Weight Watchers Newsletter - Week of October 5th - Are you in a rut????

Happy Thursday all!

I decided to look into October 16th as my spa day. I am SO looking forward to this. My stressed out muscles and joints are literally screaming for me to make the darn appointment already. I actually took a few minutes out of my day to try and book. With any luck I will get a callback today!

I actually am sort of lacking in the “exciting things to share” category this week. How weird for me. I think the fact that I just survived quarter end close may have something to do with it, maybe???

I did do my normal Saturday walk with my Walk-It Challenge peeps, and I know that I finished in under 55 minutes this time around, but I forgot the dang pedometer, so I couldn’t even count the steps or savor the shorter walk time! The company was fabulous though. My workouts are getting more challenging, as my coach wants to keep my heart rate up with the hope that the calories will keep burning. I am hitting another one of my ‘maintain’ stretches with the weight, for a change! I am not in any way discouraged though. Last month was a light month in terms of pounds lost, but I did manage to lose another 5 inches. I have some muscle definition now. If the c-section flab on my tummy was gone, I’d have killer abs right now! It’s so funny. I can feel my hip bones for the first time in many many years!

My next 5K race is on October 17th and is being held in Southlake. It’s called Jogging for Johnson, and I am hoping to finish with an even better time than Heroes for Children.

This meeting’s topic deals with avoiding RUTs. Are you in a rut?

Repetitive?
Unexciting?
Tiresome?

If you are, just change things up a bit. Typically we either eat the same things or do the same workouts for comfort, or for familiarity. Think outside the box. We were all asked to bring in a favorite food find in an attempt to introduce other members to something else yummy to try that fits in with the plan! This week I discovered FiberOne Nonfat Yogurt. It’s zero POINTS® for a 4-oz cup. I bought the French Vanilla and it was delicious. Another good one that I found is Cabot’s 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar single serve slices. These are 1 POINT® for each ¾ oz piece. Since they are an actual cheese dairy, they have the benefit of actually KNOWING how to make cheese for one, and making that cheese taste good. These are both worth checking into. Flat-Out bread was also mentioned. This is one that I intend to check out soon, as well.

I do have a couple of delicious recipes that I am going to share with you this week. We have mini-chicken burgers, yummy sweet potato fries and a zesty puttanesca salad.

A closing quote--

“The great advantage of being in a rut is that when one is in a rut, one knows exactly where one is.”

-Arnold Bennett

If you are in a rut, change something! It’s okay!


RECIPES:
Baked Mini Chicken Burgers
Makes approximately 15 mini burgers and will serve 6 at a POINTS® Value of 1 per mini-burger

Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 30m

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey) I actually ground my own using my Kitchenaid Food Grinder attachment. Made very quick work of this!
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (the juice from ½ lemon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground is best
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (any style)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the ground chicken, garlic, parsley, oregano, and lemon juice and bread crumbs. Season with the salt and pepper. Form the meat into 15 small patties.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or so, until just done through.

Nutrition information per patty: Calories: 164, Fat: 2g, Sat 1g, Mono 1g, Sodium: 92 mg, Potassium 73 mg, Carb 4g, Protein 7g; Vitamin A: 4%, Vitamin C: 5%, Calcium: 1%, Iron 3%

To freeze: Form the chicken mixture into patties but and place the patties on a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze. Transfer to a large resealable bag and store for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave. Coat in the bread crumbs. Cook according to the recipe.

By Adapted from Aviva Goldfarb's The Six O'Clock Scramble, May 2006


Sweet Potato Fries



These sweet potato fries are a perfect complement to the chicken burgers. They are also really simple to do.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice 2 medium sweet potatoes, lengthwise, making thin strips (no need to peel them). In a medium bowl, toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp of chili powder OR cinnamon (optional). Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned. For a crisper texture, broil for a few minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings at a POINTS® Value of 3 per serving.

Puttanesca Salad



I found this recipe when searching for a non-meat dish to bring to an event at my synagogue this week. I had initially wanted to prepare a penne puttanesca, but wasn’t sure I’d be home in time to heat the dish before the event. I ended up finding this wonderful substitute, and it got RAVE reviews. I loved this dish. For so few ingredients, you get a big bang for your buck, and at 91 calories for ¼ of this dish, it makes a wonderful low-cal side dish. I’d consider using this salad as a nice bruschetta topping. Food for thought!

Serves 4 at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving.

Ingredients:

4 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
6 anchovies (1 tin of flat filets), chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, coarsely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
12 to 15 fresh basil leaves: pile leaves, roll into a log and shred or tear
Salt and black pepper

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, onions, capers, olives, anchovies, garlic and parsley in a medium bowl. Dress with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the salad, 1 to 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle in basil, salt and pepper, toss again and adjust seasonings, to your taste.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 91; Fat 4g; (Sat: 1g, Poly: 1g, Mono: 3g), Sodium: 574 mg; Carb: 11g; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 4g; Vitamin A: 46%, Vitamin C: 59%, Calcium: 7%, Iron: 11%

Weight Watchers Newsletter - Week of September 28th - I am officially a blogger AND....I'm now online!!!

Hello Everyboddeeee!

Hope that you are having a great week so far. I am feeling really empowered this week. I finally figured out Blogger.com and managed to get my little newsletter published as a blog online! I am posting the same things there that I email you guys each week, and even found another site to host my attachments so that you can still pull down my little findings from week to week! The URL for the site is: http://elissasweightlossjourney.blogspot.com if you wanted to check it out, or if you wanted to pass the link on to a friend or family member that needs some encouragement! I am still going to continue on with the email version. I have no intention of stopping my emails though! It’s a good outlet for me, and I enjoy corresponding with my people!

As a follow up to last week, I did have a wonderful birthday. I came home all prepared to make the Creamy Fettuccine dish that I posted in last week’s issuance, but to my surprise, I came home to flowers, a beautiful cake, and some Thai food. The best birthdays are ones that don’t involve cooking your own birthday dinner!!! I got a spa package consisting of a facial, massage, manicure, pedicure and scalp treatment PLUS lunch at one of Denton’s local day spas (that I intend to take advantage of soon after month end close!). It was a good day. I’ll keep 42. Wasn’t as unlucky as I first thought it to be.

With Yom Kippur falling on a Monday this year, I was in temple for most of the day and haven’t made it to my meeting this week—YET. Like I said many times, I don’t miss a meeting. Ever. I am simply rearranging my schedule this week and am going to probably attend the Friday Noon meeting at my usual location. For me…my meetings are a priority. I know that sometimes we all say that we don’t have time for this or that…but in the end? We all have the same twenty four hours in the day. What makes the difference? How we choose to prioritize our time during the day. I have certain things that I do each day…not all each day…but I do have a routine. On a regular basis, I do the following:


-Work Out
-Attend my Weight Watchers meetings
-Get my job at work done (I promise…I do work!!! LOL…)
-Get my mommy work done at home, and keep the peace (as best as I can, knowing I have a 9 year old button-pusher and a 2 ½ year old that instigates conflict!)
-Try not to lose my mind.

If you all noticed, my priorities include making time for me. I say this from time to time, (but I assure you it’s okay) PUT YOURSELF ON THE LIST. If you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be around to take care of those you love. If you want to be a role model for your kids and family…and others… take care of yourself first. They will notice, and will probably appreciate it….even though they may not say it! LOL….If you take care of YOU, you will be more able to take care of those you love.

As for the meeting topic of the week….

Since it’s Wednesday and I won’t get to a meeting until Friday, all I can do is comment on the theme of the meeting (saw it on the Weight Watchers site). The theme is “To Eat or Not to Eat”. The topic du jour deals with eating when you may not be hungry. I attached the article for your reading pleasure. Basically the article wants to get you in tune with you body’s hunger signals and to really assess whether you are really hungry for food. Sometimes hunger can be confuse with thirst! I picked up this acronym from another member in my meeting:

HALT! Am I…Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired? If you are hungry, eat! If hunger is not the problem, then food isn’t the answer. Try it!


The attachments this week are:


1.) To Eat or Not to Eat – this is an article that deals with the meeting topic this week

2.) 24 Great Light-Cooking Tips is a primer on how to lighten up and get more flavor from your dishes

3.) Microwave Cooking provides some tips and tricks on using our favorite appliance!






A closing quote:

“We realize our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time;
it is basically a problem of priorities.
We confess, We have left undone those things that ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.”

-Charles E. Hummel

RECIPES:

French Toast with Blueberry Sauce - Sometimes it’s perfectly okay to eat breakfast for dinner! We do that at least once a week in my house. The kids love it! Make some turkey bacon to go with it….yummy!

Breakfast





POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 7 min
Cooking Time: 13 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Use frozen blueberries for a convenient, year-round treat. Or switch to fresh berries or sliced peaches during the summertime.

Ingredients:


1 cup(s) unsweetened frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp preserves, blueberry variety
1/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp table salt
1 spray(s) cooking spray
4 slice(s) reduced-calorie bread - I like either Oroweat Double Fiber bread or the Nature’s Own Double Fiber bread. Both taste great, and have very low POINTS® Values!

Instructions:

In a small pot, combine frozen blueberries and preserves. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until berries thaw and become warm, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

In a wide, shallow bowl, beat together milk, egg, egg whites, vanilla and salt.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Dip bread, one piece at a time, into egg mixture; turn to coat both sides. Cook bread in a single layer, flipping once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. This recipe yields 2 pieces French toast and about 1/2 cup sauce per serving.

Notes:

You can swap almond extract for the vanilla extract and sprinkle the finished dish with sliced almonds (could affect POINTS values).


© 2009 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2009 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.




Sweet Kugel

A kugel is another word for a casserole type dish. Noodle pudding is another name for this comfort food favorite!



Yield: 12 servings at a POINTS® Value of 5 per Serving

Ingredients:


1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
4 (8-ounce) cartons egg substitute
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup raisins (not a big raisin fan, so I left them out completely and probably saved a few points!!!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted (I used smart balance for this…and it tasted great)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) can unsweetened sliced peaches, drained and coarsely chopped
8 cups cooked egg noodles (about 12 ounces uncooked)
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes – I had Puffins in the house, so I used those!

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add noodles; toss gently to coat. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over noodle mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

CALORIES 270 (13% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 1.8g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.9g; SODIUM 312mg; PROTEIN 13.3g; FIBER 2.1g

Cooking Light, MAY 1996

Weight Watchers Newsletter - Week of September 21st - Goal Setting

Happy Hump-Day all (and Happy Birthday to me!!!

Just because I issue a weekly motivational newsletter, doesn’t mean that I sometimes don’t need a little bit of motivation and positive reinforcement myself! This weekend, I actually had a mini-meltdown, and a really good cry. It was a long time since I had one, and it was quite cathartic. I was going through some more clothes in my closet that I haven’t worn in quite awhile, and although many things fit me now, there are still things that don’t quite look right. I got a bit down, and started questioning everything that I had done over the past year. For a brief moment, I asked myself what right I had to publish this weekly newsletter and felt overwhelmed. I felt that I had so far to go to reach my final goal!

My husband gave me a big hug and told me to look at what I had done over the past year. He told me he was very proud of me, and that he thinks that the weekly publication is really helping out others going through the same issues as me. The best part, he said, was that I am telling everyone what pitfalls I encountered along my journey and how I overcame them. I felt better after that….and he took me out to dinner. More on that later on!

Usually on my birthday, I get a little depressed and sulk around. This year almost started out that way, based on last weekend’s meltdown. I began contemplating the number 42…and considered the fact that this number was sort of an unlucky one. Especially if your name happened to be Elvis Presley. He died at 42, and my initials before I got married were EP!!! Ok….a bit far fetched, but it sounded good at the time.

When I finally calmed down, I sat down and really gave some thought to what I had accomplished over the last year (remembering my conversation with Hubby….) and I smiled. I can now do things that I never used to be able to do. I never in a million years once thought I’d be heading toward a Lifetime goal with Weight Watchers. I never in a million years thought that I could do a real push up. I never in a million years though that I could do a 5K race! The list of accomplishments goes on. Each day I do something to push myself a bit more than the day before. The more I think about where I started my journey and where I’d like to end up, the more I think that I can do this. It’s okay to have a meltdown, I just learned that it’s also okay to move past it!!!!

As I said before, Steve took me out to dinner Saturday night. Our intention was to go to the Palm, but when I thought about my POINTS® budget for the weekend, I began reconsidering. This is a big behavior change for me, because I would normally never think twice about a great dinner at my favorite restaurant! In any case, we ended up at The Greenhouse in Denton, and it was absolutely fantastic. They prepared my meal the way I had specified, and I ended up having a very filling meal for less than 12 points. I had a 6 oz piece of seared Ahi Tuna with steamed veggies, a salad, and a baked potato. I realized that I was still satisfied and I was able to stay within my POINTS® range for the day! Plus, bonus? We had an awesome meal and found a new dining establishment to frequent!

The meeting this week dealt with goal setting and how that works for each of us. For me, setting an ultimate weight goal at the onset of my journey seemed a bit overwhelming to me. As I said in my essay that I submitted in June, I broke my goal down into baby steps. It went something like this:

1. Keep a food journal
2. Begin a regimen of strength training and cardio
3. Lose 5% of my starting weight
4. Get into pants that button and zip (and throw away the elastic waisted pants and capris!)
5. Lose 10% of my starting weight
6. Get below 200 pounds!

Breaking things down really helps to direct your focus and helps things not seem so insurmountable! So far, not only have I achieved these first 6 things I set out to do, but I have managed to develop some healthy habits that I can use for my lifetime! I have several other goals for myself and I am treating them in the same manner. I will probably sit down with my leader and set my final goal when I get out of the 190 range! I think that’s doable!

There is a great attachment this week on ways to measure your success. If one of your goals is to start getting active by running, there is another attachment on ways to add variety to your runs!

A closing quote:

“If you don’t know

where you are going,

you will probably

end up somewhere else!”

-Lawrence J. Peter

RECIPES:

Strawberry Banana Dessert

From Taste of Home

This dessert reminds me of the old ‘poke cakes’ that used to be popular back in the 1980’s! I loved the way the Jell-O set up and really brought the dish together. You can really customize this dish by varying your fruit and gelatin flavors. I actually used a Kroger angel food cake and it came in at 10 ounces, so the POINT® count was slightly lower. This dessert would be great for pot-lucks, or just for a simple weeknight treat!

Servings: 16

Prep time: 15 min.

Total time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

3 medium firm bananas, sliced

1 prepared angel food cake (16 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pint fresh strawberries, halved

1 package (.6 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1-1/2 cups cold water

1 carton (8 ounces) reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed (it’s even great plain!)

Instructions:

Layer banana slices and cake cubes in a 13-in. x 9-in. dish coated with cooking spray. Place strawberries over cake and press down gently.

In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water. Pour over strawberries. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Frost with whipped topping. Yield: 16 servings.

Nutrition Facts

One serving: Calories: 138 Fat: 2 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 168 mg Carbohydrate: 27 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 3 g Diabetic Exch: 1 starch, 1 fruit.

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Turkey Fettuccine Skillet

From Taste of Home’s Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

I am actually making this dish tonight, for a ‘something special’ birthday dinner. I am going to lighten this up a bit more by substituting whole wheat fettuccine for the pasta, fat free evaporated milk for the half and half and I am using a rotisserie chicken in place of the turkey. Again…make this yours! Use what you have! Behold the power of the pantry (and the refrigerator!!!)

SERVINGS 6 at one cup each

POINTS® Value per Serving: 7, if prepared as below.

METHOD Broiled

PREP 15 min.

COOK 30 min.

TOTAL 45 min.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups fat-free milk

1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half (I used fat free evaporated milk as a substitution here)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast (I used a rotisserie chicken because I had it on hand!)

3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Stir in the milk, seasoning blend and salt. Bring to a boil.

Combine cornstarch and half-and-half until smooth; stir into skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese just until melted. Stir in turkey. Drain fettuccine; add to turkey mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts

One serving: 1 cup Calories: 361 Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 76 mg Sodium: 343 mg Carbohydrate: 38 g Fiber: 2 g Protein: 34 g Diabetic Exch: 4 very lean meat, 2-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Attachments:

http://www.4shared.com/file/135670059/7ffbeffb/10_Ways_to_Add_Variety_to_Your_Runs.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/135670058/8fcdf6d/Barley_and_Roasted_Vegetable_Pilaf.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/135670057/9843c2fc/Measure_Your_Success.html