MONITORING YOURSELF

Hi Everyone,

How does monitoring yourself benefit you?

There are lots of ways to monitor oneself. Tracking helps us make sure that we are eating the right amount of food as well as all the food groups that our bodies need each day. Using the comfort zone allows us to monitor our bodies need for food. Am I hungry, or am I just eating? Am I allowing myself to get too hungry so that when I eat I am overeating? Using the simply filling food technique (found in book #6) can help us to monitor ourselves without writing down everything we eat. We simply choice from the filling foods, use our comfort zone to eat the portions that feel right. And we still have the 35 points for the week to keep us satisfied.

Awareness and control can make a big difference in your program. And all of these techniques will help you get there. Nothing is final. The plan that you use will evolve as you go along. Feel free to try new approaches to your program and see how they work for you. Learning from experience is one of the habits we talked about in the meeting last week, and as you try new things that is just what you are doing.

"Don't focus on the days when you failed. Focus on all the days when you won. Keep a chart, monitor your successes, and don't give up." Robert Butterworth

APRICOT OAT BRAN MUFFINS

Points Value 2 - servings 12
You can use any dried fruit in these muffins. Try raisins, apples, or dates.

2 cups dry oat bran
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2 medium egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup dried apricot halves, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray 12 muffin tins, set aside

In a large bowl, mix oat bran, brown sugar and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In another bowl; beat egg whites until foamy. Stir in buttermilk and molasses. Add buttermilk mixture to oat bran mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in applesauce and apricots.

Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each cup to the top. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.

See you at the meeting.

Lorraine