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.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, September 11, 2009
HAVE YOU EVER JUST SNAPPED?
Oreos, chips, ice cream, hot chocolate chip cookies , cupcakes - can any of these food send you on a binge?
When was the last time you promised yourself you were going to eat only one cookie or just a handful of chips and you ended up finishing the whole bag? How do you feel after you've emptied out the bag? What do you say to yourself?
We all have foods we call "red light" foods. A red light food is so alluring that we can lose control and wind up overeating. Red light foods are different from your favorite foods(foods that you love), comfort foods (which are often linked to a sense of home and contentment) or food cravings (desire for a food that you haven't had in a long time). Red light foods are distinguished by a lack of self control relating to a specific food.
How do we control these red light foods? In the beginning we may need to avoid them. We may want to to keep them out of the house. Learning to put red-light back into our program in a controlled way will allow us to learn to handle them. Eating a piece of pie at a restaurant is one way to learn portion control. We eat one piece and then leave the restaurant, leaving the rest of the pie there.
Come to the meeting this week and we will share more ideas about red-light foods.
See you at the meeting,
Lorraine
BACON-CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)
Points Value per serving 3
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup shredded low fat sharp cheddar
2 slices center cut bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled
1 scallion, finely chopped
1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3 inches; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.
2. Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper; mash with a potato masher until the potatoes become creamy. Stir in the cheddar, bacon and scallion.
When was the last time you promised yourself you were going to eat only one cookie or just a handful of chips and you ended up finishing the whole bag? How do you feel after you've emptied out the bag? What do you say to yourself?
We all have foods we call "red light" foods. A red light food is so alluring that we can lose control and wind up overeating. Red light foods are different from your favorite foods(foods that you love), comfort foods (which are often linked to a sense of home and contentment) or food cravings (desire for a food that you haven't had in a long time). Red light foods are distinguished by a lack of self control relating to a specific food.
How do we control these red light foods? In the beginning we may need to avoid them. We may want to to keep them out of the house. Learning to put red-light back into our program in a controlled way will allow us to learn to handle them. Eating a piece of pie at a restaurant is one way to learn portion control. We eat one piece and then leave the restaurant, leaving the rest of the pie there.
Come to the meeting this week and we will share more ideas about red-light foods.
See you at the meeting,
Lorraine
BACON-CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)
Points Value per serving 3
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup shredded low fat sharp cheddar
2 slices center cut bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled
1 scallion, finely chopped
1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3 inches; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.
2. Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper; mash with a potato masher until the potatoes become creamy. Stir in the cheddar, bacon and scallion.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
MANAGING RESTAURANTS
Hi Everyone,
Is it realistic to think that we never will eat out because we are doing the Weight Watchers Program? I think not. Knowing how to successfully dine out is a key skill for weight loss and long term maintenance.
In a perfect world we would walk into a restaurant, they would hand us a menu full of healthy foods, made to order, with manageable portions and the points values listed. Since we do not live in that perfect world we need to learn to effectively navigate restaurants to insure our continued weight loss success.
Planning and preparing can be the key to restaurant eating. Ask yourself this question - Is this a special occasion meal (such as a birthday), or is this dinner (Thursday night)? The answer to this question is important to know. Planning can be different in each instance.
We need to ask 0urselves several questions before we enter the restaurant. Will I be using my 35 points - or some of them at this meal? How hungry am I? How can I stretch the points I will use to make sure I am satisfied and full when I leave the restaurant? Should I start with an appetizer ( maybe a broth based soup)? How can set points help me? What filling foods can help me feel full and satisfied?
Checking the Complete Food Companion and Dining Out Books can steer us to the right food choices. Pull out Book 5 Eat Out and On the Run. There are lots of helpful hints and tips in this book.
Restaurant eating is a fun way to socialize, eat wonderful healthy foods and not have to clean up!! With planning and practice we can eat out comfortably and successfully!! See you at the meeting for lots more about eating out.
Lorraine
CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW BARK
Makes 12 servings (1 piece each)
Points Value per serving: 3
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finest quality recommended
2 tsp butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
1. Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with heavy duty aluminum foil
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly combined; remove from heat and stir in marshmallows. Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan using a silicon spatula; smooth into a somewhat even layer. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 1 hour; keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
Is it realistic to think that we never will eat out because we are doing the Weight Watchers Program? I think not. Knowing how to successfully dine out is a key skill for weight loss and long term maintenance.
In a perfect world we would walk into a restaurant, they would hand us a menu full of healthy foods, made to order, with manageable portions and the points values listed. Since we do not live in that perfect world we need to learn to effectively navigate restaurants to insure our continued weight loss success.
Planning and preparing can be the key to restaurant eating. Ask yourself this question - Is this a special occasion meal (such as a birthday), or is this dinner (Thursday night)? The answer to this question is important to know. Planning can be different in each instance.
We need to ask 0urselves several questions before we enter the restaurant. Will I be using my 35 points - or some of them at this meal? How hungry am I? How can I stretch the points I will use to make sure I am satisfied and full when I leave the restaurant? Should I start with an appetizer ( maybe a broth based soup)? How can set points help me? What filling foods can help me feel full and satisfied?
Checking the Complete Food Companion and Dining Out Books can steer us to the right food choices. Pull out Book 5 Eat Out and On the Run. There are lots of helpful hints and tips in this book.
Restaurant eating is a fun way to socialize, eat wonderful healthy foods and not have to clean up!! With planning and practice we can eat out comfortably and successfully!! See you at the meeting for lots more about eating out.
Lorraine
CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW BARK
Makes 12 servings (1 piece each)
Points Value per serving: 3
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finest quality recommended
2 tsp butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
1. Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with heavy duty aluminum foil
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly combined; remove from heat and stir in marshmallows. Scrape chocolate mixture into prepared pan using a silicon spatula; smooth into a somewhat even layer. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, at least 1 hour; keep refrigerated until ready to eat. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.
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