Excuses, excuses...

An excuse you say!?? How many times I have I told members- "no need to make excuses- you have the power to get back on track- right now"? Well, that advice aside, I have what I think is a valid excuse-- but not for my program--rather, for slowing down my blogging lately. I'm getting married in less than a week! I'm heading out of town to the Northeast on Friday morning, and then am off for a whirlwind of wedding, family time, and then the (gulp) 100-mile hike! So, needless to say, I've been a delinquent blogger, and I don't expect to get back on here until early August. However, you can rest assured that when I do come back to blogging, that I'll have quite the story to share from our little adventure. Who knows, I may even have fresh perspectives as a... errrrr... "married woman"!

Some might ask- are you really going to follow the plan at your wedding?!? Well, let's just say that I'll be using all of those 35 weekly points allowance, plus a hefty dose of activity points-- however, I'm the one who got to select the menu-- so, yes, I am going to follow the plan! Hint: we aren't having just cake- I'll be enjoying some fresh berry sorbet as my dessert. Yummmm....

Have a wonderful rest of July- enjoy the moment, and continue to work towards those goals. Oh- and for those of you in my Westminster meetings- never fear- an experienced and knowledgeable substitute leader will inspire and lead you through the next 4 weeks!

~Braelin

Happy Belated 4th- Creating New Traditions

So often our holidays revolve around food- and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. Over the last year however, I've made a concerted effort to create new traditions that involve activity. Some have been simple- taking a walk at Thanksgiving, going skiing at the December holidays, etc. etc. I must say that I've really outdone myself with 4th of July however.

In preparation for our "honeymoon hike" (for anyone who doesn't know, I'm getting married later this month and instead of a traditional honeymoon we are hiking 100 miles of the Colorado Trail- a long distance hiking trail that spans from Denver to Durango), we set out on a trial run on Friday morning. Although I enjoy hiking and have done some (one?) true backcountry trips in the past, our 100 miles of the Colorado trail will be quite the challenge. So, we decided to do segments 4 + 5 of the trail (we will be doing 6 -10 later in the month) for a 4th of July celebration. Wow! This was a relatively ambitious plan for our first main hike out of the season- 30 miles over 3 days. I'm sore and I'm slightly blistered, but I'm certainly proud, pleased, and feeling pretty independent of other Independence Day traditions.

About 1/2 way through the second day of the hike, M. suggested that we make doing a 3-day backpacking trip on 4th of July weekend an annual tradition. He didn't even know about my covert operation to transform holiday traditions into active occasions- reading my mind- what a guy! Although I'll admit that I did miss seeing fireworks (I was hopeful that we'd be able to see some from where we were camped, but this wasn't the case), the views that I saw this 4th of July were just as awe-inspiring as any fireworks display!

Although I'm not sure that this tradition would be a fit for every family- I do encourage everyone to find new ways to create fun active festivities with family and friends around the holidays. Just last week in my meetings I heard of members bringing their bikes to a park where fireworks will be shown, walking in a Independence Day 5K, biking to a park for a picnic, and making a habit of walking to the house where their annual cook-out takes place. All great ideas!

I Want a Dog

I've always considered myself a "dog person" (though I do love my cat dearly too), but I've not had a dog since college-- and even that was my dad's dog really (after all, I wasn't the one home caring for her). Several of my friends have great dogs, and I've recently began seriously pursuing this whole dog thing. One of my many items on my "pro" list of dog-parentship is that I think that it would help allow me to be more independent with my exercise. Take today for example. I'm at home by myself. It is a gorgeous Colorado summer day. It is a perfect day for a hike! However, it is too early to call a friend, my fiancee is already off busy for the day, and frankly, I am not interested in hiking by myself. Enter the doggy solution: We could get up early, explore some new trail, and spend quality time (training time?) together!

I hear members talk about the benefits of dog parentship in meetings all the time too. Need an extra bit of motivation is needed to get out there and take a walk? Nothing that an energetic pup can't provide! Need help getting up early in the morning to get that workout in before a busy day? Pretty sure that doggy breath in your face and a short bark or two will be much more effective than any electronic alarm clock!

Note that I do realize that dog-parentship is a HUGE responsibility (which is probably why I don't have one...yet), but I am hopeful that I can find a way to take this on soon. In the meantime, I'm off for a walk around the neighborhood today which will inevitably heighten my dog-lust when I see adorable pups prancing around with proud parents.

One Good Day

Sometimes when I'm struggling with my Weight Watchers resolve, I resolve to be perfect with my efforts for "the next week". Well, I'm not perfect, so inevitably this fails, and I'm consequently disappointed in myself and ultimately the situation is not made better by my valiant effort to have a perfect week on the program. We talked about this sort of negative thinking several months ago in the meeting room. This "All or Nothing" thinking is a recipe for disaster. None of us are perfect- and if we set ourselves up with that expectation and then don't achieve (which we won't- let me remind you again: NOBODY is perfect), we are consequently frustrated and can all too easily turn to undesired responses: overeating, giving up, pulling our hair out- you name it...

This particular aspect of the Weight Watchers philosophy if you will has taken me several years to actualize. In fact- I'm still working on it. Last week, as a leader, I heard myself saying to myself "C'mon Braelin, you're a leader after all- you should be a perfect Weight Watchers example!". No sooner had I said this, some sort of bizzaro flip switched in my head and it became that much more difficult to stick to my POINTs, to workout, to get in my Good Health Guidlines, etc. Really!

Here's what's happening when we strive for perfection (or at least when I'm doing it...): Our smart selves know that we can't be perfect, so we may subconsciously use this as an excuse to sabotage our efforts all together. Afterall, we think to ourselves in the subconscious, "I'm not going to achieve this unrealistic goal, so why not just blow it right this very second (and with a fist-full of chocolate chips at that!??)." Doh!

What I realized over the weekend (and do know that I've been thinking on this for some time...) is that it only takes 1 good day to get me back on the wagon. I truly do not need to be perfect for a week in order to get back on course. However, if I have one really good day on the program, this provides me with the momentum I need to move forward in a positive- yet not perfect-direction.

So yesterday I had a really good day on the program. You know, having a goal for a really good day is attainable, sustainable, and feels really great when accomplished. Hmmm... these are the same traits that I suggest members strive for when setting their weight goals. In any case, I did it! I had one good day. Now I have the motivation to have another good day, because I know- and really believe- that it can be done. So here's to another good day, and another one the day after that, and yet another one after that. You see where I'm going here?

What does this small realization mean for me? Gone are my moments of striving for lengthy periods of perfection. The next time that I'm faltering and need some additional "umph" by stating my commitment to the Weight Watchers program, I'm going to commit to having "one good day". That's it! I can do that! I truly think that this seemingly small shift will have a significant impact on my overall well being and will allow my success to shine through- in all of its slightly tarnished imperfect glory.

Make today one good day on your end too!

Travel Trials

It is before 6am as I type this, and I've just returned from a trip to drop M. off at the airport. Darn that 6:25am departing flight! Siggghhh...This spring has been a whirlwind of travel for me- and it isn't over yet! This Thursday I head out for the last of my trips to other people's weddings this spring... and then I'm off to my own wedding (traveling for that too) next month.

Travel-- particularly air travel-- can present some really valid challenges to the Weight Watcher member these days. With the liquid restriction, general hassle at the airport, and paired back offerings on the plane (though I'm not complaining about not having an icky meal served to me in-flight), things can be difficult.However, with a few extra minutes of preparation, you can successfully manage even a long day of travel. Despite the restrictions, I still attempt to pack my own snacks, and in some cases, my own meals. My "go to" snacks include: fruit, Cliff brand "Z" bars (2 or 3 POINTS) or Weight Watchers snack bars (1 or 2 POINTS), hummus and carrots or pretzels (I've found that hummus is not considered a liquid or gel...), and nuts and dried fruit (in moderation). I've brought sandwiches for meals before too. Interesting note: Once I brought mustard in a little packet (like you'd get in a to-go bag at a restaurant). This was not acceptable and was promptly confiscated by the TSA. However, as a test, the next time I brought a sandwich I put the mustard on the sandwich (vs. carrying it separately) and of course it was a-okay (although my sandwich was slightly soggy by the time I got through security and was ready to eat). Apparently mustard is much less threatening when already smeared on a sandwich! So, lesson learned: if you have mustard (or mayo, or the like...), put it on your sandwich, or else stuff it into your sealed quart-sized Ziploc bag along with your toiletries in order to get it past security (though something about mustard--even in a sealed packet-- in the same space as my toiletries grosses me out).

When it comes to terminal restaurants, I have a few favorites at DIA. In concourse B I will often hit up the "Itza Wrap Itza Bowl" (which is sort of behind the escalators that you take up from the train into the concourse). I get a veggie bowl with more veggies than brown rice, ask for the sauce on the side and have guesstimated it at 8 POINTS (again- emphasize more veggies than rice, and with the sauce on the side the 8 POINT estimate is assuming 2 Tbl. of sauce only-teriyaki- used).

Paradise Bakery in the morning has basic oatmeal that's just oatmeal, fruit and milk/sugar of your choosing. There's a Paradise in both concourse B and C (go upstairs inside the concourse in B to find it). Note that this oatmeal is also available served in an "oatmeal cookie bowl". As tempting as this may be (and it does tempt me each time...) forgo the cookie bowl and instead enjoy the berries and bananas that come with the basic oatmeal.

In concourse C, my go-to for lunch or dinner is typically a sandwich at Einstein’s bagels. I get a bagel (5 or 6 POINTS- depending on the type) with hummus (can you tell that I'm a fan of hummus...?!?!), tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers. I count the hummus as 3 POINTS, and the veggies don't have any- so there's an 8 or 9 POINT sandwich (sounds like a lot- but trust me- much better than many airport options). If you aren't a hummus fan like I am, they have all of their typical sandwich fare too- just use your same restaurant requests and ask for no mayo, sub this or that, and pointy extras on the side to control portions.

Here's a link to DIA's restaurants, listed with concourse location for your convenience:www.flydenver.com/shops/food/index.asp. Apparently I don't fly much with the airlines based out of concourse A, since those don't seem familiar to me- but I'm pretty sure that Hope's Country Fresh Cookies is not a hopeful place for a Weight Watcher!

Although you can't link directly to the restaurant's site with nutritional information from this DIA page, with a few extra clicks you should be able to pull up the NI for most of these restaurants and use this information to plan accordingly.

Lastly, my sure-thing when traveling is always water. Staying hydrated while traveling is important anyway, and it certainly helps me keep tabs on my hunger cues. If I remember, I bring an empty water bottle and fill it up at a water fountain on the other side of security. Otherwise, it is a $3.49 bottle of water for me that I then refill throughout my travel day.

I'm off to New Hampshire on Thursday for my best friend's wedding. Thursday night meeting members- I'll miss you this week, but a neat leader will be subbing for me and I'll be back next week to check in. Safe travels for anyone else heading out of town this father's day!

Pineapple-Cashew-Quinoa ("keen-wah") Stir-fry

Last week in one of my meetings when we were discussing grains someone suggested quinoa. This fun grain (fun name-- pronounced "keen-wah" and also a fun look- sort of little swirly round rice grains- kind of like couscous but with a whirly-gig in the middle...) that may be unfamiliar to many of you. I personally discovered quinoa about 3 years ago, and although I mainly enjoy it "plain" (cooked in broth- just as I would with rice- but cooks in about 1/3 of the time that brown rice takes...), here is a delicious stir-fry recipe. This recipe is slightly adapted from a cookbook that I have by Isa Chandra-Moskowitz. Based on my calculations (using peas, not the edamame), I get 6 servings at 5 POINTS/serving. I eat this as-is- sort of like a rice/veggie bowl style dish that I might get at an Asian restaurant. Be sure to do your own calculations too- e-tools recipe builder is great- or the old pen/paper (and calculator!) method will work too. Oh- and I think that this is a great leftover meal for my lunches (the flavor really soaks in after a day or two...).

Ingredients:


For the Quinoa:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup cold water

1/4 tsp. soy sauce



For the Stir-Fry:

2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews; chopped up

1 tsp. canola oil

2 scallions (green onions), sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

Small piece of ginger (about 1/2-inch), peeled and minced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped into small flowerettes

1 cup frozen peas (or cooked edamame)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds

10 ounces pineapple, chopped up into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth

1 Tbsp. mirin (if you don't have it just add an extra Tbsp. broth)

Optional: 1 hot red chile, sliced into very thin rounds



Method:

1. Prepare the quinoa first. YOU MUST RINSE THE QUINOA WELL BEFORE USING IT (a mesh style strainer/seive works well). After it is rinsed, combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water, and 1/4 tsp. soy sauce in a saucepan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir and then lower the heat to low. Cover and cook 10-14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. Chill the quinoa for at least an hour in the fridge (longer- i.e. overnight is fine too).



2. Use a large nonstick skillet or wok (larger is better...). Have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before you start! Place the chopped cashews in the dry pan and heat over low, stirring constantly until lightly toasted, 4-5 minutes.



3. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside. Raise the heat to medium and add the oil, green onions, and garlic. When the garlic sizzles, add the ginger and sliced chili pepper (if using) and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, and peas or edamame. Stir-fry another 3-4 minutes or until the bell pepper is softened and the peas or edamame are bright green. Add the basil and stir another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.



4. In a measuring cup, mix together the soy sauce and vegetable broth (and mirin, if using). Pour over the quinoa and then stir to incorporate completely. Add in the cashews and continue to stir-fry 10-14 minutes or until the quinoa is very hot (use two spoons or a spoon and a spatula to help you scoop it up and stir).


Oh- and if you are wondering more about quinoa, or want a simple way to cook it, here is information from that same cookbook from a chapter entitled "How to Cook a Grain":

Cultivated by the Inca for hundreds of years, the mystique of quinoa has been taken down a few notches by its placement alongside Uncle Ben's at many American supermarkets. Quinoa comes in red and brown varieties (which taste exactly the same to us), and has a slightly bitter, nutty taste. We use it often in pilafs, salads, and the occasional muffin. It's especially attractive when cooked; the individual grains look a bit like couscous but the germ forms a pretty translucent ring around each one. Adorable. Quinoa is also a complete protein, which has recently made it something of a darling to the vegan community and health-conscious foodies.

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

To serve 4:
1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt

Cook: Place all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, turn down the heat to very low and simmer for about 15 minutes. The quinoa should be translucent and the germ ring should be visible. Fluff with a fork and serve.

(This also works really well with broth in place of the water for some flavor, in which case omit the salt).

Late Night Snacking Blues...

I've had the late night snacking blues lately. I actually have been eating a lot of blueberries as a late night snack (hence my catchy post title...) but unfortunately these blues are beyond the berries! No, it isn't actual physical hunger. I wouldn't quite define it as boredom either, rather it is a seemingly inexplicable desire to...well.. eat after 9pm. In the winter when I get into one of these phases (and thankfully this does seem to be a phase thing), a cup (or 3) of hot tea or decaf chai usually does the trick. However, in the summer I'm struggling and tea isn't appealing to me (and iced tea isn't my thing). It is usually about 3-4 hours after dinner. I'm usually on the computer, doing work, shopping, whatever- and it hits me: I want to snack! I assess my hunger cues. Am I hungry? No. Do I want to eat? Yes. Do I have the POINTS available? Often I do. Is there something else that I can do (i.e. take a walk) to divert my attention elsewhere? Probably--- but a walk isn't happening at 10pm at night, so I often do turn to the snacking. Unfortunately it can quickly spiral out of control. I usually start with a fruit or veggie snack, but sometimes struggle to stop there. For example, last night it started with a serving of blueberries (1 POINT) then moved to some leftover green beans (0 POINTS), then to 2 small slices of wheat pita bread (2 POINTS) with some margarine (2 POINTS), and then 2 chocolate chip cookies (6 POINTS). Ugh- that was an 11 POINT snack... and notice how it progresses from fruit to chocolate?!? See, there's concerted effort on my part to chose wisely (berries, beans, even the pita wasn't a disaster), but then the cookies were really just not needed.

I recognize it in the moment (that's a good thing), but need to move past that. Last night was the end of my Weight Watchers week, and honestly I had the points in my WPA to do this, but really didn't need to eat 11 POINTS in about 15 minutes, when I wasn't even hungry in the first place! Sigghhhh...

Here's my summer late-night snacking plan:

-Budget for a 3-4 POINT evening snack (that's reasonable to me).
-Recognize when the snack craving hits (I am already recognizing it- check!)
- Next- this part is new- grab my journal (not the computer- need the actual pen/paper kind) and write. I enjoy writing, can journal about my feelings, what I'm thinking about- really whatever. It is possible that I'll even write about my snack craving, though that's not necessary as part of the plan.
-If I'm still snacky after writing, have my 3-4 POINT snack in one sitting. That's the thing- I am not going to leave that door open to continually going back to the kitchen if I still think that I have POINTS left. Rather, I plan to have my snack, and then be done with it.

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it. However, I'm going to check back in with myself in 1 week. If my plan is working-great! Add this to my bag of tricks for the next time the late night summer snacking phase hits. If it isn't working however, I'm committed to changing my plan to find a tactic that does work.

Now I'm got some silly bluesy tune in my head and I swear there's a song about the snacking blues out there somewhere...