Sunday, November 1, 2009

New Rules

Hi Everyone,

Just to let you know that there are some new rules coming out in regard to blogs and newsletters for Weight Watcher employees. They are a little complicated as you might imagine. Until I get the word from my manager, I will have to stop writing my blog on a weekly basis.

I will be at my meetings to help you keep your weight loss going over the holiday seasons. It is more important than ever to attend your weekly meeting!! Lots of great stuff coming up!!!

See you at the meeting,

Lorraine

Sunday, October 25, 2009

BE HEALTHY - PART 2

Hi Everyone,

I hope you have been working on the four Good Health Guidelines that we talked about last week. This week we have five more to add. Each guideline is important and with practice we can make a daily habit of each one.

Liquids - the guideline 6 glasses per day
What Counts: all liquid except alcoholic beverages, including milk, juice, water, seltzer, diet soft drinks, coffee or tea. The best choice is water.
Why they're important: They keep you hydrated. They're also needed for temperature regulation and proper function of body cells, tissue and organs.

Healthy Oils - the guideline: 2 teaspoons daily
What Counts: Olive, canola, safflower, sunflower or flaxseed. Avoid saturated and trans fats.
Why they're important: Contains vitamin E and essential fatty acids. May help lower risk for heart disease and stroke. Are essential for proper body and brain function. Help your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Vitamin/Mineral Supplement - the guideline: 1 per day
What Counts: Any supplement that contains no more than 100 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamins and minerals.
Why it's important: It will ensure that your nutrient needs are covered.

Activity - The guideline: At least 30 minutes a day most days of the week.
What Counts: All activity counts, including gardening and housework.
Why it's important: Keeps you healthy and fit while you're losing weight and helps you keep the weight off once you've lost it.

Sugar and Alcohol - The guideline: Limit your intake. Women should have no more than 1 alcoholic beverage each day, men 2.
What counts: Desserts, cakes, cookies, candy, sweetened beverages and alcohol.
Why it's important: Sugar and alcoholic beverages contain empty calories with few or no nutrients.

Come to the meeting this week to learn more and discuss action steps to take!!!

Lorraine

ZUCCHINI MEXICAN STYLE
Makes 4 servings (2/3 cup)
Points value per serving 2

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut on the diagonal into thick matchsticks
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 (4 1/2 oz) can chopped green chilis, drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini. Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in the corn, chilis, salt; cook stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes longer. Serve sprinkled with the Monterey Jack.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

BE HEALTHY - PART 1

Hi Everyone,

When it comes to being healthy what we feed our body makes all the difference in the world. The good health guidelines that Weight Watchers gives us helps us do just that, give our body the right combination of nutritious foods to keep us healthy. Let's look at what it takes to fulfill some of those guidelines. We will talk about the others next week.

Fruits and Vegetables:
The guideline: 5 servings daily
What counts: all fruits and vegetables
What's a serving: 1 cup is a serving for leafy greens, 1/2 cup for all others
Why they're important: rich sources of vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants, help reduce the risk of many diseases.

Milk products:
The guideline: 2 servings daily (3 if nursing, a teen, over 50 or weigh more than 250 pounds).
What counts and what's a serving: milk or calcium fortified soy milk (8 ounces each); lattes (12 ounces) or cappuccinos (16 ounces); Weight Watchers smoothies (1 packet); cottage cheese (2 cups); hard cheese (1-1/2 ounces) or ricotta (1/2 cup); and yogurt and pudding (both 1 cup).
Why they're important: Contains calcium but also protein, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin and added vitamin D. Milk products can help strengthen bones and protect against colon cancer and high blood pressure.

Lean Protein:
The guideline: 1-2 servings per day
What counts: lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, beans, soy products and lentils.
What's a serving: 1-2 oz lean meats, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; 1/2 cup legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils)
Why it's important: Provides essential amino acids Needed to repair and build body tissue.

Whole Grains:
The guideline: Choose whenever possible.
What counts: Whole grain cereal, breads, pasta, rice or grains.
What's a serving: Check the A-Z food list in the Pocket Guide for individual foods, but for many the serving size is 1 cup cooked.
Why they are important: Packed with nutrients, including fiber.

At the meeting this week we will discuss foods that will fulfill each of these guidelines and ways to make sure we include each guideline every day. Bring us your ideas!!!

See you at the meeting.
Lorraine

ITALIAN SKILLET CHICKEN
makes 4 servings - points value 3

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.

Friday, October 9, 2009

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Hi Everyone,

Taking care of yourself means taking time to eat smarter, move more, attend weekly meetings and focus on building helpful habits.

Getting healthier by losing weight with Weight Watchers is among the best ways we can take care of ourselves. As we feel better and more confident about ourselves and our weight loss journey, we will have more energy to take care of everyone else in our lives.

Step one is to get the support we need to get ourselves on the right track for weight loss and long term maintenance. This happens at our weekly meetings. The meetings are the magic!!! They help keep us focused and learn strategies to make it happen.

See you at the meeting for more information!!!!

Lorraine


SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
Makes 6 servings - 6 points each

1 pound beef stew meat trimmed of fat
1 cup mini carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 onion wedge cut
1 can stewed tomatoes with liquid
1 can potatoes drained
2 T tapioca
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and stir. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours

Saturday, October 3, 2009

IS YOUR PROGRAM BORING OR EXCITING

Hi Everyone,

How often do you find yourself eating the same foods again and again? How about activity, the same thing again and again?

What happens to your weight loss progress when you are bored? Does your motivation wane when you are bored? Could this be a time when you find yourself more vulnerable to eating temptations. Avoiding boredom is a key skill for successful weight loss and long term maintenance.

Spicing up meals, snacks and exercise efforts can be done easily by focusing on foods and activities that count as 2 points values. A goal of earning or spending 2 points values can seem small enough to be realistic and doable.

Let's think of some 2 point snacks. A large apple, yogurt with pineapple, string cheese, a hard boiled egg, raisins, weight watchers smoothies, oatmeal, an english muffin, etc. When we start thinking about snacks lots of ideas pop into mind. Thinking before we eat helps us to come up with lots choice and variety. Planning is the key. We know we are going to want a snack so thinking in advance and having many choices available help to keep us from getting bored.

Activity is the same, the more we change the more interesting it is.

Bring your ideas to the meeting this week. See you there.

Lorraine

CREOLE-STYLE COD FILLETS
Makes 4 servings (1 cod fillet; 1 cup veg; 1/2 cup rice)
Points Value 6

2 cups spicy vegetable or tomato juice
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 (6 oz) cod fillets
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

1. Combine the vegetable juice, bell peppers, onion, and celery in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are just softened, about 4 minutes.
2. Nestle the cod into the vegetables. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the fish is just opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with rice.

Friday, September 25, 2009

DON'T FEED YOUR FEELINGS

Hi Everyone,

If hunger isn't the problem, then eating is not the answer!!!

This may sound simple, but sometimes it is not easy. Step one is to distinguish between physical hunger and the desire to eat due to emotions.

When we are hungry and we eat, we feel full and satisfied. When engaging in emotional eating the hunger we feel is never really satisfied. That is because we are looking for something else.

We do have a positive intention behind what we are doing, we want to feel better. Maybe we do for a moment. But it doesn't last long. We are not happy with the results of our overeating. Figuring out the feelings is the answer!! It may take some time to learn to recognize the feelings and handle them.

What else could we do when we are tired, stressed, lonely or insecure? The feelings are always going to be there and learning how to deal with them in a different way is a key skill to lasting weight loss control.

We will discuss tips and ideas at the meeting. See you there.

Lorraine

CITRUS GARLIC PORK LOIN
makes 4 servings (3 ounces pork, 2TBL sauce and 3/4 cup green beans each)
points value per serving 5

3 medium garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup grapefruit juice, not cocktail
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 pound raw lean pork tenderloin
4 cups cooked green beans

1. Mince garlic and mix with lime and grapefruit juices, soy sauce and pepper sauce. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour so flavors can blend.
2. Place tenderloin in marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover and put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours but not more than 5. Turn occasionally. Outside of meat may lighten in color from citrus juices.
3. Preheat oven to 450F. Drain pork and reserve juices. Roast pork for 10 minutes, then turn reduce heat to 325F and continue to roast until internal temperature of pork reads 145-150F.
4. Boil marinade for 3 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve sliced pork with cooked marinade on top accompanied by green beans.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Hi Everyone,

If you don't know where you are going, how are you going to get there? Clear specific goals give us direction. Goals are the engine of our success.

When we come to Weight Watchers we need to set long term and short term goals. Yes, we want to get to the final destination of Lifetime member, but we need some short term goals along the way. We want to set goals that are positive, achievable and compelling. Losing 5% or 10% of your body weight is an excellent goal. How about behavioral changes like eating healthier snacks, or planning your food to fit in ALL the good health guidelines.

Having desirable short term goals can help keep us motivated. When we achieve these goals we feel successful. This success gives us momentum to keep going on our weight loss efforts until we meet our next objective.

Along the way to Lifetime membership don't forget to celebrate non-scale measures of success. Losing inches, moving you belt over a notch, wearing a smaller size or tucking in you shirt are all signs of success. Make sure you take the time to celebrate every success whether it be at the scale of not.

This week's meeting is all about success - so see you there!!!

Lorraine

MICROWAVE APPLE-PEAR CRISP
Makes 6 servings (1/6th crisp each)
points value per serving 4

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries
4 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup low fat granola
2 Tbsp butter, melted

1. Spray a microwavable 8 inch square dish with nonstick spray.
2. Gently stir together the apples, pears, dried cherries, 3 Tbsp of brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon in a large bowl. Spread evenly in the baking dish.
3. Toss together the granola, butter, and the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the granola mixture evenly over the fruit mixture. Microwave on high until the apples and pears are tender, about 8 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.