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March 21, 2010
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Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions
Weight Watchers Newsletter #61
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Hi Everyone,
 I am noticing that many of you are rejoining again, after an absence of months, or perhaps years. Usually this trend happens earlier: January, of course, and February. But there is something about spring which beckons us to make changes, and I think that fresh, sweet air and mustard-filled vineyards are giving some of you new hope and inspiration. So welcome back to our laughter, support and learning-filled meetings! And those of you who have not yet felt that twinge of desire to see the new you, maybe coming back might be the answer.
So to perhaps inspire you a bit in this decision, I will let you all know about a special that WW is doing right now. If you join before April 3rd, and sign up for the Monthly Pass, you get a FREE Starter Kit...the Complete Food Companion, Dining Out Companion, 12-Week Journal...the works! Considering those puppies are $25, I would say that is a pretty nice offer: in fact probably the best incentive I have seen in my 8+ years as a WW employee.
Obviously this is not just for re-joiners, but for anyone. So if you have friends, cousins, etc who are thinkin' and wishin' and hopin' and dreamin'...maybe this will spur them on to take the leap and give it a try!
Hope to see you all in a meeting soon! (By the way...see my schedule below in this newsletter!). |
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MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
March 21 & March 28
 The week of March 21st the topic is
Going From Oops to Wow!
How many of us have made mistakes along this path to our weight loss and health goals? What did you learn from those mistakes? Weight Watchers has a saying: "Its not failure: it's feedback". This week we'll look at how we go from "oh no!" to "oh my!"
And we will be exploring
The Buddy System
the week of March 28th.
Who has joined with a friend, spouse or relative, and how has that helped this journey? Or maybe your spouse or family member is doing the program at home with you, like Nadya and Pres above, from the Sonoma meeting. And if you joined alone who has built friendships and camraderie in the meeting room? Let's explore what having a support system means in this arena. |
RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE
I thought I would recycle a couple of very very favorite recipes. Both of these are not only delicious but pretty simple. The Taco Soup recipe is requested about a half a dozen times a year, so here ya go!
For more great recipes (I will be updating this page in the next few weeks...I promise!...I know I said that last issue) check out my website: HEALTHY THOUGHTS/HEALTHY ACTIONS RECIPES
TACO SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup ground turkey (I recommend using the Jennie O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey...see product suggestion below)
1 cup red kidney beans(rinse)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can black beans (rinse)
1 can chopped or stewed tomatoes
1 carton low sodium fat free chicken broth
2 zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash
1 C carrots
1 onion chopped fine
1 can Ortega diced chilies
Mix all ingredients together in large pot. Simmer 30 minutes.
This can be topped with a corn tortilla, sliced up and baked to a crunch in a hot oven, or a dollop of fat free sour cream.1 cup = 2 pt. With tortilla add another pt.
TURKEY MEATLOAF
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 onion, chopped fine 1 pkg ground turkey (use the Jennie O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey: see product suggestion below)
1/2 cup egg beater or 2 egg whites
1/2 cup oats or oat bran
1/4 cup sweet mustard
1/2 BBQ sauce
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 and spray 2 small or 1 large loaf pan
Mix all ingredients together, except 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce. Pat into loaf pan(s) and top with remaining BBQ sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Makes 5 servings at 4pts per serving. |
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PRODUCTS!!
The recipes above both contain the turkey, which is Italian seasoned and quite delicious. It is worth seaching for in the markets.
And we have 2 new frozen desserts which are unique and LOW points!!
Jennie O Italian Seasoned Lean Ground Turkey
I discovered this by accident when I bought it randomly and never noticed it was seasoned. I am not sure what their magic formula is, but whatever they're doing it tastes much superior to the plain version. Granted this is a big agri-business company, and I am not super keen on supporting them, but...once you try it you'll see why I am recommending it. And I noticed on their website they have a Taco seasoned one as well. I am searching for that soon!!
Arctic Zero Frozen Dessert
I went looking for my beloved Gelato Massimo the other day at Pacific Market and they were out of my favorite flavor (Dark Chocolate Fat Free: 6 points for the entire pint container!), but I noticed this new product and had to try it. At 3 points for the whole pint (yep, that's right..) I figured how could I go wrong? I got the chocolate flavor but next time I am trying the Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Well, here's the skinny, so to speak. Its not bad. Not terribly chocolatty, but the texture is creamy and satisfying. So I did what any chocoholic would do. I mixed Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa and xylitol (my sweetener of choice) into a cup with enough very hot water to make a chocolate sauce and poured it over the top. So low points that my entire 1/4 cup serving did not add any points to my frozen dessert.
So if you are a volume eater and like ice cream, this is a great option, but you may want to add fruit, or my chocolate sauce recipe to make it sing.
Marcia from the Palm Drive meeting sent this suggestion for these delicious, healthy 1 pt fruit bars. They look wonderful! They come in Acai Berry as well. |
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Meetings Info and Schedule!
I have gotten asked several times recently for my meeting schedule, so thought I would put it in this newsletter and give you some information about each.
MONDAY:
Sonoma FAHA Center:
9am weigh in/9:30 meeting
This meeting, and the Thursday one as well, are still located in the smaller recreation room, apparently for at least another month I just learned,
I also just found out the Monday evening meeting in the same locale is getting a new leader in early April. His name (yep...a man! How cool is that?) is Roger. Not that I want to lose any of you from my meetings, but I know some of my male members might enjoy some masculine energy in the front of the meeting room.
Santa Rosa G&G Market on W College Ave:
5pm weigh in/5:30 meeting
This meeting is growing, but kind of slowly. It is held in the demo kitchen of the market, on the far left hand side as you enter. I really love the opportunity to shop before or after you attend the meeting, and the buyer is working on getting many of the most popular products in that we all know and love.
TUESDAY:
Palm Drive Hospital in Sebastopol:
3:45pm weigh in/4:15meeting
This meeting is doing wonderfully! We are now over 30 members and counting, as every week a few new people join. There are many former members from our old group at the Youth Annex, and it is by far my most successful meeting in terms of weight loss.
THURSDAY
Santa Rosa Center on Farmers Lane
9:30 weigh in/10am meeting
11:30 weigh-in/12 noon meeting
If you like to laugh come to these meetings. Not to say there isn't great, fun energy in all my groups, but these two seem to have drawn a wonderful group of comics, somehow.
Sonoma FAHA Center
4:45 weigh-in/5:15 meeting
A lovely smaller group than the Monday morning meeting, but a great group. I love leading in Sonoma because there is such a wonderful group of active, enthusiastic members at both my meetings there.
FRIDAY
Petaluma Center
9:30 weigh-in/10am meeting
Also a great, vociferous, active, engaged group, which I had the good fortune to inherit from Terri, the previous leader.
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COOKING DEMO!!!
at G&G Market Monday March 29 at 6:30pm
I am so excited to announce the official first cooking demo at G&G Market! I will be making a New Mexico style chili, corn fritters and an unusual slaw. Yummy samples for everyone after everything is prepared. Come learn how to cook in a healthy, low-fat way! |
CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AND BEYOND!
If you have not visited my website find out why it is a truly helpful addition to your Weight Watchers efforts.
My Products Page features dozens of low-point food suggestions from Trader Joes and lots of other markets.
The Recipe Page needs updating, but it has some classics, including the to-die-for oatmeal pancakes I talk about all the time.
The Healthy Tips page has lots of great ideas which we talk about in the meetings, but you might need to have at your fingertips when you are not in the meeting room.
And The Blogwagon is the beginning of my blogging which has now gone off my website and onto a legitimate blog site: THE BLOGWAGON
And last, but not least, if you are coming to the meetings and finding yourself not actually taking the action you want to be taking to lose your weight, or maybe you cannot even seem to get motivated to come back to the meetings, maybe there is something deeper going on. I am a Certified Lifecoach, specializing in weight managment. I do free sample sessions and would love to talk to you about this or any other dream you have which is unfullfilled. | |
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