Roundup, week of December 4th

What Happened Last Week?

We talked flexibility, and I gave you a quick preview of some of the 2012 changes we'll be rolling out to PointsPlus this week. Some of you might get an early preview if you log into eTools over the weekend!

Overall I'm proud of you all and how you handled Thanksgiving. Most of you that were in the meetings before the holiday showed up to check in after, and many of you did better than expected! We got to celebrate first five pound stars for Leonor, Melina and Paula Ann, and Nancy became our newest Lifetime Member in the Wednesday meeting! See, the holidays don't have to be a time of weight gain.

So What's Coming Up?

Introducing PointsPlus 2012! Now, compared to last year these changes are minimal, but as always, we look for ways to keep delivering a better plan than we did before. You'll find some new options available to you that will give you the most flexible and personalized plan ever.

Thought for the Week

"Things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." - Abraham Lincoln

Weekly Recipe: Paula Deen's Healthier Mac & Cheese

I am a fan of Dr. Oz on Facebook, and he apparently suggested to Paula Deen that she come up with a lighter version of one of her recipes. This makes me chuckle, because, well...

Anyway. She went ahead and lightened a mac and cheese, and someone out there has got to try it and see if it's worth it! Bonus points if you can build it and get some nutrition information on it. I couldn't bring myself to get off my duff and do it for you.

Roundup, week of November 20th

What Happened Last Week?

I donned my turkey hat and we talked PointsPlus values for many of the traditional holiday dishes. I hope you found that helpful to plan your Thanksgiving day strategy. You've got one more set of meetings this week to ask any last minute questions or get a final burst of motivation!

This week we also celebrated Heather achieving her 30 pound weight loss star. What a great way to head into the holidays!

So What's Coming Up?

So now you know the important food values for Thanksgiving, but that's really only part of the battle. Holidays often bring stress with them for a variety of reasons. We'll talk about how to handle it, deal with it, and emerge victorious through this holiday season.

Thought for the Week

Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains. ~ Emilie Cady

Weekly Recipe: A Traditional Thanksgiving Menu

In our meetings this week we discussed the PointsPlus values of many of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. If the numbers shocked you or seemed too high for your needs, our website has a bunch of great resources to help you skinny down those favorites:

A Traditional Thanksgiving Menu

That article has links to just about every course you can think of for turkey day. You may find it necessary to log into eTools to get all the recipes, but it's worth checking out. If you try any, let me know how they work out!

Roundup, week of November 13th

What Happened Last Week?

Time spent sitting isn't as productive calorie-wise as time spent being up and active. Were you able to identify ways to sit less and move more? Or if not, ways to be more productive WHILE you sit?

Celebrations this week include five pound stars for Kim (who has lost 21 pounds), Erin (who has lost 26.4 pounds, and Denise (who has lost 42.2 pounds). We also celebrated the fact that Robin is our newest Lifetime Member!

So What's Coming Up?

This week we'll be doing our annual Thanksgiving Plate meeting. If you're not prepared for the big turkey feast yet, and have no idea how many PointsPlus values you might be spending, this is the week for you! You'll get lots of information on the standard turkey dinner items so that you can plan ahead and decide on your Thanksgiving strategy.

Thought for the Week

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. ~ Bill Cosby

Weekly Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

Here's a tried and true recipe from me that I think will be great all this fall. Seriously, this soup is SO GOOD you have to try it.

Baked Potato Soup

You cannot tell there is any cauliflower in this soup at all. It's all potato all the time.

Roundup, week of October 30th

What Happened Last Week?

We figured out some pretty good strategies to handle the sweet tooth now that Halloween is almost upon us. I know you can get through this holiday successfully!

We had a bunch of great celebrations this week, which included a five pound star for Carlye, a 10 and 15 pound star for Alicia, and several 25 pound weight loss celebrations: Elizabeth, Ashley, Lynne and Amy! We also celebrated Denise's 35 pound weight loss and gave Kim a 16 week Stay and Succeed Award.

After discussing ways to get rid of excess Halloween candy in Wednesday's meeting (and yes, there is such a thing as "excess" candy!) I did some internet sleuthing.

Halloween Candy Buyback is a program that will take your leftover candy and use it for a good purpose. That website lists several dentists in the San Diego area who will accept your candy. If that doesn't work, here are a few other ideas.

So What's Coming Up?

Have you ever come to a meeting expecting a gain but ended up losing? Sometimes that may seem like permission to continue indulging, but we'll talk this week about what it can really mean.

El Cajon Reminder: Remember that we will only be open from 9am-11am for drop-in service, and there will be no meeting. We will be leaving the center promptly at the end of drop-in hours to attend a mandatory all-staff meeting. We'll see you next week for the real deal, okay?

Thought for the Week

Most barriers to your success are man-made. And most often, you're the man who made them. - Frank Tyger

Weekly Recipe: "Boo"-nana Pops

File this recipe under "things I know I'll never make" but seriously, one of you needs to make these.

Frozen "Boo"-Nana Pops

Because if those aren't the cutest things ever, I don't know what-all.

Roundup, week of October 23rd

What Happened Last Week?

Have you ever lost "only" 0.2? It's all a matter of perspective, and if you appreciate the fact that those small amounts can add up to big results, it will help keep you from getting discouraged!

Those whose weight loss added up to big results this week included Mary, Maggie, Diana and Chantel, who all got their first five pound stars. Heather got her 25 pound star, and Denise celebrated over 30 pounds lost. Nancy was the star of this Wednesday's meeting, because SHE GOT TO GOAL! Who's next?

So What's Coming Up?

Halloween is coming up...and so is the potential for sweet sabotage. This week we'll discuss strategies to keep that sweet tooth in check.

El Cajon Note

I've been mentioning this in the meetings over the past few weeks, but I should probably make note here as well. On October 30th our location will only be open from 9am to 11am, and there will be no meeting that day. All our staff will be attending an annual training event. You can drop in any time between 9 and 11, but we'll have to shut it down right at 11 so we can get to the event across town. Yep, it's early, but then you can get on with your day!

Thought for the Week

You have a clean slate every day you wake up. You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be. You just have to decide to do it. Decide today's the day. Say it; This is going to be my day. ~ Brendon Burchard

Weekly Recipe: Butternut Frittata

Is it time to start breaking out the squash and pumpkin recipes? The weather today tells me so, and so does the calendar, but I hear tell this weekend will be warm again. Well, close enough.

The latest recipe on my To Try list is this Butternut Frittata with Sage and Gruyere. As written the nutritional profile isn't too bad, but I'll guarantee that I won't make it with whole milk, and I'll probably sub in some Eggbeaters.

Roundup, week of October 16th

What Happened Last Week?

We talked about managing our environment. Have you made the world around you so that it's easy to make the smart choices? If not, take a look and see how you can - the easier you make it, the easier it will be to do the right thing and be successful!

Celebrations this week included stars for Emily (5), Sue (10), Patricia (20), Ashley (20) and Mary (20). We also celebrated Diane and Albert reaching their 5% target and Jackie reaching her 10% target.

So What's Coming Up?

You might think that tiny amounts of weight loss in a week are silly and insignificant. We'll recap total weight loss during our Lose for Good campaign that just ended to show that every little bit adds up. Small successes are still successes!

Thought for the Week

Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made. - Wayne Dyer

Weekly Recipe: No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna

Okay, so last week's recipe was a zucchini pasta dish. This is sort of in the same vein, but it's been pinned like crazy on Pinterest, so I thought it might go over well anyway. It sounds a little labor intensive, but what the heck. Once the weather cools off, this could be a great cook once-eat all week meal, since it makes 12 servings.

No Noodle Vegetable Lasagna

Roundup, week of October 9th

What Happened Last Week?

You have a wide variety of Weight Watchers tools to choose from, and if you've got the Monthly Pass, eTools is one of them. Whether it's tracking electronically or looking up a PointsPlus value on the go, eTools is a wonderful tool to keep you in line. Have you found a new feature lately?

Celebrations this week included stars for April (first 5 pounds), Albert and Jeff (both at 10 pounds lost), Denise (25 pounds!) and Kim (5% target).

So What's Coming Up?

It's tough to choose weight-loss-friendly foods when your fridge and pantry are filled with not-so-healthy options. A banana, a yogurt, or string cheese might seem like a disappointment next to leftover coffee cake, cookies, or a bag of chips. Solution? Manage your environment! Join us this week to find out how.

Thought for the Week

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still. - Chinese Proverb

Clairemont Members - One More Week!

This Wednesday will be the last meeting at our regular location. Meetings held on Sunday, October 16th and after will be at our temporary location. I posted a big long entry on this a few weeks ago: Clicky clicky for all the details!

Weekly Recipe: Skinny Zucchini Ziti

I have been out of sorts and out of my routine for the past two weeks or so. First I was out of town, then I was sick. Don't even ask about my exercise routine. Just...don't.

So now that I'm starting to finally feel human again, I'm ready to start my cooking routine back up, and it starts tomorrow with a bunch of new recipes. Skinny Zucchini Ziti is one of those, and will be feeding us for dinner this next week.

I'm going to throw in an onion, and bought two large zucchinis. Because I mean, really. Thirteen servings and you're going to just use one zucchini? VEGETABLES, PEOPLE.

Roundup, week of September 25th

What Happened Last Week?

We talked about ways to keep your motivation levels up. Remember, every day isn't easy, so having a support network, tangible evidence of your success and an overall goal in mind can be super helpful at keeping you on track.

Celebrations this week included Stay and Succeed awards for Kathleen and Laurie. Linda reached her 25 pound mark, as did Jan. Great work, ladies!

So What's Coming Up?

Many members have eTools access, but only a small number use it. If you visited our demo this past weekend in El Cajon maybe you're joining the small but successful group of eTools users. This week we'll discuss eTools and other tools available to you that will help maximize your success. It's never too late to try something new!

Clairemont Reminder

The countdown to October 15 continues. On that day, we'll be moving locations temporarily while we remodel. If that's news to you, scroll back a week and see my "Attention Clairemont Shoppers" entry for full information. Plus, keep attending your meetings - we're providing up to date information there for you.

Thought for the Week

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

Weekly Recipe: Loaded Breakfast Sandwich

When people think of breakfast foods, they often immediately think of cereal. To each their own and all, but I've never found cold cereal all that filling and wonderful. I find that a breakfast full of protein and healthy carbs (whole grains) does me best, and although there is milk in cereal, I prefer to chew things whenever possible.

This loaded breakfast sandwich seems like an easy way to get great fuel in the morning. Don't be hungry before lunch!

Attention Clairemont Shoppers!

If you attend meetings (or plan on attending them in the next few months) at our Clairemont meeting, this post is full of extraordinarily important information!

After the meetings end on Saturday, October 15th our Clairemont location will close for renovation. That's right: no more slatwall, no more high traffic carpeting. I can't wait for you to see what the new room will look like when the renovation is complete. It's going to look fantastic!

During the renovation our meetings will be held as usual at 5675 Balboa Avenue in the Balboa Mesa Shopping Center. If you're familiar with Clairemont, you might recognize that as the former Hallmark shop in the CVS/Vons/Kohl's shopping center, which is right across the street from the Target shopping center. If you are not familiar with the area, here is a map with directions from one center to the other. Prepare yourself now by figuring out how to get there!

Renovation is expected to last 6 to 8 weeks. Obviously that is subject to change depending on how everyone sticks to the project timeline. Your best bet is to continue attending meetings. Yes, that takes us into the fall holiday season - hey, I show up year 'round, you should too! Breaking news will be posted at our Facebook page and you can bet I will share updates on my Facebook page as well. I will also include any relevant information in my weekly emails, so if you're not on my mailing list, let me know and I'll put you on!

If you show up to the wrong location, don't worry! See that map up there? The two centers are extremely close to each other. No, it's not a sign from above. Just put the car back in drive and get your butt to the right location. No excuses!

While we are operating in the temporary location, we will be doing all paperwork manually. This means you MUST BRING YOUR MONTHLY PASS. We will not be able to look up any of your information, so come prepared. What we really will need is your monthly pass number, because that must be written on a sign in sheet. While it's not ideal, an expired pass will still be okay, since it will have your monthly pass number printed on it. You can always log into eTools and print a temporary pass (log in, and in the upper right hand side of the screen click on "Account Settings") if you can't find your current one.

Any change in routine is bound to cause some grumbling. Please be patient with us during this transition. I know there will be some hiccups, and we'll be relying on older technology. But I promise we will all be doing our best to give you the continued meeting experience you've come to expect from us. Your cooperation in this will really mean a lot and ensure that everything goes as smoothly as it can.

Roundup, week of September 18th

What Happened Last Week?

Collectively we agreed that our weight loss magic wands weren't working, but instead of just wishing to have a perfect week, we talked about how to actually achieve one. Let us know if you focused your efforts on a particular area this week to improve your progress!

Celebrations this week included stars for Julie (5), Karyn (10), Darcy and Nancy (15), Elizabeth and Denise (20), and Sunita (40). We also gave 10% keychains to Elizabeth and Amy, and gave Taryn a Stay and Succeed charm.

So What's Coming Up?

Do you think that tending to your own needs is selfish? Do you wish you had more time? This week we'll discuss how you can find secret pockets of time that will allow you to eat right and move more. Remember, we find time for the things that are important to us!

Thought for the Week

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~ Author unknown, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Weekly Recipe: Turtle Ice Cream Cake

The recipes I post here are typically recipes I think sound good, or that I would choose to cook for myself. That's why, every once in awhile, I force myself to post something that I wouldn't eat - just because I don't like mushrooms doesn't mean YOU don't!

One thing I don't typically cook at home is dessert. Believe me, it's not because I don't like them! But because I don't often make dessert, I tend to overlook them when I'm posting links here. So today is one of those days where I reach out of my usual routine:

Turtle Ice Cream Cake

Look at that photo. I would eat a MESS of that cake, believe you me.

Roundup, week of September 11th

What Happened Last Week?

Back-to-school-time is often a time to get refocused on other things. Remember the basics of the plan (sticking to your target, making powerful food selections, making the plan livable and get moving) and try to keep the process simple. You can do this!

Congratulations to Linda who won the Succeed All Summer raffle prize this Wednesday. We'll hold Sunday and Monday drawings this week, so be sure you're there - you must be present to win!

Celebrations this week include a five pound star for Jennifer, a 5% target award for Darcy, a 10% keychain to Heather, and a 20 pound star for Jim!

So What's Coming Up?

If someone asked you to describe how you follow PointsPlus, what would you say? You might think you've named the key elements of the program, but consider: could what you left out hold the key to your success? You don't have to be 100% perfect to lose weight, but maybe a 1% improvement would get you those better results you've been hoping for.

Thought for the Week

Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure. ~ Edward Eggleston