Your new 4-Letter Word... PLAN

Question:
How does planning ahead impact your ability to be successful?

Lets look at a simple scenario;  Lunch in the cafeteria or at the supermarket salad bar.   I know the salad bar looks like it's a friendly place to go but I also know how quickly those points add up, look at a typical salad from the salad bar:

Mixed Greens    0 PPV
Sliced Pepper Strips   0 PPV
Cucumber Slices   0 PPV
Tomato Slices   0 PPV
          ---- So far, so good, right?  ----
add:
2 TBSP Low Fat Balsamic Vinegar Dressing  1 PPV
Scoop of 3-Bean Salad  1/4 C   3 PPV
Scoop of Bacon Bits 1/2 oz   1 PPV
Scoop of Macaroni Salad  1/4 C    3 PPV
Scoop of Tuna Salad 1/2 C   8 PPV
Small Loaf White or Whole Wheat Pita (6" round)   4 PPV
          ---- Now, what do you think?  ----    20 PPV YIKES!

Now compare that to a tuna salad you bring from home:

Mixed Greens or Washed Baby Spinach    0 PPV
12 Leaves Shredded Fresh Basil   0 PPV
Sliced Pepper Strips   0 PPV
Cucumber Slices   0 PPV
Tomato Slices   0 PPV
1 C Sliced Cooked Green Beans    0 PPV
Broccoli Slaw   1/4 C   0 PPV
2 TBSP Low Fat Balsamic Vinegar Dressing  1 PPV
Scoop of Chick Peas  1/4 C   2 PPV
6 Black Olives   1 PPV
1 Serving of Canned Tuna in Water 3 oz   2 PPV
1 Light Whole Wheat English Muffin or Flat Bread  3 PPV
           --- Total for this salad, including the bread ---   9 PPV phew!

Even if you use your weekly allowance to make up the difference and you eat from the salad bar 3 or 4 times a week - you're spending an additional 33 / 44 PPV per week.   This can truly make the difference between 1/2 and 1 1/2 LBS weight loss a week, would you rather be on the 1 1/2 LB side of the equation?

The most common plan ahead idea that came from the meeting room this week was bringing lunch from home.

I do this every day - my lunchbag is always similar:
~ 1 sandwich - tuna, turkey, cheese, chicken or other fillings often with avocado or a smear of spreadable goat or wedge of laughing cow cheese      5/6 PPV

~ 1 FULL baggie of chopped vegetables, everything from baby carrots to asparagus    0 PPV
~ One or two pieces of fruit sliced ready to eat    0 PPV
~ Something else with protein for a snack - string cheese, light mini baby bel round, 4 oz light cottage cheese container, hard boiled egg or small bag of almonds    2/3 PPV
~ Bottle of water or can of seltzer    0 PPV
~ Small treat such as a mini WW Bar, 3 PPV dark chocolate bar from T Joe's or a Chobani Yogurt.
                       
My lunchbag, together with my 4 PPV "eggie-thing" breakfast costs me approximately 12 - 14 PPV, and it covers my eating for the whole day and takes me to supper (my beverages are all 0 PPV; water or black coffee).  That leaves me approximately 12 or 14 PPV for dinner.

Works great for me, takes less than 10 minutes to pack the night before and keeps me "full and focused"!

I suggest making a change this week; try planning ahead by deciding ahead of time what lunch will be for the coming week, make a shopping list and get what you need into the house to be able to pack and go.  Will you give it a try?


Here are some new products from Weight Watchers - PREVIEW:
Love at First Bite!

Members have been asking for bars with shorter ingredient lists—and we heard you! That’s why I'm so excited to give you a sneaky preview of our revamped Snack Bar line, arriving next month. Our new bars—Aloha! Almond, Oh, So Nuts!, and Berry-licious Cashew Chew—taste great, have the same low PointsPlus^® value of 3, and are made from truly wholesome ingredients.  Oh, and by the way there are going to be 5 bars per box, instead of 4 for the same price as the old line of bars—$4.95.
Look for yourself: All packages have a clear wrapper so you can see the goodness, and they have a short ingredient list—and NO High Fructose Corn Syrup—wow!  We will be sampling the Oh, So Nuts! Snack Bar between 02/5 and 02/11.  Make a date to come to your meeting to collect your sample.

Best Darn Food Ever.
What recipe do you have a hankering for? Whatever it is, the classic recipes in our new cookbook, Best Darn Food Ever, will satisfy your desires and help you stay on the PointsPlus program. You’ll find ways to double the delight of your favorite foods—amp up cheesy goodness, kick up the spice factor, or make chocolate desserts taste extra chocolaty! Best Darn Food Ever will launch in meeting rooms February 5.

Like P90X? You’ll Love Our New Fitness Series...
If you’ve ever been intrigued by hot fitness programs P90X or The Firm but believed they were too extreme, your time has come! Our new PointsPlus^® Fitness Series due to launch on February 5, is a brand-new way to look at exercising, and was designed by health and fitness expert Jennifer Cohen specifically for Weight Watchers^® members!

The five-day-a-week fitness system includes five DVDs featuring 15 different workouts with easy-to-follow routines for every fitness level. This series works your entire body with stretches, basic cardio, and interval training to keep your interest and energy levels up. And with five different DVDs, you’re unlikely to get bored.


AND, other news from the office to pass along to you:

Weight Watchers has some corrections to printed databases -- the books that are either given away or sold in the meeting room.  You can find the information on the website at the Meeting Room Products Resource Page at  www.weightwatchers.com/productinfo or Click on this link for a complete list
BY THE WAY - beer is on this list - if you're a beer drinker and have been relying on the printed materials you need to take a look at this!
Oh, and while I'm on the subject of beer --- I wanted to let you know that the ability of the Pats to win this weekend is directly tied to your ability to remain in control of your eating and drinking before, during and after the game.
Coach Belichick told me so; the post season is in your hands!


If you're new to my blog **welcome** I typically post on a Sunday and a Wednesday - that's the recipe day.  Please send me feedback and comments, I love to hear from you :)


See you in your meeting this week - there's a sale going on for Mini Bars, Smoothies and Oatmeal and it's a good one!  We are going to be talking about "Change from the Outside In!"

Finally - here are some words of wisdom from Maya Angelou:


"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it"