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