Hello all, from my new digs in Irving!
I had a really good week. I had the blessing of having my mom and dad here for the week. This is SUCH a blessing for me because they love dealing with the kids, and I am all for getting a break here and there. I ended up creating a couple of really good meals during their visit, and I will share those with you a bit later on in the newsletter. I shook whatever bug decided to bite me last week, and I am feeling MUCH MUCH better. Don’t think it was the flu, but it was still yucky. My dad ended up catching something similar while they were here, and he’s also feeling better. I am still a bit tired though…but tired is definitely preferable to SORE!
Saturday, I did the Arbor Day Run, for the second time. I had the pleasure of Adi’s company while doing this race. Last year, the temperatures were in the 50’s, but this year was a completely different story. I think when I left the house it was something like 38 degrees. I had the whole thing planned, right down to my cute little green gloves. I wore a running suit, so I was comfortable, but somewhere between the house and the race, I realized that I left the gloves at home. BUMMER. My hands were soooo cold. The good thing was that about 1/3 of the way through the race, I really warmed up, so the cold hands weren’t that much of a problem! I had fantastic company, as I said. Adi---YOU ROCK. We also met a mom and daughter doing the race as well. That’s one of the things that I like about doing the 5K races—you always meet great people along the course. Now the BEST part about this course? We could see where we were going without the aid of glowsticks, flashlights and reflective tape! Still one of my favorite courses so far!
Well, as you know, offices moved to the Hidden Ridge location on Tuesday of this week. Now I know why I can’t stand moving. I really do travel light, but even so, I still managed to have 7 boxes of nothing to take with me to my new office. How do we DO that??? In any case, I am pretty much settled in. My badge works, and I can now park in the garage, and go about the building without having to buzz security each time I go in or out. So nice! I also calculated that I will be saving about 100 miles per week on the new car, and my toll bills will be cut in half (or eliminated completely if I avoid the toll roads). Things will work out. They always do.
This week, I was down another 1.2 pounds. I am definitely on a downward trend again, and it feels great. I found my new meeting location and didn’t get lost, and the group seems to be a good one. Adi, my Richardson leader, recommended this meeting and said that I would be in good hands with Kelly, the leader here in Irving. I guess things really DO tend to work out for the best. I think this whole move is actually GIVING me motivation rather than sapping it!
This week, the meeting focused on—YOU GUESSED IT…Holiday eating and the strategies to help you remain on plan during those times of the year.
Your Thanksgiving Toolbox:
Staying in control and making healthy choices during holiday meals
Let’s Talk
- What are your must-have Thanksgiving Foods?
- What foods could you skip without feeling deprived?
- Which Filling Foods will you include?
- How much to you plan to eat? How often?
- How will you practice Mental Rehearsing to help you prepare?
This toolkit can help you organize and prepare for the day. My answers were:
- Must haves for me are turkey, for sure. Love it and look forward to it each year. I also love the sweet potatoes
- I could skip rolls and dressing without feeling deprived
- Filling foods to incorporate…wow…there are so many. Sweet potatoes, broccoli, and turkey are always incorporated into my holiday dining. I make a broccoli casserole in the same vain as the traditional string bean casserole. My version is made with the 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup and has about half the POINTS® than the traditional side.
- I plan to eat a normal breakfast that day, and treat the meal as I do any other. I may also save my 35 extra POINTS® for any indulgences I may allow myself. I also plan my meal in my e-Tools tracker before I sit down to dinner so that I have a ‘menu’ to follow, if you will.
- Mental Rehearsing, for me, is one of the most invaluable tools that we have in our arsenal. You can put yourself into sticky situations and rehearse in your mind how you will act and what you will say in those.
The Weight Watchers Weekly offered three strategies to help you during this time of the year.
Every family has its own holiday traditions but no matter how you celebrate, one thing’s for sure: Meal routines go out the window. When your regular eating pattern is disrupted, rely on your Weight Watchers program tools to stay on track. The Filling Foods, Good Health Guidelines, and your weekly POINTS® Allowance to help you enjoy the holidays.
- Focus on Filling Foods
Why? So you have a good appetite (but aren’t ravenous) where your sit down to the holiday table, when you sit down to the holiday table, which will help you stay in control of your choices
How: Eat regular meals; don’t skip or skimp to “save room” for a special-occasion meal (that’s where Strategy 3 comes in). If you do, you’re liable to be too hungry to put the brakes on what you eat; you might eat too much, too fast; or go for less-optimal choices. Choose meals with a mix of Filling Foods; complex carbs like fruit, vegetables, whole grains; and protein, such as fat free cheese, lean meats, and fish. They’ll deliver steady satisfaction.
- Go for Good Health Guidelines
Why? If there’s ever a time to be scrupulous about checking off those Good Health Guidelines boxes in your Tracker, this is it! Doing so can help structure your day’s worth of eating and make it easier to skip over other, less-healthful options. Then, you’re more likely to have eaten wisely and well at the end of the day.
How? Plan ahead by filling in your Tracker with foods from the Good Health Guidelines before you eat. Ideally, you can plan your entire menu for the day, but if that’s not possible, at least plan to, for example, drink a half-cup of fat-free milk at breakfast, bring a container of red-pepper strips to work for an afternoon snack, nosh on grapes as you prep for dinner.
- Don’t Deprive Yourself
Why? When you allow yourself treats, in moderation, the urge to stray off plan diminishes. Lasting weight loss depends in part on being able to eat foods you love and to enjoy the occasions where food plays a central part. In other words, when real life happens.
How? You have two options: your weekly POINTS® Allowance and your activity POINTS® values. For a big food event like Thanksgiving, you may want to reserve your entire weekly POINTS® Allowance, and stick to your target daily POINTS® Target the preceding days (employing Strategies 1 and 2 can make that easier). And earning activity POINTS® values will give you more to use on Thanksgiving. Just earn ‘em before you eat ‘em, and when in doubt, round down on the number earned. Another holiday bonus of exercise: It gets you out of the house (and away from the kitchen), and helps improve your mood and lower stress.
Please ENJOY your holiday!!! Today’s closing quote comes from the meeting room wall:
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
-Anonymous
RECIPES
Elissa's Soon-to-be-Famous Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry
As I said above, I wanted to share a couple of the wonderful dishes I concocted when my parents were here last week. I always like to cook a few NICE dinners while they are here. I told my mom about this incredible Asian market here in Carrollton (Super H Mart...) and how I billed it as the Central Market of Asian supermarkets. I took them there this morning after we went for breakfast. I knew they'd LOVE their selection and I knew I'd find some dinner inspiration here.
After roaming the aisles and scouring the produce section, and raiding the fresh fish section, this is what I came up with. Enjoy...and because this is a stir-fry dish, feel free to make substitutions! The best part is that this is such a healthy meal, and you can eat without guilt. Please give this one a shot :)
Yield: 12 servings at a POINTS® Value of 7 (5 for approx 1 cup of stir-fry mixture and 2 for ½ cup rice)
Prep Time: 10 minutes + chill time for marinating the chicken
Cook Time: 15 – 20 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
Protein:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 pound shrimp, peeled, and deveined
Teriyaki sauce for marinating chicken; 1 gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag
Veggies:
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
1 bunch asparagus, fibrous ends removed, cut into 1" pieces
1 package fresh bamboo shoots, thinly sliced (or use 1 can of sliced bamboo shoots)
2 cups mung bean sprouts
6 heads baby bok choy, sliced into quarters (rinse well in a large bowl of cold water so that grit gets cleaned out)
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms
2 cups hot cooked brown jasmine rice
Stir-Fry Sauce:
1 cup water
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dark (Asian) sesame oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (Cayenne)
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
Instructions:
1. In a large zip top bag, place chicken and about 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce. Seal bag and smoosh so that sauce and chicken are combined. Marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour before you start the rest of the meal.
2. For sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the sauce ingredients listed above in the "stir-fry sauce section", stir with a whisk and set aside.
3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, place contents of zip top bag (both chicken and marinade) and cook until chicken is just done. Drain, and set aside. In same skillet, place a small amount of chicken broth and add shrimp. Cover and steam over medium heat until shrimp are just done. Set aside with chicken.
4. In a very large nonstick skillet or wok, add about 1 teaspoon sesame oil and heat over medium high heat, until oil is smoking hot. Add onion and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add the asparagus pieces, cover, and cook until crisp-tender (about 10-12 minutes). Uncover and add remaining veggies and stir-fry until veggies soften and bok-choy wilts and gets soft.
5. Add sauce to wok/skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.
Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait
I stumbled across this new favorite of mine while reading the current issue of Weight Watchers Magazine. This has become my new favorite go-to afternoon snack. The possibilities are really endless here. I made this with Greek yogurt earlier this week, and left off the wheat germ and nuts. Still a great snack!
What I love about this snack is that it really keeps you satisfied through the afternoon. The yogurt, if you use Greek, is high in protein, and pumpkin is rich in fiber. The combination is really fantastic and it tastes so good!
Yield: 1 serving at a POINTS® Value of 2.5
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Level of Difficulty: INSANELY Easy
Ingredients:
1 (6-oz) cup nonfat vanilla yogurt OR [6 oz nonfat Greek yogurt (such as Fage Total), sweetened with Stevia and ½ tsp vanilla extract]
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 tbsp slivered almonds
Instructions:
Combine all in a medium bowl, and enjoy.
Pumpkin Pie with Graham-Cracker Crust
Cut down on fat with reduced-fat and fat-free ingredients; use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
Yield: 8 servings at a POINTS® Value of 3 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredients:
3 oz reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 1/2 sheets
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large egg white(s)
1 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup(s) lite whipped topping
Instructions:
Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place graham crackers and light brown sugar in a food processor; process into crumbs (or smash into crumbs in a sealed plastic food bag with a rolling pin). Spoon crumbs into a small bowl; add melted butter and combine with fingers into a coarse meal. Distribute crumbs evenly on bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until crust starts to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; fold in egg, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, canned pumpkin and evaporated milk. Beat pumpkin custard until smooth and pour into pie shell. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces, top each piece with 1/2 tablespoon of whipped topping and serve warm or at room temperature. Yields 1 slice per serving.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are wonderfully creamy when mashed and blended with fat-free Greek yogurt. It's a super-healthy side, loaded with vitamin A, beta-carotene and fiber. Think beyond regular mashed potatoes and create a colorful addition to any dinner plate.
Yield: 8 (1/2 cup) servings at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potato(es), peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 pounds)
2 medium garlic clove(s), peeled
1/2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended
4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
Instructions:
Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
Drain potatoes and garlic; transfer potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add yogurt and sugar to bowl; mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
