Friday, March 27, 2009

IT'S A CELEBRATION

Hi Everyone,

Springtime celebration time is here. Plenty of celebrations with food at the center. There will be weddings, graduations, showers, not to mention Easter and Passover!! How will we handle all these occasions - fitting in our favorite foods and still seeing results at the scale.

One thing that can really help is our Mental Rehearsing tool. A motion picture in your mind of what will be happening on each occasion; what you will be wearing, who you will be talking to, what you will be eating. Watching a movie in you mind and watching the outcome YOU WANT can make a big difference in the actual day. As you see yourself breeze through the day talking to people, accepting their compliments (about how good you look), choosing wisely when the food is served, you are watching your success happen. When the actual day arrives it no big deal because you have done this before. You are confident in you ability. You know you can do this!!!

Mentally rehearsing for peak performance at YOUR next food related event!!

Try this for dinner:

BEEF WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES
4 servings - points value per serving 3

24 asparagus spears cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup water
10 ounces lean, trimmed, boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 freshly ground pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
24 cherry tomatoes, halved

l. Combine the asparagus and water in a skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 2 minutes. Pour off the water.
2. Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper; add it to the asparagus along with the scallions and garlic. Saute until the beef is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

See you at the meeting.
Lorraine

Friday, March 20, 2009

I CAN EAT OUT ON WEIGHT WATCHERS

Hi Everyone,

Because you come to my meetings every week you know that I eat out a lot!!!! I ate out before I joined Weight Watchers, during the weight loss process, and continue to do so now. Almost 21 years at goal and eating out is part of that. I think that eating out is part of all of our lives. The reasons for eating out are endless - no time to cook, I didn't bring lunch with me to work, or the kids have activities.

Strategies for eating out differ depending on the reason why you are eating out in the first place. Asking yourself this question can help - Is this a special occasion or just dinner? The foods we eat will be different depending on why we are eating out . Everyday eating out (which is our focus this week) is about how to eat out on the run.

Knowledge and planning are the key. Check out the Dining Out book to see which fast food restaurant will fit better into your plan - Who's hamburg is less points McDonald's or Burger King? Which sandwich is the best bet at D'Angelos of Quiznos? How many points are in a slice of pizza?

The Complete Food Companion with help you decide what to get at the Italian Restaurant or how about Chinese tonight, or Mexican or Thai????

Armed with information when the you go to a restaurant you can relax and enjoy your meal knowing that you don't have to do the dishes or see the scale go up!!!!!

Try this for dinner some night.

BEEF WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES
makes 4 servings - 3 points per serving

24 asparagus spears cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup water
10 ounces lean, trimmed, boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
24 cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Combine the asparagus and water in a skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 2 minutes. Pour off the water.

2. Sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper; add it to the asparagus along with the scallions and garlic. Saute until the beef is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

See you at the meeting,

Lorraine

Friday, March 13, 2009

WHY AM I EATING?

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever asked yourself the question - Why am I eating?

A friend of mine told me this story recently. She said - I used to go with a co-worker to get a latte and a brownie most afternoons around 3pm as a 'stress break' -- I changed that to a skinny latte and we split a brownie. Then I realized it was about 'getting away' and being with my friend and we started walking to the bakery and I would get water and occasionally a 'treat' skinny latte instead. It was about the friend, not the food.

Sometimes we do what we have always done without thinking. In order to change a behavior that is not helping us get where we WANT to go we need to rethink things that we do every day. We have to think about the comfort zone. Am I hungry? If I am, I should eat, if not recreational eating will not get me to my goal. Recreational eating is when I am eating because others are - or because others want me to. Taking care of ourselves without eating is something we need to develop. As in my story at the beginning visiting with a friend to relieve stress and relax does not require a brownie.

Check out the Week 4 book and the Reframing Tool. Reframing will help you manage your feeling in a more supportive way. A way that will help you get to your goal of weight loss success!!!!

Try this great kebab recipe -

ISLAND PORK AND PINEAPPLE KEBABS
Makes 4 servings - points value per serving 5

1/2 cup reduced sugar apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 20 chunks
16 fresh pineapple chunks
1 1/4 teaspoons jamaican jerk seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Spray a broiler rack with nonstick spray and preheat the broiler.

2. To make the glaze, combine the preserves and lime juice in a small bowl; mix well and set aside.

3. Combine the pork, pineapple, jerk seasoning and salt in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Thread the pork and pineapple alternately on 4 (12 inch) metal skewers. Place the kebabs on the broiler rack and broil 5 inches from the heat, turning every 2 minutes, until the pork is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Brush the kebabs with half the glaze and broil 1 minute. Turn the kebabs, brush with remaining glaze, and broil until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

See you at the meeting!!!
Lorraine

Saturday, March 7, 2009

WORKOUTS

Hi Everyone,

Do you have a love/hate relationship with your workout clothes?? Do you look at those sneakers and hate them before you put them on to workout, but love them when it is time to take them off and relax!!! If you do I think you have a lot of company!!!!!!

We all know that daily activity is definitely important to our health. The latest recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association are: in order to maintain health and reduce your risk for chronic disease (such as heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis (loss of bone mass), certain cancers and type 2 diabetes), you should get a least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on 5 days per week.

At Weight Watchers we are not interested in training athletes, but in decreasing sedentary behavior.

Plus remember E= MF Exercise can equal more food.

What we need to do is find activity that we like to do and start with small doses. Start with 10 minutes a day. Or add ten minutes a day. When you go shopping walk around the mall for 10 minutes and then go into to store of your choice. Park 5 minutes away from work and walk to and from. Open your front door and walk out for 5 minutes and back for 5 minutes. Add 5 pound weights to your walk. Walk faster. All these things will get you moving in the right directions - Which one are you willing to do this week???

SPEEDY MOO SHU CHICKEN
Makes 4 servings
Points value per serving 5

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1 (4 ounce) package sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups coleslaw mix
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 (7 inch) fat free flour tortillas

1. To make the filling, spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes; transfer to a plate.

2. Spray the skillet with more nonstick spray. Add the mushrooms and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the coleslaw mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until the coleslaw is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the hoisin sauce.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, warm the tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup of the filling into each tortilla, roll up, and serve at once.

See you at the meeting!!!

Lorraine