to simmer. Serve soup sprinkled with crumbled bacon and remaining scallions.

*For your information
This soup is especially convenient if you have leftover baked potatoes on hand. If you don't, preheat the oven to 425°F, pierce each potato a few times with a fork, and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
BAD WEATHER: If there will be a meeting cancellation due to SNOW, etc., please stay tuned to NTV or KHAS-TV. I will call them to announce a meeting cancellation by 3 P.M. for Superior...and as early as I can (or the night before) for Hastings Saturday morning meetings. You can also log on to their websites where they have weather closings.
You can also call the Weight Watchers' 800 number to find out if we are having a meeting.
1-800-651-6000.
Next Week’s Topic

Come to the meeting this week to discover ways to tame THE SNACK MONSTER
and explore satisfying on-plan munchies for your "FULL MOON" urges!
Member Recipes

Very Veggie Turkey Chili with Jiffy Pumpkin Cornbread
Servings - approx. 12 Serving size - 1/12th of recipe or approx. 1 cup Pointsplus per svg- 6 points
1 TBS. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 med. sweet red pepper, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 package of chili seasonings ( such as Mccormick)
1 tsp. cumin
1 TBS. brown sugar
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis
2 15-ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fat free, low sodium chicken stock
1.2 pound package of lean ground turkey, 93/7
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In large pot or dutch oven, heat oil on med heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and red pepper, Saute until vegetables begin to get soft, about 5 min. Add the zucchini, and cook another 5 minutes. Add in the frozen corn , the chili seasonings, the cumin and the brown sugar, stir to combine well. Cook for about 1 minutes. Add the cans of tomatoes, the beans and the chicken stock. Let come to a boil, and then partially cover and allow to simmer.
2. In a med skillet, season the ground turkey with salt and pepper, and brown under med heat breaking up chunks as you brown it. (This is best done with a potato masher...try it, it really works!) Once the meat is browned, drain off any excess liquid, and add to chili.
3. Simmer chili for approx. 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it thickens and the vegetables are soft. Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy. This goes great with the pumpkin cornbread!
I love Jiffy corn muffin mix. It's inexpensive and tastes great. Adding 1/2 cup pumpkin to the prepared mix was a wonderful addition and the perfect compliment to the Very Veggie Turkey Chili!




Ground Beef and Cheddar Casserole
6oz wide, whole wheat noodles (I used Ronzoni Extra Wide Noodles)
16oz extra lean ground beef
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 16oz container fat free sour cream
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups reduced fat, shredded, sharp cheddar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with non-fat cooking spray.
Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and place into a large bowl. Mix in the sour cream and parmesan, and then pour into baking dish.
While the noodles are cooking, spray a large, nonstick skillet with non-fat cooking spray, and add in the garlic. Cook until tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add in the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink…about 5-8 minutes.
Add in the zucchini, bell peppers and onions and cook until vegetables just being to become tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in diced tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried parsley, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Empty the beef and vegetable mixture over the noodles, and evenly sprinkle the reduced fat cheddar over top.
Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is about 1 1/4 cups
Each serving = 7 Points +




Guilt-Free Mini Corn Dogs
1⅛ cups buttermilk
2 eggs, I like using Egg-land Best eggs, see healthy benefit
2 tablespoons pickle relish
2 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 (1 lb.) pkg. Hebrew National 97% fat-free all-beef hot dogs, see shopping tip
Cooking spray, I like using olive oil spray
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine buttermilk, eggs, relish, mustard and Tabasco in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl, using a whisk, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir buttermilk mixture into cornmeal mixture to combine;
let stand 3 minutes. (The mixture will be thick.) Using a whisk again, whisk mixture until smooth; transfer to a tall measuring cup.
4. Cut each hot dog into three pieces crosswise. Dip dogs into batter, coating entirely. It gets a little messy but just make sure they are all fully coated.
You might need to use your finger to smear the batter around. It doesn’t matter if they don’t look perfectly shaped. Mine don’t but still taste great.
5. Place corn dogs on baking pan. Spray the corn dogs with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 15 minutes on 1 side, turn over, coat again with cooking spray and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Place a toothpick in each. Serve at once with ketchup and mustard on the side.
Makes 21 mini corn dog bites
1 = 2 PointsPlus




Chocolate Crunch Snack Mix Recipe
1 cup Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup pretzel sticks broken in half
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
Combine Chex, pretzels and cranberries in a medium sized bowl.
Drizzle with melted chocolate; stir to combine.
Spread the mixture on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is ¾ cup
Each serving = 3 Points +




ORANGE KOOL-ADE No Bake CHEESECAKE!!!!
Dreamy…Creamy….Tastes like and Orange 50/50 ice cream bar.!!!!!

1 graham cracker pie crust (homemade tastes best…store bought is still ok)
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid Orange powdered ...drink mix
1 8oz softened cream cheese
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz container Cool Whip


1. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and Kool-Aid
Add sweetened condensed milk (I used a hand mixer to make it nice and smooth)
2. Fold in Cool Whip
3. Stir with spoon until mixture is well mix ….. the mixture will be thick and you will have to spoon out into the crust.
4. Smooth out top of pie with back side of spoon.
5. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours and serve chilled
Use the recipe builder to figure up PPV and servings.

This newsletter is in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, Inc. It is simply a motivational tool that I offer to members who attend my Weight Watchers meetings and wish to receive it.
Remove from list? If you no longer wish to receive weekly newsletters from me, please reply to this message indicating "Remove from list" in either the subject header or the body of the message.
I also try to post the newsletter on our private FB page "Zig's Winners" and the Google Blog called Midweek Minutes. Find us on FB and ask to join

our own private support group!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts