Happy hump day! A friend of mine posted a video of Michael Franti & Spearhead on her Facebook page yesterday, and now I can’t get the song out of my head. Here is your song blurb du jour. I LOVE this one!!!!
I say hey I'll be gone today
But I'll be back all around the way
It seems like everywhere I go
The more I see…the less I know
But I know one thing
That I love you
I love you…
I love you…
I love you…
I was just thinking that we are just about halfway through 2010. Can someone PLEASE tell me where the HECK the first half went? Wow…that was quick. This week has been going well for me (no trips, spills, or stumbles!!!). I had a maintain week this week, which is fantastic in my book! Getting read for the grind of month-end and quarter-end, but the reward of vacation is not too far down the road!
My son finished up his first session of swimming lessons for this year, and we are gearing up for session 2 which starts on Saturday, July 10th. The following Tuesday, I have the honor of escorting the 10 year old down to Orlando for her second session of “Camp Grandma”. We sent her to my mom’s last year and she really had a good time with them. We did too back in Texas. LOL…we ended up with a much needed break. Adam wasn’t really fazed at Morgan’s absence. We asked him last year where he thought Morgan was. His reply? “Morgan is In her room mom!” Soooo….according to Adam, his sister spent last summer up in her room. Probably not a bad place for her, but not where she actually was. It will be interesting to see what he says this year when he realizes that she isn’t home!
We also have been spending a bunch of time at my favorite store lately—Half Price Books. I decided that Morgan should be doing some summer reading to keep fresh for next year. She is actually enjoying it, and each week she reads, she gets a $3 gift card that she can use toward a new book. This week she dived into Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth—this one was one of my favorites!!! I am so glad that the kids have interests OTHER than just the video game or the iTouch. Go Morgan!
I keep focusing on how the scale should not be the end-all be-all of your success indicators. I have been taking pictures and taking measurements throughout my journey. This last week, I was with my husband trying to beat the heat and we did some walking around in cooler places (the mall…IKEA…grocery stores…) and while at the mall, we went into various stores, including Victoria’s Secret. I have not been able to purchase ANYTHING in that store in over 15 years or so, because they don’t make clothes or intimates for bigger girls. I was about to walk out when Steve suggested that I try on some bras, because I needed to replace some older ones sitting in my drawers. I took a couple in, tried them, and they fit! I about fell over. I ended up finding several that were on sale, and was able to clean out my drawers of some stuff that no longer fit me! (I like to call that ‘undergrowing’ stuff—as compared to OUTGROWING!!!) That was really a great feeling.
The workouts are still challenging, and are still very much sweat-inducing. I also learned that I have more endurance than I give myself credit for. I am really growing to LOVE the elliptical machine. It challenges me and helps me to burn many calories in an abbreviated time period. In 15 minutes I can earn 3 activity points, which isn’t too shabby…and when you tack on the circuit training that we do afterward? I can earn as many as 7 – 9 activity points per session. My personal strategy is to try and NOT use these to splurge during the week. I just like to know how much activity I get in during the week.
This week’s topic, as you probably inferred from the subject of the email, deals with staying on plan while you are on vacation. I deal with vacations basically like any other day. If I am in town, I still attend my meetings, as per usual. If I am out of town, I find a meeting and go while I am gone. I can give myself 45 minutes to remind me why I embarked on my journey in the first place. In Florida, I know where my meetings are. When I go visit Steve’s parents in North Carolina (since we used to live there too…) I know where those meetings are. I use the internet to research restaurants and try to make wise choices so that at WORST I maintain, and not gain. I actually manage to LOSE on occasion.
These are a few tips that I included from this week’s Weight Watchers Weekly:
Have a good trip….
Getting there isn’t always half the fun of going on vacation; sometimes it’s not fun at all—lost baggage, traffic jams, cranky passengers (we ALL know what that’s like…). When you’re stressed, you may be more inclined to eat unwisely, especially if the only food on offer is the fast-‘n’-greasy kind.
A few solutions:
- Work out the kinks, physical and mental, with some fell-better shoulder rolls and body stretches.
- Take a walk if you’re delayed at an airport: It’ll help you de-stress and earn you activity POINTS® values.
- Be food-wise: Make sure you eat before you leave home, pack some fruit and/or an energy bar , and stay well-hydrated with bottled water.
Vacation Success! The key to staying on plan while you’re away from home is to…well…PLAN! Remember that Weight Watchers is a lifestyle change and not a diet, so wherever you go, your lifestyle comes with you---whether you are boarding a cruise ship, riding the rails, or hitting the open road. The pointers offered up below will help you make wise choices and enjoy your trip.
- Figure out your daily menu – at the start of each day, map out as best you can what you’ll be doing and where you’re likely to eat, including snack times. Then plan accordingly. If you want a larger dinner at a fantastic restaurant, eat lighter at breakfast and lunch. If you are in a hotel look over the menu before ordering
- Pack snacks – tuck single-serving oatmeal in your suitcase or stock up on fresh fruits & veggies at a local market. This tactic can help stave off the munchies so you don’t over indulge at mealtimes.
- Eat your weekly POINTS® Allowance – is there a fancy dinner on the itinerary? A wine tour? This is EXACTLY why we have this additional allotment. Use them and don’t feel guilty!
- Move it! – Take advantage of hotel fitness rooms; opt for a walking tours rather than bus rides; dig in the sand and play on the beach with your kids. Walk whenever you can. Take the stairs to the breakfast buffet---and back up afterwards! Rack up those activity POINTS®!
- Carry on. If that Tiki Bar was calling your name, and you answered it, it’s okay. Track it (and be HONEST) and get right back on plan. Go for an extra long walk. Don’t feel guilty.
“Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.”
-Lester Robert Bittel
RECIPES
Apple Slaw – Adapted from Big Oven
I was in the mood for a good slaw, but didn’t want to splurge on the POINTS® that the typical slaw had. I was in the grocery store and I was able to do a search on my iPhone for slaw recipes, and I came across this one. It sounded really good, and it came out fantastic. My 10-year-old didn’t care for it, although she did taste it. The 3-year-old? Well, he ate her entire serving and asked for more. I loved it and so did Steve. We are officially adding this one to the rotation!
POINTS® Value: 2 per serving
Servings: about 6 (1 cup) servings
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: NONE—how cool is that???
Level of Difficulty: INSANELY Easy
Ingredients:
1 (16oz) package coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrot mix) You can use fresh, but this really made things easy!!!
1 large apple (I like Empire or Fuji for this, but use what you like—Granny Smith would add a nice tartness!)
¼ cup apple juice (we use no sugar added Tree Top)
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (original recipe called for Champagne vinegar, but my grocery store didn’t carry it. Also—you can use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar for a twist!)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Dash of salt and pepper
2 packets Splenda (I added this one on my own to give the dish a bit of sweetness…try Stevia too (I just happened to have a couple packets of Splenda lying around that needed to be used!)
Instructions:
1. Julienne apple and combine with slaw mix in a large bowl. Gently toss together.
2. Combine remaining ingredients for the dressing in a blender and pulse until thickened.
3. Pour dressing over slaw mix and toss to combine.
Italian Turkey Burgers
Our family LOVES a good burger for weekend cookouts. Since the 4th is quickly approaching, I thought this was an appropriate recipe to include. Put a spin on your July 4th tradition with these flavorful burgers, accented with fresh basil and tomato. This particular recipe is one of Jennifer Hudson’s go-to recipes (note the JH in the star on the photo!)
POINTS® Value: 5 per serving
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) lean ground turkey
1/3 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
2 small tomato(es), ripe, yellow and/or red, thinly sliced
1 cup(s) basil, fresh, leaves, torn or thinly shredded
4 item(s) reduced-calorie hamburger roll(s) [A good one is Nature’s Own Sugar-Free Whole Wheat buns. These are about 2 points per bun—OR use sandwich thins for a 1 POINT® option!
Instructions:
Coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray; preheat to medium-high.
In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, onion, garlic, fennel seed, salt and pepper; form into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Coat burgers and inside of rolls with cooking spray.
Grill burgers for 5 minutes; flip burgers and add rolls to grill. Grill open-face rolls until lightly charred, about 1 to 2 minutes; remove to serving plates. Grill burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
To serve, top grilled rolls with burgers and tomato slices; garnish with basil. Yields 1 burger per serving.
Notes:
For an extra hit of flavor, rub the bread with a cut garlic clove as it comes off the grill!
