Honey, I shrunk the plate!

"Skip the plate - place the food right on the table".

I posted this picture on Facebook this week because my mind couldn't get around the fact that, with all we know about health and diet et al, any restaurant could justify serving this as a single serving for a meal!  Yes really, one meal, one serving!  This is not about slamming any one establishment or food style or even a regional food tradition, but, in my humble opinion, food should (at the very least) fit on a, as in ON ONE, plate - with vegetables!

Something is very askew if we don't question this kind of gluttony.  There is so much wrong with this picture on so many levels :-
1.  Our bodies are just not equipped to tackle this much food.
2.  I know it was a joke growing up, but there really are starving children in Africa.  It saddens me that the worlds food is not distributed more evenly - we truly live in the "have" society of today when so many are on the polar opposite side and ... "have not".
3.  Sustainable resource concerns; rearing livestock is one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems including water and land degradation and greenhouse gas production.
4.  Examples to our next generation.  As portion sizes grow (and they have done so in a major way in the last 30 or so years) the next generation gets a wildly distorted message about "what's normal".

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave... America has always been on the forefront of innovation, science and development of the new and exciting.  And yet here we stand on the front lines of obesity and gluttony.  The growth of food portions makes my head spin...  Do we really want our kids and grandkids to think that the enormous portions of highly processed food, served in today's establishments and homes, is the "norm"?

Pictures say more than words....

On the good side - and balance is important:  We have also seen a surge in availability of many more varieties and hybrids of wonderful, tasty and sustainable produce.  That, coupled with a plethora of locally produced crops available on every main street, means that great and healthy eating is within our reach every day.  Don't neglect your farmers markets - they're still going strong this summer.  Lets grow those portions instead!

Next week in the Meeting Room - come and brainstorm with us about "Sensible Shopping" and "Supermarket Strategies".  See you then ...

SEVEN Ways to Make a Recovery! It is All About the Details!

D evelop

the "spaces" and "routines" part of the program to make them fit in your life. 
** Look at all the environments where you make health, wellness and fitness decisions in your life and TAKE CHARGE of those spaces.  Don't let other people's perception of how you should be managing your space, derail you.
** Check your current routines and figure out NEW GO TO techniques for giving yourself a helping hand.  Follow a couple of the WW 16 "prescribed" routines, detailed on the eTools landing page and become intimately familiar with them.

E nlighten

"Play on Words" or real advice?  

Get educated about food and nutrition.  Know the differences between "eating for health" and "eating for health and weight management".   

Whenever available, enlighten your choices.  Lower your fat, simple carbs and sodium intake.

Weigh and measure your portions - lighten up on the size you serve yourself.

T racking

Find a way to TRACK.  Do something to keep a record of your consumption and exercise plus any other aspects of the program that you'd find helpful.  It DOESN'T have to be PERFECT!

Journals are the most useful tool to refer back to when things aren't going the way you'd like them to.  It is a mechanism to allow for "course correction".  Without the written data - there is nothing to analyze.

A bout Me

1.  Meetings
2.  Time for Exercise
3.  Food Shopping
4.  Planning Time
5.  Easy, Quick and Healthy Meals

Say no more ... right?   Next week's meeting will focus on this.  You should be there!

I mprove Your Attitude

I don't mean to imply that your attitude stinks - not at all!  I'm simply suggesting that we need to remind ourselves, from time to time, to stay positive and not fall into the "blame" thing or give ourselves a bat to beat ourselves up with when life takes a wrong turn!

Eat well and ENJOY the benefits!

L uxury Goods

My best friend says "if you are going to eat chocolate or cake, make it the very best that money can buy"!  

Buy with care and cherish the experience.  Luxury goods taste so much better, they really satisfy and, due to their luxury status, are often more expensive.  Ergo instant satisfaction and portion control!  

S et a Goal

Make it small and achievable ~~~ BUT you MUST set a next goal!  

Whether it's a behavioral one or a number one, there is no other motivator than realizing your ambitions.  

You ought to be setting multiple goals along the way, they should be meaningful to you, they should be a good fit with your life and they should challenge you to get there but not be such a long reach that it takes too long to cross the finish line.