Last Week
Everything we needed to know we learned from the story of Noah's Ark. First and foremost, remember that we're all in the same boat!
This Week
Losing weight is not a quick fix. It requires ongoing self-discovery and making gradual changes that you can continue for a lifetime. We'll talk more about that and how to achieve it in this week's meeting.
Kudos
Rosie has lost 20 pounds, which means she met the year-end goal she wrote on her postcard! She was quite happy.
Thanks to all of you who came to a different meeting because of our holiday schedule. It was great to see so many familiar faces when I subbed different meetings.
WW Product of the Week
New electronic food scale - our newly designed food scale will not only weigh your food to ensure proper portion sizes, but it's got a Points database. That means it will tell you the Points value of what's on the scale! If you're sloppy about serving sizes and want to fix that, check this gadget out. $40.00
Non-WW Product of the Week
If you feel like you're stuck in a rut at mealtime, and you've already looked at our cookbooks in the meeting room, you might want to check out Cooking Light magazine. I just got the January/February issue yesterday, and as usual the recipes look divine! Each recipe gives complete nutrition information, so it's easy to figure out Points values.
Check them out on the web.
Recipe of the Week
South-of-the-Border Fruit Salad
Serves 6
1 Point and Core
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1 small grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1/2 pint raspberries
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
Heat a small pan over low heat, and toast the cumin seeds. Shake the pan often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let them cool for about 5 minutes.
Combine the fruit in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss to coat.
-- from Simply Bueno cookbook
Tip of the Week
Be wary of negative language. It can sabotage your best efforts. When you say "I'll try," it leaves room for error. Say "I will" instead. When you say something is "off-limits" it might make you crave the "forbidden" food more. When you say that you've "cheated" it implies that you're out of control. (For more examples and ways to get out of this kind of thinking, check out the Jan/Feb issue of Weight Watchers magazine.)
Quote of the Week
"Goals are...absolutely necessary to motivate us." -- Robert H. Schuller
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Newsletter, week of December 24th
Follow Up On Last Week's Topic
We shared some tips on grocery shopping and food preparation. It sounds like the #1 rule is "Don't shop hungry!"
This Week's Topic
Join us to find out how the story of Noah's Ark provides us with some fun weight-loss wisdom.
Kudos
Rosie earned her 15 pound award and has lost 16.6 pounds!
Darelynn reached 20.2 pounds of weight loss!
Kathy received a round of applause for reaching 45.6 pounds gone!
Fabulous job, ladies.
WW Product of the Week
We have new products! Check out the new Sweet & Salty Just 2 Points bars - I hear they taste like a Payday candy bar. If you're not a peanut fan, maybe you'll like the new Everything Pretzel Crisps. Both are $4.50.
Note: These new products mean that something old has to go. If you're a fan of the Peanut Caramel Just 2 Points bars or the original pretzel snacks, stock up while supplies last!
Non-WW Product of the Week
If you generally listen to music while you work out, but are getting tired of your current playlist, consider audiobooks or other spoken word stories. iTunes has a great selection of them. For shorter stories, my personal recommendation is the radio show This American Life, which is available for download on Audible.com. Exercise your mind AND your body!
Recipe of the Week
This is a recipe from an old week 3 handout. I'm including it today because I'm serving it for my Christmas Eve dinner. (I'm saving our Points for the desserts, don'tcha know!)
Speedy Shepherd's Pie
Serves 4
7 Points
12 ounces extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup each sliced baby carrots and frozen baby peas
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
2 cups prepared instant potato flakes (prepared according to package directions)
Dash paprika
Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet cook beef over medium heat, breaking up meat, 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is softened, 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and peas; continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Transfer mixture to a casserole dish. Top mixture with prepared potato flakes, spreading and fluffing with a fork; sprinkle with paprika. Bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes.
Tip of the Week
If you bite it, you write it! If you're following the Flex plan, tracking is a huge key to success. Tracking meals is easy, but what about those little things? Cream in your coffee, nibbles of things throughout the day, that piece of candy you grabbed from the candy dish (sshh, we won't tell!). Even if you don't think they'd contribute Points to your day, write them down. If you start to see several of them, maybe they DO contribute Points. But you'll never know unless you become mindful of them.
Quote of the Week
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."--Aristotle
We shared some tips on grocery shopping and food preparation. It sounds like the #1 rule is "Don't shop hungry!"
This Week's Topic
Join us to find out how the story of Noah's Ark provides us with some fun weight-loss wisdom.
Kudos
Rosie earned her 15 pound award and has lost 16.6 pounds!
Darelynn reached 20.2 pounds of weight loss!
Kathy received a round of applause for reaching 45.6 pounds gone!
Fabulous job, ladies.
WW Product of the Week
We have new products! Check out the new Sweet & Salty Just 2 Points bars - I hear they taste like a Payday candy bar. If you're not a peanut fan, maybe you'll like the new Everything Pretzel Crisps. Both are $4.50.
Note: These new products mean that something old has to go. If you're a fan of the Peanut Caramel Just 2 Points bars or the original pretzel snacks, stock up while supplies last!
Non-WW Product of the Week
If you generally listen to music while you work out, but are getting tired of your current playlist, consider audiobooks or other spoken word stories. iTunes has a great selection of them. For shorter stories, my personal recommendation is the radio show This American Life, which is available for download on Audible.com. Exercise your mind AND your body!
Recipe of the Week
This is a recipe from an old week 3 handout. I'm including it today because I'm serving it for my Christmas Eve dinner. (I'm saving our Points for the desserts, don'tcha know!)
Speedy Shepherd's Pie
Serves 4
7 Points
12 ounces extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup each sliced baby carrots and frozen baby peas
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
2 cups prepared instant potato flakes (prepared according to package directions)
Dash paprika
Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet cook beef over medium heat, breaking up meat, 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is softened, 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and peas; continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Transfer mixture to a casserole dish. Top mixture with prepared potato flakes, spreading and fluffing with a fork; sprinkle with paprika. Bake until heated through, 15-20 minutes.
Tip of the Week
If you bite it, you write it! If you're following the Flex plan, tracking is a huge key to success. Tracking meals is easy, but what about those little things? Cream in your coffee, nibbles of things throughout the day, that piece of candy you grabbed from the candy dish (sshh, we won't tell!). Even if you don't think they'd contribute Points to your day, write them down. If you start to see several of them, maybe they DO contribute Points. But you'll never know unless you become mindful of them.
Quote of the Week
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."--Aristotle
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Newsletter, week of December 17th
Follow Up on Last Week's Topic
I hope you had time to delve into the new materials you received last week. Have you tried the new enhancements yet? I can't wait to hear what you think.
This Week's Topic
Food shopping and food handling - we'll talk about some tips for grocery shopping and food preparation that make life easier and ensure you don't overeat.
Kudos
I hope you had time to delve into the new materials you received last week. Have you tried the new enhancements yet? I can't wait to hear what you think.
This Week's Topic
Food shopping and food handling - we'll talk about some tips for grocery shopping and food preparation that make life easier and ensure you don't overeat.
Kudos