Hello all!
I hope this week was a good one for you and yours. I have to say that the week has been a bit long. I have been looking for something inspirational to write about this week, and I was coming up a bit short. I will talk about what I began doing once the weather began to change early this week. I started running with Coach D again. The first couple of days were not pretty at all. Maybe ½ mile tops. Yesterday I began to feel like myself again. My pedometer indicated that the run was just about a mile. I felt great, but my calves were a bit tight after. The goal next week is to go a bit further than we did on Thursday, and to take it a bit further on each successive run. This is sort of like my own personal “From Couch to 5K Plan”…lol!!! I really want to see if I can run a 5K. In my mind, I can, but my feet have other plans!!!
I already regaled you all last week with my tale of adventure, bravery and stupidity. I swear to you all that every word was true, and as we sat and rehashed the events of that night, I am actually considering doing it again next year. Things I learned though:
- Get trail running shoes. My regular running shoes are now trashed, and didn’t provide enough stability or traction
- Use a headlight on my hat. Had one that Sonya was going to let me use, but I decided against it. Wrong!
- Karen suggested Gummy Bears for energy…LOL…loved that one
- More glowsticks. Apparently these are the latest fashion craze when roaming aimlessly through the woods at night!
I also signed up for another 5K coming up on November 6th in Plano. This is the Arbor Day run that I did last year. I think I may even end up with another couple of people doing it with me! I learned that it’s okay to do races alone. I would prefer to have company, but I did enjoy the Central Market Thrill of the Grill Run back in May, and that was one I did alone. You always manage find someone to pace yourself against, and you have some good alone time.
We have the costumes picked out for the kiddos for Halloween. This year, Morgan is a Skeleton Bride, and Adam is going as a cheetah. Usually, Morgan ends up either getting sick or getting in trouble and ends up not going out at all for Halloween, so we shall see what happens between now and Sunday.
In other news, Adam had a special job in school this week. He was the flag holder. When asked what a flag holder does, he replied, “I hold the flag.” Makes sense. He also learned the pledge of allegiance. This was his job at school for the week. They also recited the Pledge of Allegiance. This is how he ended up saying it:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United SNAKES of America...and to the public, for which it stands, one nation, under G-d...invisible...with liberty and justice for all. It was close...and very cute.
Speaking of cute, I actually had the privilege of attending his Halloween parade at his daycare this afternoon. Below is the little cheetah in action. The second picture is Adam doing what he does best…EAT. They decorated cupcakes with frosting and colored sprinkles. He really had a good time this afternoon. I am glad I had the opportunity to be there.
This week’s meeting topic dealt with allowing yourself the occasional indulgence, without going overboard.
Some ideas to help you stay on plan:
- Indulge, in moderation. One small candy bar is fine; three or four you might regret.
- Make sure you are hungry, not just tired or bored, when you head to the kitchen (H.A.L.T. = Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired…assess before you dive in!)
- Stay the course! If you do snarf one too many pieces of candy corn, stop, track and move on. Don’t ditch your plan the rest of the day. That would be truly scary!
Here are some ideas on a few favorites that have low POINTS® Values:
1 regular Charm’s Blow Pop = 1 POINT®
2 Werther’s Original Hard Candies = 1 POINT®
4 small Tootsie Rolls = 1 POINT®
Some other ideas on how to handle this time of year. The Weight Watchers Weekly offers these three options that you can choose from.
SAMPLE
Track your treats: If you want to enjoy something, go ahead—but decide ahead of time what you’ll eat and when, make sure you know how many POINTS® to allow for, and then stick with your plan.
Cash in your allowance – as in your weekly POINTS® Allowance. Again, make sure to mind what you munch by tracking it all
Indulge in moderation. Mini candy bars typically run about 2 POINTS®, so even if they’re small, they can tip you over your allowance if you’re not careful.
Sweat off your sweets – or at least walk them off – by upping your activity. For instance, a long walk or run might earn you the activity POINTS® you need to cover that mini candy bar.
Don’t hide the evidence. Whatever you opt to eat, leave the wrapper in plain sight as a reminder. That way you’ll be less tempted to have “just one more.”
SUBSTITUTE
Lay in plan-friendly goodies. There are plenty of sweet-tooth-satisfiers to choose from, like sugar-free pudding or Jell-O cups, meringue cookies, and light hot chocolate.
Make light of some classics. Love cupcakes and muffins? Use applesauce or pureed pumpkin in place of butter or oil. Or stir berries or finely diced apples or pears into batter to add fiber (and drive down POINTS® values); frost baked treats with light whipped topping (tinted with a drop or two of food coloring) instead of icing.
Surf for treats with low POINTS® values. Go to WeightWatchers.com and search for such Halloween delights as “Chocolate Halloween Cupcakes,” “Cranberry Pumpkin Bars,” and “Popcorn Brittle”.
SKIP
Stay ahead of hunger. Up your usual quotient of Filling Foods so you’re not as tempted by sweets.
Avoid temptation. Don’t buy candy to hand out till the day of Halloween, or keep your supply at a friend’s house.
Keep your mouth busy. Going out with the kids? Chew sugarless gum or bring along a thermos of low-cal hot chocolate to sip on.
Axe the extras. Donate leftovers to a food pantry, have your partner take it to work, bring it in to your office (if you do that, put it out of sight, not near your desk).
Disappear! If you don’t have kids or yours are beyond the trick-or-treating stage, make dinner plans with a friend for Halloween night: That way you won’t have to buy candy at all!
“Halloween is the first car
on the candy train to Easter”
~ author unknown
RECIPES
Dark and Creamy Fudge
Enjoy this lusciously smooth treat for Halloween – the salt plays up the rich flavor
Yield: 32 servings at POINTS® Value of 2 per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 (14 oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch + scant 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions:
Line 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving 2-inch overhang. Smooth out any wrinkles.Combine chocolate, condensed milk, vanilla, and pinch salt in large heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer fudge to prepared pan; spread evenly with rubber spatula. Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Uncover fudge; remove from pan by lifting edges of plastic wrap. Invert fudge onto cutting board; discard plastic wrap. Cut fudge into 8 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 pieces. To serve, bring the fudge to room temperature. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Yields 2 pieces per serving.
