MIDWEEK MINUTES August 16, 2014
Midweek
Minutes
August 16,
2014
Hello,
Winners!
I can’t believe it’s
the end of the first week of school, and although it was only three days with
kids, this teacher is tired! I made it through that Eileen’s cookie temptation
without taking a bite. That was HUGE for me. I have had lots of activity this
week too and have earned 20 Activity PointsPlus values so far, but it was after
school, which is different for me since I used to walk or do other activity in
the mornings. I have lots of thinking to do about what’s next with my
activity.
Do you remember the
end of the school year? Were you coming to meetings and making a plan for the
summer? It’s now a new school year and our ACE Your Summer Challenge is 10
weeks in (giving some members their charms already!) Did you work the program
this summer, or did you take the summer off? In my life I have done both.
This summer was me
getting out of my own way, throwing out the Excuse Bag, and
working my Weight Watchers plan.
I shot a video of myself in class yesterday
and watched it after school. I look and feel MUCH better than I did when I shot
videos before school was out in May! Oh, yes! -8.2 lbs. down in 9 weeks! I
didn’t like where I was at the end of the school year, and I am SO HAPPY that I
decided to follow through with actually putting myself and my health first! I
have had activity on my mind especially with our August topics and school
beginning. I am REALLY trying to overcome my excuses about the time of day,
etc.
Here’s an article I
found from www.kimbenson.com, and I feel
as if she is talking to me. I thought I would rest my brain cells and share it
with you.
We all have
circumstances that make sticking with our weight loss program difficult. Some
have no support at home. I'm so grateful to say that was never one of my
challenges. Some work in the food industry, constantly surrounded by temptation.
As an ex-waitress for Bertucci's, I know how challenging that can
be.
For some,
there's the daily teachers' lounge or an Italian Nonna who loves to make
home-made pasta. Eat! Eat!
Eat!
Some are
stay-at-home mothers or caregivers with no time for themselves. Then there are
those who have health issues or physical limitations making weight loss seem
almost impossible.
The bottom line —
we still have to do whatever it takes to lose weight. If there's no way to
change our circumstances, then we have to change ourselves to thrive within
them.
Is it your
stress? Your poor finances? Unhappy marriage? Wayward children? What
circumstances most derail you on your journey? For many, it's the fear of
'giving up' eating the way they always enjoyed before. For others, it's the lack
of belief in themselves.
So many
obstacles. Such a long journey.
But despite YOUR
circumstances, despite YOUR personal challenges in weight loss, the fact is,
there is no one, no thing, standing in the way of you and your weight loss goal,
besides you. YOU are the only who can achieve it. And YOU are the only one who
can keep yourself from achieving it.
So, I'll
ask you again ... What are you willing
to do to lose weight?
Do it. Whatever
it takes.
Are YOU ready to do
whatever it takes to lose weight and keep it off? Join me this week in Superior
or Hastings...and we’ll do it together! --Zig
Member
Milestones
Superior:
–17.4 lbs.
Hastings
Saturday morning: –13.4 lbs.
5 lb. star and 4-week Key
Ring
Carol K. ( H
)
5%
Keith L. ( S
)
BIGGEST LOSERKeith L. ( S
)
Velma V. ( H
)
Get to
Know Activity PointsPlus® Values
Measure how
much you're moving — the ActiveLink® monitor does it automatically — to help boost motivation, get more
food PointsPlus values, or just to bask in your achievement!
Making exercise a regular healthy habit
can play a big role in helping you reach your weight goal, and even more
important, maintain your weight loss. And it can work wonders for your physical
and mental well-being. The more you know about — and earn — activity
PointsPlus values, the easier it is to do. Just as tracking what
you eat and drink can help you make healthy choices at the table, tracking your
activity can encourage you to move more.
What are activity
PointsPlus values anyway?
They measure how much physical activity you're doing. You earn them based on how much you weigh, how hard you work out (low, medium, or high intensity), and how long you work out. As you probably know, you can swap earned activity PointsPlus values one to one for food PointsPlus values. Or you can simply collect them to gloat about your achievement! If you're new to exercise, start slow: Just move as much as you comfortably can: Walk an extra block or two, stand up to work on your laptop, park farther away — you know the drill. And do check our FAQs on Activity. Once you're up and running (so to speak), you can calculate how many activity PointsPlus values you score for a given workout in the Activity Tracker. You can also refer to the Activity PointsPlus value charts in your Pocket Guide. Or, easiest and coolest of all, you can use the ActiveLink monitor, which automatically does it for you!
They measure how much physical activity you're doing. You earn them based on how much you weigh, how hard you work out (low, medium, or high intensity), and how long you work out. As you probably know, you can swap earned activity PointsPlus values one to one for food PointsPlus values. Or you can simply collect them to gloat about your achievement! If you're new to exercise, start slow: Just move as much as you comfortably can: Walk an extra block or two, stand up to work on your laptop, park farther away — you know the drill. And do check our FAQs on Activity. Once you're up and running (so to speak), you can calculate how many activity PointsPlus values you score for a given workout in the Activity Tracker. You can also refer to the Activity PointsPlus value charts in your Pocket Guide. Or, easiest and coolest of all, you can use the ActiveLink monitor, which automatically does it for you!
How am I doing?
Wearing an activity monitor — especially ActiveLink — does more than just give you an accurate report of how much (or how little) you’re moving. You’ll also be getting built-in accountability and motivating feedback to encourage you to keep going and set new goals for yourself. The ActiveLink takes into account the everyday movements that even the couch potato-iest of us do by setting an activity baseline that's personalized to you, and above which you'll earn activity PointsPlus values.
ActiveLink’s gyroscopic technology measures activity in all directions, not just back and forth. And it automatically tracks your activity PointsPlus values! The ActiveLink monitor syncs up directly with your eTools account to give you an accurate snapshot of your activity over time. And because you clip it to your clothing in the morning and let it do its thing while you go about the business of your day, it captures all your activity — even small additional bursts here and there that might otherwise be hard to account for and track. Tip: Leave the monitor next to your alarm clock, toothbrush or keys at night so you’ll have a built-in reminder to put it on in the morning.
Wearing an activity monitor — especially ActiveLink — does more than just give you an accurate report of how much (or how little) you’re moving. You’ll also be getting built-in accountability and motivating feedback to encourage you to keep going and set new goals for yourself. The ActiveLink takes into account the everyday movements that even the couch potato-iest of us do by setting an activity baseline that's personalized to you, and above which you'll earn activity PointsPlus values.
ActiveLink’s gyroscopic technology measures activity in all directions, not just back and forth. And it automatically tracks your activity PointsPlus values! The ActiveLink monitor syncs up directly with your eTools account to give you an accurate snapshot of your activity over time. And because you clip it to your clothing in the morning and let it do its thing while you go about the business of your day, it captures all your activity — even small additional bursts here and there that might otherwise be hard to account for and track. Tip: Leave the monitor next to your alarm clock, toothbrush or keys at night so you’ll have a built-in reminder to put it on in the morning.
Keep going! Even after you’ve
become a regular exerciser, it’s not always easy to know when or how to kick
things up a notch to keep yourself challenged and motivated. Thinking about
branching out beyond your comfort zone, or just trying something that’s not a
traditional workout? We’ve
got ideas for you!
Remember, eTools subscribers can purchase the ActiveLink
monitor in participating meeting locations; if it’s not available in your
meeting location, you can always purchase it on our website. An additional
monthly ActiveLink subscription is required. Talk to your Leader for more
details.
POPPED
SNACKS$3.95
CANDIES $1.50
How Cravings
Happen and What to do About Them by Kim
Benson
You pre-plan
your day and stick with it. Someone brings in a platter of home-made cookies and
they sit out in plain sight all afternoon. You keep thinking about them
…
You’re
driving home and need gas. You usually pick up an assortment of goodies at the
gas station and eat them on the way home. The internal debate begins
…
You’re in
the grocery store and your cart is filled with everything you need to stay OP
(On Program). You round the aisle and stare straight at a Hostess display. You
realize the seasonal goodies are back …
You’re doing
great on program. You’ve lost a lot of weight. It’s been months since you’ve had
a struggle, when all of a sudden you can’t seem to get full. You’re hungry all
the time. Will you be able to hang on? Or is this just the beginning of the end
once again? …
Right when
you were in control and feeling great, everyone decides to go out for dinner.
You panic!! It’s not your fault. Who would expect you to stay OP in the face of
this?! You start weighing your options …
All of these
scenarios are key moments in time for dieters. Most people find that sticking
with a weight loss program is easy—except for the many times it’s not. Think
about it. Do you find mornings easy? Do you do well through lunch? Most say
“yes”. But come 3
o’clock in the afternoon, the struggle begins. And it all starts with a
simple craving. Cravings are moments of insanity that overcome us as we live our
otherwise sane lives.
A
food craving (or head hunger) is an “intense desire” or
“powerful yearning” to consume food, stronger than stomach hunger. They can be
triggered by anything from a smell or place to an advertisement or suggestion.
They are part of life. And they happen to everyone.
Two things
you must know about cravings.
1. Cravings are limited in
strength. They are
never stronger than you are. Most people who struggle with their weight
have either never heard this or they just don’t believe it. But it’s true for
everyone.
We
continually sabotage ourselves and empower our cravings through our own thoughts
and actions. We set ourselves up for failure by NOT bringing things that will
make an event easier, by accepting invitations we know are going to be full of
temptation, by going to places we know will be extremely challenging, by picking
up things at the grocery store ‘for others’ that we know are our
favorites.
And our
thoughts betray us as well. “This one time won’t matter in the scheme of life.”
“I’ll start again tomorrow.” “It’s not fair that I have
to plan and can’t have what I want.”
2. Cravings are limited in time. We think they are going to last forever, but they
don’t have to. It’s a scientific fact. Cravings should last only 1-3 minutes.
Most last longer simply because we won’t let them go.
There are
both offensive and defensive ways to prevent and overcome cravings (our topic
this week at The Center), but the most important thing to know is that it’s all
up to you. You have the power to squelch or grow a craving. You have the power
to side step them from happening or from letting them become a powerful source
in your life at all. Once you realize this and act on preventing and controlling
them, the rest really is, well, easy.
Want another
tip to reduce cravings? Say “no” once at the grocery store, and you won’t have
to keep saying “no” all week.
WE HAVE SOME 10-WEEK WINNERS
ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!
A Mindful
Eye Can Motivate You
Keeping tabs
on your behaviors can reveal valuable insights.
Monitoring your food, weight and activity
might sometimes take a little extra effort, but it will get you to your goals.
Along the way, you'll uncover valuable insights about the behaviors that are
working for you, as well as the areas in which you'd like to improve. Then you
can use this powerful information to revamp your daily routine with small,
sustainable changes that can add up to weight loss and health gains.
Monitoring Yourself
Means...
- Keep track of your PointsPlus® values.
- Taking note of the way you feel—your hunger signals and emotions—just before and after you eat.
- On either food plan, looking for other ways to make yourself more aware of the way you eat such as noticing when you eat, when you snack, whether you follow the Good Health Guidelines and more.
- Using your Weight Tracker to track your weight once a week.
- Watching your progress with exercise.
It makes
sense to Monitor Yourself.
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." -Robert Collier.
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." -Robert Collier.
Let's face it: there's food
everywhere, and it's easy to eat. But when we pay attention to the way we eat,
it's easier to notice when we're overdoing it.
When we're not paying attention,
we tend to let all the little BLTS—bites, licks and tastes—slide by. Things that
don't exactly fit into our plans don't register, because they seem too small to
make a difference. But little bits add up.
When we don't keep track, we miss
out on an opportunity to rein ourselves in when things are going off track. The
power of a keyboard is amazing. When you know you'll have to type in that you're
about to eat something even though you're not really hungry, you're less likely
to take that last cookie.
Self-monitoring helps us maintain
the kind of control that inspires us and moves us closer to our goals. If it
helps at all, think of it as measuring for motivation.
Lisa, from St. Louis, MO, lost
71.1 pounds and says, "It's helpful for me to keep track—it holds me
accountable. When I review my journal, and I think 'Why did I gain?' I can see
it. I can also see why I lost. I use that knowledge to my advantage as I make
decisions about what to eat."
Monitoring
Yourself is a helpful habit because:
- It offers you the best chance for successful weight loss, according to a study by the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Chicago.*
- It increases your awareness—of what you eat and when you eat and the way you feel when you're eating.
- Knowledge is power and armed with this information, you're able to focus on behaviors that are making it more difficult for you to succeed.
- When you can see how you're doing—at the scalen and with your exercise efforts—you can make changes, and celebrate successes.
If you
realize you need to Monitor Yourself...Make use of the online tools like
PointsPlus Tracker and Weight Tracker to measure and monitor your
weight, food, and activity progress.
Member
Recipes
Better BK
Whopper (6 PP)
3 oz lean ground turkey
⅛ tsp salt
3 dill pickle slices
1 tsp ketchup
4 raw rings of white onion
2 tomato slices
¼ cup chopped lettuce
1 tsp light mayonnaise
1 light hamburger bun (80 calories)
⅛ tsp salt
3 dill pickle slices
1 tsp ketchup
4 raw rings of white onion
2 tomato slices
¼ cup chopped lettuce
1 tsp light mayonnaise
1 light hamburger bun (80 calories)
Lightly mix ground turkey with the
salt. Form ground turkey into a ball and shape into a ¾-inch-thick patty.
Preheat a grill to high; grill about 4
minutes per side, or until cooked throughout.
Build the burger in the following
stacking order from the bottom up: bottom bun, burger patty, pickles, ketchup,
onion, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and top of the bun.
Cheesy Taco Pasta
serves 6 (1 rounded cup)
- 8 oz wheat pasta (I used Barilla medium shells)
- 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
- 1 oz packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
- 1 ½ c chunky salsa
- ½ c water
- ¼ c fat free sour cream
- ¾ c shredded 2 % reduced fat cheddar cheese
- ¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, place ground beef in a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks.
- When the beef is cooked, drain any grease from pan. Add the taco seasoning, salsa and water and reduce heat to simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done cooking.
- Once pasta is done, drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture.
- Add the sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cheese will melt when thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS:
9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Taco
Casserole
1 pound ground skinless chicken breast
½ cup onions, chopped
½ cup bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 package taco seasoning mix
8 ounces taco sauce
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup low-fat tortilla chips, whole or broken up
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup salsa, for garnish (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine sour
cream and cottage cheese; set aside. Place half the broken chips in the bottom
of casserole dish.
Add meat mixture to cover the
chips, then cover the meat with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and
remaining crushed chips.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes
or until cheese has melted. Top with ¾ cup salsa, if desired.
Makes Eight 1-cup
servings
PointsPlus® Value: 7
PointsPlus® Value: 7
Skinny Low-Yolk
Egg Salad
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 of salad Points+: 2 pts
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 of salad Points+: 2 pts
4 hard boiled
eggs, peeled
4 tsp
Hellman's light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp dijon
mustard
2 tbsp chopped
green scallions or chives
salt and fresh
pepper to taste
Separate the yolks from the egg whites and discard 3 of the yolks. Chop eggs and combine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, scallions,
salt and pepper.
Taco Salad
(Makes 4 servings at 7 PP
each)
- 12 oz shredded lettuce
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 oz can diced green chillies
- 1 lb lean ground beef (93% lean)
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup jalapeño peppers
- ¼ cup reduced-fat, shredded Mexican cheese
- 1¼ oz reduced-sodium
taco seasoning packet
Optional*:
- reduced-fat sour cream
- diced avocado
- *Optional ingredients are not included in nutritional calculations.
- In a medium skillet, brown diced onion and ground sirloin until meat is no longer pink. Drain any remaining grease from meat.
- Over low heat, add in diced green chilies, taco seasoning, and ¼ cup water to meat and stir.
- Remove from heat and let meat stand for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and black olives. Toss to mix lightly.
- To serve, add ¼ of salad mixture in a bowl.
- Top salad with ¼ meat mixture.
- Sprinkle each taco salad with cheese and add optional toppings including reduced-fat sour cream and diced avocado. www.skinnymom.com
- Turkey and Cheese Flatout Wrap (6
PP)
- 1 Flatout® Light Flatbread
- 1 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing
- 3 (1oz) slices deli-style oven-roasted turkey breast
- 1 (1oz) slice low-fat Cheddar cheese
- 2 tomato slices 1 Romaine lettuce leaf
Spread dressing over entire Flatout.
On one rounded end, layer the turkey, cheese, tomatoes
and Romaine.
Roll Flatout tightly, cut in half and
enjoy!
Serving size: 1 cupcake # 5 PP
Cupcakes:
15 oz box yellow cake mix
20 oz can Dole crushed pineapple in it's own juice, do not
drain
2 tsp coconut extract
Frosting:
1 oz sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1 cup cold coconut milk
12 oz Cool Whip Free® topping
Optional
Toppings*:
cherries
pineapple slices
toasted coconut flakes
*Optional ingredients are not included in the nutritional
calculations.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a muffin tin with nonstick baking spray or use cupcake liners, set aside.
- Using a mixer, combine cake mix, pineapple and coconut extract until well blended.
- Pour batter into muffin cups until each cup is ¾ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- For Frosting: In a medium sized bowl, mix dry pudding mix and coconut milk until it starts to thicken.
- Refrigerate pudding for 20 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip Free® and stir until frosting is smooth. Keep in fridge until ready to frost.
- After cupcakes have cooled, frost cupcakes and if desired, add optional toppings before serving.
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 http://midweekminutes.blogspot.com/.
Find us on FB and ask to join our own private support
group!
Comments
Post a Comment