MIDWEEK MINUTES November 11, 2017
Midweek Minutes
November 11, 2017
Happy Veteran’s Day, WINNERS!
Something you may not know about me...I am a proud legal immigrant and naturalized citizen. My father escaped Latvia. My mother grew up under Hitler. My parents brought me to the United States when I was a baby. I grew up in the USA. My husband was a police officer and deputy sheriff. My son-in-law is an Army veteran. My son and granddaughter are both Navy people. What does this have to do with weight loss? Absolutely nothing! I just wanted to say that this day always has an impact on me.
It’s been (and still is) a crazy time around here. I will not be at the meeting on Monday because we are playing in the semi-finals for football in Mullen on Monday. We just earned 4th place at State Volleyball in Lincoln, so that’s one down.
It’s still a challenge with so many eating out days. I bet you have those as well. Insert a little plug for Subway and Panera here. I’ve been packing healthy snacks, skipping the popcorn, and walking on the gym floor/sidelines taking photos.
It’s a short message tonight because I have tons of papers to check. Have a great meeting on Monday. Trish, Linda, and Rita will be there...you won’t even know I’m gone, but I will be thinking of you all! --Zig
Member Milestones
Total Loss: -16.2 lbs.
50 lb. star
Scott F.
Black, red, pinto, kidney, cannellini, navy, garbanzo.... the world of beans is colorful, varied—and rich in protein. If beef, chicken, fish, and other animal sources are what come to mind when you think of protein, why not expand your horizons? And don't stop with beans: There's a wide range of plant-based proteins like lentils, tofu, even quinoa, that can also add variety and flavor to your eating routine. Even better, they can help with weight loss! Protein may help you feel more satisfied than carbohydrates and fats; and foods high in protein are generally lower in SmartPoints® values.
Another point in plant-based proteins' favor: They're free of saturated fat, the dietary villain that can raise blood cholesterol and has been linked to heart disease and stroke. Incorporating them in your menus keeps things interesting—who wants to eat the same old, same old every day?—and can save you at the supermarket, too: Plant-based proteins, especially dry beans, can be much cheaper per serving than animal proteins.
Ready to explore? Take the protein challenge in your Weekly to get started and brush up on your knowledge. When you're ready to dive in to the deliciousness, canned beans give you lots of options. Black beans are a particularly good choice: Their firm texture and earthy flavor withstand long simmering and make them a good choice for a variety of dishes; to learn more and get cooking, check out this black-bean primer and meal idea guide. Curious about cooking with lentils? Check out this recipe roundup. Or check out our lineup of recipes featuring tofu, which lends itself to all sorts of cuisines, but is especially delicious in stir-fries. Or just search by keyword in our Recipe Finder for
Bored with your meals? Need a gift? Love a sale? We have 50% off our cookbooks now
Ask some of the fittest people in the world how they manage to fit in their daily recommended exercise, and they’ll tell you that everything you do adds up. Luckily you can actually sneak in fitness everywhere. Time spent brushing your teeth, commuting, working, daydreaming, or even cooking could also be calorie-burning time. Even in the bathroom? Yes, even there.
We tapped Michael Blauner, a New Jersey–based personal trainer and an at-home workout expert for five simple moves you can do with zero equipment during the two minutes you’re brushing your teeth. Try one move each workday for the full two minutes, or mix and match moves until you’re done brushing. Ready, set, brush!
Monday: Static Wall Squat
How you’ll spend your 2 minutes: 15–30 seconds of movement, 10 seconds of rest; repeat for time.
Why do it: This move passively works your butt and leg muscles—glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. And unlike some other exercises, this isometric, or static, exercise is lower impact on your body.
How to do it:
-Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart a foot or two from wall, while resting your hips and back flat against it, so your straight legs are about 45 degrees to the floor.
-Slide your back and hips down the wall as you lower your hips toward the floor, until your thighs are close to parallel to the floor, as if you were sitting in a chair.
-Engage your abdominal muscles, feet, knees, and thighs as you hold this position. Breathe to maintain this position for 15–30 seconds. Return to start to rest for 10 seconds.
Tuesday: Box Squats on Toilet Top
How you’ll spend your 2 minutes: 30 seconds of movement, 10 seconds of rest; repeat for time.
Why do it: A box squat helps you get lower into a squat than you may normally but keeps you from going too far and losing emphasis on the working muscles.
How to do it: “You’ll use the closed toilet seat as a marker of where to stop—since you’re nearby anyway!” says Blauner. Challenge yourself to see how lightly you can touch the seat (rather than thudding down) before returning to start.
-Stand about a foot away from a closed toilet seat cover, facing away, feet about hip-width apart, with toes turned out slightly.
-Resist the urge to bend your knees to initiate this move. Instead, slowly press your hips back and down first, while keeping your chest up, to lower your hips toward the seat cover.
-Note: Make sure that your knees are always tracking right over your toes but never past them. Many people’s knees will ‘cave inward’ as they lower. Be sure to press your knees outward as you lower and rise, Blauner advises.
-Pause as little as possible at the bottom, and squeeze your glutes and push through your heels to return to start.
Wednesday: Pelvic Tilts with Glute Contractions
How you’ll spend your 2 minutes: 30 seconds of movement, 10 seconds of rest; repeat for time.
Why do it: This micro-movement is excellent for small spaces yet works your glutes and hips flexors well.
How to do it:
-Stand with feet hip-width apart and bend your knees slightly.
-While focusing your mind on your glutes and abdominal muscles, slowly tilt your pelvis under you and then tilt it back. Continue forward and back, slowly.
-For an added challenge, squat lower.
Thursday: Side Lunges
How you’ll spend your 2 minutes: 10–12 reps on each side; repeat 2–3 times.
Why do it: This great move works some very underserved but much-used muscles: your gluteus medius. That is the muscle on each side of your butt that helps you place weight on one leg (while walking or running), abduct the leg (lifting out to side), or rotate it. Weakness here can lead to gait imbalances like hip drop as well as pain in the lower back, hip, or knee.
How to do it:
-Remove bathroom rugs and stand where you have enough space to step out to one side, about four feet so that you have room.
-Stand with feet hip width, then slowly lift your right leg, squeezing glutes) and step your right foot out to the side about three feet as your set your hips back, bending your right knee and straightening your left knee. Keep your chest up as you lower until right thigh is parallel to floor.
-Note: Keep your mind focused on your muscles, as if sitting back into a chair on one leg. Plus, make sure your knee is tracking directly over your toes but doesn’t go past them or cave inward/outward.
-Engage your stomach and glutes, and power through the heel of your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat with same leg for reps. Switch sides.
Friday: Biceps Curls with Shampoo Bottle
How you’ll spend your 2 minutes: 10–12 reps on each side; repeat 2–3 times.
Why do it: Our upper body muscles deserve some TLC; especially the arms. Biceps, the muscles in the front of the upper arm, help us push and pull things.
How to do it: Move slowly through this movement to increase your muscles’ time under tension, which will help you get stronger, even though the bottle might be lightweight.
-Grab a full bottle of shampoo and hold it in your nonbrushing hand at your thigh, palm facing forward.
-Slowly curl the bottle toward your shoulder for a count of 8, then slowly lower the bottle using a count of 8 to extend the arm. Continue on one side for reps, then switch sides.
Attend 4 out of the next 5 weeks and earn some BLING!!!
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.
Those of you who have signed up for the REMIND notices on your phone, I will send you a remind message. I will also try to post on FB.
Member Recipes
Green Bean Casserole
PREP 45 MIN // COOK 25 MIN // SERVES 8
1½ lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half
3 large shallots
2 tsp olive oil
1 c coarse, fresh bread crumbs*
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp grated pecorino cheese
2 c low-fat (1%) milk
1 Tbsp salted butter
1 (10-oz) package sliced cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Pinch ground nutmeg or cayenne
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1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 1½-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. 2 Put green beans in a steamer basket; set basket in a saucepan over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until beans are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Spread beans on a large kitchen towel; pat dry. Transfer to prepared baking dish. 3 For topping, finely chop 1 shallot. Thinly slice remaining 2 shallots; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add chopped shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add bread crumbs; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in thyme, ¼ tsp salt, and the pepper. Set aside to cool; stir in pecorino cheese. 4 To make sauce, in a microwavable measuring cup, microwave milk on High until hot, about 3 minutes; remove and cover to keep warm. Or heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat just until small bubbles appear around edge of pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm. 5 Meanwhile, melt butter in the skillet over medium heat; add sliced shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; increase heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add hot milk in slow, steady stream, stirring constantly; bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook 1 minute; stir in remaining ½ tsp salt and the nutmeg. 6 Pour sauce over beans; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle evenly with bread crumb topping; bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. PER SERVING (¾ cup): 146 cal, 6 g total fat, 3 g sat fat, 329 mg sod, 20 g total carb, 9 g sugar, 4 g fib, 6 g prot. SmartPoints value: 4. *To make the bread crumbs, cut 1½ ounces of a baguette into slices. Pulse in a blender until coarse crumbs form.
Zig's "Killer" Cranberry Relish
1 bag cranberries
2 apples
2 oranges, peeled or not
1 15 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
Process all the above in your food processor..
Add 1-2 pkgs dry SF red jello (I like cherry)
Mix together and refrigerate. YUMMO!
Top with Cool Whip if you want!
0 PP values!!!
ZIG'S EASY CHICKEN (or Turkey) POT PIE (Serves 6 @ 6 SP)
2 frozen pie shells
not quite one bag frozen country style mixed veggies...you will know when to stop!
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
leftover turkey...about 1 pound...cubed or shredded
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl and put in one pie crust shell. Invert the other pie crust on top and press down edges, stick with a fork to vent and bake for one hour. Preeee-tty dog-gone good if I do say so myself!!!
Cheesy Potato Bake
Yields: 8 servings | Serving Size: about 3/4 cup | Calories: 193 | Total Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 18 mg | Sodium: 287 mg | Carbohydrates: 25 g | Dietary Fiber: 3 g | Sugars: 5 g | Protein: 2 g | SmartPoints: 7 |
Ingredients
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pounds potatoes, sliced thin
4 ounces shredded low fat cheddar cheese
4 ounces shredded low fat Swiss cheese
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the potatoes to the dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine the cheeses in a bowl.
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil, while whisking continuously for about 1 minute. Turn off he heat and add half the cheese and the yogurt. Stir in the thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the potatoes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 15 more minutes, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and cheese is browned and bubbly. www.skinnyms.com
SAVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
Yield: 20 servings
Serving size: 3 pieces
30 pretzel rods, broken in half
2 ounces baker’s white chocolate
2 ounces baker’s semi sweet chocolate
4 red and white peppermints, crushed
Instructions
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Melt the two types of chocolate according to package directions.
Transfer both types of chocolate to 2 sandwich size ziplock bags and make a small cut at the tip.
Drizzle 30 pieces with the white chocolate, and 30 pieces with the semi sweet chocolate.
Top them evenly with the crushed peppermints.
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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