MIDWEEK MINUTES March 14, 2015

 
Midweek Minutes
March 14, 2015
 
 
Top O’ the Mornin’ to Ya, Winners!
 
It’s all about GREEN this week!  At our Weight Watchers’ meetings, GREEN means GO!  When a member comes to Weight Watchers or rejoins Weight Watchers, their expectations are high.  We have learned that it’s a marathon and not a sprint to change our lives and get healthy and fit.
 
I was reading Facebook the other day.  It seems a new weight loss product has hit the market, and several people with whom I am acquainted, are spending a whole bunch of money on it. . . AGAIN.  Now, it seems to me that just like kids, these adults don’t learn either by words or examples what works and what doesn’t.  They’re still looking for a diet, a quick fix, instead of a long term, healthy “LIVE-IT” plan.  That’s the real March Madness!
 
As a person who has been back to recommit to Weight Watchers 3 times in my life, I know that I can’t do shakes, pills, or diets.  What I have to do is live from day to day, from week to week, and manage my eating and exercise.  This is my crazy time of year, and I am really trying to just maintain.  It happens.  We do the best we can, and that’s why I love our meetings because they motivate me to keep going for another week.
 
This week, ‘tis the wearin' o' the GREEN for the Luck o' the Irish! But, we know that we do NOT need the LUCK of the Irish to succeed with Weight Watchers!!!
 
If you WANT to, you WILL! That's what I say! Our choices say more about us that anything else. When it comes to weight management, it all boils down to WANT POWER. Refuse to quit in the face of obstacles and challenges! When we are DETERMINED...NOTHING can stop us from being successful!
 
Success will NOT, however, FALL on us. There is NO SUCH THING as a MAGICAL PILL...and who wants to take pills anyway? This IS a lifestyle...and we make adjustments, learn from our mistakes, and keep making PROGRESS...even if that progress just means that WW is in the back of our minds as we "forget" the program for a splurge!
 
Are you TRACKING??? Make it fun tracking your food on etools...go GREEN and save paper with etools. If you have a Monthly Pass, you get FREE etools, and it's really fun to enter your daily food intake...giving you a different way to motivate yourselves to track (journal). You can even take a favorite recipe and run it through the recipe builder and calculate the points or even lighten up a family favorite.
 
GREEN TRIANGLES are our FRIENDS...think POWER FOODS! Tis "GREENin' up" outside, so make a date with yourself to get out and MOVE MORE!  Been to your meeting lately? Come "PAY, WEIGH, and STAY"! Ha-ha!! Or, come and DON'T weigh with a FREE NO-WEIGH PASS.
 
But COME!!! Don't be a March drop-out!!! Let all your co-workers and friend become GREEN with envy at your success, and tell them HOW you did it! We CAN DO THIS...one baby step at a time!!!!
 
Please keep coming to our meetings because we WILL close if we don’t have members coming.  As we all know, at least those to whom this newsletter reaches, we CANNOT do it without meetings.  I know I can’t.  I need to go to my meeting as a member, and it’s been tough to get there lately, as it has with some of you.  So, if you can, please come. 
 
Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  --Zig
 
 
Leapin' Leprechauns!  Look at these Member Milestones!
 
Superior: -10 lbs.
Hastings: -14 lbs.
 
45 lb. star
Vicki S. ( H )
 
BIGGEST LOSER
Jon A. ( S )
Kim S. ( H )
 

Picture This: Mindful Eating

It's a small but powerful action. See how being aware at the table can help you succeed.
Article By: Amanda Genge and Lisa Thomas
 
Most days we're multitaskers, juggling personal, family and work responsibilities. Unfortunately, this means that we're often pulling a double shift at mealtimes, too. We grab (and devour) breakfast while commuting to the office; squeeze in a quick lunch while working at our desks; and wolf down dinner while watching TV with the family. Speed eating has an obvious downside: You're more likely to overeat. But you're also missing out on the simple pleasures of tasting your food and relaxing over a meal. Ad that, too, can also help you slow down.

Bring back your attention
Think about your last couple of meals. Were you doing anything else while eating? Activities like texting or checking in with social networks, for example, might have become so embedded into your daily routine that you don't notice how they're interrupting your eating experience. So put on the brakes. Turn off the TV and the smartphone, clear the table, and focus on your food. Mindful eating means you are fully present. Your heart rate naturally slows and your breathing deepens; you're physically calmer and better able to savor your meal. You tend to slow down your eating, creating a simple, yet powerful way to help you stay on track.

In your meeting this week, you recalled times you've eaten while distracted, and explored strategies to slow down and eat more mindfully, including mentally rehearsing a mealtime movie where you make sure your food is the star. As you continue to think about ways to make your meals more mindful, consider these ideas.

Tips to help you decelerate when dining
  1. Choose your food thoughtfully. When we’re in a hurry, we might just grab whatever's convenient. Planning what you'll eat eliminates some of this last-minute temptation. But if you need a little last-minute menu mojo, check out our Starter Meals. You'll find delicious options for vegetarian, lower-carb, and even nearly no-cook meals.
  2. Eat regularly. Don't let more than four hours go by between meals, so you aren't famished, and therefore prone to gobble your grub, when you sit down to eat.
  3. Pause for a quiet moment. Before you dig in, stop to reflect on your mood. A little mini-meditation before a meal can help keep emotional eating in check.
  4. Take it all in. Engage all your senses. How does the food look and smell? Anticipate that first taste and really savor each mouthful.
  5. Downsize your bites. The meal shouldn’t be a race to the finish line. Take smaller bites, put your fork down in between, chew each bite thoroughly (fiber-rich foods like apples and broccoli take longer to chew) and take a sip of water before raising your fork again.
  6. Avoid social sidetracks. Dining out with family and friends is one of life’s pleasures. Distracting conversations, however, can cause you to lose track of what and how much you’re eating, so keep checking in with your plate (and your appetite).
 
 
The Spring Weight-Loss Challenge will run from March 15 to April 18.
 
Each meeting group will to beat the previous week’s weight loss. The total amount counts, but so does the per-member average, so come each week and support your fellow members! Together, we can with the hard part. And there’s bling! Attend 4 out of the 5 meetings and earn your Spring Weight-Loss Challenge .
 
Here's how we'll track:
Members will track their individual goals and actual weekly loss on their own tracking card.
Each meeting will track total weight loss and average weight loss per member on a meeting room poster or counter card. 
 
If a member attends 4 out of the 5 weekly meetings, they'll earn their spring umbrella award
 
Why an umbrella award? Because we're all under this umbrella together!
 
 
 
 
 
NEW!!!
 
 
 
4-week targeted workout plan
fitness
Finding time to exercise can be a challenge, and structuring an effective program
can be intimidating. That’s why we created this 4-Week Targeted Workout Plan
exclusively for Weight Watchers® members — so you can fit effective exercise into
your busy lifestyle and still have fun.
Kit Includes:
• DVD with 7 different mini-workouts including beginner, intermediate and advanced options:
This program offers seven different 10-minute mini-workouts, each with a specific focus:
WEIGHT WATCHERS for services and PointsPlus are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc.
© 2015 Weight Watchers International, Inc. All rights reserved.
• Lower Body Sculpt
• Lower Body Circuit
• Lower Body Cardio
• Upper Body Sculpt
 
 
 
 

How to Eat Mindfully – Anytime, Anywhere

Expert tips on how to pay attention to your meal – even when you’re multitasking at work, in your car or with the kids.
Article By: Sarah Elizabeth Richards
 
The idea of eating mindfully sounds like a luxury: You savor each morsel of food, breathing in its aroma, admiring its color and shape. As soon as you take a bite, you admire its taste, temperature and texture. Is it smooth or crunchy? Salty or sweet? Spicy or bland? You notice how the flavor changes as you chew your food slowly and thoroughly, setting down your fork in between bites and breathing deeply as you check in with your body to ask if it wants another. When you’re finished, you are perfectly satiated – no longer hungry, but not full and definitely not stuffed. Eating is pleasure, and you have nourished your body in compete harmony with the universe.

Sounds fabulous, right? But it also sounds like a lot of work. It’s hard to make each bite of food an extraordinary experience, especially when real life gets in the way. There are emails to be sent, bills to be paid, kids to be shuttled. Sometimes a meal has just gotta be a meal.

Yet research shows that so-called mindful eating might be helpful when working to lose weight. It helps you eat more slowly which may lead to consuming consume fewer calories, as you give your body time to signal your brain that you’ve have enough. It also helps you gain more satisfaction from your food. One recent study found that our perception or “memory” of what we eat determines how full we feel afterward, no matter how much we’ve actually consumed. How many of us have eaten in front of the computer or while watching TV, only to look up and ask, “I’m finished already?”

The challenge is to fit mindful eating into our daily lives. Experts say it’s not that hard. “We often kid ourselves about how busy we are,” explains Brian Wansink, Ph.D., professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University and author of the forthcoming Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. “It takes just 15 minutes to really enjoy a meal.”

Whether you’ve got fifteen minutes or five, experts agree you can eat mindfully wherever you are. You’ll starve if you wait until the perfect time and place to get into a mindful state of mind. “You can do it anywhere,” says Lilian Cheung, R.D., a nutritionist at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. Just use these simple strategies:
  1. Focus on your food. “The key is to focus on the food itself and not get carried away by thoughts or what’s happening around you.” She suggests closing your eyes and taking one or two deep breaths to switch gears. You can do this on a park bench, at a meeting – even while in the (parked) car during a busy errand day. “Try to pull into a parking lot, where you’ll have fewer distractions,” suggests Wansink. “You’ll want to enjoy your meal as much as possible. That’s not going to happen at a stop light.”
  2. Make the most of the moments you do have. “Be aware of how much time you have to eat,” urges Cheung. “If you only have 10 minutes, consider splitting your lunch into two parts. Truly savor your food, then attend your next meeting and eat the rest later.” Or in cases when that’s impossible, at least recognize that you’re not eating mindfully. “If you can’t avoid eating while driving, at least be aware that you are eating in a rush,” she says. That’s a valuable lesson, too. Over time, you’ll be able to distinguish between the two states. As you learn how much better eating mindfully feels, you’ll be more inspired to make it a priority.
  3. Step away from your desk. We all know how much the French enjoy life with their supposed two-hour lunches outside the office. But sometimes you just can’t get away. Stop and step out of the cube, even if you’re just walking down the hall to the break room, advises Wansink. “People like others to think they’re so swamped they can’t possible break away,” he says. “But you’re going to get much more of a lift eating with another person than sitting at your desk surfing the Internet or looking at someone’s Facebook post of cute cats.”
  4. Keep mealtimes relaxed and fun. You do the things to set up the right physical environment to support your weight-loss goals: Not keeping junk in the house. Walking past the donuts in the conference room. Avoiding buffets. Your emotional environment matters, too. Research shows that people eat faster when they’re stressed or upset. So don’t start heated arguments when you sit down to eat. Save sensitive discussion topics for after dinner, even if it means changing the subject suddenly – do it with a smile and your dinner companions will likely follow suit. Bon appetit!
 
 
 
From March 15 to April 4, joiners can purchase Meetings (Includes OnlinePlus) 3- Month Savings Plan for $107.88 (20% discount!)
 
 

Mindless Eating

Mindless eating can be defined as eating food without paying adequate attention to what and how much is being eaten.
Article By: The Weight Watchers Research Department
 
Mindless eating can also be influenced by environmental factors such as friends and family members, the size of plates and glasses, big versus small serving bowls and spoons, and even lighting and music.1 Eating mindlessly undermines weight management efforts by causing people to eat eating too much, making poor food choices, and losing touch with feelings of hunger and fullness.
The Effects of Serving Size
Researchers have shown that people eat more food when it is presented in large bowls or plates. In one study, moviegoers were served free popcorn in large or extra-large containers.2 Additionally, the popcorn was either fresh or stale. People ate 45 percent more fresh popcorn and 34 percent more stale popcorn from the extra-large container that from the large container, and they did not realize it. In other studies, individuals who were served larger meal portions ate more food and calories than when portions were smaller.3,4,5

Optical Illusions Affect Portion Size
Visual cues are heavily relied upon to make decisions around how much to eat and drink. A tall skinny glass looks fuller than a short, wide one, so more tends to be poured into a shorter glass.1 Portions that are the same size will look smaller on a large plate than on a smaller one,6 leading to larger portions being served when a plate size is bigger. Putting food on a small plate has the opposite effect; the portion looks larger and for many, the meal is over when the plate or bowl is empty so making these small changes can be helpful for weight management efforts.
But what happens if the bowl never is empty? Researchers who created trick bowls that refilled themselves from a hidden tube at the bottom found that study participants ate 73 percent more soup and did not know they were doing so.7
The Influence of Friends and Family
Diners tend to be influenced by the eating habits of those around them. In one study, when two friends restricted the amount of food they ate without telling a third friend, the third friend also ate less.8 Conversely, diners eat more when the people they are eating with consume large portions.9
Environmental Changes to Reduce Mindlessness
A series of small changes to one’s environment can reduce mindless eating and its effects on food intake. These can include switching to smaller plates and bowls; using tall, thin glasses; measuring and serving appropriate portions; and being aware of the influence of others at mealtime.
The Weight Watchers Approach

Weight Watchers encourages its members to track their intake using eTools, modify their environment, and develop Routines and create Spaces that reduce mindlessness and lead to eating patterns that support weight management.
 
 
 
 

 

 
NEXT WEEK’s MEETING
 
One thing leads to another.  Let’s make sure you have a plan that keeps you on plan!

Member Recipes
 
Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
PointsPlus® Value: 9
Servings: 8
Serving Size: about 1- 1/12 cups

2.5 pounds of lean corned beef brisket with the seasoning packet – make sure  to choose the leanest cut
2 carrots, chopped
3 red potatoes, chopped
1 onion, quatered
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1/2 can of guinness (about 7 ounces)
1 head of cabbage, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots to the slow cooker.
2.  Add the lean corned beef brisket (after washing and patting it dry) and and spread 2 tbsp of whole grain mustard on the brisket.  Then pour in the seasoning packet that came with the corned beef.
3.  Pour in the Guinness and then cook for 6-8 hours in your slow cooker.
4.  Once the corned beef has cooked, pull it out of the slow cooker and place it on the side.  Add the cabbage to the slow cooker and cook an additional 30-45 minutes to desired tenderness.
5.  While the cabbage is cooking, remove any large pieces of fat from the corned beef.  I ended up shredded larges pieces of it to remove the extra fat.
6.  Add the corned beef back to the slow cooker and allow to warm up for 5-10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 

Skinny Banana French Toast Bake

  • 6 whole wheat hamburger buns
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp Stevia (or your favorite sweetener)
  • 8 oz package ⅓ less-fat cream cheese
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup
    Optional*:
  • 1 tsp banana extract
  • *Optional ingredients are not included in nutrition calculations.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cut buns into 1-inch cubes. Place half of cubes into a 13" x 9" casserole dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetener (sugar or Stevia) until well mixed.
  4. Using a tsp, drop cream cheese mixture evenly onto hamburger buns.
  5. Cover cream cheese and buns with the remaining ½ of cubed hamburger buns.
  6. Slice bananas and place on top of hamburger cubes in casserole dish.
  7. In a large bowl, add eggs and egg whites and whisk.
  8. Next, add in almond milk, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and optional banana extract.
  9. Whisk all ingredients together until well mixed. Pour mixture over bananas and hamburger buns to cover.
  10. Cover and refrigerate for 7-8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 15-20 minutes before baking.
  11. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the casserole dish in the oven at the halfway point. Uncover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, again, rotating the casserole dish in the oven at the halfway point, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
8 servings @ 7 PP.
 
 
 

Broccoli Slaw Recipe

Makes 5 servings, 1 cup slaw per serving
2 broccoli crowns (about 1 ½ pounds)
½ cup almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Dressing½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Shred broccoli (both stalk and florets) with a grater or the grater attachment in a food processor. Put in a large bowl. Chop almonds with a few pulses of a food processor (do not pulverize) or on a cutting board. Add chopped almonds and cranberries to broccoli
In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and cider vinegar.
Pour dressing over broccoli, almonds, and cranberries and toss. Taste and add salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store in your refrigerator for up to three days. This slaw does improve with age (but there is a limit).
One cup is 162 calories, 9.3 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 15.9 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g sugar, 6.9 g protein, 4.9 g fiber, 155 mg sodium, 4 Points+
 
 
 

Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

Makes 4 cups, 1 cup per serving
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium potato, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large sauce pan, saute onion in butter over medium high heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add asparagus, potato, thyme, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus and potato are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Puree soup in blender and add back to pot. Mix in yogurt, lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store in a tightly sealed container for up to three days.
For one cup = 131 calories, 4.0 g fat, 2.2 g saturated fat, 18.0 g carbohydrates, 5.1 g sugar, 7.2 g protein, 4.2 g fiber, 419 mg sodium, 3 Points+  www.snackgirl.com


  
St. Patrick's Day Cake
1 box of angel food cake mix
20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 tbsp green food coloring
3 cups of Green Whipped Salad*
 
Mix angel food cake with pineapple and food coloring until well-blended.
Spray a Nested Cake Mold with fat-free cooking spray.
Pour the mix into the mold and bake at 350º for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake cools, spread the *Green Whipped Salad into the nested part of the mold. Serve immediately.
4 PP for 1/6th of cake. Makes 16 servings
 
 
 
 
 
*Green Whipped Salad
1 pkg fat-free, sugar-free instant pistachio pudding mix
16 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained
8 oz fat-free whipped topping
 
Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
This salad can also double as a dessert. So yummy!
(2 PP for 1/2 cup of the salad by itself. Makes 12 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  http://midweekminutes.blogspot.com/.
Find us on FB and ask to joinour own private support group!

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