Thursday, August 28, 2008

Newsletter, week of August 31st

Last Week

Are you in the zone? One great tip for long-term weight maintenance is to stay in the Comfort Zone. This holds true whether you like the Flex or the Core plan.

This Week

Are you ready to Lose for Good? Find out this week how your loss can be someone else's gain!

Monday crew: Remember, there is no meeting this week. Feel free to visit another group, but be sure to come back to those who love ya!

Wednesday crew: Don't forget to be ready to celebrate your summer goals - time's up!

Kudos

Jody, Alicia, Raquel and Donna all reached their first five pounds lost this week. Velma reached her 25 pound milestone. And we had not one, but TWO members reach goal this week: Sandee and Libby. Great work, gals!

WW Product of the Week

Weight Watchers Smoothie - have you tried our new Vanilla Chai flavor yet? It's our newest seasonal flavor, which means if you like it, stock up while supplies last! I've tried it and really like the spicy vanilla flavor. It's a great addition to our standard Chocolate and Vanilla flavors. Make sure you're getting your dairy requirements - made with milk, these Smoothies give you 2 servings of dairy in one glass. $7.50 for a box of 7 smoothies.

Weekly Potpourri

In honor of our Lose for Good campain, check out Free Rice. This is a fun word game that benefits the hungry. For every answer you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program.

What's Hot at WW.com

Looking for a fun menu for Monday's holiday? Our website has some tips for a Labor Day Bash that will be fun and healthy.

Quote of the Week

Remember, even when you take two steps forward and one step back, you still get where you want to go.

Weekly Recipe: Chicken & Penne Casserole with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

Chicken & Penne Casserole with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
Serves 6
5 Points value

2 cups penne
2 tsp olive oil
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp plain dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 7x11 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the pasta. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken, beans, egg substitute, and broth. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish; top with goat cheese.

Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and parsley with remaining 1 tsp oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until the topping is browned and the filling is hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Per 1 cup serving: 250 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 5g fiber, 282mg sodium

--from Best Eats

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Newsletter, week of August 24th

Last Week

Help keep yourself motivated by setting short-term goals. Remember, once you achieve a goal, it's time to set the next one.

This Week

Are you in the zone? We'll discuss not only the Comfort Zone (hey there Core folks!), but Activity Zones and No-Eating Zones. Be there to see what I mean!

Kudos

This week we celebrated 10 pound losses for Kecia and Amber, and gave Linda her 30 pound star. We also got a sneak peek at a celebration for this week - don't know what I mean? Come by on Monday night to find out!

WW Product of the Week

POINTS Pedometer - to see whether you're in the activity zone or not, what better tool is there than a pedometer? This one measures your steps, translates that into miles walked, and most importantly, will calculate Activity Points earned. This tool is a great way to inspire you to Move More.

Weekly Potpourri

I know some of you will do just about anything to increase your calorie burn. Well, it turns out that working on your balance can help you burn more calories. When you practice balancing, you engage a lot of different muscles. More muscles working means more calories burned!

What's Hot at WW.com

We have a lot more men in our meetings these days. So why not read about John, who realized that he needed to get healthy and joined Weight Watchers to do it.

Quote of the Week

"You have two choices in this life for everything thing you confront, give up and quit or press on with enthusiasm." - Holli Noel

Weekly Recipe: Home-Style Meatloaf

Home-Style Meatloaf
Serves 8
3 Points value and Core

3/4 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup diced onion
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
3/4 lb ground skinless turkey breast
3/4 lb lean ground beef (7% fat or less)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 5x9 loaf pan with foil.

Combine the oatmeal, milk, broth, carrots, onion, egg, parsley, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix the turkey and beef in a medium bowl. Add the turkey mixture to the oatmeal mixture; mix just until blended.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Per slice: 152 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 1g fiber, 471mg sodium

--from our new Best Eats cookbook

Some Housekeeping

Eagle-eyed readers might notice a few changes around here. In order to make this website a little more useful and fun, I've done the following:

Enabled Comments: If you've got something to say about something in a newsletter, now you can! I have elected to moderate comments, which means I get to view them before they show publicly. This will help prevent spam comments. Now you can let me know what you think right when you read it.

Separate Recipe Entries: Now that I've been doing this for awhile, I've posted a lot of recipes. But since they're all buried in past newsletters, they can be hard to find. From now on I'll make two entries a week - one for the newsletter, and a second for the recipe of the week. That way if you're just looking for a recipe, you don't have to wade through tons of other stuff. (Sorry, but past newsletters will stay as-is.)

Labels On Entries: In addition to making separate entries for recipes, I will be tagging all entries with some relevant information. Labels will be added to recipes that indicate whether or not the recipe is Core or vegetarian, and what type of recipe it is (main dish, beverage, etc.). I've also added a list of labels used to the sidebar of the blog. So when you click on a label, you will get just those entries with that tag. So if you're looking for all Core recipes I've posted, now you can do that! Because I will not break out recipes from past newsletter posts, I've added the relevant recipe tags to those newsletter posts, too.

In doing all of this site maintenance, I realized it's been a long time since I've done any silly kitchen experiments. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of "I Cook So You Don't Have To" - I'm canvassing the internet for inspiration as we speak!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Newsletter, week of August 17th

Last Week

I don't know about you, but I had a ball taking a trip down memory lane and talking about old versions of the WW plan. Life's gotten much easier these days, but we still need to make sure we're doing it right!

This Week

Who couldn't be helped by a little bit of motivation? This week we'll explore why setting mini-goals is a good way to keep you inspired.

Kudos

Thanks to all of you who completed the surveys I brought this week. Your feedback is important, and your compliments are appreciated. It was wonderful of you to mention that the gals who work behind the desk are valuable parts of the Weight Watchers experience.

WW Product of the Week

Easy Measure Set - portion control is such an important part of staying on track. Our spoons will help you realize just how much a 1 cup scoop of potato salad really is (or isn't)!

Weekly Potpourri

Summer can get a little hot, so if you're tired of exercising under the sun, you might want to get in the water! Obviously we've got tons of beach, but if you're like me and don't care for the salt water, check out one of the many pools to be found throughout San Diego. Even if you don't go to swim laps, splashing around can be a cool way to move more and have some fun.

Recipe of the Week

August 15th is Indian Independence day (you of course knew that, right???) so this week's recipe uses one of their most awesome spices: curry!

Curried Cabbage
Serves 8
1 Points value (and Core)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
12 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add mustard, curry, and turmeric; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cabbage and remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

--recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

What's Hot at WW.com

I know I won't stop talking about the Olympics, but come on! Check out these international recipes and get into the world spirit. So help me, there's a recipe for KANGAROO.

Quote of the Week

"It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward." - Old Chinese Proverb

Friday, August 08, 2008

Newsletter, week of August 10th

Last Week

Take your cue from olympians. Do what you love, and moving more won't seem like such a hassle!

This Week

Get ready to laugh. This week we take a look at the sordid history of Weight Watchers' food plans. Remember when we had to eat liver? We'll contrast that with how "easy" it is today. If you have any program materials from the Olden Days, feel free to bring it in - we'd love to see it!

Kudos

Big time awards this week went to Trixie for 35 pounds lost and Heidi for 50 pounds lost! We also had some first 5 pound celebrations - if you keep this up folks, you'll be where these ladies are now.

WW Product of the Week

Remember, our 2 Points bars and baked snacks are still on sale (through August 23rd) so there's still time to stock up. Also on sale are our Mix-Ins. Those are being discontinued to make room for some cool new stuff, so you can pick up 2 boxes for $5. Check out the recipe below for one fun way to use them.

Weekly Potpourri

One of my goals as a Leader is to keep members in the seats. Around here that's called "retention." While the beancounters like it for financial reasons, I like it because it means I'm helping you stick with the plan and achieve your goals. To that end, I will be bringing in a survey this week and asking you all to anonymously let me know what kind of things Weight Watchers can do (both on a corporate and a local level) to keep you coming back. Here's your chance to influence what kind of stuff we do each week!

Recipe of the Week

Mix-In Margarita
3 Points

1 12 oz can diet Sprite
1 single serving packet of WW Mixins lemonade
1 lime (all the juice of)
2 Tbsp tequila
1 Tbsp triple sec

Fill a blender pitcher 2/3 full with ice. Add all the ingredients above. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

What's Hot at WW.com

If I had a nickel for every time someone said "I can't do that" or "I'll never be able to change that" well, I wouldn't need to work for a living! If you think you can't change your ways, check out this article for tips on how you CAN.

Quote of the Week

"I don't believe the program has changed all that much...members will always need to know that first of all, they're not alone; secondly, they're not bad people for being overweight; and third, if they really want something, it's within their power to go and get it." - Jean Nidetch, founder of Weight Watchers

Friday, August 01, 2008

Newsletter, week of August 3rd

Last Week

Olympic athletes make it all look so effortless because they spend a lot of time practicing. You can practice good behavior in your head, and make it look effortless as well!

This Week

Staying on the Olympic theme, we'll talk about how to make your activity feel like games instead of something...less inspiring.

Kudos

This week we gave a five pound star to Amber, and a 15 pound star to Teresa. Great job, ladies!

WW Product of the Week

SALE - all of our 2 Points snacks are on sale! You can get your bars, pretzels and cheddar twists at a sale price of 2 for $8. One box is still $4.50. Stock up so you have some safe snacks when you need them.

Weekly Potpourri

You may have heard that some cities are starting to require nutrition information to be posted at some restaurants. In an article Marta found in The Wall Street Journal this week, there was a website mentioned that publishes nutrition information for many local restaurants. If you've ever heard of the book Healthy Dining in San Diego then you've heard of these guys. Here is their data. Get smart about your restaurant dining - it can be eye opening.

Recipe of the Week

Potato and Green Bean Salad
POINTS: 3 (for 1 cup serving)

24 oz potatoes, fingerling variety, scrubbed, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
8 oz green snap beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
6 Tbsp fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
3 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
3 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped
3 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped

Put potatoes into a large pot. Fill pot half way up with water; bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until almost tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add green beans and cook until potatoes are tender and green beans are crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain; rinse under cold water and drain again.

Meanwhile, to make dressing, in a large serving bowl, whisk together broth, shallots, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle in oil, whisking, until blended; stir in tarragon, dill and chives.

Add potatoes and green beans to bowl; toss gently, taking care not to break up potatoes, until mixed and coated with dressing. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

What's Hot at WW.com

Why on earth do we need to drink water? This article explores some of the myths about water, but also gives us a clue as to why it's part of the Good Health Guidelines.

Quote of the Week

"The first thing is to love your sport. Never do it to please someone else. It has to be yours." - Peggy Fleming