MIDWEEK MINUTES August 8, 2015
Midweek
Minutes
August 8,
2015
Hello,
Winners!
It's time to bid
farewell to summer vacation and head back to school...and for me that means
earlier mornings to get up...exercise...get my lunch packed...and go with a new
routine. It's a time for new beginnings. The school building is freshly painted.
The backpacks and shoes are new. Everyone is excited and on their best behavior.
How about you? Does BACK TO SCHOOL have an affect on you?
Remember Kindergarten? Going to 7th grade? It was fun, yet
a bit scary. We were all excited to experience a new adventure, but it was
unfamiliar to us, and we didn't know what to expect. The Weight Watchers program can be like that too.
Want a change? Don't know what to expect? Scared to commit to coming back to
Weight Watchers after the summer? Well, don't be.
If it's been a little while since you were at a meeting or
working the program 100%, this is a good time of year to begin again. Even if
you have been coming to meetings, you might need a renewed focus after the
summer, but that's a "good thing" (she said in her Martha Stewart voice). Don't
put it off. Come and stay for the meeting. Make this a fresh start. Bring a
friend along!
I just got back from exercising at the pool.
There were a few kids and younger moms there. I am so glad they came to the
pool, but the moms didn’t get into the water or take off their t-shirts. Sad
because water exercise is not hard on the joints. Some of the kids were a bit
chunky, but they were in the water being active. When I see kids who are
overweight with moms who are overweight, I know there is a family issue about
eating healthy. I just wanted to invite the moms to Weight Watchers, but I
didn’t. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just get everyone on board with healthy
eating and fitness, especially when they are younger? Maybe when I retire from
teaching school, I will get my water aerobics teaching license, or whatever it’s
called. I know I will continue with Weight Watchers as long as they let me.
It’s just so sensible and real! Meanwhile, I’ll get back into the school
routine again. I’m not ready, but it’s going to happen ready or
not.
Why not let "Back-to School" be a new beginning
for you! We're here for you! We'll see you at the next meeting! –Zig
Member
Milestones
Superior: –11
lbs.
Hastings: –6.2
lbs.
To Goal and Beyond!
Keep your weight-loss game going strong
(one surprising way: Don't focus on the scale!)
When you hit a bump in the road to your goal (and it’s a pretty sure
bet that you will), sometimes it can seem like everything is getting in
your way. The good news is that you’re not alone as you make your way to your
weight goal. We're here to help you keep going, from the support of your Meeting
Room Team, the Community and Message Boards, and of course, our 24/7
Expert Chat. In fact, you’re never without your Weight Watchers tools if you
make use of our mobile app.
Here are some other mental moves to help you get to goal — and maintain your weight loss:
Here are some other mental moves to help you get to goal — and maintain your weight loss:
Believe in yourself, even if you have to fake it till you make it. It can help you stay the course even under seemingly impossible conditions. Repeat these powerful affirmations to yourself as often as possible:
"My goal is worth it." Is it something you want badly? How badly? What evidence do you have that your desire is that strong? If you’re struggling, how can you fire yourself up?
"I'm capable of reaching my goal." You have the resources you need to achieve your goal. What are some resources you can describe in yourself?
"I deserve to be at my ideal weight." If you have doubts about this, think about the people who appreciate you — and why they appreciate you. What words would they use to describe you? What would they say about your qualities and how you've enriched their lives?
Take your focus off the number on the scale. Your goals don’t have to be all about weight. Think about what else you’re aiming for, those “wouldn’t it be great if…” moments when you visualize yourself crossing a finish line, standing up in front of a crowd to give a speech, or cooking a four-course (and Plan-friendly) dinner for friends. When you add such goals to your mental “vision board,” you’ll probably find it amps up your motivation.
Make this for life. No matter how many times you’ve tried, no matter how many times you’ve failed, think of your efforts as part of a continuing process. When you shift your perspective to the long game, each slip-up seems less dire, and each success is something to build on (not something to cling to).
Want to get back to basics after the
summer? Here are some
videos to visit to help you get into the
routine again!
9 Signs You're Heading Toward Goal
The scale
isn't the only way to measure your success. These telltale signs also prove that
you're well on your way to your goal weight.
Tracking your weight loss on the scale is great — it helps
to have concrete numbers that show how far you've come. But don't limit
yourself! There are other ways to measure your success, ways that'll set your
motivation in motion and keep your efforts on track. Pay attention to some of
the other impressive changes in the new you:
You feel better about yourself. Notice that spring in your step, that excitement at the beginning of a new day. Your confidence is soaring because you're well on your way to a healthier new you, and you can feel it.
You're losing inches. "Some forms of exercise stimulate a small increase in muscle mass, which may show as weight gain on the scales," says Bill McArdle, exercise physiologist for Weight Watchers International. "However, because muscle occupies less space than fat, your circumference becomes smaller when your fitness increases." Monitor these changes by taking your measurements, or by trying on the same pair of now-too-big pants and seeing how they look and feel different.
You need a smaller size! It's the classic milestone: You head to the mall to buy a new pair of jeans because that belt just isn't cutting it any more, and you see that you've gone down one (or more) clothing size. Congratulations!
Menus don't intimidate you. You order your fish grilled, not fried; you choose tomato sauces, not creamy ones. You ask for salad dressings on the side and vegetables as appetizers. You even share that rich dessert with a friend: Your dinner choices indicate a healthy plan IQ.
You cook like a pro. Your stir-fry is made with just a touch of oil and veggies, not meat, and you prepare homemade cream of mushroom soup with fat-free milk, not cream. Your meals are tasty and good for your waistline.
You enjoy your meals. You've invested in some new placemats and bought some candles. You turn off the TV, turn up the relaxing music and truly enjoy your food.
You reward yourself creatively. When you reach weight-loss milestones, you indulge in a facial or new workout clothes instead of a bag of potato chips.
You can exercise without exhaustion. For example, you walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath and run for the bus with ease. "This is because weight loss reduces the cost of exercise on the body," says McArdle. "You have less mass to lug around!"
You accept compliments gracefully. After all, you deserve them. (And we know they're coming in full force!) You've worked hard and your efforts are paying off.
You feel better about yourself. Notice that spring in your step, that excitement at the beginning of a new day. Your confidence is soaring because you're well on your way to a healthier new you, and you can feel it.
You're losing inches. "Some forms of exercise stimulate a small increase in muscle mass, which may show as weight gain on the scales," says Bill McArdle, exercise physiologist for Weight Watchers International. "However, because muscle occupies less space than fat, your circumference becomes smaller when your fitness increases." Monitor these changes by taking your measurements, or by trying on the same pair of now-too-big pants and seeing how they look and feel different.
You need a smaller size! It's the classic milestone: You head to the mall to buy a new pair of jeans because that belt just isn't cutting it any more, and you see that you've gone down one (or more) clothing size. Congratulations!
Menus don't intimidate you. You order your fish grilled, not fried; you choose tomato sauces, not creamy ones. You ask for salad dressings on the side and vegetables as appetizers. You even share that rich dessert with a friend: Your dinner choices indicate a healthy plan IQ.
You cook like a pro. Your stir-fry is made with just a touch of oil and veggies, not meat, and you prepare homemade cream of mushroom soup with fat-free milk, not cream. Your meals are tasty and good for your waistline.
You enjoy your meals. You've invested in some new placemats and bought some candles. You turn off the TV, turn up the relaxing music and truly enjoy your food.
You reward yourself creatively. When you reach weight-loss milestones, you indulge in a facial or new workout clothes instead of a bag of potato chips.
You can exercise without exhaustion. For example, you walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath and run for the bus with ease. "This is because weight loss reduces the cost of exercise on the body," says McArdle. "You have less mass to lug around!"
You accept compliments gracefully. After all, you deserve them. (And we know they're coming in full force!) You've worked hard and your efforts are paying off.
School Lunches They'll Love
Ideas
for quick, healthy school lunches (that kids actually
like).
If you prepare a brownbag lunch for your child to take to
school, you know the daily challenge it presents. What can you make quickly and
easily that constitutes a healthy, nutritious lunch—and one that your son or
daughter will actually like? When life gets hectic, it can be very tempting to
quit spending the time and effort and just buy a prepackaged kids' meal or send
your child to the school with money for a cafeteria lunch.
If you truly want your little one to have a healthy lunch, however, that’s not the best move. A meal you prepare yourself — with ingredients you control—is usually far healthier and more nutritious than the typical lunch bought at the supermarket or school cafeteria.
“Up to about the seventh grade, most children are glad to have lunches brought from home,” says Sheri DeMaris, a cookbook author and school guidance teacher based in Devon, Pennsylvania. “In cafeterias today, you’ll see a wide variety of foods in lunchboxes, including dinner leftovers — and even sushi.” DeMaris’s latest book, Macro Magic: For Parents and Kids! has an appendix with 100 different macrobiotic make-ahead lunch selections.
Embrace the familiar
Refining your kid’s tastes in box lunch fare does take persuasion. “Kids like French fries — that’s just reality,” says chef and specialty caterer Susan Wolfe-Hill. “As you’re introducing healthy foods for lunch, you have to do some teaching and be imaginative yourself.”
Wolfe-Hill sees the lunchbox as an extension of healthful choices you make when you feed your child at home. “You start off trying to get from peanut butter and jelly on processed bread to the next step — maybe organic peanut butter in a cup, with a spoon, plus carrot sticks or celery.” Think of it as a gradual process in which your son or daughter acquires a taste for healthier fare. Wolfe-Hill has put her ideas into practice — with terrific results. Her catering business, The Balancing Act, won a Golden Carrot Award while operating the dining concession at Poughkeepsie Day School in upstate New York. This school-lunch award is given by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to help counter childhood obesity and similar nutrition-related problems.
You provide, they decide
Kids' have opinions, so let them express their gustatory preferences. Keep exposing them to fruits, vegetables and whole grains of many varieties (start with ones that are most visually appealing). Then offer samples for tasting and let them tell you which of several they like best.
“Even with grapes and berries, which most kids like anyway, pick up five different varieties at the store,” suggests Johnnie Smith, a Los Angeles chef and caterer with a school-age son. “Wash them up and put them on your cutting board, then say, ‘Which three should we put in the container for you to eat today?’
“My approach with my son is not to prohibit unhealthy foods,” says Smith. “I want him to try everything, and I’ll just keep steering him toward what’s good for him.” To emulate Smith’s approach, dust off your food processor and make a simple cauliflower purée — adding a small amount of salt, white pepper and orange juice (not from concentrate) to the puréed veggie. “You can add that to noodles to make mac-and-cheese with a healthy substitute for the cheese sauce.”
Ditch the “healthy” packaging
Sometimes a little subterfuge can go a long way. “Potato chips or veggie chips that you bought in the organic section look pretty much like commercial chips when they’re in a clear baggie,” says Wolfe-Hill. Even classic sandwiches can get a subtley healthy makeover, says DeMaris. “Go down the natural-food aisle and pick out the healthy bread, organic corn tortillas and other wraps,” she says. “Then pick out your organic peanut butter, natural hummus, tofu mayonnaise, local cheeses, and focus on getting the most nutritional value out of each.”
Remember, when the lunch bell rings, even an unadventurous young eater is primed to chow down on whatever’s been provided. And an occasional note saying, "Have a great day," will round out the menu very nicely.
If you truly want your little one to have a healthy lunch, however, that’s not the best move. A meal you prepare yourself — with ingredients you control—is usually far healthier and more nutritious than the typical lunch bought at the supermarket or school cafeteria.
“Up to about the seventh grade, most children are glad to have lunches brought from home,” says Sheri DeMaris, a cookbook author and school guidance teacher based in Devon, Pennsylvania. “In cafeterias today, you’ll see a wide variety of foods in lunchboxes, including dinner leftovers — and even sushi.” DeMaris’s latest book, Macro Magic: For Parents and Kids! has an appendix with 100 different macrobiotic make-ahead lunch selections.
Embrace the familiar
Refining your kid’s tastes in box lunch fare does take persuasion. “Kids like French fries — that’s just reality,” says chef and specialty caterer Susan Wolfe-Hill. “As you’re introducing healthy foods for lunch, you have to do some teaching and be imaginative yourself.”
Wolfe-Hill sees the lunchbox as an extension of healthful choices you make when you feed your child at home. “You start off trying to get from peanut butter and jelly on processed bread to the next step — maybe organic peanut butter in a cup, with a spoon, plus carrot sticks or celery.” Think of it as a gradual process in which your son or daughter acquires a taste for healthier fare. Wolfe-Hill has put her ideas into practice — with terrific results. Her catering business, The Balancing Act, won a Golden Carrot Award while operating the dining concession at Poughkeepsie Day School in upstate New York. This school-lunch award is given by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to help counter childhood obesity and similar nutrition-related problems.
You provide, they decide
Kids' have opinions, so let them express their gustatory preferences. Keep exposing them to fruits, vegetables and whole grains of many varieties (start with ones that are most visually appealing). Then offer samples for tasting and let them tell you which of several they like best.
“Even with grapes and berries, which most kids like anyway, pick up five different varieties at the store,” suggests Johnnie Smith, a Los Angeles chef and caterer with a school-age son. “Wash them up and put them on your cutting board, then say, ‘Which three should we put in the container for you to eat today?’
“My approach with my son is not to prohibit unhealthy foods,” says Smith. “I want him to try everything, and I’ll just keep steering him toward what’s good for him.” To emulate Smith’s approach, dust off your food processor and make a simple cauliflower purée — adding a small amount of salt, white pepper and orange juice (not from concentrate) to the puréed veggie. “You can add that to noodles to make mac-and-cheese with a healthy substitute for the cheese sauce.”
Ditch the “healthy” packaging
Sometimes a little subterfuge can go a long way. “Potato chips or veggie chips that you bought in the organic section look pretty much like commercial chips when they’re in a clear baggie,” says Wolfe-Hill. Even classic sandwiches can get a subtley healthy makeover, says DeMaris. “Go down the natural-food aisle and pick out the healthy bread, organic corn tortillas and other wraps,” she says. “Then pick out your organic peanut butter, natural hummus, tofu mayonnaise, local cheeses, and focus on getting the most nutritional value out of each.”
Remember, when the lunch bell rings, even an unadventurous young eater is primed to chow down on whatever’s been provided. And an occasional note saying, "Have a great day," will round out the menu very nicely.
Lunch packin’ facts
- Early-age health problems have prompted stricter FDA rules on food sold in schools, but the nutrition standards parents can achieve are far beyond what Washington can mandate.
- Brand advertising lures kids toward junky fare. Natural alternatives in clear containers at lunch deliver real nutrition over marketing.
Member
Recipes
Summer
Vegetable Tart
Crust
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of all purpose
flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of whole wheat
flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup grated paremesan cheese
Filling
1 small zucchini sliced
2 plum tomatoes sliced
1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup part skim ricotta
1/4 cup part skim mozzerella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh basil
For the
crust:
1. Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor
until combined. Drizzle the in the oil and pulse until the mixture looks like
coarse grains. Add 3 Tbs of ice water and continue to process until large clumps
of dough form. If the dough doesn’t clump, add the remaining tablespoon of water
and pulse to incorporate.
2. Press the dough into the bottom and ¾ inch up the sides
of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Smooth out bumps. Cover with plastic wrap
and chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Make sure the tart pan is
resting on a flat surface (place on a cutting board or plate if
necessary.)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set the tart pan on a
large baking sheet and remove plastic wrap. Press a double layer of foil into
the tart shell and over the edges. Fill tart shell with pie weights or dried
beans. Bake until dough is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Transfer baking
sheet to a wire rack and remove weights and foil.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the bottom of the
tart shell and continue to bake another 5 minutes. Cool tart shell while making
the filling.
For the
filling:
6. Increase oven to 425 degrees. Spread zucchini slices
and tomato slices in a single layer over several paper towels. Sprinkle lightly
with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Blot the tops of the zucchini and tomatoes
dry with a few more paper towels.
7. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp of the olive oil with
the garlic. In another bowl, mix the remaining 1 tsp of oil, ricotta and
mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over
the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange zucchini and tomatoes in a layer on top of
the ricotta. Drizzle the vegetables with the garlic-oil mixture. Bake the tart
on the baking sheet until the vegetables are slightly wilted, about 20
minutes.
8. Let the tart cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with
basil. Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan. Carefully cut into 6 wedges
and serve.
Makes 6 servings, PointsPlus® Value per serving:
7
Lime-Glazed Pork
Chops
- 1/3 cup orange marmalade
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 4 bone in pork chops
- Lime wedges, for garnish, optional
- Combine the marmalade, jalapeno, lime juice and ginger in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the marmalade is melted.
- Grill or broil the pork chops for 6 – 8 minutes on each side.
- Brush each side of the pork chop with the glaze 3 minutes before turning.
- Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnished with lime wedges, if desired.
1 pork chop = 6 PP www.laloosh.com
Grilled Steak
Salad
1/4 cup Light Ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup mayo with olive oil reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tsp horseradish
3/4 lb beef sirloin steak, 3/4 inch thick
2 tbsp A 1 Steak Sauce
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup 2% shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Mix first 3 ingredients together.
3. Place steaks on grill and cook 5 minutes on each side or until medium doneness (160º F.), brushing occasionally with steak sauce.
1/4 cup mayo with olive oil reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tsp horseradish
3/4 lb beef sirloin steak, 3/4 inch thick
2 tbsp A 1 Steak Sauce
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup 2% shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Mix first 3 ingredients together.
3. Place steaks on grill and cook 5 minutes on each side or until medium doneness (160º F.), brushing occasionally with steak sauce.
Remove steak from grill; cover. Let stand
5 minutes and cut steak across the grain into thin slices.
4. Cover platter with lettuce; top with tomatoes, onions and meat. Drizzle with dressing mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
4. Cover platter with lettuce; top with tomatoes, onions and meat. Drizzle with dressing mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 Servings
Serving Size = 2 CupsPointsPlus® Value per serving: 5
Serving Size = 2 CupsPointsPlus® Value per serving: 5
Buffalo Ranch Chicken
Salad
3 cups romaine
lettuce, chopped
½ cup chicken breasts, cooked and
diced, see shopping tips below
⅓ cup carrots, shredded
or chopped
⅓ cup celery,
chopped
⅓ cup tomatoes,
chopped
2
tablespoons The BEST Skinny Ranch
Dressing or your favorite bottled light ranch
dressing, see shopping tips
½ to 1
teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce or to taste, see shopping
tips
2 tablespoons crumbled
blue cheese, optional
Instructions
1. Place lettuce on a dinner size
plate. Sprinkle all around lettuce with chicken, then carrots, celery and
tomatoes.
2. In a small dish, blend together
ranch dressing and buffalo wing sauce. Drizzle dressing all over salad and
serve.
3. Although this recipe makes 1 salad,
this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled and so on.
Makes 1 main course
salad @ 5 PP
Skinny Taco
Salad
Yield: 4
servings
Serving size: ¼ of recipe @ 7
PP
- 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.
Instructions
- 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.
3-2-1
Cake
Ingredients
3 Tbsp dry cake mix (any
flavor)
2 Tbsp water
Instructions
For each individual cake serving, take
out 3 tablespoons of the dry cake mix and combine it with 2 tablespoons of water
in a small microwave-safe container.
Microwave on high for 1 minute, and
you have your own instant individual little cake.
Keep remaining cake mix stored in the
ziploc bag and use whenever you feel like a treat!
You can top each cake with a dollop of
fat free whipped topping and/or some fresh fruit.
Try various flavors of cake mix like
carrot, red velvet, pineapple, lemon, orange, etc. The flavor possibilities are
endless!
PP = 2
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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.
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