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April 4, 2010
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Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions
Weight Watchers Newsletter #62
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Hi Everyone,
This past week the meeting topic was on how friendships impact our Weight Watchers journey. Many of you were sitting next to your great buddy, mom, sister, etc. in the meeting room, and shared stories of what brought you in and how you helped each other. Others of you talked about your spouse's help on the journey, or your friends or family in other areas you spoke to on a regular basis, who offered support and love. And some shared stories of the relationships you had formed just by coming to the same meeting week after week.
But one member shared a story which I think touched many of us in the room, and I wanted to bring it here, as I think so many of us can relate.
She told us about her best friend who had been a huge inspiration for her to join, as she had lost over 100 lbs and had gotten to lifetime. But just about the time this member finally got up the gumption to join herself, her inspirational friend basically stopped doing the program and began to regain weight. As the member has gotten more invested in losing and is doing well, her role model is going the opposite direction. Needless to say this is terribly frustrating, and she asked the group for advice.
The basic truth is we cannot get someone to change their behavior. We may think we know what they need, but we do not. They need to be allowed to do exactly what it is they are doing without judgment, and simpy treated with love and kindness. And this can be extremely hard for many of us.
Another most likely truth is for this member who has lost her focus and is regaining weight is that there may be something emotionally going on for her which is causing her to lose direction. Most of us eat emotionally, and it is likely she is not happy in her life for some reason. So to check in with her as a friend, and see if there is something going on in that realm, and be a support in that way is much more valuable than questioning her eating choices or trying to cajole her to return to a meeting.
The more love and support we give our friends who are not dealing with their body issues the more they are likely to act at some point because they have your wind beneath their wings in a non-judgmental way. |
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MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
April 3 & April 10
 The week of April 3rd the topic is
The Weight Watchers Walk It Challenge!
Last year WW began a campaign to get more members walking, and it was a huge hit. The idea is create motivation by getting members to sign up for a walk or run between now and June 10th, and then begin training for it. Last year a group of us did the Human Race, and I am planning to do it again, as it was fun and easy. I hope you will come to the meeting and let's explore getting motviated to exercise, whether it is walking or another activity.
And we will have one of my favorite meetings, which is not on the WW roster but I do myself every few months:
Yummy Low Point Food Products!
the week of April 10th.
Ever since I was a member in the meeting room I have had a fascination with the myriad of amazing food products out there to support us on this journey. This is your opportunity to share your favorite food finds by bringing in samples or packages for everyone to see or try. I will bring LOTS of awesome goodies too. This is a MUST ATTEND meeting, so don't miss it!! |
RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE
Frieda from Sonoma sent her yummy sounding Greek dip recipe and I decided that a recipe for light deviled eggs might be in order, given that many of you will be sitting on a few of them for the next week or so.
For more great recipes check out my UPDATED (yep, finally did it!!) recipe page on my website: HEALTHY THOUGHTS/HEALTHY ACTIONS RECIPES
TZATZIKI INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup low fat plain yogurt
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon table salt
black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 large cucumbers , peeled and cut into bite size cubes.
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (or 3 garlic cloves crushed)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Put the cucumber in the cuisine art processor and grind it up real fine then put it through the colander to get out the excess liquid. If you don't do this it makes it runny.
Chop onion in food processor, add yogurt , cream cheese, salt, pepper, dill, garlic and whir til well combined. Fold in cucumber.
Makes 6 servings: 1 point per serving
This is a good dip for jicama or any fresh veggie . I especially like it over baked yukon gold potatoes. Delicious!
JANET'S EASY DEVILED EGGS
INGREDIENTS:
1 dz eggs hardboiled, peeled and halved
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 cup honey mustard
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup capers or sweet pickle relish
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Scoop yolks out of halved eggs and place in bowl. Mix all the rest of the ingredients in with them, deciding whether you want to have a tart taste (in which case use capers) or a sweet taste (in which case use relish) and mix well. Scoop back into halved egg whites, either with a spoon, or use a pastry tube.
1 deviled egg half = 1pt 2 deviled egg halves=3 pts
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PRODUCTS!!
Members have been turning me on to new products right and left. Here are a few which have come into the meeting room in the last couple of weeks.
Amylu Carmelized Onion Chicken Burgers
A member brought this package in and raved about this product she had bought at Costco. They are 3 pts each and have no artificial ingedients! Yum!!
Julie's Organic Sorbet Bars
A member brought these in and said they were delicious and only a point each. I do not recall where she found them, but being that the word organic is in the title, Whole Foods would be a great place to look.
Pacific Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Pacific makes a whole slew of products, including soups, broths and almond milk, all of which are delicious! A member raved about this one, and only 1 pt per cup. This is great as a soup base as well!
For a more extensive list of products please visit my website:
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EAT THIS NOT THAT
I had this brainstorm about a week ago that I could begin a column in this newsletter about alternative choices in types of foods. In other words, you have an addiction to a certain type of ice cream. What are alternative choices? So I will begin with salty, crunchy snacks in this issue and each issue will cover a different category of food. Most of these will be on my product page if you need more information. If you have any suggestions please let me know!
SALTY OR CRUNCHY SNACKS:
 
My suggestions here are based on quality, and quantity per package. In other words, I do not recommend a product if it is low points but not healthy or not available in small, reasonable point-per-entire-package options.
Sensible Foods Dehydrated Fruit Packets
Soy Crisps
Pop Chips
Popcorn
TJs Mini Rye Toasts
Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame
Real Food Corn Thins |
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LET'S GET WALKING!!!
The photo above was shot at last year's Human Race, which I intend to do again, so anyone who wants to join up please let me know! Your money can go to any charity you designate, which is cool, and there is no fund-raising required.
And Carla of my now defunct Cotati meeting sent a notice about iwalk sonoma, which you might look into, to find a group to walk with:
iWALK is a countywide walking campaign to get us all up and moving (www.iwalksonoma.org)
And I would also like to put in a plug for a fabulous hiking group based out of Santa Rosa, which goes somewhere in the Bay Area every weekend, including snowshoe hikes, camping trips, kayaking and easy bike trips. I love this group!!
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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 has been updated but I have kept 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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