Its a Combination of a Million Decisions.

Do you know how many food or eating decisions you make each day?  
I want to share another blogger's page with you that answers that - you will be surprised!  Christian Jarrett blogs on Brain and Behavior.  Take a look at this article on "Mindless Eating" then come back here...  I have an antidote idea to mitigate the effects.

Last week in our meeting, I asked you to share your perspective on tracking with me.  Overwhelmingly, the response was about awareness; we heard responses that included:
~ "it helps me to decide how to eat through the day if I keep track of my consumption",
~ "I decide what's for dinner and after dinner snacks after I have calculated how many points are left for the evening",
~ "knowing how many points I have used allows me to relax and stay on track"
~ "It helps me have better decisions when I am faced with foods which could send me over the edge".

I cannot begin to tell you how proud I was of everyone who shared last week in the meeting because I KNOW that the folks that were saying these things were actually "living the program" and being successful.

If you haven't yet ... Come over to our side - TRACK what you eat - find a way that works for you.  It is not that the tracker needs to be your personal "controller" or "food police". Knowing (from Christian Jarrett's article) that food decions we make are literally in the hundreds every day, and that we underestimate the amount of food that we eat when faced with a lot of it, use it as an aide memoir for yourself, no one of us can be expected to remember everything we put into our mouthes each day, TRACKING works.

Here's the poster from the end of the meeting:

The Golden Rules of Tracking

If you bite it, write it
If you drink it, ink it
If you snack it, track it
If you nibble it, scribble it
If you steal it, reveal it
If you grab it, blab it
If you lick it, Bic it
If it goes in your smacker.
       it goes in your Tracker
If you ingest it, you guessed it--
Grab your pencil before your utensil!




I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU
Are you up for a spring weight-loss challenge?


Here it is:
SPRING "MY WW GOAL" CHALLENGE:
I want you to set you own goal for the next 8 weeks - it should be at least 5 LBS - communicate it to me and then weigh in at least 4 times during the 8 weeks and send me the results of each visit to the scale in an email.  

At the end of the 8 weeks - all members that have reached their chosen goal (within 1 LBS) and who have reported at least 4 weigh-ins will be placed in a drawing for prizes.

(Lifetime members at goal or members working through maintenance at the moment - you're included - you do not have to have a goal to lose weight unless you want to, but follow all the other steps in the challenge)


Can you do that?
I have prizes to award--
3 runner up prizes of a Weight Watchers cookbook
1 Grand Prize of 3 Weight Watchers cookbooks plus a Weight Watchers fitness kit.


Challenge runs from 02/12 to 04/14/2012

Here is what you have to do:
1. Weigh-In at one of my meetings this week then send me an email to MyWWgoal@gmail.com - put your first and last name in the subject line.  In the body of the email, insert the date then tell me what you weighed today plus your goal for the end of the challenge and finish with your meeting location and day and time.


2.  Attend meetings and weigh-In 3 more times before 04/14 - the final weigh-in should be in April.  After each one send me an updated email with your progress.  First and last name in the subject line, today's weight and progress towards your goal, date your email and don't forget to include your meeting location plus meeting day and time - see below:

Here is the example:

2/15

Todays weight 185.6 - Challenge goal 177  (8.4 LBS)

Newton, Wed 8:00am

2/22

Weigh in ONE:  184.6 - challenge goal 177  (7.4 LBS)

Newton, Wed 8:00am

If you have questions for me - ask at your meeting.  I will not be responding to emails sent to MyWWgoal@gmail.com - that is simply an email address I have created to capture the data.


Good Luck!


News from Weight Watchers:

We hope you’re enjoying the new line of healthier Snack Bars! 

We’re confident that they’ll be a hit with you, so many members requested exactly this type of snack makeover and I am delighted that Weight Watchers responded with them for you:

• Short ingredient lists. In our newest snack bars, you’ll find a much shorter list of ingredients including ones you recognize and can pronounce!
• Better value. The new bars have five per box for only $4.95, which is less than $1 each. Wellness bars sold individually at stores are typically more than $1.  (Actually they're on SALE this month for $3.95)
• They’re portable. These snack bars are a smart, simple, and satisfying choice—a very wholesome snack of 3 PointsPlus^® value 
• They’re nutritious. All bars are either a Good or Excellent Source of fiber, and contain 5 to 8 grams of protein!
• They’re balanced. We sometimes heard that our old snack bars were too sweet. Our new bars have a natural sweetness from ingredients such as peanuts, almonds, coconut, and dried fruit. 
• They’re sized just right. Our three bars come in varying sizes to keep the PointsPlus values consistent. The name of the game is balance—to achieve the best possible taste and satisfaction at a consistent 3 PointsPlus values each!

This week in our meeting we are going to DECODE MENU's, you're going to love it!  

If you have a menu from a restaurant we can use to work on - bring it with you. Also, bring your I-Phone or Android Phone with you or your laptop or I-Pad if you have 3G or 4G on those devices or access to the web some other way.

Finally:

This advice comes from a Weight Watchers Lifetime member who has a lost a lot of weight and who keeps it off:

To get started on the challenge - this week:

1.  Track every single bite you take each day for the next 7 days.  Be honest with yourself ~ if you bite it, write it!  You might be surprised how many “bites” you don’t take because it’s not worth figuring out the points+ for them.

2.  Measure it!  Bust out those measuring spoons, cups and scale.  I know this is a BIG area for me because my 1 cup of pasta “grows” if I eyeball versus measure it especially if I am HUNGRY.

See you in your meeting this week  :)

Come back to the Blog on Wednesday for another great recipe.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake for Your Valentine

This is a great rich chocolaty recipe.  It looks pretty with the confectioners sugar sprinkled on top.  The recipe is formulated for 12 servings - I know that's a lot, but it freezes well.
Originally published as Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake in Light & Tasty February/March 2008, p54
Most recently published on www.tasteofhome.com 

Prep Time  25 minutes

Bake Time 30 Minutes + cooling

Serves 12

5 PPV per serving

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, separated
• 8 oz 53% cacao dark baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup of sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 container (2 1/2 oz) prune baby food
• 1 tsp dark baking cocoa or baking cocoa
• 1/2 tsp confectioners sugar

Directions

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Coat a 9-in. springform pan with cooking spray. Place pan on a baking sheet; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in baby food and chocolate mixture.
• Beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form; fold into batter.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool completely.
• Sprinkle with cocoa and confectioners’ sugar. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings

Happy Valentines Day 

Confucius say:

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps"

Close your eyes, (well, read the whole paragraph first - then do it) think back to that moment that you decided that it was time to shed those pounds... See yourself in that moment; where were you?  Who were you with?  What time of day was it?  What were you wearing?  What just happened to alter the course of your life?  

If that seems a little dramatic, (the whole "alter the course of your life" question), it was meant to - as the major [Japanese] car manufacturer's advertisement says - ask someone you know who has done this successfully... they'll tell you that I'm right.  Success at weight loss and keeping it off literally changes your life.

Do you remember the circumstances of your "last straw" moment?  Can you get back in touch with what you were feeling then?  I hope you can get to at least some of it, allow your imagination to complete the picture, if you have to.  This is the moment you set your goal.  Whether you articulated it or not, you DID set a goal.  

So now we have something to work with.  Go back and re-read the Confucius Quote.  You might feel today like your goal is too lofty or unattainable.  Confucius says - not true - adjust the action steps.

Since this blog posting is turning out to be an "exercise" in goal setting and getting there.  Take out a pen and a blank piece of paper and write down 3 things that you are DOING that are helping you get there, now please put a smiley face next to each one.  YAY YOU!  Leave a gap of 3 or 4 lines and write down 3 things you are DOING to hinder your efforts, now put a frowny face next to each one of those actions.  No whaaaaaas - we are going to change that now!

Decide right here and now - which one of those three hindrances do you want to work on first?  Underline it so that it stands out.  Now, for that item you are going to change; draw three more faces next to the frowny face graduating from the frowny you just drew to less frowny to neutral and then smiley.  You are now going to decide what actions steps you can take that will change to frowny face to a smiley one.  (E.G. you may decide you are going to change your activity routine to include water aerobics, and you are going ask your sister to go with you). Write these 4 questions --- and then answer these questions for yourself.

1.  What do I have to do to begin changing this?  (the answer is likely to be something practical or logistical - such as "call my sister so we can coordinate our schedules to get the the pool together")

2.  When am I going to do that?  (On Monday evening after work)

3.  What is plan B?  (If my sister can't go with me, I'll ask my brother's wife.  If that doesn't work, I'll ask at WW to see if another member wants to join me)

4.  What will I reward myself with when I move this item from the hinder list to the helping me list? (NO consumable rewards - please)!  (A trip to the outlets to buy new sneakers).

Once you have tackled those 3 "hindrances", individually, slowly and one at a time, I am going to bet that you'll be headed in the right direction towards your goal. 

Okay - on your mark... get set... go!

New items in the Meeting Room

Have you seen the new things?

Love at First Bite!

Members have been asking for bars with shorter ingredient lists. Our new bars—Aloha! Almond, Oh, So Nuts!, and Berry-licious Cashew Chew have been getting the thumbs up from members are have a PP value of 3, and are made from truly wholesome ingredients and NO High Fructose Corn Syrup—wow!  $4.95.  (On sale for $3.95)

We will be sampling the Oh, So Nuts! Snack Bar this week.  Make a date to come to your meeting to collect your sample.

Best Darn Food Ever.

What recipe do you have a hankering for? Whatever it is, the classic recipes in our new cookbook, Best Darn Food Ever, will satisfy your desires and help you stay on the PointsPlus program. You’ll find ways to double the delight of your favorite foods—amp up cheesy goodness, kick up the spice factor, or make chocolate desserts taste extra chocolaty!

Like P90X? You’ll Love Our New Fitness Series...
If you’ve ever been intrigued by hot fitness programs P90X or The Firm but believed they were too extreme, your time has come! The PointsPlus^® Fitness Series, is a brand-new way to look at exercising, and was designed by health and fitness expert Jennifer Cohen specifically for Weight Watchers^® members!

The five-day-a-week fitness system has five DVDs featuring 15 different workouts with easy-to-follow routines for every fitness level.  This series works your entire body with stretches, basic cardio, and interval training to keep your interest and energy levels up. And with so many DVDs, you’re unlikely to get bored.

If you're new to my blog **welcome** I typically post on a Sunday and a Wednesday - that's the recipe day.  Please send me feedback and comments, I love to hear from you :)


See you in your meeting this week - We have a sale on SNACK BARS, POP CHIPS, BAKED SNACKS AND A FEW OTHER ITEMS. 


We are going to be talking "TRACK AND LOSE"

Ever thought you might like to work for Weight Watchers?  
I've been mentioning the opportunity to come and work for Weight Watchers for a couple of weeks.  We have a recruitment drive going on at the moment.  If you've applied in the past, and you didn't hear back, please return to the website and do it again.  We have added the position of recruitment specialist in our territory which will insure a smoother process.


I, as you know, work for the company as a full time equivalent employee.  But that's not the norm, lots of my colleagues work 2, 3 or 4 meetings (some meetings are back to back), the neat thing is that you get to decide how much time you want to do.  



There are 2 roles: receptionist and leader.   Each are unique and both require specific skills.  Both roles are crucial to the success of members.  Are you close to, or at, your goal weight, have you got a kind heart, a belief in the program and a few hours a week?  Why not take those and turn them into a few $ of pocket money?


We are about to begin a recruitment drive, if you want to get a jump on finding out more, this link will take you to the space on the Weight Watchers website where you can find more information and take the plunge.  Good Luck!  (And, P.S., please mention that I am your referrer - thanks).




AND Finally - another Confucius Say:
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches

I love this classic recipe;  it is light in fat and high in protein and the BBQ sauce makes it taste decadent!  You're going to need a bit of time to cook the chicken.  The recipe serves 6 comfortably, but to make it stretch--I serve it in 8 buns and add shredded lettuce to the sandwich.

2 pounds raw, skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 3 breasts)
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, 2 Bay leaves
1 lemon cut in half
1 cube chicken broth
1 C Kraft (or other brand) light BBQ sauce
8 light whole wheat hamburger buns
6 or 8 leaves Iceberg or Romaine lettuce

Place the chicken breasts, salt, pepper (I use 6 peppercorns - remember to fish them out afterwards), bay leaves, the lemon - rind and all - cut in half and the chicken cube into 2 pints of water and bring to a boil.  you'll see scum rising to the top as its coming to the boil, skim that off with a metal spoon and discard it.  Cook it at a simmer for a good 30-40 minutes till the chicken is very tender and begins to fall apart.  (By the way - don't throw the broth away afterwards, use it as a stock or broth for something else).

Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander and place it on a chopping board.  Using a long tined fork, you're going to "pull" the chicken into coarse shreds - don't over work it or it'll turn to mush.  Place in a glass bowl and toss in the sauce to combine with the chicken.

It's as easy as that - serve it warm in the warmed buns with shredded lettuce for that crunch texture!

Serves 8
PPV - 6, or
Serves 6
PPV - 7

The entire bowl of mixture comes to 28 PPV without the bread 
6 servings of the mixture would be 5 PPV per serving, and
8 servings would be 4 PPV per serving.


Only one thing left to say....
GO PATS!