So, in the meeting, I asked you to think about who your support person / people / team is, and then we shared some stories about how it felt to be the recipient of the support. Did you notice that the person sharing the story, inevitably, was smiling when they were stating the positive and helpful aspects of their experience on the receiving end of the helping hand?Open yourself up to the fact that there probably is someone in your vicinity who cares very deeply about the fact that you are paying attention to your weight. Take a few minutes this week to say "Thanks" to them; Give them a "Rich Prezzie" - [definition: a small, inexpensive, but truly meaningful gift] such as:
- Invite them for a lovely walk with you,
- Cook them a favorite meal or dish - WW Friendly, of course!
- Purchase them a gift card to their fav coffee shop or for I-tunes or Amazon for their Kindle account,
- Pay for a zumba, pilates, kick-boxing or yoga lesson - and don't forget to tag along and try it out too!
Meetings are the key - according to members who are successful - we hear time and time again that the meeting is the single biggest source of motivation and support. Having people around you who are also trying to lose weight or who have travelled the same path can give us a great deal of encouragement and the assurance that we are not alone. Meetings also provide new ideas, heightened accountability and a small window of time to make ourselves the priority in an otherwise busy week.
The week ahead:
This week - lets take a look at our own behaviors and examine how we can best help ourselves by being AWARE of our responses and reactions to daily situations and life!
Newsy Stuff:
Weight Watchers is so proud of the fact that the new USDA Healthy Guidelines so thoroughly validate the PointsPlus Program. I personally could not be more excited - because it so totally validates the way I like to try and eat too --- meaning --- I must be doing something right, right?USDA's "My Plate" Website
NEXT WEEK - when I have had a chance to completely research the topic and learn about it - I plan to go through it in detail in the meeting room - so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is a summary:
The USDA announced this week that they are replacing the traditional food pyramid with the new plate icon, which encourages Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables and to lead a healthier lifestyle.
They recommend:
- Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a message that Weight Watchers has already embraced with PointsPlus. In fact, all fruit and most vegetables now have zero PointsPlus values.
- Eat a healthful, balanced diet made up of nutrient-dense foods—the kind of approach that is proven to help with weight management. Our Power Foods do just that and provide an easy way to identify the most nutritious, most satisfying food choices.
- Make environmental and behavioral changes to live a healthier lifestyle. This is the first time that the government is formally recommending behavior change. Its emphasis on healthy eating, physical activity, behavior modification, and a supportive environment is fundamental to the Weight Watchers approach.
Weight Watchers and the USDA both recognize that this is a time of opportunity for our country. By fostering a leaner nation, we can, in turn, help to cut the health care costs linked to weight-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.
On sale in the meeting room:
This week: When you purchase 2 (duopacks) of FRUITIES, get ONE FREE.They're $2.50 per duopack.
Flavors available:
Cherry,
Strawberry and
Cappuccino Creme Melts
(while stocks last and sorry, as always; no rain-checks)
One Last Thing:
My thoughts go out to the residents of Western Massachusetts this week that have been affected by the tornados that touched down. This has been a very sad week in the Baystate; we lost 3 lives because of the unbelievable tornadic events. For many others in the area, their lives have been completely turned upside down; some of our "own" are now homeless and yet grateful that they are able to pick themselves up and carry on. I have heard some amazing stories of resilience this week - for me it shows that there are sometimes things that are NOT in our control; but we are very fortunate that most of what we have to deal with on a day to day basis IS within our control; including our behaviors around our food and beverage consumption.
OUR outcome is in OUR own hands - lets make the most of that!
Check back here ON MY BLOG on Wednesday for
The recipe of the week.
Posted on behalf of Anne - received by email:
ReplyDelete6/6/2011 I think that the choice of the plate as an icon for the US Department of Agriculture's way to help Americans with weight loss is a great choice. It is very basic, and a very usable tool for all of us.
Several months ago I decided as one of my tools I would use a smaller plate than my larger dinner plate size plate. As someone who is blind, it is a bit more difficult to eat on, but I have gotten used to it. I have been amazed, though by the benefits for me in terms of my satiety. I am finding the more I use this tool on a daily basis, the more I continue to notice that it is beginning to take less food to satisfy me. Sometimes I have found myself not paying attention to what the signals tell me, but for the most part now I am learning that being satisfied rather than being stuffed with food is a more gratifying feeling, and it also continues to give me a sense of accomplishment. The other tool I remind myself to use is to remember to put my fork down, stop and notice my level of satiety during a meal. During the previous Points Program I recall that I learned to monitor myself in this way, and it has increased my awareness greatly.
Now as I finish writing this, someone in my family has decided to get something crunchy and probably salty for a snack. I must remind myself of my ultimate goal, finish writing this blog entry, and move onto other email. It's okay, though because remembering that tomorrow I will be able to eat more, and think of how far I have come not to let external stimuli such as this influence my behavior. Believe me--in many ways my journey is a work in progress, but the smaller plate has done a lot to keep me on track..
Anne A WW Member who goes to the Waltham Meeting