“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it”

Albert Einstein.

This blog was never meant to be a "Nina's Musings" kind of a blog.  My intention for it when I began, and still is, that it's an informational conduit for me to be able to communicate with members; ideas, information, shared wisdom and so on.  However, this week I am going to "muse".  Thanks in advance for indulging me.

What is the Weight Watchers Experience?

BEFORE

I was working in the Newton Center one evening this week, a mom and daughter came in, stated they had joined 3 days before and asked for their money back!  Shocking, I know...  When I asked them why, you know I did ask them, the daughter said it was because the experience of the meeting differed from their expectation.  She told me that they had been expecting to have a "one on one" session with a counselor, to have more private attention.  Hmmm, well that got me thinking.

The meeting model worked so well for me as a member for several reasons;
(a) it allowed me to be "anonymous" when I needed to wear tan and keep my head down, at the same time still allowing me to listen to the sage advice and help being offered to and from other members,

AFTER

(b) it allowed me ask questions for clarification or advice when I needed it and not embarrass myself in a one on one setting in which I may be less inclined to ask,
(c) it allowed me to be the advisor and friend to others and offer my wisdom when I had an experience that allowed me to learn and therefore giving me something to offer the group, and finally
(d) it helped me to realize that there's a whole community of us out there doing this and trying our hardest to work at it every day.

Without that shared experience, I KNOW I would not have been successful.  It seems to me that we so want to be perceived as strong, capable and unfailing in our resolve, to be able to come up with the answers on our own, somehow it seems like a weakness to have to come to meetings, to be vulnerable and "bear our souls" in a public setting.  I beg to differ, as do many successful lifetime members I have encountered in the 5 years I have been doing this, they all say the same thing... Meeting are the Magic in the Weight Watchers Experience - the shared struggle, the shared joy, the community.

If you're missing from your meeting - come on back, no questions, no judgements, just support!

Are you ready to

  ?

Get moving and get losing with the SPRING moving challenge starting May 27 through July 14.  Walk, Jog, Dance, Swim, Ultimate Frisbee, Ride, do Handstands... it doesn't matter.  We will be encouraging you all the way to get active in any way that excites you, to track your activity and win prizes!

We'll be distributing a brochure at your meeting that week giving details the challenge, it has coupons offering you discounts on fitness paraphernalia (e.g.25% discount at Reebok.com) and will also provide you with the 6-weeks activity tracker which is a paper option for submitting your entry form for prizes.  In addition, the brochure entitles you to purchase all Weight Watchers fitness products on sale -- $5 off, including pedometers!


There are weekly prizes available from such companies as Garmin, Camelbak, Reebok, Speedo, Apple, Bowflex and many more.  There are also Grand Prize winners going to be drawn from members who track all 6 weeks and enter the drawing - XBox 360 250GB Console with Kinect, Kinect Spor5ts; Season Two game, Zumba Fitness Rush game and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved game :)


Come to a meeting in 2 weeks time and DIVE IN!

Since the sun is shining it feels like Salad Weather:

Asian Style Crab Salad

This Asian-influenced salad gets some of its flavor from tamari, a brown sauce made from soybeans. Use it to flavor other dipping or basting sauces, too.

Serves 4

PPV per serving 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lump crab meat

2 medium uncooked carrots, julienned

2 medium green mangos, julienned

1 small uncooked red onion, julienned

2 cups snow peas, julienned

2 tsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp tamari sauce 

INSTRUCTIONS

Pick over the crab meat for shells; set aside.

Put the oil, vinegar and tamari in a large bowl and whisk it together for a few seconds to combine.  Then add the veggies and mango and toss well.

Divide the salad among the 4 plates and top with the crab.  Serve immediately.

Yields about 2 1/4 C per serving.

Thanks for visiting my blog - check back next Sunday for a new post :)

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NOTE:

Weight Watchers is Closed on Monday May 28 in observance of Memorial Day

Have a healthy week