Are you really hungry????

Happy Tuesday!

I would like to offer my apologies for not sending out a newsletter last week.  For the first time since we moved to Texas in 2005, my in-laws came to visit and I wasn’t in the middle of month-end close.  I saw that opportunity, seized it, and spent some time with them.  I did stick to my guns (and tracking…) last week, and the fruits of my labor produced a 4.2 pound loss.  Not too shabby!

I tracked, and drank, and was really mindful of what I was doing last week.  I haven’t attended this week’s meeting yet, but plan to go on Friday.  Not sure how much of the 4.2 stayed off, but I think I did okay this week.  Shopped for lots of good produce.  Lots of veggies, and great summer fruit.  My new favorite?  A hami melon. They also call this one a camouflage melon.  Hopefully the image will make it to you.  It’s sweeter than a cantaloupe and has a taste that’s kind of a cross between a cantaloupe and honeydew.  I found the melon in my local grocery.  Definitely worth checking out.  My 11-year old was fighting me for the last of the one I just bought. 

I haven’t been as good with the exercise over the last week, but I have been dealing with a minor, but annoying health issue.  I think I am on the mend, and should be able to start back on Monday.  Good news story there is that the new elliptical machines finally made their way over to the Hidden Ridge Fitness Center! I have missed this cardio component, and will be so glad to add this back into my regimen, rather than just straight treadmill (which can get very boring, very quickly).

The last couple of meetings dealt with monitoring your hunger and packing your plan for vacation.

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out when you’re hungry, satisified or full.  You might feel an urge to eat when your body does not actually need food, or to keep eating after you’ve had enough.  You may even be so used to overeating that being stuffed feels like satisfaction to you.  The thing is, when you don’t understand or you unwittingly ignore) your body’s hunger and satiety signals, you can easily overeat.  Here is a quick test you can use to see how in tune you are with your body.

1. When I’m HUNGRY, I feel _______
2. When I’m SATISFIED, I feel _______
3. When I’m FULL, I feel ______

For me, when I am hungry, my belly growls, I get queasy and lightheaded.  When I am satisfied, I am like Goldilocks.  I am just right. No hunger, no nothing. Just happy.  When I’m full, I feel horrible.  Nothing is worse than having to unbutton your jeans after a meal!

A great test to use is the HALT method.  Are you Hungry, Angry, Lazy or Tired?  If so, take a break, or a drink, and move on.  Sometimes we can get hunger confused with thirst.  I find that by keeping a water bottle nearby, it helps me stay hydrated, which in turn, helps curb the munchies somewhat.

If you are truly hungry, stick to the Power Foods whenever possible.  These foods are high in satisfying protein, or it’s low in energy density (full of water, fiber or even air!) so that it takes up room in your tummy to help you feel satisfied on fewer calories.  These foods should make up the bulk of your daily diet, but if you are new to these foods, start by including one Power Food at each meal or snack, then two, then making one daily meal a Power Food meal, and so on.

Since we are now in the throes of summertime, you will probably at some point take a quick vacation.  Just because you on a break from the mundane, it doesn’t mean that you have to abandon your weight-loss efforts.  All can be great as long as you ‘pack your plan’ along with your clothing and toiletries! 

Some things to think about taking with you are:

• Healthy snacks, so you are not caught off guard
• Walking shoes so that you can make the most of your destination
• Your pedometer. Each step counts!
• Your tracker
• Good attitude (always helps!)
• PointsPlus calculator or your SmartPhone!
• Your plan to succeed while you are away.

Here is what Weight Watchers has to say about the “Guilt-Free Getaway”

Basically you have two options:

1. Go Into a Holding Pattern: If you are okay with maintaining your weight while you are on vacation and you’re confident that after shifting from your usual eating habits you’ll be able to pick up where you left off, then this tactiv may be for you.   The idea is to enjoy the foods that are available in a way that allows you to maintain your weight. To do that:

BE PICKY. Don’t just eat what’s in front of you; make sure it’s a dish that you’ll truly enjoy. Otherwise, you’ve spent PointsPlus on something that’s just “meh”.  What’s worse, you risk feeling unsatisfied and eating more to compensate.

FILL UP ON FRUITS & VEGGIES FIRST.  Order a salad or veggie-based soup as a first course at a sit-down restaurant.  If you’re in an all-you-can-eat situation, as on a cruise ship, pack your plate with fruits and veggies before adding other foods.

PACE YOURSELF. Is a fancy evening meal on the day’s agenda? Eat lightly at your other meals (but don’t let yourself get over-hungry so that you go overboard at dinner).  Likewise, if you indulged in a big brunch, stick with lighter fare for the rest of the day.

KEEP MOVING: Take advantage of the hotel’s exercise room or pool; schedule a walking tour; rent a bike, play in the water with your kids; and hoof it every chance you get—even if that means parking your car at the far end of the lot!

PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF: After you return, don’t waste any time getting back on track.  Go to a meeting earlier in the week than you usually do, and stock your pantry with healthy low PointsPlus foods.

2. Keep On Losing  If you are concerned that deviating from your usual habits will send you way off track, or if you don’t want to take even a tiny break from losing weight, there’s no reason you can’t stay on Plan while you’re away.  The trick is to think ahead and to make sure you always have access to the foods that keep you on track.  To do that:

CONSIDER A CONDO: Being able to prepare your own meals can be a huge help; look into renting a place with a kitchen. Check out the local grocery store offerings beforehand too.  This way, you still have the option of going out to eat, but you’re not stuck with it for every meal.

CHOOSE RESTAURANTS WISELY: Whenever you’re planning to dine out, check out the restaurant menu ahead of time, to make sure it offers food choices that will work for you.  Most restaurants post their menus online. And don’t be afraid to choose an alternate place if your first choice isn’t promising.

PRE-TRACK PointsPlus VALUES: While you’re on the restaurant’s website, decide what you’ll order and how many PointsPlus values you’ll be spending at the meal.

PACK SNACKS: Keep plenty of low PointsPlus value foods on hand. It can be anything from single-serving oatmeal packets from home to fresh fruit from a local market.

FACTOR IN ACTIVITY PointsPlus VALUES. No matter where you go, you should be able to fit in exercise, even if it’s just taking the stairs to your hotel room rather than the elevator.  Come prepared though! Pack your sneakers and comfortable clothes, and a swimsuit if you’ll have access to a pool and like to do laps.

"He who knows others is wise.

He who knows himself is enlightened”

~ Lao Tse, Taoist philosopher

RECIPES

Grilled Peaches

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this summer fruit.  This one goes from refrigerator to plate in under 10 minutes.  A fantastic and EASY summer dessert.

 

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time:  8 MINUTES

Cook Time: 1 MINUTES

PointsPlus™ value: 2 per serving

Ingredients:

1 spray(s) cooking spray  

1/4 cup(s) low fat cream cheese, at room temperature  

2 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream  

1 Tbsp honey  

3 large peach(es), pitted and halved  

Instructions:

Preheat grill. Off heat, coat grill rack with cooking spray.

Mash cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl with a fork; stir in honey until smooth.

When grill is hot, grill peaches cut-side down until marked, about 1 minute.

Place peaches cut-side up on a platter; top each with 1 tablespoon sweetened cheese mixture. Yields 1 peach half per serving.

Notes:  Use peaches that smell sweet but are still a little firm so they hold up over the heat. Garnish with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg.  You can also cook the peaches on a grill pan, coated with cooking spray.

 

The Power of Portion Sizes...or...How Well do YOU Estimate?

Hope you all had a fantastic week.  I do have to say that mine are getting better and better.  I am finding my groove, and I really think when that happens, other things tend to come into focus as well.  I even joined a couple of the Weight Watchers challenges on the website!

I also managed to get back into the gym for three days last week, as well!  The thing that I was most excited about was that I resumed the running part of my regimen.  Thursday we focused on the running.  We did intervals of 30 seconds walking and 30 seconds running.  We did this twelve times.  It actually felt great.  I was able to do the running pieces at 5.0 mph and had an easier time with my breathing.  It may not sound like a hard thing, but I found it hard to know WHEN to breathe.  This time around, it seemed easier!  I also find it easier to run on the treadmill at a faster rate.  It’s much easier to go at 5 mph than around 4.5 or so.  In any case, I will keep you guys informed as I figure this stuff out!

This weekend started out with a nice dinner with some old friends.  Saturday morning, we did our 5K walk and then participated in the Denton A-Train Rock & Rail celebration in the afternoon.  Steve had reserved tickets for the event.  It was pretty cool. Each station from Downtown Denton to Hebron had vendors, music, and other things to do.  You got to ride free all day, and starting on Monday, you can ride free for that week.  Revenue service begins the following week.  I guess this is a nice alternative to dealing with the I-35E traffic!  Unfortunately for me, this won’t help me get to work!

Sunday, for Father’s Day, we took Steve to Blue Mesa in Frisco (or North Plano, depending on how you look at it…).  It was awesome, and it was also the perfect use of my Weekly PointsPlus Allowance!  I saved them up and used them. No fuss…no muss! 

The topic of the meeting this week was portion control and estimation.  What an eye-opener this was!  Our leader had put several items from local chain restaurants up on the board and it was our task to estmate the PointsPlus values of each item.  We did great on some, but one completely blew us away.  The culprit was Chili’s Classic Turkey Toasted Sandwich. Description? “With lettuce, tomatoes, provolone and mayo on Texas Toast”.  I think we estimated something like 20-ish points for this one, when in actuality, it had 34!! Listen to the nutritional counts on this one (brace yourselves!) Calories: 1340, Fat: 64g (17g Saturated), Carb: 138g, Protein: 41g, Fiber: 11g, (and the kicker…) Sodium: 3,140.  This stuff makes me always think twice before going there.  I would think a turkey sandwich (less mayo of course…) would be a healthy pick.  What I want to know is just what they put on there to get the fat counts up to 64???? Crazy.  This is why I stick to very basic menu items when faced with going to Chili’s. 

When estimating, use what you know. Veggies are free, use the deck of cards rule for lean protein, and remember that most breads (EXCEPT for Texas Toast) have approx. 2 PP values per slice!).  I tend to use overestimation, especially when faced with going to restaurants that don’t provide for nutrition information.  I also found out that some establishments offer a smaller portion of their dinner entrees.  When I met my friends for dinner on Friday night, we went to Carrabba’s in Grapevine, since it was about halfway between the two of us (they were staying inArlington).  The offered small and large portions of their entrees.  This made things nice.  I opted for a small portion of their Chicken Bryan (no sauce) along with steamed veggies and a house salad (veggies only) and Italian house dressing on the side.  I figured that my chicken was 4 points plus, 2 oz of goat cheese @ 4 points plus, (nothing for the tomatoes and garlic and onions) and another 3 for olive oil (my fault for not saying ‘grilled dry’).  Soo…I figured that my entrée was 11 for the small chicken breast, zero for the steamed zucchini, zero for the salad, and 1 for the few fork dips into the dressing.  Not terrible, and I think I can live with that.  Now…that being said, once Carrabbas is forced to publish their nutrition data, I may run the other way!

What we learn with Weight Watchers is keeping track of our portion sizes at home.   This is where the discipline starts.  Those of us who practice this at home, tend to do better when faced with estimation of points/portions when dining out.  Just as a reminder, most of us have wonderful portion size helpers already! The Weight Watchers pocket guide is there for you (Menu-Reading help on page 75, and Portion Sizes on pp. 85-87). Food scales, Weight Watchers or otherwise, are almost a MUST, and our trusty measuring spoons and cups. I, personally, have at least 5 sets of measuring cups and 4 sets of measuring spoons at the ready. Other great references are food count guides, and the companions that Weight Watchers offers.  These are your ‘ammo’ for fighting the battle of the bulge!!!  Mental rehearsing also helps as well.  If you imagine your ideal dining experience, including questions you’ll ask your server, how you’ll assess your portions, packing up half your entree, etc…you will more likely have success there!

Also remember that we are human, and therefore not perfect.  Reach for these tools every other week or so.  Complacency and routine can sometimes undo our good work!  Really weigh and measure that cup of cereal or milk.  Remember what it looks like in your cup or bowl!

One other thing before I let you all go this week…how many of you all have seen the revised answer to the food pyramid?  Finally---a visual that makes sense out all the nutritional hoo-hah out there!

I think it’s rather funny that the Government has settled on something that Weight Watchers has been focusing on for years!  Divide your plate in half.  Make half fruits and veggies.  On the second side, divide in half and make half grains and half protein.  I think this is fabulous!  Here is the website if you want to take a look:  http://www.choosemyplate.gov  Here are some other things that the USDA says to focus on:

Balancing Calories: Enjoy your food, but eat less. Avoid oversized portions

Foods to Increase: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Make at least half of your grains whole grains.  Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce: Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals—and choose the foods with lower numbers. Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

"The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth”

~ François De La Rouchefoucauld

 

RECIPES

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

This one is SO creamy!  It’s very rich –you might not even need more than half a slice!

 

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time:  30 MINUTES

Cook Time: 60 MINUTES

PointsPlus™ value: 6 per serving

Ingredients:

10 item(s) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie(s)   [I use lowfat Oreos for this one!]

8 Tbsp fat-free cream cheese  

8 oz low fat cream cheese, tub-style  

1 cup(s) sugar  

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour  

1 cup(s) fat-free cottage cheese  

2 tsp almond extract, or less to taste  

6 large egg white(s)  

3/4 cup(s) mini chocolate chips   

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Crush cookies and sprinkle cookie crumbs evenly over bottom of pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheeses on lowest speed until well blended.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.

In a food processor or blender, purée cottage cheese until smooth. Add cottage cheese and almond extract to cream cheese mixture; beat until smooth. Add egg whites and beat until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour into springform pan; top with remaining chocolate chips and bake until cheesecake puffs and center is almost set, about 60 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Run a knife around sides to loosen and release pan sides. Cover and chill overnight. Cut into 12 slices and serve.

Tracking helps!

Happy Sunday Peeps!

I had a great week, but it was only 4 days long!  I have to say that I am turning a corner.  I have lost for the second consecutive week, and I am finally starting to find my groove at work.  I think that there is something to be said about multiple factors playing into how you do on your weight loss journey.  When things are off, whether it be personally or at work, it can make things hard for you.  Conversely, when all things are going well, it sort of gives you that momentum to continue.  I also find that I have better weeks when my tracking is on point.

I managed to get to the gym twice last week (still fine tuning the schedule there, but I am doing what I can there), and although I had a bunch of stuff to do this weekend, I managed to get a walk in with my husband on Saturday.  I missed my girls at Parker Square, but I didn't miss my walk.  We did just under 5K (2 3/4 miles), but considering the heat? Not too bad.

I scored a couple of kitchen victories with the kiddos last week.  I made meatball sandwiches using a recipe that my former leader, Kathryn, had posted on the meeting room board awhile ago.  I also made Friday night taco night and used corn shells with a bunch of healthy toppings (fat-free refried beans, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, 2% shredded cheese, salsa). I used a lean (93/7) ground beef for the meat component and let each family member design his/her own taco.  Adam gave this dish (and the meatball sandwiches) an "awesome".

A tip for those out there with the picky eaters: Make note of what they enjoy and work those items into the meal rotation for the week.  I figure I can do this at least until Adam decides that he won't eat those dishes anymore.  Does anyone else have this?  His nickname is actually Mr. Peanut Butter Sandwich, for obvious reasons.

I have been making sure I tracked accurately over the last few weeks, and I think I am finally seeing results from that.  I love the enhancements that Weight Watchers has made to eTools over the last couple of months.  I have noticed the following changes on the iPhone app and on the website:

• On the iPhone app, reminder messages can be set and customized to help you track your meals 
• On the eTools settings on the website, you can now switch off between using activity points vs. WPA first.  I know many of us wished they would add this functionality
• On eTools, there now progress reports to help you gauge your progress.  There are also many things BESIDES food that you can track as well--activity, hunger signals, good health guidelines, inches lost, dress size...it's a pretty powerful tool. 
  

No I don't work for the Company, but I do believe in letting you all know when a great product, such as e-Tools, is out there.  It may not seem like a big thing, but the simple act of tracking does many things.  Here's what it does for me:

1. Keeps me honest. 
2. Makes me aware of what goes into my mouth, and how much
3. Gives me motivation
4. Provides me needed FEEDBACK on my choices, good bad or ugly
5. It also provides great reference material.  I don't care if you are following Weight Watchers or any other plan.  Tracking gives you that frame of reference that allows you to go back to a particular day, week or month and see what worked for you (or didn't work).  You can always go back and repeat the week or day if needed.
   
6. Helps you ensure that you are meeting the good health guidelines.

When I don't track...things tend to fall apart for me.  When I do track, it's amazing what can happen. 

Since the meeting this week dealt with tracking, I wanted to relay a few things that I jotted down from the meeting room board:

What can we track besides food?

• Habits - recognize habits you are changing or developing
• Feelings - thoughts at the end of the day
• Nutrition - progress with the good health guidelines
• Setbacks - what did you learn from your mistakes? This is that feedback I was referring to earlier
• Successes - make note of ALL your successes, no matter how large or small.  A victory is a victory!
• Weekly Goals - commit to something this week. Follow it through!
• Anticipated Obstacles - prepare and prevent rather than repair and repent! (I love this one!)

I hope you all have a fabulous week.  I wanted to end with this quote from the meeting room wall.  I loved it, and as usual, I wanted to share!

Good judgment comes from experience, and often
experience comes from bad judgment.

~Rita Mae Brown, American novelist

Recipe

Buttermilk-Basil Sorbet

I saw this one on the Weight Watchers website, and want to give this one a try.  It seems like the perfect light summertime dessert.  This dish offers an incredible flavor combination. For another delicious variation, swap cilantro or tarragon for the basil, and consider using lemon instead of lime.



PointsPlus™ Value:    3
Servings:  12 (approx 1/2 cup each)
Preparation Time:  89 min
Cooking Time:  6 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup(s) sugar, granulated, divided  

2/3 cup(s) water  

1 cup(s) basil, fresh, cut into ribbons, minced*  

4 cup(s) buttermilk  

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice  

2 tsp lime zest, finely minced  

Instructions:

To make basil syrup, combine 2/3 cup sugar with 2/3 cup of water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, add basil and simmer for 5 minutes; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine remaining 2/3 cup sugar with buttermilk, lime juice and zest; mix until sugar dissolves. Add cooled basil syrup to buttermilk mixture and mix thoroughly.

Run sorbet mixture through an ice cream maker according to its package directions (if you do not have an ice cream maker, see notes below). Transfer sorbet to a container and freeze for 12 to 24 hours before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.