Saturday, April 25, 2009

TO CARB OR NOT TO CARB????

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever heard someone say carbs are bad? Many people think that if they just don't eat carbs their weight problem will be gone. But is this true?

Well, as with all myths there is some truth and some fiction. There are different kinds of carbs. Simple carbohydrates like table sugar which is plentiful in soda and candy should be limited. Complex carbohydrates, whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread take longer to digest and can help you feel more satisfied.

Calories not Carbs are the main cause of weight gain. In fact, recent research indicates that an eating plan rich in complex carbohydrates is recommended for overweight individuals. Complex carbohydrates contain naturally occurring nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals and iron.

You can trust Weight Watchers. We have the filling foods list to help us make good food choices. By using the filling foods we are choosing carbs that are satisfying, last a long time and can help us with weight loss.

DATE AND ALMOND OATMEAL
serves 4 points value 7

4 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pitted dates, quartered
3 Tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds

l. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the oats and salt; cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until very thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the dates, the 3 tablespoons of honey, and the vanilla; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, 12-15 minutes longer.
2. Meanwhile, place the almonds in a small nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Set the almonds aside.
3. Divide the oatmeal among 4 bowls. Top evenly with the almonds and the additional 4 teaspoons honey. Serve at once.

serving - 3/4 cup oatmeal with 1 teaspoon honey. From Weight Watchers Pure Comfort Cook book.

I will be in London starting on May 1st. So if I do not see you before Thursday, I will see you when I get back on May 12th. Don't miss the meetings, they are your lifeline to the Weight Watcher program.

Lorraine

Friday, April 17, 2009

BLT'S

Hi Everyone,

Remember Weight Watchers Week One - Excitement - you thought to yourself - I am going to do everything I can to lose weight this week. I am going to read the material. I am going to use the good health guidelines. I am going to eat filling foods. I am going to write everything in my tracker.

Remember that feeling. Remember the excitement of knowing that the week went well because you had it all written down and you could go back and read it over. What a comforting feeling, being able to relax about your program because it is all written down so you can review it.

The weeks go on and sometimes the tracking gets a little less exact. We don't write down the few bites we had from our dinner companion's meal. We forget the few licks we had of that ice cream cone. Tasting the meal we are cooking doesn't count. BLT's - bites, licks and tastes can start to add up as the weeks go on.

Tracking plays a powerful role in weight loss success. Research has shown that members can increase the likelihood of success at the scale by writing down everything they eat. Reminding ourselves of this fact can keep us tracking on a regular basis. Tracking doesn't mean that every week we will have a weight loss, but it does mean that each week is a success. Success comes from following the program. Tracking is a way to be able to look back and know that we have followed the program to the best of our ability.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

SWEET POTATO AND SQUASH BAKE
Makes 6 servings
Points Value per serving 2

1 spray cooking spray
l/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 pounds acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.
2. Place sweet potatoes and squash in prepared pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; toss to coat mixture well.
3. Bake covered with aluminum foil, for approx 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

See you at the meeting!!!

Friday, April 10, 2009

EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH ONE STEP

Hi Everyone,

One of our Good Health Guidelines is to work up to 30 minutes of activity on most days.

How are you doing on working up to that goal?

Adding activity into your life begins one step at a time. Maybe 30 minutes seems like a huge chunk of time to start with. Five minutes could be a new starting point. Five minutes is a beginning. Maybe five minutes twice a day. Next week up to ten minutes.

If you are doing that 30 minutes three days a week - work on a fourth day. Building up is the key. Having a plan, just like with our eating, is essential. The weather is getting nicer and walking outside could really be pleasant, but we will still have those rainy days and we need a contingency plan. I love the DVDs we have at Weight Watchers with activity times ranging from 10 minutes to 40 minutes. Check them out at the meeting!!

Weight Watchers is promoting a spring 5K (or smaller) walk. We will be providing an on line 8 week training program. Get the info at your meeting this week.

CLASSIC BANANA FOSTER
serves 4 points value 4

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 Tablespoons unsalted light butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tablespoon dark rum
1/2 pint vanilla fat free frozen yogurt

l. Combine the brown sugar, butter, and nutmeg in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add the bananas and cook, tossing to coat, until the bananas begin to soften, 2-4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, remove the skillet from heat, and pour in the rum. Return the skillet to the heat and ignite the rum with a long wooden match; cook, shaking the pan, until the flame goes out, about 30 seconds. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.

2. Place a scoop of frozen yogurt into each of 4 serving dishes. Top each scoop with warm banana mixture and serve at once.

Note: If you'd rather skip the rum- and the flames- substitute 1 teaspoon imitation rum extract or add 2 tablespoons pineapple juice and a few drops of vanilla extract with the bananas.

Friday, April 3, 2009

SELF CONTROL - CAN I DEVELOP IT??

Hi Everyone,

Self control - is it some elusive quality that we have or don't or can we develop it???

The answer is YES!! We can find both inner (mental) techniques and external (physical) behaviors that we can practice to strengthen self-control.

So where do we begin? Self control can be improved by paying attention to what's worked in the past, reconnecting to it and practicing it before challenging situations. What was happening in the past when you have felt in control. What can you learn from those experiences to use the next time. Last week we talked about Mental Rehearsing - walking through a coming situation in your mind and watching yourself succeed. Did you try it this week?

There are physical things we can do also. Taking care of our bodies' needs by making sure we don't get too hungry, keeping our environments Weight Watcher friendly and attending our weekly Weight Watcher meetings can help to strengthen our self control.

Our Week 4 book, Habits of Successful Members, suggests many techniques to help us strengthen our self control. Read through it again. Take the quiz in the beginning of the book and work on one or two of these techniques this week!!

APRICOT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Makes 6 servings - 4 points per serving

6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
1 (16 ounce) can apricot halves in juice, drained
6 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (from a 7 1/2 ounce can)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Spray a 6 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon juice, and pie spice and in a small bowl. Spoon the sugar mixture evenly into the cups. Place 3 overlapping apricot halves, cut side up, in each cup. Then add 1 biscuit to each cup, gently pressing it along the side of the cup to adhere. Sprinkle each biscuit with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar.
3. Bake until the apricot mixture is bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let the cakes stand in the pan 5 minutes. Invert the cakes on a large plate and serve warm.

See you at the meeting.
Lorraine