TWELVE WEEKS OF THE SEASON

Hi Everyone,

This week we started our twelve weeks of the season challenge. It seems incredible that in twelve weeks we will be at the holidays!!! But we have twelve weeks to make sure that we are happy with what we have done until then. Let's take it one week at a time. For the first week of the season we are concentrating on what has helped us lose weight and stay on track in the past. Feedback not failure. Remember one day at a time, one week at a time.

Our Lose for Good campaign in well on its way and we have been extremely successful in my thirteen meeting. The total weight loss so far is 2,017. WOW!!! Keep going you can lose weight for yourself and others.

This week we are going to talk about the changing foods of the season. As fall and winter come around we look for different kinds of foods. This is an excellent thing for our weight loss, since the more variety we eat the more we lose. Think about the foods you like this time of year - soups, stews, crock pot meals, etc. Check the Weight Watchers website for meal ideas. Take the recipes that your family loves and see if there are ways to lighten them up.

Here is a great tip I heard from one of my members:

Use the dinner plate for your salad and the salad plate for your dinner.

Since we know it takes 20 minutes for our head to tell our stomach it's full - how can a cup of soup or a salad help us to feel full at the end of the meal. Try this soup recipe - It's core or 3 points per cup.

HOME-STYLE CHICKEN SOUP - serves 4 - 3 points for 1 cup or core

2 tsp olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed to white and light green parts, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 carrot thinly sliced
1 onion finely chopped
2 (1/4 lb each) chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed of all visible fat
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 TBL chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium high heat. Add the leeks, carrot and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

2. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Remove the chicken from the bones and chop; return the chicken to the soup. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the chicken is heated through 2-3 minutes.

Simmering chicken thighs in chicken broth accomplishes two things: It enriches the flavor of the broth and it provides juicy chicken meat to add to the soup. We use chopped fresh parsley in this recipe, but you can also try chopped fresh thyme, dill, or a combination of the three.

Have a great week!!

Lorraine