It's Not What You are Eating, It's What's Eating You

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever heard this old saying? It's funny isn't it that so many of these old sayings are so true!!! Managing our feelings is one of the eight helpful habits in losing weight and keeping it off. Check out the week three book.

Sometimes we have to look at our reaction to our situation. We might find patterns of behavior that are not getting us where we want to go. Think about the last time you found yourself eating out of control. What were you reacting to? What were you looking for?

Are we eating when we feel sad of depressed? Are we eating when we are worried or anxious? Or frustrated? Or Hurt? Or lonely?

Sometimes we need to Reframe that emotion!! What are we looking for? If we are lonely maybe we need contact with friends. If we are sad or depressed maybe we need some happiness or control.

What we have to ask ourselves is - what non-food behavior will get us that benefit.

This week in our meetings we will be talking strategy !!!!!!

Remember - "If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution."
- author unknown

This is one of my favorite appetizer recipes - try it!!

Stuffed Mushrooms - eat them all for 4 points

18-20 mushrooms
1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
2 teaspoons margarine
3 Tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

Saute in margarine, onions, green pepper and chopped mushroom stems, two to three minutes.

Add cottage cheese. When melted add breadcrumbs.

Stuff mushrooms with mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Don't be afraid of the cottage cheese you will not be able to tell it is not cheese.

See you at the meeting,

Lorraine

Makes one serving - 4 points total.

DISCOVER YOUR DREAM

Hi Everyone!!

This weeks at Weight Watchers in my thirteen meetings we lost 462 pounds!!! WOW!!!!

Remember that soup is the salad of winter.
I think eating some soup this week can help make that weight loss happen!!

Remember the article about the food diary - see if writing everything you eat down can help to keep that weight loss going.

This week we will be talking about the steps of Discovery - how to get to your goal!!

The first thing we have to do is have a goal in mind - we have to dream our winning outcome - we have to visualize ourselves at that goal - we have to seek out resources that will help us get there. Of course, you have started the process by coming to a weight watcher meeting and committing to come on a weekly basis. Our research shows that if you consistently come to a weekly meeting you will lose 3X more weight than going it alone. That is fabulous, but even better is that we have fun at our meetings and we get to connect with others who are have the same goal of losing weight.

One of the things that we all need to do is resolve to keep going in the face of obstacles and disappointments. We all have them and positive self talk can get us through them. One positive step at a time we come closer and closer to our goals!!!

I had a request this week to put the 5 can soup on my blog - so here it is:

5 CAN SOUP

1 14.5 oz can Delmonte fresh cut diced potatoes, drained
1 14.5 oz can Delmonte fresh cut carrots, drained
1 14.5 oz can Delmonte fresh cut zucchini w/Italian Style tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can Delmonte diced tomatoes with bail, garlic & oregano
1 14.5 oz can chicken or beef broth

Eat the whole pot for 3 points. It is core.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

See you at the meeting,

Lorraine

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

LOOK BACK AND LEARN

Hi Everyone,

Looking back over what happened along the way in our weight loss journey can give us some insight into how to handle situations which will surely come around again. We all have a personal library of experiences to build on - Feedback not Failure.

Here are a few questions to ponder - fill in the blanks:

I am most successful in my weight loss journey when I _______________.

The biggest obstacle to my weight loss success is ________________.

I really feel proud of myself when I _______________.

Learn from experience is one of the Weight Watchers Helpful habits. It is our habits that will get us to our goals and keep us there. Looking back over our weight loss experiences can really make a difference in helping us avoid pitfalls.
Get more info on the helpful habits in the Week 3 Weight Watcher handout.


Here is one of my favorite poems on the subject.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

I WALK DOWN THE STREET.
THERE IS A DEEP HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK.
I FALL IN.
I AM LOST....I AM HELPLESS.
IT ISN'T MY FAULT.
IT TAKES FOREVER TO FIND A WAY OUT.

I WALK DOWN THE SAME STREET.
THERE IS A DEEP HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK.
I PRETEND I DON'T SEE IT.
I FALL IN AGAIN.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM IN THE SAME PLACE.
BUT IT ISN'T MY FAULT.
IT STILL TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET OUT.

I WALK DOWN THE SAME STREET.
THERE IS A DEEP HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK.
I SEE IT IS THERE.
I STILL FALL IN...IT'S A HABIT.
MY EYES ARE OPEN.
I KNOW WHERE I AM.
IT IS MY FAULT.
I GET OUT IMMEDIATELY.

I WALK DOWN THE SAME STREET.
THERE IS A DEEP HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK.
I WALK AROUND IT.

I WALK DOWN ANOTHER STREET.

PORTIA NELSON

Have a wonderful week!! See you at the meeting.

Lorraine

YOU SHOULD BE DANCING!!!!!

Hi Everyone,

This week we are talking about dancing. Moving more. Music and life. Do you find when you have the radio on things go faster as we do our chores and sing. We know that when we put music on and we are walking we walk to the beat. This means that a little faster beat gets us moving a little faster. Music and dancing can be a fun enjoyable evening - relaxing and "exercise". One of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars said he lost 30 pounds from the beginning of the show rehearsal to the end of the show. Take a moment this week to put the music on and see what happens.

The losing for good campaign keeps going strong our total for the two weeks (from my 13 meetings) is 1066.4!!!!! Wow you guys are doing great keep up the good work!!!

Here is a recipe that sounds really great - let me know what you think.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH EGGPLANT - TOMATO SAUCE

1 medium raw eggplant, baby-variety, sliced into 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick rounds
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 8 strips
Olive oil cooking spray
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 small tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp basil,fresh,minced
2 Tbsp chives,fresh,minced
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions,drained
4 oz reduced fat feta cheese,crumbed

Preheat grill to medium.*

Place eggplant slices and pepper strips in a grill basket ( or place vegetables on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil with holes poked in it to allow smoke through). Off heat, coat vegetables with cooking spray, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place on grill and cook unit browned and tender, about 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces; set aside.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring for l minute. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly pulpy, about 1 minute more. Stir in vegetables, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil, chives and broth; increase heat to medium-high. Cook until both is slightly reduced and mixture has a sauce consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat. Stir in cheese just before serving.
Yields about l l/2 cup per serving.

Point Value 4
Servings 6

*You can roast the vegetables if you prefer. Preheat oven to 425. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Place vegetables on prepared sheet and coat with cooking spray; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Let your garden dictate the vegetables for this recipe: sliced zucchini, yellow squash, or red onion can be substituted for the eggplant

Remember trying a new recipe can help with variety and satisfaction!!!!


Here is thought for the week: "Dane Like No One is Watching - Eat Like Everyone Is"
- Author Unknown

LOSE FOR GOOD - WEEK ONE

Hi Everyone!

The first week of the Lose for Good campaign was very successful in all of my meetings. The total weight lose for my 13 meeting was 551.4 lbs. WOW!!!!

Some of my meetings have decided to have a food drive of our own. They are contributing their weight loss in food - a pound for a pound - just as Weight Watchers corporation is. This food will be donated to a local food bank. Any member willing to drop off food at a local food back should let me know.


This week our meetings are going to focus on one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and that is to be positive. Remember that little engine that could - he kept repeating "I think I can, I think I can." We love that book for our children because we know that they need confidence in themselves, we forget that we need confidence in ourselves also. So many times we have that negative conversation in our heads - it's too hard, others need me to make and eat certain things, I need will power. The conversation we need to have is not why it won't work but how can I make this happen. How can I keep my eating in control. How can I stay with the food plan. When we start asking "how" we start coming up with solutions.

This week I want you to keep asking yourself - How can I make my dream come true? What needs to happen in my life for me to lose weight and keep it off.

Remember - "The difference between fat and fit is "I"
- author unknown

Here's a recipe to try:

Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

4 (6 ounce) bone in center cut port chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard

1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add pork, cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pork from pan.

2. Add wine, honey and mustard to pan and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes.

3. Add pork; reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes, turning pork chops after 6 minutes.

4 serving - 1 pork chop plus 3 TBL sauce - 7 points each

LOSING FOR GOOD

Hi Everyone!!!

I am so excited about our losing for good campaign. September is the time that a lot of our members come back after a great summer. September is for getting back on schedule and taking the time for ourselves to come back to Weight Watchers. I think this campaign will help us do just that. We can get back on track with our weight loss and help others at the same time.

In the meetings for the last couple of weeks we have been talking about our comfort zone and learning to fit our favorite foods into our program. Both of these things will help us get to our goal.

Many times when we are eating it is not because we are hungry, but because of other reasons. Have you ever been at a party standing beside the food table and just popping things in your mouth without even thinking about it. I have. How about looking at a food and having this conversation with yourself - Yes, I want it - No, I don't need it - Yes, I want it - It is a conversation I think we all have at one time or another. Thinking about the comfort zone and using a little positive self talk can really help.

How about your favorite foods - do you know what they are? Have you ever found yourself eating around the kitchen and you never quite find what you are looking for. Knowing your favorite foods can help you make better decisions about foods and choices. When you have that discussion with yourself - should I or shouldn't I - having a favorite food planned in can really make a difference. Remember that positive self talk and a plan.

To read up on positive self talk along with the rest of the Tools for Living and Helpful Habits check out the week 3 book.

As you go through the next few weeks remember-

"Goals are dreams with deadlines"
-Author Unknown

See you at the meeting.

Lorraine