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!

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!