Finish Strong

Whether you're coming to the end of your meal, coming to the end of the day, coming to the end of your week or coming to the end of your weight loss journey - the message today "FINISH STRONG"!

   

BUT, that’s just rhetoric unless we actually have a plan to put into action – so how about a plan?  Five small steps… Five steps to help “finish strong”!

STORYBOARDING:

Storyboarding is the process by which a movie director figures out the progress of the movie to the end! 

In Weight Watchers, it is a super helpful tool that helps to identify the steps to take to make a winning outcome a reality.  (A winning outcome is defined as a long term goal).  

To get to the long term goal, draw or write out the shorter-term goals or steps - just as the director does in the movies:

1. Decide on the mini-goals that will help achieve your Winning Outcome.  (e.g. I will start a walking club so I can get out and walk three times a week, I will learn the specifics of the program and fill my kitchen with appropriate foods, I will track my PointsPlus Values daily and keep a diary of my thoughts as I progress, and so on...)

2. Decide which goal will be first on your Storyboard, which will be second, and so on. That way, you'll be able to see your progress towards achieving your Winning Outcome.

3. Remember, shorter-term goals should have the same characteristics as your Winning Outcome; namely,

·       Positive

·       Within your control

·       Specific

·       A good fit with your life

4. Draw or write out the steps, from Goal One through your Winning Outcome, on paper.

5. Post your Storyboard somewhere you'll see it every day, as a reminder of how far you've come.

Here is a Jennifer Hudson favorite recipe:

Parmesan-Thyme Popcorn

2 PointsPlus Value per serving

4 Servings

5 Minutes prep time

For best taste, use real Parmesan cheese, stamped Parmigiano-Reggiano on the rind and available in chunks at most supermarkets.  Grate the cheese with a microplane or through the smallest holes of your box grater.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp ground thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp table salt (or to taste)

8 C plain air-popped popcorn, kept hot

2 sprays cooking spray or butter spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl, mix together the first 4 ingredients.  

Place the hot popcorn in a serving bowl and coat with spray; sprinkle the cheese mixture, tossing the popcorn until well coated.

Yields about 2 cups per serving

On this Memorial Day weekend I want to take a moment to think about and appreciate the men and women who are currently in active conflict, keeping us safe every day, and those who have historically placed their lives on the line in the name of peace.  God Bless you all.

“If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be" Yogi Berra born May 12, 1925

Happy Birthday Yogi!

What is the Weight Watchers Experience?

BEFORE

I was working in the Newton Store one evening, 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 6 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!

Have you ever wondered about The Body Mass Index?  

A MEMBER ASKED ME FOR MORE INFORMATION THIS WEEK:

Why BMI is the recommended method to diagnose overweight and obesity, how it is calculated and its links to several diseases.  Body mass index, or BMI, is a measurement that evaluates the relationship between body weight and height. While BMI is not a direct measure of excess body fat, it is the recommended method to diagnose overweight and obesity. Because it expresses the weight-height relationship, BMI provides a more accurate measure than body weight alone.

The formula for calculating BMI uses weight in kilograms and height in meters: BMI (kg/m²) = Weight (kg) ÷ Height (m) 2; or weight in pounds and height in inches: BMI (lb/in²) = Weight (lb) ÷ Height (in) 2 x 703. Online calculators that automatically do the computations from an entered height and weight are a convenient method of determining BMI.

Definitions of Overweight, Obesity

Over 50 healthcare organizations around the world, including the National Institutes of Health, use the same BMI standards to define adult overweight and obesity.

Definition BMI Overweight 25-29.9      Obese 30-39.9      Morbidly Obese 40+

BMI's Link to Diseases

BMI is used as the standard to diagnose overweight and obesity because there are so many studies that show a link between BMI, the risk of several diseases and death.

As BMI increases, so does the risk for several conditions, including

• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Some cancers
• Premature death

While the links between BMI and disease risk is clear, it is important to remember that it is only one of several disease risk factors. In other words, BMI cannot tell an individual that he or she will get a disease, only that his or her risk of developing the disease is increased.

BMI has some limitations.  It tends to overestimate body fat in people who are very muscular and underestimate body fat in people who are highly sedentary. BMI also doesn't show where the body fat is located. Abdominal fat carries the greatest health risk.

And Finally:

“You can see a lot just by observing”  Also from Yogi

See you at your meeting this week :)

It's Spring!

This weekend, so far, has been dedicated to spring!  

~ Mowing the lawn (second mow; 1st one was 2 weeks ago).
~ Prepping the veggie garden; turning in the new compost and organic nutrients, ash from our winter fires, coffee grounds and chicken manure, and
~ Harvesting out first crop - Spring Onions!

Thyme and Scallion Potato Pancakes

These savory potato pancakes cook up nice and crisp on parchment paper in a high heat oven. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 Minutes

3 Points Plus Value

8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds uncooked grated potato, well drained

8 uncooked medium chopped scallions - white and green parts

6 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 large egg

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 sprays cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. 
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
• Line a strainer with paper towels; place potatoes and onions in a strainer and press out any water from them. 
• Combine potatoes, onions, scallions, flour, thyme, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. 
• Scoop potato mixture into your hands using a 1/4-cup measure; press each into a round pancake (3-inches in diameter and about 1/4-inch thick). 
• Place pancake on prepared pan and repeat with remaining ingredients (eight pancakes per pan); coat pancakes with cooking spray. 
• Bake pancakes for 10 minutes; remove from oven, flip pancakes, coat with cooking spray and rotate pans in oven. Bake for 10 more minutes and then rotate pans in oven again. Bake until well browned, about 10 minutes more. 
• Remove potato pancakes from pans to a serving platter; Yields 2 pancakes per serving.

This week, in the meeting, we're chatting about "Mindful Eating" and I'll be introducing the new routine for the month of May.  Please come and check in!

Happy Cinco de Maya!