Hello Wednesday night members- just a quick note to say that we are indeed planning on being open at the Westminster Center tonight (3/24/10), despite the snow. Stay safe and warm today. If you come out for the meeting drive safely! See you in a bit.
Braelin
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
The WW Friendly Kitchen
This week's meeting topic was particularly pertinent for me. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. As such, it is important to have a kitchen which supports my weight-loss efforts- not impedes them. Here are my tips for managing my (kitchen) environment:
- Label it. I get out my Sharpie when I come home from the store and mark up the POINTS values of items right on the box/can/bag.
- Pre-portion/make my own 100-calorie or 2 POINTS snack treats. A ziplock or tupperware style container with pre-portioned grab-and-go snack helps both my POINTS and $$ budget.
- Keep the good stuff front and center, and push the challenging foods to the side (hidden behind a big basket of fruit or another filling food...). This way, when I open the pantry or fridge, I am greeted by POINTS friendly filling foods from the get go. What meets the eye first is often the best choice.
- Give my food scale "prime real estate" on the kitchen counter. I keep my scale out- front and center. This reminds me to measure the weight of different foods.
- Have multiple sets of measuring cups. This way, I can't use the excuse that the measuring cup is in the dishwasher/lost/dirty/etc. when it comes to portion control. The Weight Watchers Easy Measure set is another good option when needing to measure easily.
I challenged members this week to make 10 changes to their kitchen this week. I too am going to do this. Already I'm planning on: getting a few new tupperware containers, organizing my tea cabinet so that it is easier to see my selection and thus easier to choose a cup of tea when I'm wanting something flavorful, getting some freezer bags, checking out those green produce bags that someone in my meeting mentioned (thank you- they are supposed to make fresh produce last longer!), and a few other tricks.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Back to Blogging
Well hello there. Remember me? I've been more than a big neglectful of this blog, and for that I do apologize. Life has gotten particularly hectic lately- so I've really had a hard time keeping up on some of the "extras". Unfortunately that also means that I've been struggling a bit to keep taking care of myself a priority- but that needs to change! Remember a few weeks back when we talked about emotional eating? Stress, in particular, seemed to be a popular emotion for members to turn to food to "fix". I'm right there with you! That said, I've been employing a few of the techniques we talked about in that very meeting to my own life.
You may recall at the end of the meeting I suggested that we all create a list of 10 viable things to do when we are emotionally hungry (meaning, that we are not physically hungry, yet an emotional response is triggering the desire to want to eat...). I displayed a large list of my Top 10 on the flip chart, and in jest, I suggested that I should post that giant sized list on my own fridge at home. Well, I did that! Yep... the entire bottom half of my fridge is covered in flip chart paper with my list. Is it working? Well, as I sit here with my cup of pumpkin-ginger spiced tea, and "cuppa' tea" is the first item on my list I'm feeling pretty good about things! So, again, here's my list of things to do to combat emotional eating:
10) Cuppa' Tea
9) Call a friend (I just did that one too...)
8) Take a walk/bike
7) Into a good book
6) Shop... (could be dangerous...)
5) Clean
4) Shred (workout DVD)
3) Make a list
2) Get out of the house! (i.e. a bookstore, library, etc.)
1) Listen to music and fall asleep...
Oh- and I will add that if you post this in a public space (or in my case, very public b/c of the blog and b/c it is just so big on the fridge...) be prepared for an additional bonus- in doing so, you open the door to ask for help. Your friends, family, or anyone who visits your house will surely see your list, and this in turn can easily prompt a discussion that can lead to you asking for help (another Weight Watchers "tools for living").
You may recall at the end of the meeting I suggested that we all create a list of 10 viable things to do when we are emotionally hungry (meaning, that we are not physically hungry, yet an emotional response is triggering the desire to want to eat...). I displayed a large list of my Top 10 on the flip chart, and in jest, I suggested that I should post that giant sized list on my own fridge at home. Well, I did that! Yep... the entire bottom half of my fridge is covered in flip chart paper with my list. Is it working? Well, as I sit here with my cup of pumpkin-ginger spiced tea, and "cuppa' tea" is the first item on my list I'm feeling pretty good about things! So, again, here's my list of things to do to combat emotional eating:
10) Cuppa' Tea
9) Call a friend (I just did that one too...)
8) Take a walk/bike
7) Into a good book
6) Shop... (could be dangerous...)
5) Clean
4) Shred (workout DVD)
3) Make a list
2) Get out of the house! (i.e. a bookstore, library, etc.)
1) Listen to music and fall asleep...
Oh- and I will add that if you post this in a public space (or in my case, very public b/c of the blog and b/c it is just so big on the fridge...) be prepared for an additional bonus- in doing so, you open the door to ask for help. Your friends, family, or anyone who visits your house will surely see your list, and this in turn can easily prompt a discussion that can lead to you asking for help (another Weight Watchers "tools for living").
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Resolution time
Eeeek- I've been neglectful of this blog- sorry about that! Well, that's one thing that I'm resolving to change. I don't make weight-loss resolutions any longer, but I do consider the new year as a nice time to think about changes that I'd like to make in my life. I've enjoyed going back and looking over my past blog posts, so I'm planning on being a bit more regular with my posts going forward.
Another change that I'd like to make is something that I talked about on Wednesday night at my meeting. I'd like to be more intentional about recognizing the positive moves that I make each day. I have a bedtime routine (brush teeth, wash face, etc. and read for a few minutes). I'm going to add to my nightly routine- I'm going to acknowledge one thing that I've done that day that's been helpful for me- for my health or my overall well being. It could be a choice that I made about food or exercise, or it could be something that I did to reduce- or prevent- stress. It could be something that I said or asked of someone else, a move that I made to manage my environment, or even a basic Weight Watchers program skill that I executed well that day. The point being, that I (like most of us) can really benefit from focusing on the positive for a few minutes each day. All too often our thoughts drift to our mistakes, or lapses, or our shortcomings. However, to keep our positive momentum going, it is incredibly helpful to think about what we are doing well. As we discussed on Wednesday, in doing so, I'm able to give myself the often needed boost of energy that I can do things right! In turn, this positive energy can help motivate me to continue to do things well. If, for example, I remember that I threw away the Enstrom's toffee that was gifted to me before I totally overdid it (true accomplishment- yeah!), I am capable of saying "no thank you" to another treat, or of taking only a reasonable portion of another.
So, this year I resolve to focus on the positive for a few minutes each and every day. I've got reminders all around me about what I'm doing right- sometimes I just need to pause and acknowledge my accomplishments- no matter how small they may seem.
Another change that I'd like to make is something that I talked about on Wednesday night at my meeting. I'd like to be more intentional about recognizing the positive moves that I make each day. I have a bedtime routine (brush teeth, wash face, etc. and read for a few minutes). I'm going to add to my nightly routine- I'm going to acknowledge one thing that I've done that day that's been helpful for me- for my health or my overall well being. It could be a choice that I made about food or exercise, or it could be something that I did to reduce- or prevent- stress. It could be something that I said or asked of someone else, a move that I made to manage my environment, or even a basic Weight Watchers program skill that I executed well that day. The point being, that I (like most of us) can really benefit from focusing on the positive for a few minutes each day. All too often our thoughts drift to our mistakes, or lapses, or our shortcomings. However, to keep our positive momentum going, it is incredibly helpful to think about what we are doing well. As we discussed on Wednesday, in doing so, I'm able to give myself the often needed boost of energy that I can do things right! In turn, this positive energy can help motivate me to continue to do things well. If, for example, I remember that I threw away the Enstrom's toffee that was gifted to me before I totally overdid it (true accomplishment- yeah!), I am capable of saying "no thank you" to another treat, or of taking only a reasonable portion of another.
So, this year I resolve to focus on the positive for a few minutes each and every day. I've got reminders all around me about what I'm doing right- sometimes I just need to pause and acknowledge my accomplishments- no matter how small they may seem.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A.W.L.- Sunday
Sunday, November 15
Breakfast:
-Raspberry NutriGrain bar (best option at the gas station on the way up to A-Basin...)
-1/2 single serve bag honey roasted peanuts (on the lift...)
Late lunch:
-Veggie jambalaya (lots of veggies and beans with brown rice)
Dinner:
-Balsamic cherry tomato penne (from the WW cookbook Comfort Classics- adapted to be even lower in points!)
-2/3 cup peas/carrots mixture
-1 serving stuffing with sage and chives (from the WW website- test recipe for Thanksgiving- it is going to make the cut..)
-2 servings homemade fudge
-25 cal. hot chocolate
Good Health Guidelines:
Exercise- YES! (ski day... I'm tired...)
Whole grains- yep
Limit sugar/alcohol- I stopped at 2 pieces of fudge, didn't I? :)
Fruits/veggies- yep
Liquids- yes (again, remember I'm not listing my liquids all out here- too much to type!)
Vitamin- yes
Lean protein- yes
Healthy oils- yes
Dairy- nope (notice a trend here? I know, I know...I typically DO drink fortified soymilk- but somehow this week that hasn't been the case)
Breakfast:
-Raspberry NutriGrain bar (best option at the gas station on the way up to A-Basin...)
-1/2 single serve bag honey roasted peanuts (on the lift...)
Late lunch:
-Veggie jambalaya (lots of veggies and beans with brown rice)
Dinner:
-Balsamic cherry tomato penne (from the WW cookbook Comfort Classics- adapted to be even lower in points!)
-2/3 cup peas/carrots mixture
-1 serving stuffing with sage and chives (from the WW website- test recipe for Thanksgiving- it is going to make the cut..)
-2 servings homemade fudge
-25 cal. hot chocolate
Good Health Guidelines:
Exercise- YES! (ski day... I'm tired...)
Whole grains- yep
Limit sugar/alcohol- I stopped at 2 pieces of fudge, didn't I? :)
Fruits/veggies- yep
Liquids- yes (again, remember I'm not listing my liquids all out here- too much to type!)
Vitamin- yes
Lean protein- yes
Healthy oils- yes
Dairy- nope (notice a trend here? I know, I know...I typically DO drink fortified soymilk- but somehow this week that hasn't been the case)
A.W.L.- Saturday
Saturday, November 14
Breakfast:
-Oatmeal (same basic stuff as yesterday too- nothing fancy lately in my oatmeal)
Lunch:
-Boca burger on 2 pieces of toast. Fixed with lots of pickles, lettuce, ketchup and a smear of vegenaise (non-eggy mayo). Oh- more pickles on the side too. Love the pickles.
-Baked sweet potato
Dinner:
-Essentially the same as lunch- another Boca burger. This time it was paired with 1/2 cup vegetarian baked beans instead of the potato.
Good Health Guidelines
-Liquids- check
-Fruits/veggies- I think that I was okay here
-Vitamin- check
-Exercise- check
-Limit alcohol/sugar- check
-Lean protein- check
-Whole grains- Hmmm... nope
-Healthy oils- I missed this one today
-Dairy- no
Breakfast:
-Oatmeal (same basic stuff as yesterday too- nothing fancy lately in my oatmeal)
Lunch:
-Boca burger on 2 pieces of toast. Fixed with lots of pickles, lettuce, ketchup and a smear of vegenaise (non-eggy mayo). Oh- more pickles on the side too. Love the pickles.
-Baked sweet potato
Dinner:
-Essentially the same as lunch- another Boca burger. This time it was paired with 1/2 cup vegetarian baked beans instead of the potato.
Good Health Guidelines
-Liquids- check
-Fruits/veggies- I think that I was okay here
-Vitamin- check
-Exercise- check
-Limit alcohol/sugar- check
-Lean protein- check
-Whole grains- Hmmm... nope
-Healthy oils- I missed this one today
-Dairy- no
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A.W.L.- Friday
Friday, November 13
Breakfast:
Oatmeal (My "basic" recipe is 1/2 cup regular oats and usually 1 tsp. brown sugar and a splash of soy or almond milk. See an earlier post for the numerous ways that I doctor up oatmeal though...)
Lunch:
Kashi brand Black Bean and Mango frozen entree
Medium apple
Snack:
Emerald Cocoa Roasted Almonds- 100 cal. pack
Dinner:
Chinese vegetables-- steamed- not fried. Kung Pao sauce on the side- used about 1/3 cup sauce- total for "dipping" my veggies.
1 cup white rice (this restaurant didn't have brown-!?!?)
Post-Dinner:
2 bottles pumpkin beer
1 wheat tortilla with 1 tsp. earth balance buttery spread
Good Health Guidelines:
Fruits and Veggies- check
Liquids- check
Vitamin- check
Whole Grains- check (my Kashi meal was all whole grains- even if the Chinese restaurant didn't have brown rice...)
Lean protein- check
Milk products- no
Exercise- no
Limit sugar/alcohol- check
Healthy oils- not quite
Breakfast:
Oatmeal (My "basic" recipe is 1/2 cup regular oats and usually 1 tsp. brown sugar and a splash of soy or almond milk. See an earlier post for the numerous ways that I doctor up oatmeal though...)
Lunch:
Kashi brand Black Bean and Mango frozen entree
Medium apple
Snack:
Emerald Cocoa Roasted Almonds- 100 cal. pack
Dinner:
Chinese vegetables-- steamed- not fried. Kung Pao sauce on the side- used about 1/3 cup sauce- total for "dipping" my veggies.
1 cup white rice (this restaurant didn't have brown-!?!?)
Post-Dinner:
2 bottles pumpkin beer
1 wheat tortilla with 1 tsp. earth balance buttery spread
Good Health Guidelines:
Fruits and Veggies- check
Liquids- check
Vitamin- check
Whole Grains- check (my Kashi meal was all whole grains- even if the Chinese restaurant didn't have brown rice...)
Lean protein- check
Milk products- no
Exercise- no
Limit sugar/alcohol- check
Healthy oils- not quite
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