Time for Me!

This was one of those weekends when I had a LOT to accomplish in a few short hours...

Just like a lot of people, the temptation is to put my head down and soldier forward without taking a breath!  You know... do not pass go, do not collect $200!!

So, how did I make out?  I got almost everything done (this blog is my second to last chore of the night), the final chore is going to have to be postponed to tomorrow.  BUT, and this is a new behavior for me, most importantly, I put some time aside to take care of myself.  I spent time exercising 1 - 2 hours each weekend day, I took several hours yesterday to go and purchase a new cell phone (not a 5 minute chore), I took time to eat my lunch outside in the wonderful sunshine today and I spent time this afternoon doing food prep for the week.

How often have we said not to push our own needs off to the side?  I hear it all the time in my meeting rooms, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks "yeah, sure, that works for others, but it doesn't work with my life".  This weekend, I wanted to prove to myself that I could take time to do what was important to me as well as what HAD to be done!

And the moral of the story, in the end, even though I did not complete everything, I prioritized and made sure that, what could absolutely not be neglected, was completed.  And, I am left feeling relatively relaxed and got all, but one, chore on my to-do list completed.

This Week's Topic in the Meeting Room:

So, I'm breaking a rule here:  I don't ever discuss the topic of the week in advance of the meeting, but today I am.  The reason is because I believe that reading the process of ANCHORING in advance of the meeting will help when discussing this topic.  I'm hoping it'll stimulate some thoughts and memories in you as to when ANCHORING has helped you in the past with your weight and health journey.  I also want to remind you to bring something you use as an anchor to the meeting this week for "Show and Tell"!

This is taken directly from the Weight Watcher's Website.

When sticking to the plan is tough, that's when you need Anchoring, a process for creating cues and triggers to remind yourself of your weight goal and the inner resources you have to achieve it.

You use Anchoring every day. When you hear a song that makes you smile because you associate it with a certain memory, that's an anchor to that memory.

Anchoring can help you achieve your Winning
Outcome by reminding you of a particular inner resource you may need to connect to when you're having a hard time.

Ann's Anchor
When Ann needs to be reminded of her strongest inner resource, she anchors herself to the day her son was born. She reconnects to that day because it reminds her of the love she felt for herself and the pride she felt in her future. To help get back to those feelings, she keeps her son's diaper pin attached to her daily planner. Ann touches it or looks at it whenever she's hit a rough patch in her plan.

Now create your own anchor with these steps:

1. Identify the inner resource you need to respond the way you want.

2. Remember a time when you had that inner resource. Think about the circumstances that surrounded you. See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel what you felt at that time.

3. Choose an anchor that will bring you back to that time in an instant— a mental picture, a word, a gesture or an object.

4. Then, remember again that time when you had that strong inner resource. When the feeling you had then is strong within you, connect it to your Anchor.

5. Use your Anchor by itself. Did it work? Are you in touch with your resource? If not, keep repeating Step 4 until your Anchor grounds you when times are rough.

Are you taking "Time for ME"?  That means taking time to come to a meeting this week - don't skip it, you will get everything done - even when you do!

Stressful Times ...

The stress this week in Boston has been unrelenting.  

As I am feeling my own sense of relief today, the suspects both having being "dealt" with, I am thinking about the hundreds of folks who are just embarking on their own long journey of recovery; the families who lost loved ones and the injured, a great many of them devastating, and I realize that every day is precious.  

The question of eating comes up.  I've learned, as I'm sure you have, that we crave "rich" foods when stress begins to play a part.  If you've noticed this week that the peanut butter jar has played a bigger role than normal, you're not alone.  Bread, butter, ice-cream, alcohol, chips, sound familiar?

All well and good, but here we are now standing at a fork in the road; go left to walk away from this healthful journey you've been taking, or follow the right road that brings you back to the path you previously chose.  Which is it going to be?  

I am fully aware that there may be a weight gain when you face the scale and that seeing that feels like salt in the wound, and actually that is what it is!  Coming to a meeting as soon as you can get there and facing that demon is absolutely the best thing you can do for yourself.  How many times have you sat in a meeting and heard a member say (or possibly said yourself) that this meeting is the opportunity to make a new start on a new week?  

One Step At A Time

I suggest making a list of 5 things you'd like to do to manage the transition back to plan.  Then begin with the easiest.  It may look something like this:

(a)  Acknowledge that this was a tough [event] time in your life and that it's perfectly normal to react in the way you did with food, but also acknowledge that medicating with food didn't improve the situation.  Really focus on forgiving yourself for the food inhalation.

(b)  Get to the supermarket and buy some fresh veggies; bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, jicama, sweet pea pods - things you can eat raw.  Then wash and bag the veggies to make "ready to go" bags of snacks for 0PPV!  Make at least 5 or 6 bags at a time, we know the power of making the environment as conducive to supporting your efforts as possible.

(c)  Get rid of the foods that are triggering you.  Take the plunge, pour the peanut butter down the sink - pour soap in the jar before you take another spoonful!

(d)  Track!  Track and Track some more.  Try pre-tracking before you eat the meal or snack, just for a few days to get back into the habit.

(e)  Get to a meeting - sooner, rather than later.  Really!  Don't wait till you've lost the weight you gained, there's no winning that battle - we're here for you, get back immediately!

 --- oh, one more thing, find a hands-on project that can take you away from food.  Exercise, hand work, reading, do your nails, take a bath, yes, I've been there too also!

Most importantly - don't expect too much from yourself.  Remember, this is a journey of perseverance, not perfection :)

BRING a FRIEND - you both get savings!

What could be a sweeter deal than helping friends change their lives with Weight Watchers? Adding big discounts on Weight Watchers products sure can’t hurt.   Bring a friend to a meeting and when the friend joins (by June 1st), you'll both get a coupon book with over $20 in meeting room savings. 

50 Years of Fantastic Recipes

We’re celebrating 50 years of success by packing 280 of our best recipes into one killer cookbook. With our new Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook, healthy cooks everywhere now have the opportunity to sample a collection of our many treasured favorites.  Plus, these delicious dishes have been updated to feature fresh ingredients, how-to tips, Weight Watchers lore, nutritional info and PointsPlus® values, so every recipe fits snugly into the Weight Watchers 360˚ lifestyle.

The new cookbook goes on sale April 30th. Find it wherever books are sold or purchase and download it to your eReader.  (This one won't be available in the meeting room).

Chicken Tetra-Nina

This is a remixed version of an "old favorite" and this one has no mushrooms (we have an allergy concern in my home), so you can easily replace the artichokes with cooked or canned mushrooms.

3 Servings

20 Minutes Prep Time

22 Minutes Cooking Time

8 PointsPlus Value per Serving

Ingredients

	6 oz cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast  (precooked rotisserie chicken is fine - remove the skin and bones)
	1 cup frozen Trader Joe's fire roasted peppers and onions
	7 oz canned artichoke hearts without oil
	2 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
	2 tsp olive oil
	4 tsp white all-purpose flour
	1/2 cup fat free skim milk
	1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
	1/4 cup dried plain breadcrumbs
	1 oz grated Parmesan cheese Instructions You're going to prep all the ingredients ahead of time then make the meal in a skillet with a (metal) handle that you can place in the oven for 15 minutes at the end of the cooking (or you'll transfer the cooked food into a Pyrex or earthenware dish to finish it in the oven).  ~ Preheat the oven to 375 deg.  ~ Drain the artichokes and chop into largish pieces. ~ Defrost approximately 1 cup frozen Trader Joe's fire roasted peppers and onions.  ~ Cut cooked chicken into finger sized pieces.  ~ Cook the whole wheat spaghetti (cut into about 2" pieces) per the package directions ~ In your skillet start by heating the skillet and add the olive oil and, when hot, add the peppers and onions and saute them for a minute or two, add the artichokes and a a few tablespoons of chicken broth to keep it all moist.  ~ In 2 minutes, add the flour and mix it in well then add the milk and chicken broth.  ~ Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on a lower heat to cook the flour.  ~ Now add the cooked spaghetti and chicken. Mix it all together.  ~ If you're finishing the dish in the skillet, remove from the heat and sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan on top and place in the oven for 15 minutes. If you're decanting it into an oven-proof dish, spray the dish with cooking spray then put the mixture in the dish, sprinkle and finish as above. Serve immediately for a delicious dinner! If you'd like me to email you a copy of this recipe (in a printable form) send me a note to wwnina@gmail.com.

Marathon Monday - got me to thinking.....

Pasta, Carbs, Bread, Whole Grains....  confusing huh?  What about Dairy, Lean Protein and Oils??

This week's meeting room "Weekly" Magazine has a statement that - paraphrasing here - "52% of Americans report that they find it easier to figure out their Annual Tax Return than to figure out how to eat healthfully" - that has to be a "YIKES"!  I hope there aren't many WW members in that 52% group.

With Marathon Monday upon us in Boston and also the annual pre-marathon dinner for runners being dedicated to carb loading, on the menu: pasta and pasta and pasta, it got me to thinking about all the mis-information out there about how one should manage eating when exercising.

I sometimes hear members offering each other advice about how to eat before and after workouts - "You MUST eat carbs before you work out".  "Eat a banana".  I'm no expert in this area, but there is plenty of information online.  This is from an article from the website of the Mayo Clinic:

"Purpose

Any physical activity you do requires carbohydrates to provide you with fuel. For most recreational activity, your body uses its existing energy stores for fuel. [Nina's Italics] But when you engage in long, intense athletic events, your body needs extra energy to keep going. The purpose of carbohydrate loading is to give you the energy to complete an endurance event with less fatigue, improving your athletic performance.

Carbohydrate loading is most beneficial if you're an endurance athlete — such as a marathon runner, swimmer or cyclist — preparing for an event that will last 90 minutes or more.."

I do understand that being sensible and not working out on an empty stomach is a good thing.  It makes a lot of sense to get into a routine around how and when you eat before going to the gym or engaging in another type of workout.  By doing this you'll get to know your body's reaction to the workout and be able to sustain and even enjoy your exercise.   It stands to reason that unless you are engaging in intensive endurance activity, utilizing the body's stored energy (your excess fatty deposits) for fuel makes the most sense.  After all, why most of us work out?  To burn extra calories in the form of fat stored in the body!  

This question came up in Sunday's meeting, so I was excited to find that it was also answered on the Mayo Clinic's website ...

Question

Eggs: Are they good or bad for my cholesterol?

Are chicken eggs good or bad for my cholesterol?

Answer

from Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D., Ph.D.

Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. However, how much the cholesterol in your diet can increase your blood cholesterol varies from person to person. Although eating too many eggs can increase your cholesterol, eating four egg yolks or fewer on a weekly basis hasn't been found to increase your risk of heart disease.

When deciding whether to include eggs in your diet, consider the recommended daily limits on cholesterol in your food:

• If you are healthy, it's recommended that you limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams (mg) a day.
• If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a high low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") blood cholesterol level, you should limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg a day.

One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol — all of which is found in the yolk. Therefore, if you eat an egg on a given day, it's important to limit other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day. Consider substituting servings of vegetables for servings of meat, or avoid high-fat dairy products for that day.

If you like eggs but don't want the extra cholesterol, use only the egg whites. Egg whites contain no cholesterol. You may also use cholesterol-free egg substitutes, which are made with egg whites.

I guess that answers that!

As for the other nutritional information about how and when to eat what; come to meetings to talk about it.  We're Weight Watchers - we love to talk about food - right??

The poster gives us 8 GOOD reasons to lose the weight and keep it off.  I know that meeting attendance fosters cognitive behavior change, creates habits and motivates members to keep being healthy and "good to ourselves".  See you at your meeting???  

Oh, and if you bring a friend to the meeting, as from 4/21 for a few weeks, I have a gift for you and one for your friend too!!

If you ever want to comment on anything I write here - please do.  I encourage participation in my meetings, on my facebook page and here on the blog.

XXX,XXX pounds gone....

I'm late blogging this week (I try to write on Sunday) because yesterday was Weight Watchers Celebrations meeting!  This is the event at which we celebrate the success of our meetings and members, both in the community and in our wonderful AT WORKs.  

Meetings from Boston, Brookline and Newton, N to Andover, Chelmsford and Tewksbury, NW to Westford, Littleton and Acton and then W to Hudson and Marlborough then completing the area via Waltham back to Cambridge and all the towns within that loop were "counted" in the stats.  I learned yesterday that the total pounds lost by members is, wait for it, drum-roll please - 500,000!  Half a Million!  WoW.  How many jumbo jets is that?  We also had 16 people in that area that lost more than 100 pounds and 1,000 members that became Lifetime Members.

So, what makes us (the members) so successful?

Here is what I know:

... Members that use eTools (not just on the phone and devices) lose more weight than those who rely on printed materials alone.
... Members that attend meetings EVERY week are the most consistent losers, principally because those members are making their health and weight a priority.
... Members that combine at least some activity with their food journey are more able to be successful.
... Members that show "flexible restraint" are able to stick with it and keep going to have long term stick-to-it-ness!  (Come to a meeting to ask about flexible restraint and how it applies to what we do).
... Members that learn to recover from setbacks and get back on track are more likely to have the confidence in themselves to get to their goals.

Here is what else I know:

This is not a journey of PERFECTION, it IS a journey of PERSEVERANCE!

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-S  

to BOSTON 

and MIDDLESEX County!

NOW FOR THE GREAT NEWS:

it's that time of the year - we're challenging you to LIVE LIFE ACTIVE:

Join Jennifer, about several million members and me to move more, track more and reward yourself more this spring!  Come to a meeting this week to get the low-down!

Are YOU ready for a little "Healthy Competition"?

In closing, I want to say, with all sincerity, that you make me so proud to be your coach; I am honored to be a part of your efforts, thank-you for allowing me in.

I can't wait to see you this week!