The Path of the Hurricane

The Eye of the Storm!

Isaac is barreling towards the USA. They're fully engaged in South Florida provisioning themselves, boarding up the windows, and making other plans to keep themselves safe.  It's nerve wracking for them and very serious, yet, they know exactly what to do simply because they have experienced it before.   It'll all be over in a few days and they'll be able to clean up and get back to their routine.

I wonder if the summer months feel like your own personal storm?   Do you sometimes feel battered and blown around in a whirlwind of parties, events and weekend cookouts?  Does it feel like your ability to be in control is weakened, no matter how many plans (or resolutions) you made ahead of time.  The loss of control feelings may last a little longer than the storm in Florida, and, thank goodness, it's not a life or death situation in the same way that they're facing the eye of the storm, but it can feel very uncomfortable while you're being pulled this way and that!  Relief is imminent; it's almost over and just like the Floridians, we get the chance to clean up afterwards and get back into our day to day routine.

This week's meeting is going to focus on how to do that, please come and join us to strategize on how to put the behaviors of the past couple of months (you know, the ones we aren't so thrilled about) behind you.  Weight Watchers' has almost 50 years experience in helping members in just this situation, trust us, trust your meeting colleagues and trust yourself!

Usually  $39.95
SALE PRICE $29.95   

This week's Product of the Week is the Weight Watchers FOOD SCALE because "Perfect Portions Make Perfect Sense!"

Weighing your favorite foods and getting their PointsPlus values correct is a great start to getting back on track!

The Scale is a great addition to your kitchen;  it will accurately weigh your foods and calculate the PointsPlus values when you enter carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber... and there is a database of over 500 foods and their PointsPlus values already stored in the scale! 

One week only we'll take off 25% of at checkout!

Walk For Your Life

I also want to address the chat we had last week in the meeting room because it was such an important alteration to our thinking and, if I understand the research and the message correctly, I can see this new news trigger a fundamental change in the way our (the Weight Watchers) community and your families, friends and those you care about approach exercising from now on!

Yes, we've heard it before... ho hum!  We're killing ourselves by sitting still at the office and at home in front of those screens with which we have a love/hate relationship.  So we go to the gym, the pool, the park or the woods 2 or 3 times a week to counteract the sitting still, right?  Sure we do, but it's not "fixing" it, according to emerging research.  Long periods of sitting (work) time preceded by or followed by short bursts of activity (30 minutes, 1 hour...) do not mitigate the negative effect of the prolonged sitting - Yikes!  Here is an article everyone needs to see, published by "The Choice Magazine" from the Huffington Post.
Sitting At Work: Why It's Dangerous And What You Can Do.
Weight Watchers quote the American Cancer Society who say pretty much the same thing and there is other research now underscoring this message.

Fix it, instead, with movement in short bursts, 1 minute every 15 or 20 minutes, stretching in your chair, fidgeting, whatever else you can think to do to keep moving all day, throughout the day.  This is important enough for you to stop and think about it for a few minutes and come up with a strategy (or several of them) to change your relationship with your chair.  It's time for a break-up!  AND - I mean it!

News from Weight Watchers

LOSE FOR GOOD is coming back in a week - stay tuned for more information including a ONE DAY only Open House / Food Drive that I am super excited about (Save the date - 09/15).  More info to come!!!

New Snacks debuting in September, October and November:

• Snack Bar: Raisin ‘n Honey Cereal Bar: Classic toasted oat taste and the wholesome goodness of cereal wrapped up in delightful bar, with a PointsPlus® value of just 3 per serving. (And we heard you, this Snack Bar has no nuts in it!)
• Mini Bar: Caramel Cinnamon Bun: Classic, sweet cinnamon roll taste with a PointsPlus® value of just 2. Seriously, these mini bars are out of this world!
• Popped Chocolate Crisps: Irresistible air-popped chocolaty treat a PointsPlus value of 2, arriving in November. If your members like the Cinnamon Swirl Crisps, they will love Popped Chocolate Crisps.
• Harvest Grain Cracker Chip: A new twist for our Baked Snack line. Crunchy, full of flavor, and a nice wholesome ingredient list make these the perfect snack on their own or with your favorite dip. 

That's your news for today!  I really hope to see you in the meeting this week; seriously!!!  There is no shame, embarrassment or tail between your legs behavior, head held high, just come marching in!  We'll just be delighted to welcome you back!

Human Drivers. What drives you?

This is an essay that's been in my head for many years.  I share it with you now as a concept; it's unreasearched, not tried and tested, just a notion that I have had rolling around my head based on my observations!

I believe there are only THREE human drivers:

• Fear
• Love
• Money

Think about what drives you in your in all the areas of your life.  Think about what a mother's love would allow that mother to do for her child.  Think about the compelling nature of fear.  Give some thought to how human nature is driven by money. The three drivers, I believe, work both ways; positively and negatively.

So what does all this have to do with our weight management?  Well, it occurs to me that we can use these theories to motivate us!  Take some time to identify your feelings, acknowledge them and then allow yourself to use them to help your efforts.  Although I believe all three drive us - to keep this at a readable length, lets take "fear".

Members tell me that if a doctor has unequivocally told them to lose weight "or else....", that's a pretty compelling, on the other hand, fear of changing our lives/modus opperandi or our relationship with food and beverages can freeze our efforts and prevent us from making the changes necessary to be as successful as we'd like to be.

In my own life, I fear an old age being dependent upon others to help me with my day to day living, so, given that, I am determined to be as healthy as possible and to continue to work on my health while I am able to make the changes for long term health, to prevent dependency.  On the other hand, I fear letting others down, so taking time to work on my own health could potentially prevent me from "being there" when someone else needs me.  I have to "see that" in my head, acknowledge it and understand that, whilst true, it's a "silly" thought.  I know that the truth is, that no one, who is sane, would be angry at me if I was acting in a responsible manner.  That means that particular fear of mine, seen in the light of day, can be summarily dismissed, and yet it lingers.

How about this - I believe we say "I can't" when what we really mean, I fear that change too much.  Take exercise, for instance.  "I can't do it because I am too busy" may mean, "I am frightened of looking silly", or "I'm frightened of making a fool of myself because I am uncoordinated", or "I fear injuring myself" and even "the fear of success".  Having the wherewithal to understand that, acknowledge it and still make the change leads to a wonderful feeling of conquering that fear.

Be brave; give it a try!

And Finally:

“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours”

Swedish proverb

See you in your meeting this week...

...It's a date!

A No-Brainer... Tracking!

I hope you see the value, as I do, in this article that I found recently on the Weight Watchers UK site - the comments in [parenthesis] are mine; clarification, interpretation and conversion of UKisms into USisms.

Tracking for weight loss triumph 
Article By: Sylvie Donna

Tracking is key to long term weight loss success.

If you've got out of the tracking habit, or have trouble keeping a record of your weight loss journey it may be a good time to re evaluate your approach.

Tracking can help you in many ways.  Take the time to assess your tracking and your goals and what's worked for you in previous weight loss weeks, and get back on track all the way to goal.

• If you have Monthly Pass and access to eSource [eTools], or are a subscriber to Weight Watchers Online, make sure you're using the ProPoints [PointsPlus] Tracker .
  This allows you to easily find the ProPoints [PointsPlus] values of everything you eat (in food or recipes). You also get a week’s overview of your budget so you can check how you're using your daily and weekly ProPoints [PointsPlus] allowance each day simply by checking your Plan Manager dashboard at the top of your Tracker.

A tool for understanding yourself
Looking back at previous weeks of your weight loss journey will help you work out what has worked best for you. Consider a few key questions:

• How many ProPoints [PointsPlus] values do you usually need for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
• On your most successful days, do you use any ProPoints [PointsPlus] values for snacks?
• Which times of the day/week are your troublespots?
• When and how do you use your weekly ProPoints [PointsPlus] allowance most successfully?
• 
  

In weeks where you haven’t lost any weight, tracking records will also help you to work out possible reasons. All this will help you plan more effectively for future weeks.

If you've no time to plan or lack inspiration, try repeating a previously successful week of meals and snacks, to stay motivated. Tracking will also help you feel a sense of achievement, each week of tracking is a mini goal in itself, along your weight loss journey all the way to goal.

Other tracking options

• If you prefer a paper based record try My Journal [Ultimate 3 Month Journal] - a personal 12 week weight loss diary [journal].
• A ProPoints [PointsPlus] Calculator or ProPoints [PointsPlus] Clicker is ideal if you just want a handy way of counting down ProPoints [PointsPlus] values as you use them, without recording every detail of what you consume.
• You can use other, more creative methods too... You could put £1 [$1] aside every day you stay on track and use the money at the end of each week or month to treat yourself. (If there’s almost nothing there, you’ll need to consider changing the other tracking methods you’re using.)
• Or how about taking photos of yourself or all your meals every Saturday?  Keep all your photos in a file and you’ll have a sobering way of reminding yourself of your progress, as you continue along your weight loss journey.

This week's meeting topic:  Sipping Surprises.

Has this ever happened to you?  A friend invites you out to dinner.  You suggest going out for coffee or cocktails instead because you think it will help you save PointsPlus values.  But you find yourself slurping down the equivalent of an entire meal... Crazy huh, but it happens...

Product of the week:

While much of this meeting focuses on drinks that can derail you, remember that we sell one right in the meeting room that can keep you on track.  Our Smoothies are a cool choice on a hot summer day; plus, they help you fulfill the dairy portion of the Good Health Guidelines. 

Take 25% off a Smoothie purchase this week!   7 Envelopes in each Box, 2 PPV per envelope, usually $7.50 - this week for $5.65

3 of the Best!

This week I'd like this blog to help struggling members.  
Please can you click on the "Post a Comment" section below and write to me giving your "3 of the Best!"  That's the THREE must have pantry or fridge items you cannot live without, foods that help you with your weight management.   To qualify, they should be easy find, inexpensive and an appropriate PPV item.  If they're a little more unusual, please include a source or market where folks may find them and, if appropriate, give a description of the item


Here are 3 from me to get the ball rolling:
Avocado
Shrimp
Reduced Fat Feta Cheese

Let me know yours and I'll post them for all.


And finally:
Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating the weaknesses.   ~ Marilyn vos Savant

"When the Dog Bites..."

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with string

These are a few of my favorite things" Maria Von Trapp - The Sound of Music

This week in the meeting were going to be swapping recipe ideas with each other and that got me to thinking about flavor and how we add it without adding any (or, at least, not too many) PPV...  Here are some of my favorite flavor-full ingredients, enhancers and kickers:
1. Worcestershire Sauce
BASIC FLAVOR - Peppery
PPV PER TBSP - 0 PPV
STORAGE - Refrigerate after opening
USE IN - Soups, stews, meatloaf, hamburgers.  Add to cocktail sauce, dips and use as a flavor enhancer at the dinner table for any beef or pork dish, including spaghetti bolognese and ravioli.

2. Fat Free Feta Cheese
BASIC FLAVOR - Tangy
PPV PER OZ - 1 PPV (and its a Power Food)
STORAGE - Refrigerate
USE IN - Salads, sandwiches, omelets, stuffed baked potatoes, spanakopita triangles  stuffing for chicken breast, fish, vegetables, such as summer squash and beef rolls plus pasta and pizza.

2. Dijon Mustard
BASIC FLAVOR - Hot and Peppery
PPV PER TBSP - 0 PPV
STORAGE - Refrigerate
USE IN - Mustard is not just for spreading on sandwiches.  It pairs well with any cheese dish you're making - try making a low PPV Mac n Cheese and put a good dollop in the cheese sauce (make with low fat content cheese and fat free milk), it really brings out the flavor.  Mix with fresh herbs (dill, tarragon, sage or parsley) and coat swordfish, salmon or other stout fish before you place them on the grill; it protects from the fire and adds great flavor.  Use in salad dressings, use in light cream cheese to spread on celery sticks for snacking or make dijon crusted roasted potatoes by mixing a good dollop with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a plastic bag, then cut new potatoes into golf ball (even) sized pieces, throw in the bag and shake to coat all the potatoes.  Cook in a 400deg oven for 35-40 minutes in a shallow roasting pan, till soft inside and golden brown.

4. Red and White Wine
BASIC FLAVOR - Acidic
PPV PER OZ - 1 PPV
STORAGE - Room Temp
USE IN - Stews, soups marinades, gravies.  Adds a level of sophistication to cooked dishes.

5. Fresh Herbs
FLAVOR PROFILES - Parsley; grassy, Tarragon; licoriceish, Sage; smoky, Rosemary; floral, Basil; peppery and sweet, Chives and Scallions; oniony, Thyme; woody and robust, Cilantro; light lemon/lime and peppery flavor.
PPV PER OZ - 0 PPV
STORAGE - Store cut herbs in a jar of water in the refrigerator
USE IN - Salads, sandwiches, scrambled eggs and omelets, roasts, vegetable and meat casseroles, stuffings for chicken breast, fish, vegetables, beef rolls plus pasta and pizza.  Makes a great sauce called "Ivory" which is basically a cheese sauce recipe with no cheese (known as bechamel) - finish the sauce with some fat free light cream and chopped herbs (try a mixture of parsley, chives and tarragon) and use as a sauce on grilled, broiled and steamed fish.

6. Sriracha Sauce
Named after a city in Thailand called Si Racha
BASIC FLAVOR - Sweet, sour, tangy and hot peppery flavors dominate.
PPV PER TBSP - 0 PPV
STORAGE - Refrigerate after opening
USE IN - In Thailand it's used as a dipping sauce for all kinds of foods including seafoods.  In Vietnam it's used to flavor some types of noodle dishes.  In the USA we seem to be using it three ways; as a flavoring in cooking (for instance in marinades), as a stand-alone dipping sauce for foods like chicken and meats (rather like you may use ketchup) or as an ingredient in recipes.  I have used it in everything from scrambled eggs and omelets to sauce on chicken sandwiches to flavor in soups and stews to dollops on spreading cheese on celery sticks for a kicked up flavor.


7. Cabot Cheddar Powder
BASIC FLAVOR - Cheese and yummy
PPV PER 2 TSP - 1 PPV
STORAGE - Refrigerate
USE IN - Sprinkle on popcorn, steamed veggies, tacos, on salads and on top of pasta.
(I've had difficulty finding this in some stores.  I have seen it online from some vendors such as Amazon.com).  It's worth the effort.

THIS WEEK - please bring your favorite, easy, plan friendly recipe with you to the meeting.  I hope to have a vibrant and valuable meeting swapping recipes. 

Meeting topics in August:
This week (as I said above) Summer Recipe Swap
Week 2 - Sipping Surprises
Week 3 - "Your Unhealthiest Habit"
Week 4 - Return to Routine

DID YOU KNOW ... The cookies we have in the summer are scrummy and they're seasonal ~ meaning that they are only offered for sale in the summer ~ and the season is soon coming to an end?

3 Flavors - Ginger Snaps, Chocolate Swirl and Iced Lemon, they're packed in three individual wrapped bags (3PPV per serving) per box for $2.95.  Don't miss out - members love 'em!

News From Weight Watchers

E-Tools BUG:
Questions about missing info, lost favorites and more

The good news is that we transitioned to a new eTools database last week, adding over 100,000 food and meal items. The not-so-good news is that we encountered a number of unexpected issues that we’re now working feverishly to fix.

We hope you will accept our apologies, we certainly didn’t anticipate the negative impact that the transition could have, and we realize that you’re now facing some difficulties with your usage of the site.

In the meantime, we are doing our best to communicate known issues and their updates via the What’s New Blog. We encourage you to check this blog for updates. Below are some top questions and concerns:

The issue: Some branded products (including WW ones) are missing.
The fix: We will add these items back in within a week. Many Weight Watchers products are still searchable in the Tracker; other missing products will come shortly. If your have a question regarding a specific missing product, please email ReportAFood@weightwatchers.com.

The issue: Chicken thigh jumped in PointsPlus® values.
The fix: Many of our generic foods are based on data from the USDA. When they make updates to their database, we follow suit! One recent such update is that the average chicken thigh is now 116 grams or 4 ounces, resulting in a higher PointsPlus value. We updated our generic foods data—baked potatoes are another example—to reflect the current food market. We didn't realize that the changes were so extensive, but thanks to your feedback we can now identify the specific foods.

The issue: Favorites and frequently used items were lost.
The fix: We are adding back a number of Favorites that disappeared, including grilled chicken breast, carrots, and egg whites. If you need those foods now, please know that they are often still available in the database! The easiest fix at this time is to search for them and add them back into your Favorites.

The issue: New items do not show up in the Mobile App.
The fix: New items will be visible in the Mobile App after the next release, coming soon!

The issue: Some foods are greyed out.
The fix: Recipes with greyed-out foods still have accurate PointsPlus values, but you may wish to edit them, replacing the greyed-out ingredients with equivalent ones that are in the database. The greying out of ingredients happened when old entries were replaced with new ones.

The issue: Some PointsPlus values are incorrect.
The fix: Please send your specific concerns about incorrect PointsPlus values to ReportAFood@weightwatchers.com.

The issue: Basic items (e.g., Diet Coke) are difficult to find in the database.
The fix: We are addressing this in the coming week. In the meantime, try modifying your searches. Look for “Diet Coca-Cola” instead of “Diet Coke" or use the Find and Explore search button in our Plan Manager to seek out specific brands. Thank you for your patience as we make these upgrades!

Thank-you for your continued patience while we work through this project.

Items on Sale when you come to your meeting this week are:

All Baked and Popped Snacks - Usually $4.95 are $3.95 for the duration of the sale

Popped BBQ Potato Crisps
Popped Cinnamon Swirl Crisps
Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps
Cheddar Twists
Roasted Salsa Multigrain Crisps
Pinch of Pepper Pretzel Thins

All Baked 3PPV Snack Bars - Usually $4.95 are $3.95 for the duration of the sale.

Aloha! Almond Bars
Oh, So Nuts!
Berry-licious Cashew Chew.