MIDWEEK MINUTES June 16, 2017
Midweek Minutes
June 16, 2017
I’m trying an experiment. I want to switch over my emails to my Weight Watchers gmail account because then I won’t lose addresses and such if my computer goes down. That has happened a few times, so I thought gmail would be better, but that’s going to require change and work.
I am, at present, typing this draft on a google doc. I tried creating the newsletter in a gmail email already, but it doesn’t have all the stuff I want in font style and page breaks, etc. I have only copied over my members from Hastings and Superior and not all the leaders throughout the country. That’s going to take me another day, so I am sending this to all with my hasi@gtmc.net email address. I am hoping this will be done by the next email. I just don’t want to lose addresses.
That brings me to weight management, of course. (You know me!) Has anyone out there wanted to lose weight? We’ve tried several methods just as I am trying with my newsletters. We just want it to work!
We have tried diets where we starved ourselves, and we learned
Maybe we have tried Weight Watchers a few times as well, but we either lost motivation or thought it was too hard to
ount points and go to meetings, or we just didn’t like change because that
takes work.
ount points and go to meetings, or we just didn’t like change because that
takes work.
It does take work to make the program fit with our lives. This is where we make small goals. We take a baby steps. We learn the basics. We learn to build a healthy relationship with food.
This is why meetings are so important. Meetings are a safe place to get support and talk about your successes, your feelings, and your challenges.
While it takes focus to get started (or restarted) and tweaking as we go, we know that Weight Watchers works.
While it takes focus to get started (or restarted) and tweaking as we go, we know that Weight Watchers works.
While I am comfortable with doing my emails with the email account I am used to, it doesn’t always work the way I want it to. I am going to try something new that may work better for the long haul. I am in uncharted waters for this task. I don’t have anyone to ask for advice, BUT YOU DO! You have members and staff who are living the program and have your back!
Enjoy Father’s Day, and we’ll see you on Monday! --Zig
TOTAL LOSS
15.8 lbs.
In the new movie, Wonder Woman’s hunky sidekick Steve Trevor tells her, “I can save the day. You can save the world.” True, losing weight might not involve such high stakes, but it can still be mighty demanding. So connect with your own inner superhero and use your powers to see you through to victory.
We’re not talking about the ability to fly or having X-ray vision, of course. Your superpowers are the special traits and characteristics that make you who you are. Your Weekly explores how identifying and using your special strengths can make you happier over the long term. And being happy cascades into other beneficial behaviors: being more active, sleeping better and longer, and eating more nutritious foods.
Get to know your strengths
A great jumping-off point for figuring out your "superpowers" is to first acknowledge that you are important and worthy of care. Then, think about what's part of your core makeup that can directly help you succeed at weight loss. A handy, simple framework for this exercise is to think of it as if you were putting together your résumé.
A great jumping-off point for figuring out your "superpowers" is to first acknowledge that you are important and worthy of care. Then, think about what's part of your core makeup that can directly help you succeed at weight loss. A handy, simple framework for this exercise is to think of it as if you were putting together your résumé.
- Knowledge: What have you learned since joining Weight Watchers that's helping you get where you want to be? It could be that you know a lot more about nutrition and food, or you’ve picked up smart shopping tips, or even that you know where to go for help, whether it’s your fellow members or your plan materials.
- Experience: What do you do differently or better (or both!) than you did before joining Weight Watchers? If this isn’t your first time losing weight, what were your previous experiences like? What did you learn from those experiences?
- Skills: What tactics or techniques do you practice regularly now? Have you become a healthy cook? Maybe you've discovered your inner boxer, or gardener, or playing-with-the-kids-er? Can you track like a boss, or eyeball a portion with deadly accuracy?
- Interests: How have you expanded your horizons? Did you learn a new sport, try meditation, join a cooking club? What about making time for other pursuits that simply feel good, like getting a back rub, or doing a jigsaw puzzle, or hosting a game night with friends? Those time-outs are valuable, too.
- Accomplishments/Honors/Awards:
What have you earned milestone awards for? What small steps have you taken in the right direction? Think outside your weight-loss journey, too: Reflect on accomplishments and triumphs that prove you have what it takes to be successful. Yes, you can stick with it and stay committed all the way to goal and beyond!
THRU MONDAY ONLY!!!
Weight Watchers PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Take your salad to go! This convenient bowl collapses to save you space in your bag or kitchen.
Product Highlights
- 4-oz container can hold dressing, dip or yogurt
- a separate tray can store additional toppings
- dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe
What to Know What to Eat
Whether you're dining at an upscale Mexican restaurant or grabbing lunch at the taco truck, you can make smart choices to get a healthier and more satisfying meal. These tips will help.
Course: Appetizers
When the chips are down
Fried tortilla chips are the greatest temptation at the Mexican table. Count on clocking in at 5 SmartPoints value for a dozen chips. One strategy: Take the amount of chips you’re comfortable with, put them on your plate and make that the limit. You could also ask for some sliced vegetables so you can dip them in salsa and guacamole instead of the chips.
Double, or triple, dip
Now that you’ve got your portion of chips, make 'em last. Take two scoops of salsa with the chip, but only eat the chip on the third scoop. You’ll cut your chip intake by two-thirds. (Make sure to put the salsa on your plate first. George Costanza may be watching.)
Keep the salsa
Salsa and pico de gallo (similar to salsa, but with less liquid) are two fantastic condiments, and both are usually free of SmartPoints values. If you are skipping cheese or sour cream, salsa can be a great addition to spoon on your main course.
Go fish
Ceviche is a great appetizer, packed with protein and flavor. A half-cup is just 2 SmartPoints value, while the protein-rich fish gets your meal started right, satisfying your hunger.
Course: Mains and Sides
Know your tortillas
Choose a corn tortilla over flour, and go for soft over hard. Corn is a whole grain, while a flour tortilla is all refined grain with no nutritional value, like eating a pretzel. Both corn and flour soft tortillas have about 2 to 3 SmartPoints value, but the corn will be a more nutritious choice.
Lime: It’s not just for Corona
Trimming an ounce of cheese from your entrée can eliminate up to 4 SmartPoints value. Ditto for sour cream (5 SmartPoints value per tablespoon). But what can help make up for the loss of flavor? That little green wedge on your plate. A squeeze of lime does a beautiful thing for Mexican dishes. Ask for a side of lime wedges and you won’t miss the fatty toppings.
Take a side adventure
Refried beans and rice aren’t the only side-dishes at Mexican restaurants. They are, however, the most boring. So get adventurous. Try sliced jicama root. It's crunchy and refreshing, and it has 0 SmartPoints value on its own. Nopalitos are another great choice. These cactus paddles are high in fiber and vitamins, and have only the fat they're cooked with, so a serving might contain just 1 SmartPoints value. If you must have bean, go for whole pinto beans or black beans in place of refried. This will cut the SmartPoints values for a serving by half.
Course: Drinks
Need a Margarita?
The flagship cocktail of Mexico, real margaritas are a refreshing blend of lime juice, sweet triple sec and tequila. But this cocktail will cost you at least 17 SmartPoints value, and that’s assuming your glass isn't large enough to house several goldfish. As an alternative, order a Paloma. This authentic cocktail is tequila topped with Squirt, a grapefruit soda, and is only 9 SmartPoints value.
Cerveza, por favor
With typical beers (like Corona) clocking in at 3 to 5 SmartPoints value, beer can add a lot of baggage when you’re trying to beat the heat of Mexican cuisine. Tip: Grab one and add a water on the side. You'll likely be satisfied after drinking one or two, and less tempted to keep ordering round after round with your meal.
Member Recipes
Marinated Steak
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 pounds flank or other lean steak (like top sirloin)
1. 1 1/2 pounds lean flank steak. For the marinade, in a small bowl combine the first 7 ingredients (soy sauce through onion powder). Transfer it to a large zip-top bag, add the steak, seal it, and turn to coat the meat with the marinade. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes. (Or refrigerate for up to 4 hours, and remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.)
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove the steak from the marinade, shaking off excess. Grill the steak, with the lid closed, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the underside is browned. Turn steak and grill for 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare.
3. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes. To serve, cut steak across the grain into thin slices. Serve the steak drizzled with the carving juices.
Marlene Says: The sodium content of this recipe has been calculated based the amount of marinade that typically absorbs into and clings onto the meat when cooked which is far less than what goes into the marinade mixture.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 190 | Carbohydrate 1g (Sugars 1g) | Total Fat 7g (Sat Fat 3g) | Protein 24g | Fiber 0g | Cholesterol 60mg | Sodium 210mg | Smart Points: 4
Roast Chicken
Makes 4 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
¾ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
¼ freshly ground black pepper or to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Spray the bottom of a roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. Remove giblets, rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry. Place chicken breast side down on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife or sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Turn the chicken over, opening the back, spread the legs to the sides, and press firmly on the breast with the heel of your hand to make sure it is spread as flat as it can easily go. Rub the chicken with the oil, and sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic powder, rosemary, and pepper (feel free to rub some of the seasonings under the skin as well).
3. Place the chicken in the roasting pan breast side up and put it in the oven. After 30 minutes, check the chicken and cover the breast with foil if the skin is already well browned. Bake 15 more minutes or until juices run clear when pierced and thigh meat registers 175 to 180 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Marlene Says: The nutritional content for this dish varies depending on the chicken part. Three and one-half ounces of cooked breast meat (about one-half of one of the breasts) without the skin has 140 calories and 3 grams fat; one skinless thigh averages 120 calories and 5 grams fat; a leg has 100 calories and 3 grams fat; and a wing (with skin) averages 100 calories with 6 grams fat.
Nutrition Information Per Serving (3.5 ounces—average of light and dark meat)
Calories 175 Carbohydrate 0g (Sugars 0g) Total Fat 6g (Sat Fat .5 g)
Protein 28g Fiber 0g Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 25mg
Smart Points 3
Tomato Salad
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup red onion, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound)
1 small cucumber
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, oil and salt. Add the onions and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and the cucumber into thin slices (I leave on the peel), and add them to the onion mixture. Gently stir to combine. Serve with fresh ground pepper to taste.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: Calories 65 | Carbohydrate 11g (Sugars 8g) | Total Fat 3g (Sat Fat 0g) | Protein 2g | Fiber 2g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 120mg | Smart Points: 1
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
3 cups (about 1 pound) rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 –inch pieces
1 ½ cups frozen raspberries
3 cups (about 15 ounces) fresh strawberries, trimmed and quartered
1 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener*
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ package refrigerated pie crust, or 1 single-crust pie pastry
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set aside a large 10-inch diameter x 2” deep pie plate. (A deep 9″-inch pie plate is also fine, but the filling may not hold as neat for cutting.)
2. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb, raspberries, and strawberries. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and add to the fruit, tossing lightly to mix evenly. Pour the fruit mixture into pie pan.
3. Place the pie dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into an 11-inch diameter round. Place the pie crust on top the fruit, crimp the edges, and cut 4 vents in the pie crust. Bake for 40 minutes, or until fruit juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool 2 hours or overnight, to allow filling to thicken.
*If you use a sugar-blend sweetener like all natural stevia-based Truvia for Baking, as per package directions for sugar, use 1/2 as much, or 1/2 cup for this pie.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 165 | Carbohydrate 24 g (Sugars 9 g) | Total Fat 7 g (Sat Fat 2g) | Protein 2g | Fiber 5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 95mg | Smart Point: 5**
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.
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I also try to post the newsletter on our private FB page "Zig's Winners" and the Google Blog called Midweek Minutes http://midweekminutes.
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