|
March 6, 2011
|
 Healthy Thoughts/Healthy Actions Weight Watchers Newsletter #86
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Everyone!
In the realm of being a Weight Watchers leader I meet so many people who want to lose those pounds, but something always gets in the way. You may begin on a positive, high note, but somewhere along the line the descent begins. It may start with a few extra chips or cookies, and then skipping the gym a time or two, and before you know it you are no longer attending meetings and saying to yourself (or others if they question you) that you are "not ready" to deal with this issue. How many times have we been "not ready" in our lives for this battle?
Well, for one thing, if you are looking at it as a battle you are definitely not going to hang in. Let's face it, no one really wants to go into battle, do they? Maybe you are telling yourself that there will be a better time (when the kids are out of school, when you get back from vacation...) to tackle this. Or you may have simply given up entirely and resigned yourself to being overweight and the potential (or already realized) illnesses associated with it are the burden you will carry.
In the world of Lifecoaching, which is my other career, we call these stories we tell ourselves "saboteur voices". Many of you have heard me refer to this in my meetings or in a coaching workshop or session as "my itty bitty shitty committee", or my gremlins.
We tend to think of a saboteur as someone outside of us. The overweight friend who is a food pusher is a perfect example. But truth is, if we are motivated and feeling empowered she has no sway over us. When does she convince us to have that pizza? When our internal saboteur says "ah, why not. I can eat less tomorrow".
So how do we tackle this demon? Well first understand that our saboteur is afraid of us changing. There is a natural tendency for us to want to have consistency in our lives and when we attempt to change alarms go off for many of us. So we begin to listen to the voice that says things like "I can walk later", "one piece won't kill me", etc etc. So the first step in dealing with this is to recognize that it is not YOU, it is your SABOTEUR and separate out these statements from ones you know are supportive and good for you.
Know the lingo of your saboteur. What are the phrases which always defeat or demoralize you? They could be like the ones above or they could begin with "should" or "could have" or "why did I...". Write down every phrase you say inside which makes you feel bad about yourself, and keeps you from doing what you know is good for you.
And maybe find a visual which allows you to picture your saboteur. I have a gremlin above, as many people use that word for them, but yours may look like Darth Vadar, or Mr Potato Head, or...your mom. Yep, we do often carry around all the negative stuff our parents fed us and it dogs us all our lives.
Once we can truly see how we do this, or rather how our saboteur does it, we can begin to take the reins and say no to these demons.
There are so many of you who know you want to lose that weight and are letting your saboteurs run the show. Come back to the meetings and make those changes happen. When you act the saboteur eventually quiets down and the strong empowered person you know you can be, emerges. I can't wait to see that person in the meeting room!
|
|
|
MEETING TOPICS:
WEEKS OF
March 6, 2011 & March 13, 2011
MARCH 6 - 12
CELEBRATE SUCCESS!
How many of us, when we get on the scale each week and we lose, say something like "well, but I gained last week", or "well that's for 2 weeks". As if the fact that you accomplished something fantastic has to be qualified somehow. Maybe we could learn to actually celebrate and honor the work we are doing to better ourselves! Come find out how.
MARCH 13 -19
DEPRIVATION IS A DON'T!
It seems I could say the same thing 1000 times in the meeting room and still the message is not heard by many. Weight Watchers is not a diet. It is a life-long course on learning how to eat differently. When we go on a diet we deprive ourselves...until we can't take it any longer and then we binge and overdo. Sound familiar? Come find out how to get out of this hopeless pattern.
|
|
RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE
As the weather is iffy right now, and we are still bundling up in our winter gear, despite spring flowers, I thought a spicy Mexican theme might be the thing.
Member Tracy sent a wonderful chili recipe from the WW site, and a yummy sounding empanada from the "Paula Lean" site (see below) should give us some warmth and comfort.
Click below for more recipes on my website recipe page.
CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE RECIPE PAGE
(including favorites like: Oatmeal Pancakes, Crab and Shrimp Cioppino, Italian Stuffed Zucchini, Chocolate Pudding Cake, Butternut Squash Risotto and Black Bean Brownies...)
TURKEY, BEAN AND VEGETABLE CHILI
- cooking spray
- 1 pound(s) lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium yellow peppers, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, orange-variety, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin seed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 3 cups fat free chicken broth
- 1 can stewed tomatoes with green chilis
- 15 1/2 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz can fat free refried beans
- Coat a 12-inch sauté pan with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Brown turkey, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes; drain and set aside.
- Coat a large pot with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne; stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in broth, tomatoes, both types of beans and turkey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring every 5 minutes, about 35 minutes total. Yields about 1 1/2 cups chili per serving.
Makes 8 Servings 5 POINTS PLUS PER SERVING
 PAULA LEAN'S EMPANADAS
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon salsa
2 ounce FAT FREE cream cheese, softened
1 cup 2% Mexican cheese
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken (1 large chicken breast)
Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet.
2) In a large bowl, combine chicken and next 7 ingredients.
3) Unroll 1 pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll onto a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed.
4) Arrange 1 pie crust round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in center of the round. Fold dough over filling, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month).
5) Arrange empanadas on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with salsa or a non-fat or low fat sour cream
6 servings (14 empanadas) 4 points plus per serving.
|
FEATURED PRODUCTS
TRADER JOES FROZEN
SEASONED MAHI MAHI
The picture above is a little misleading, as the sauce underneath is something different, but since TJs does not have pics online of their products you will just have to search.
These are frozen, marinated fish filets. The label is colorful and the marinade it is in has a golden hue to it. We pan fried them in spray oil for maybe 10 minutes, if that, and they were superb and super low in points values!
TRADER JOES FROZEN TURKEY MEATBALLS I love to make meatballs from scratch, and truth be told I think mine are better than these, but for a quick meatball hit these are great. And surprisingly low in points values!
|
| PAULA LEAN???
Cindy in the Santa Rosa meeting sent me this link to a site she found. We all know Paula Deen, of course. Over-the-top comfort food recipes are her specialty. Well this site takes her style of cooking and lightens it, like the empanada recipe above. It is a clever site for sure...check it out!
http://www.cookinlean.com/
|
|
ATTENTION SANTA ROSA MEMBERS!! (AND THOSE WILLING TO DRIVE TO SANTA ROSA FOR THESE SPECIAL EVENTS)
Santa Rosa Center is having a number of Open House activities this week, and some sound pretty awesome to me...including my meetings this Thursday...y'all...
I WILL BE LEADING SOME VERY FUN DANCE MOVEMENT
for the first 15 minutes of the meeting!!
10:15 members, I forgot to tell you so hope you see this here!!
Okay, some of you are cringing and saying you cannot dance. Don't worry you can sit in your chair and move too. But it is going to be a hoot!!
And LIFETIME AT-GOAL MEMBERS...look below to see what is happening for you!!
You're Invited to...
Santa Rosa Weight Watchers' Grand Re-Opening Festivities!
Monday Marie's Meatless Monday
Sample fabulous PointsPlus food Monday morning
Tuesday Christine's Computer Class
3 until 4:00 We'll explore eTools: Live demo, questions and discussion
Wednesday Coffee with Kelli 10:30
Come enjoy a morning meeting and some breakfast goodies with Starbucks Coffee!
Thursday Cool Jazz with Janet
10:15 and 12:15 Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to move!
Friday Sandi's Sensational Soups!
Sample some and bring your own to share; include your PointsPlus values
and for Lifetime, at-goal members...
The week culminates with a special evening of celebration for our Lifetime Members who have reached goal, lifetime status and stayed there.
Success Stories Live!
Friday Evening,
March 11th
5 - 7 p.m.
PointsPlus Appetizers and Mock-tails will be served
Program following with our very own Lifetime members' stories.
Space is limited, sign up today!
Feel free to dress up and show off your slimmer size!
Friends and family invited; if they join you receive a special gift!
|
|
SYMPTOMS OF STROKE
This newsletter attempts to be a little bit of everything to do with health, but most times we go in an amusing direction. On a more serious note, this was sent to me by former Cotati member Ina (moved to San Diego...we miss you!!). This is such crucial information and some of it is brand new, so even if you think you know the tell-tale signs read to the bottom.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the 3 steps: STR (oke)
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today).
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue.
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
|
|
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS!!
I am over the top excited to announce that I have been hired as the new manager of the Santa Rosa Downtown Wednesday Night Market! The Market is held from May 11 through Aug 31 from 5:00 - 8:30 pm in downtown Santa Rosa along 4th Street and beyond.
Many of you know that I am also the producer of the Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival, which is Aug 27th and 28th this year, so the market position ties in nicely with the festival in a number of ways.
The market website is in the process of transition (the entire market is, in fact...), but if you have interest in
being a vendor or a sponsor please go top our temporary site to download applications.
http://www.srdowntownmarket.com/html/about_us.shtml
And speaking of Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival, please check out our brand new website which we are over-the-moon about!
http://www.winecountryfestivals.com/
|
|
IF YOU RECENTLY JOINED AND WERE UNABLE TO GET A CALCULATOR...
For some reason (probably because WW is having a stellar, outrageous and fabulous year so far: our best in WW history!!) we have run out of the Points Plus Calculators and there will be none until late March as far as we know. So there is now a way to access the calculator functions via the Weight Watchers website, and it will be available until the calculators are back in stock. Just click the link below and you will be able to calculate the points for any food!
Below this link is another one, which helps everyone who is challenged by the new program, so if you are struggling to move from old to new this may give you some valuable tips!
weightwatchers.com/calculator
tips for transitioning to the new program
|
|
Basque Cafe Boulangerie Breads Announcement
Hi Janet and Weight Watchers Friends,
First of all and up front, this is no bait and switch tactic! But, we are printing new bags for the wholesale distribution of our breads (for re-sale in markets), and checking all the information for accuracy. While checking the actual weights of products against the weights printed on our bags and labels, verses the actual serving size, we found a discrepancy in the way our sliced breads' portions can be interpreted. It made us start re-examining everything from scratch. Let me try and explain the correction we had to make.
The sliced breads weigh 24 oz. each, or 1.5 lbs. The nutritional labels information was based on a portion size of 1 ounce per serving. One ounce weighs 28 grams. After entering all the nutritional information into the Weight Watchers points value calculator, that worked out to 1 Weight Watcher plus point per serving, for both the lo carb and the multi grain.
However, because of the width of the blades on our bread slicer, each loaf does not get sliced into 24 pieces. The loaf ends up being sliced into approximately 18 usable slices, not 24. This results in each slice, or portion, weighing an average of 43 grams, or about 1.5 ounces, even though the PORTION size the nutritional label is based on, is 1 ounce. Some slices towards the end of the loaf are smaller, and weigh less, etc. Unless each Weight Watcher has been actually weighing out their bread to a portion of 1 ounce, they have been consuming more than 1 point. It actually works out to 2 points per serving.
We added a tiny bit of weight to all of our dinner rolls, to accomodate the requests of banquet chefs ordering the dinner rolls for their functions. We needed to make them all consistently the same size. They were all being scaled by hand. The bakers will begin putting the dough through a divider so that each roll will weigh 45 grams. Then, they will finish moulding the rolls by hand again. The lo carb and the multi grain dinner rolls will all be at 2 plus points for each serving size, or each roll, as of Sunday, 3/6/11.
All of the stickers on the breads indicating their nutritional values will be updated as of Sunday, 3/6/11.
Please feel free to pass this along to anyone, or to ask me about it. I will try to answer any questions you may have, or will find someone who can.
Sorry for all this trouble. Thanks for being so positive!
Francoise Hodges
Basque Boulangerie Cafe
460 First St. East
Sonoma, Ca. 95476
707.935.7687
|
|
HEALTHY THOUGHTS/HEALTHY ACTIONS
I am a certified co-active Life Coach, specializing in the field weight management. If you know what you should be doing but do not seem to act on it there is likely something deeper going on. I do free 1/2 sample sessions if you would like to explore how coaching can benefit you.
|
|
|
|
"I can resist everything except temptation." -
~Oscar Wilde.
|
|
|
|
