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September 6, 2009
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Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions Weight Watchers Newsletter #47 |
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Hi Everyone!
Wow, it is September! Kids are back in school, and I am hoping...hoping...hoping you are back in the groove and returning to the meeting room and to your tried and true routines. We miss you, so if you have been contemplating rejoining now is the time! Weight Watchers is having a special which gives you a free month if you sign up for the Monthly Pass, so those of you who are paying full rate or want to rejoin, NOW is the time!
I need to ask you all a favor. My mailing list for this newsletter is really high (almost 800 people!) but I see a little more than half of you actually read it (this program shows me how many people open the email). I get charged by the person, so would like to pare it down a bit. Please click here: jciel@sbcglobal.net, and say "keep me on the list" and I will do so. If I do not hear from you within the next 3 newsletters (6 weeks) I will remove your name from the database. Thanks!
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MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
September 6 & September 13
The week of September 6 the topic is
Managing Restaurant Eating.
I would say this is one of the most important topics we cover in the meetings, so please plan on attending and bring your most challenging restaurant experiences.
And the week of the September 13 we will be talking about trigger foods. How can we have our cake and not gain weight? Another really important topic, so hope to see you at the meeting!
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MEAL PLANNING
IDEAS
A new member asked me this week
about something Weight Watchers used to give you when you joined, which was
basic meal ideas. I had been thinking about writing something like this for the
newsletter so here are some suggestions from my own kitchen. I would love to
hear from y'all if you have meals you make all the time that satisfy and would
be good for new members.
FOODS TO HAVE ON HAND:
EGGS OR EGG BEATERS (eggs are 2 pts each whereas 3 servings of egg whites/Beaters are 1 pt)
SPRAY OIL
CANADIAN BACON (3 slices for 1 pt!)
VEGETABLES LIKE MUSHROOMS, ONIONS, PEPPERS
SALSA
FRUIT OF ANY KIND
OATS
COTTAGE CHEESE
LOW POINT BREAD OR ENGLISH MUFFINS
FRUIT-ONLY JAM
MILK OF CHOICE FOR COFFEE AND OATMEAL
SWEETENER OF CHOICE
MEAL IDEAS:
1) OMELET MADE WITH 3 EGG WHITES/BEATERS WITH LOTS OF VEGETABLES, TOPPED WITH SALSA.
SERVE WITH 3 SLICES CANADIAN BACON, A DRY ENGLISH MUFFIN (top with omelet, salsa) AND A CUP OF FRUIT 4 pts!
2) 1 CUP OATMEAL MADE BY COOKING 1/2 CUP OATS FROM BULK BIN WITH 1 CUP WATER FOR 5 MINUTES. MIX IN BERRIES OR FRUIT OF CHOICE, MILK OF CHOICE AND SWEETENER. 5 pts.
3) FRENCH TOAST MADE BY DIPPING LOW POINT BREAD IN EGG WHITE/BEATERS AND FRYING IN SPRAYED PAN. TOP WITH SLICED FRUIT OR FRUIT-ONLY JAM. 2 pts per slice.
4) COTTAGE CHEESE PASTRY: MIX 1/2 CUP COTTAGE CHEESE WITH STRAWBERRIES OR OTHER FRUIT OF CHOICE, AND SWEETENER OF CHOICE. TOAST LOW POINT BREAD AND SPREAD WITH FRUIT-ONLY JAM AND TOP WITH 1/4 CUP COTTAGE CHEESE PER SLICE. PUT UNDER BROILER UNTIL GOLDEN. 2 pt per slice.
LUNCH
FOODS TO HAVE ON HAND:
LETTUCE
LOTS OF VEGETABLES
CHOPPED MEATS/CHICKEN
SHRIMP PRE COOKED
HARD BOILED EGGS
PICKLED VEGETABLES
LOW POINT BREAD, ENGLISH MUFFINS, OR TORTILLAS
LOW POINT CHEESE
NON-FAT FETA CHEESE
CANS OF STEWED TOMATOES, BEANS
CHICKEN OR VEGE BROTH
CAN OF ARTICHOKE HEARTS
TUNA
MUSTARD
LIGHT MAYONNAISE
SALSA
SEASONED RICE VINEGAR OR BALSAMIC VINEGAR
BULGAR, BARLEY, OR OTHER WHOLE GRAIN
OLIVES
MEAL IDEAS:
1) GREEN/VEGETABLE SALADS: THE EASIEST AND MOST LOGICAL THING TO MAKE FOR LUNCHES IS SALADS. ANYTHING IS USABLE, OBVIOUSLY, SUCH AS LETTUCE, VEGES, CHOPPED PROTEIN, PICKLED VEGES, NON FAT FETA, OLIVES, ARTICHOKE HEARTS, AND TRY JUST ONE OF THE VINEGARS LISTED ABOVE AS A DRESSING BY ITSELF! you figure out the
points...
2) GRAIN SALADS: COOK UP A TYPE OF GRAIN SUCH AS BARLEY, BULGAR, COUSCOUS, ETC AND MIX IN LOTS OF CHOPPED VEGES, ARTICHOKE HEARTS, OLIVES, MAYBE A CAN OF DRAINED GARBANZO BEANS, SEASONINGS AND SEASONED RICE VINEGAR.
3) SANDWICHES: LOW POINT BREAD, ENGLISH MUFFIN, SANDWICH THINS BY OROWEAT, FILLED WITH CHOPPED CHICKEN OR MEAT,LETTUCE, TOMATO AND PICKLES. TOFU OR EGG SALAD ( MIX CHOPPED EGG OR TOFU WITH MUSTARD, LIGHT MAYO, CHOPPED ONION, CHOPPED PEPPER, SALT AND PEPPER). HOW ABOUT A TUNA MELT? MIX TUNA WITH LIGHT MAYO, MUSTARD AND CHOPPED VEGES. TOAST BREAD AND TOP WITH TUNA AND LIGHT CHEESE AND PUT UNDER BROILER FOR JUST FEW MINUTES.
4) SOUPS: LOTS OF VEGES, CANS OF STEWED TOMATOES, BEANS, TOMATO PASTE, CHICKEN OR VEGE BROTH, SALSA OR OTHER FLAVORFUL SAUCE. COOK IT ALL UP. ADD POTATOES, CORN AND MEAT, FISH OR CHICKEN IF DESIRED.
DINNER
FOODS TO HAVE ON HAND:
PROTEIN SUCH AS CHICKEN, FISH, MEAT, TOFU
VEGETABLES OF ALL KINDS
WHOLE GRAINS OR POTATOES
SALAD FIXINGS
SPRAY OIL
CANNED STEWED TOMATOES
LIGHT CHEESES
LIGHT BREADS OR TORTILLAS
CANNED BEANS
CANNED CORN
GARLIC (FROZEN SQUARES FROM TRADER JOES ARE WONDERFUL!!)
LIFE-SAVING SAUCES (SEE BELOW)
MEAL IDEAS:
1) THE BASIC BROILED CHICKEN, FISH OR MEAT CAN BE MADE SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING USING UNUSUAL SAUCES SO CHECK THE COLUMN BELOW FOR IDEAS. SERVE WITH ROASTED OR SAUTEED VEGES AND A GRAIN (TOPPED WITH A SAUCE OF CHOICE) OR POTATOES, ROASTED OR STEAMED.
ROASTED VEGES AND POTATOES ARE SUPER EASY: SPRAY A ROASTING PAN WITH OIL. CHOP YOUR VEGES AND POTATOES AND LAY IN SINGLE LAYER AND SPRAY WITH OIL. TOP WITH SPICES OF CHOICE AND BAKE AT 450 FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO.
SAUTE VEGES BY SPRAYING A PAN AND EITHER CHOPPING AND COOKING GARLIC OR USE FROZEN CUBES. ADD VEGES, STIR TO BROWN, AND THEN ADD A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER AND A LITTLE SAUCE (SOY SAUCE, BRAGGS, OR OTHER SAUCE) AND COVER.
2) MAKE WRAPS BY COOKING UP OR USING PRECOOKED PROTEIN, GRATED LIGHT CHEESE, AVOCADO, VEGES, SALSA, BEANS, WRAPPED IN A LOW POINT TORTILLA WHICH HAS BEEN HEATED IN THE MICROWAVE OR FRIED IN A PAN WITH SPRAY OIL. SERVE WITH CORN ON THE COB AND SALAD.
3) SOUPS ARE AS GREAT FOR DINNER AS THEY ARE FOR LUNCH!
This list could go on forever, but you get the idea!
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LIFE SAVING SAUCES!!
Some of you are probably awesome cooks. I am not. I am okay, but I have discovered a world of delicious low-point sauces in the stores which have made me a star in the kitchen. Here are my secret ingredients...
BRAGGS AMINO LIQUID 
Along the lines of soy sauce, this thin brown liquid is great for using like a bullion, in a salad dressing, or for sauteeing veges. At Whole Foods, Olivers, Pacific, etc.
LIZANO SALSA
A thickish brown sauce (not a salsa by our standards) which is made and found exclusively in Costa Rica. You have to order it, but I use it for so many things it is worth the cost and hassle. Try it on meats, fish, veges. order lizano salsa
PICKAPEPPA SAUCE
Also a thick, brown liquid, made in Jamaica, but readily available in stores like Whole Foods, Pacific, Olivers, etc. Spicy and sweet (somewhat similar in texture to Lizano above, but different flavor entirely).
QUINTESSENTIAL NEW WORLD FLAVORS 
I just found these sauces on the shelf at Olivers yesterday and tried their Balinese Peanut Satay...to die for and remarkably low in points (this sauce is 1/4 cup for a pt!)!!! They are really worth checking out. The choices of flavors are wonderfully varied and all sound delicious!!
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WHEW IT'S OVER!!
Thanks to all of you who made it out to the festival this past weekend. Although not our best year, due to the crushing heat on Saturday, it was a decent year, and all ran smoothly. Now your Weight Watcher leader can go back to focusing on you more and festival business less...yippee!!
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Life Coaching/
Weight Counseling!
Besides being a Weight Watcher leader I am a certified Lifecoach, specializing in weight management issues. If you are coming to meetings yet not really following the program and don't know why, or if you cannot seem to even get yourself back to the meeting room, maybe something deeper is going on which needs exploring. Conquer this demon for good! Contact me and let me give you a free sample session so you can understand how coaching works.
For more information about coaching or counseling check my website:
www.healthythoughtshealthyactions.com | |
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