Ick- Sick.

I'm sick. Not horribly so- but definitely sick. I rarely get sick- but when I do, I am rather babyish about it. I want sympathy, I want someone to take care of me, bring me soup, tea, and more. I am also unsure about what to eat. Last night I did something that I haven't done in ages... I ate a dinner of... Ramen Noodles! We have no good groceries in the house, since I hadn't shopped since I got back from Hawaii, and Mike doesn't select what I consider to be 'good groceries. So my choices were very limited, in that (a) he had to be capable of cooking it, (b) it had to be good comfort/sick food, and (c) readily accessible. I actually ended up stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work, thinking about the parameters of my dinner. Granted, I could have gotten a frozen entree of some sort, or even canned soup that could be heated up on the stove top, but no, I opted instead for Ramen Noodles! I think that I have some foggy memory of being sick in high school and being comforted by Ramen, so that was it. I got home, Mike cooked my Ramen, I ate it, and you know what? It really wasn't all that good. Big surprise there, huh? I used 11 PointsPlus values on those stringy, over-salted noodles. Sigh. Point of the story? When you are sick, your normal choices may not work, and that's okay. Thankfully I am confident that I'll be well soon enough and until then, I'm tracking my food and feeling good about that. This morning I had oatmeal, diet ginger ale and light cranberry juice.

"Benefits" Fair- smoothie scam?

So today at my campus we had an annual HR-hosted benefits fair. You know the kind- all sorts of voluntary benefit vendors (i.e. investment firms, vision insurance providers, etc. etc.), credit unions affiliated with higher education, etc. etc.. The main section of the fair was actually a helpful resource for a new employee such as myself, as I had the opportunity to speak to representatives from my new health insurance provider and ask the sorts of questions that a new member might have.

I then ventured to the upstairs area of the fair where they advertised 'health screenings' and flu shots. Well, I'm not much of a shot/blood person (an understatement...) so I slid right by anything with needles, but was intrigued with the idea of health screenings that did not involve bodily fluids!

First up was a lung capacity test. I basically blew into something that looked like a breathalyzer (for the record, I've never actually been breathalyzed) and it somehow was supposed to measure my lung capacity. My reading placed me in the average/low range (not ideal- high is good in this case)- but no big shocker since the analyst's comments and follow up asked a lot of questions about weather or not I am an athlete (no), and related things pertaining to exercise which made it pretty apparent that the way to get a high/good rating was to be in tip-top cardiovascular shape (I'm not). Okay, I accepted that no problem.

Next up I was told that I'd have my body fat analyzed. I was imagining those awful pincher things, but instead was instructed to hold a metal device out in front of me that would send some low-level shock wave up my arm. Okay- I was game and glad to know that they are no longer subjecting people to the pincher things too! This was painless, discreet (no lifting shirts to grab flab...) and quick. My reading indicated that my body fat % was in the average range for a woman of my age (27.8%) and I took her word for it.

At the next booth I sensed right away that something was different. I needed to wait in line a few minutes (not a problem), and one of the staff members wearing an official looking shirt with some sciencey sounding name on it started chatting with me. Since this booth was advertised as being about bone density she started asking me questions about calcium consumption. I shared that I eat a vegan diet at home and that I get my calcium through less traditional sources than the Standard American Diet (SAD). She gave me an odd look, but continued to tout the benefits of dairy. I smiled politely and waited my turn in line. When my turn came I was instructed to stand on a strange looking scale-like machine. Without much (any?) explanation I was also asked to grab two pulley handles from the machine and to stand still. Okay. About 90 seconds later I was told that I was 'done'. The woman (also in the same science-sounding logoed polo shirt) poked at a few buttons on what appeared to be a reader (still no explanation to me of what this thing was even doing...) and then got a somewhat worried/concerned look on her face (picture pursed lips and scrunched eyebrows). Not knowing that the booth down the row had given me a body fat % reading just minutes earlier she informs me that my body fat % is of concern, my bone mass is too low and my muscle mass could use improvement. Okay... none of this is necessarily shocking information to me (particularly regarding the need to increase my muscle mass)-- but the next part is where the concern lies. She then informs me that her suggestion is that I loose "about 20 pounds". Now, I'll add here that I am not at my all time lightest weight here today, but I am well within a healthy weight range, have a totally healthy BMI, and would, in fact, have a BMI that would be .2 lbs. short of being 'underweight' (courtesy of the cdc.gov website) if I did indeed loose 20 lbs. In short, my weight is not the issue here. Still, I decide that I'm going to politely nod along and hear what else she has to say. The nodding must have had the effect that she though that I was now interested in learning how to loose 20 lbs... because next she explains the sciency sounding name of the company she represents. The sciencey-sounding company is indeed a supplement company that 'specializes in meal replacement smoothies'. Immediately red flags are flying in my mind... but it gets worse.

She then proceeds to tell me that most of their 'clients' use a smoothie to replace breakfast, but that for 'people like you, who need to loose weight' that it would be a good idea to replace both breakfast and lunch with their smoothie. I resist the urge to tell this woman that I actually know a thing or two about weight loss, and am completely and utterly in opposition to her approach. I play the part of a potentially interested 'client' to see where this is going. I pick up the sample jar of a vanilla powder and see that the smoothie mix itself has only 90 calories/serving. When I mention this she says, "Yes! Only 90 calories--- and although the instructions say to mix with milk (adding calories), you can loose weight faster if you mix the powder with water instead!". So let me get this straight. She is suggesting to me that a good approach to loose 20 lbs. would be to replace breakfast and lunch with a 90 calorie powder mixed with water- thus resulting in only 180 calories consumed until a late afternoon snack or dinner? Yep- she confirmed that she did indeed think that this was a good way to go. I debate (again) in my mind if I should 'reveal' myself as a Weight Watchers leader and debunk her totally asinine approach, but decide against it (after all, I'm at work-- and not my WW work-- there are others in line, and frankly I'm not sure that it would do much good). So I smile politely again, decline her sample (which, by the way, has dairy in the powder- so circling back to my initial concern wouldn't be a product that I'd use at home anyways...), and move on.

So where does that leave me? I've decided that I'm going to write a brief and friendly note to the HR staff who organized this event, thank them for hosting it, show my appreciation for the opportunity to speak to some of the resources in attendance, and concisely note that I'm hopeful that they will reevaluate the role/fit of the particular "screening" company that did the "bone density test". I'm the type who's not going to sit back and ignore what is a significant problem--- but I also don't want to cause a huge stink. It did leave me wondering... if it weren't me, someone with a relatively rationale approach to weight maintenance/loss, would I have fallen for her propaganda? Yikes! Maybe HR would be interested to see the productivity of staff who are surviving on 180 calories the entire work day...

Blogging Benefits

Helllooooo... anyone out there? I am guessing not- short of my #1 blogging fan, my Aunt K (thanks for the reminder, K!). I neglected this blog... oh... about a year ago (eeek!). At the time my full time job was keeping me busy (a bit of an understatement... maybe 'keeping me wildly attempting to stay afloat while neglecting many elements of my personal well being' would be a more accurate descriptor-?), and life was just too hectic to blog. I was considering my blog as a tool to communicate with my Weight Watchers members, and hadn't really considered the blog as a tool for myself.

Fast forward to today- November already (yikes)! I've changed full time jobs after being with the same institution for 6 years. Change is good. Change is hard. However, in this case, it is truly for the best (despite the challenges that being a 'newbie' brings...). I've had some time to breathe, reflect, and consider my life- not just my work life- but really my life (and no, those two things aren't one in the same...). In the summer I resigned from my regular WW leader role because at the time I was still working crazy hours and was finding myself needing to find substitutes too often for my meetings-- not ideal for my members. Since then, I've remained on the staff roster and am available to sub meetings myself when the needs presents itself and I'm available. The best of both worlds if you ask me!

When I stopped my regular meetings I figured I'd stop the blog too (although really I had been remiss in my posting for some time even at that point...). I figured if I wasn't leading a meeting and didn't have member 'followers' what's the point? Again- the focus was on others.

As I've had that time to reflect, I've realized that blogging can be beneficial for me- Braelin- the member, the person- not necessarily the leader. Although I've never been a diary/traditional journal writer, I did enjoy blogging while I was at it. So, I'm back to the blogging- this time for me. Granted, I expect the topics and themes to still be focused on weight maintenance/loss- but I'm writing for me this time (and my Aunt K, and anyone else who cares to read-- I'm not kidding myself-- blogging is inherently a public forum). The benefits that I hope to realize include:

• A 'space' to ramble... (err... I mean, 'reflect'...) on my own successes, challenges, and goals in regards to my own weight maintenance. I've always be an "auditory processor" (translation: I think out loud and talking through things helps me form my ideas)- so writing can have the same effect. It just may take me a few pages or posts to make my point. Hey- if I'm doing this for myself, that's a-okay!
• A place to hold onto my thoughts and keep them for future reflection. I am a nostalgic person. There's nothing that I love more than reading old letters that I have in boxes in my basement. I like a reminder of who I was from reading letters, old school papers, and the like. Now most people might not immediately link reading traditional letters (think curled up paper, creased notes from 6th grade, cool handwriting, etc.) with the web-log (blog)- but the way I see it, blogging is a more streamlined way of capturing the memories, and perspective from the past. Traditional letter writing is still something that I enjoy, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy electronic communication too! I totally hope that I'm reading this very post years down the line much in the same way I read old letters and notes.

Really, that's it for now- the benefits of blogging are for me this time. Simple and straightforward. I may still 'speak' to an external audience (just b/c I think that's more fun to write sometimes)- but my purpose behind the posts won't be about providing information to others. If there's a secondary benefit of that- great! If not, hopefully the blog will benefit me in the ways that I've outlined.

Snowy Day-- are we Closed? No Way!

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

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:

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.

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").

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.

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)

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

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

A.W.L.- Thursday

A (W)eek in the (L)ife of... Me (Thursday).

Here was my day on Thursday:

Breakfast:
Gas station cappuccino (remember what I said about not being perfect-?!?!)

Early Lunch:
Leftover stir fried veggies with a miso sauce

Later Lunch:
Wild rice/veggie soup

Dinner:
Vegetarian jambalaya- made with brown rice and loaded with beans and veggies

Snacks:
Coke Zero
Hot chocolate
Veggie baked beans

Good Health Guidelines:
Vitamin- check
Liquids- check (I'm not writing all the water that I'm consuming throughout the day)
Fruits/Veggies- check
Whole grains- check
Dairy- no
Lean protein- check
Healthy oils- check
Limit sugar/alcohol- check
Exercise- no

A week in the life of...me

From time to time, members ask me to share my menus/daily log. I am always happy to do so- and figure if I post a week's worth of my meals here, this can be an easy place to access the information. However, before I do that, I have a few things first to get out of the way. Deep breath. Okay- here goes:

1) I eat very little to no animal products. I am a long time vegetarian who eats very little (if any) other animal products (dairy, eggs, etc.) at home, and try to avoid them when I'm out and about. Now, why was the deep breath needed? Well, because I recognize that the way that I eat is different, and sometimes people make assumptions about vegetarians (i.e. we are all a bunch of hippies preaching about the evils of eating meat). Those of you who know me from meetings know that I'm not this way. 1) I'm not a hippie :) (though I have a funny picture of myself from a few years ago when I pulled off the look pretty well for a Halloween costume...). 2) I have some really strong convictions about respecting the ways that others eat- and as such, I do not judge others for their food choices (meat or otherwise), and hope that others will extend this same respect to me about my food choices. The other main (and false) assumption that people sometimes make about vegetarians are that we are all skinny. This is simply not true. I was a vegetarian when I was overweight, and I was overweight before I became a vegetarian at the age of 15. In short- my vegetarian diet didn't do squat for my weight-- one way or another. Consider that french fries, chocolate, ice cream, mozzarella sticks and fettuccine alfredo are all vegetarian foods-- now do you see why all vegetarians aren't skinny?? Seriously though--- I sometimes worry that some members may be less inclined to relate to me as a leader if they have different food choices than I do. Lastly, I just want to clearly state that I am not opposed to others eating meat. In fact, my husband is a classic meat and potatoes guy- who doesn't cook. I love to cook, and love to cook for others, so certainly am well versed in meat cooking and preparation techniques-- just not the eating side of things. To each their own.

Now that I got that one out of the way, (phew...I really did feel somewhat nervous about that...)the other items that I want to disclose may all make sense.

2) I eat a lot of stuff that others may consider "weird". For dinner last night, for example, I had a kale and miso stir fry. I love tofu, tempeh and seitan (no, not the devil... seitan is a "wheat meat" of sorts made with wheat gluten- it is actually really tasty). As you can imagine, I also eat a lot of different vegetables. I think that it is safe to say that I like them all (even the unpopular brussel sprouts)-- though something about cooked green peppers makes my stomach turn (raw and crunchy I love them, and yellow and red peppers I can do cooked).

3) Although I eat "weird stuff", I am pretty boring when it comes to variety. Consider that I am cooking batches of food for me (and separate food for my husband). See my note about his eating style above, and you will understand that a kale and miso stir fry isn't going to fit into his meat and potatoes pallet. Hence, I eat a lot of leftovers. Often I'll cook a big batch of something (i.e. soup or a casserole) on the weekend, and eat it for lunches (and sometimes dinners too) throughout the week.

4) I now use e-tools for my POINTs calculations. Whenever possible, if I have the nutritional information in front of me, I'll pull the cal/fat/fiber off that and 'save' the particular brand/item in my tracker for future reference. So, for example, if I say "wheat bread- 1 POINT", this doesn't mean that ALL wheat bread is 1 POINT- just so happens to be for the particular type of bread that I'm eating that day. I also really rely on the "recipe builder" tool. That said, when I joined Weight Watchers and was loosing weight back in 2002, e-tools didn't exist! Point being--- you can track as diligently as anyone with e-tools, assuming you've got your POINTs Finder, a calculator, and tracker (though e-tools is really, really nice for convenience sake)!

5) Lastly, please know that although I'll post my daily menus here for a week, this is just me and my one week. Weight Watchers is about YOU and your preferences and lifestyle. I hope that my postings expose you to some new ideas and help you see an example of Weight Watchers in action-- but please don't allow you to limit yourself to eating 'my way'. I've seen so many members have success in different ways-- and I'm pretty sure that most (all?) of them don't eat the same "weird" way that I do! :) You can work the program with convienience foods, you can work the program with restaurant foods, you can work the program if you love to cook, and you can make it work if cooking is the last thing that you want to do. So long as you are following the program- using your daily POINTs target, using (or not) your Weekly POINTs Allowance, and adhering the the Good Health Guidelines, the program works! Isn't it amazing how different our actual food selections can be-- and yet we can all be sucessful on the plan?

Oh- one more thing. I am not perfect. I'll post my good days- and my bad. This will be the 'uncut', 'uncensored' version of my Weight Watchers week. Enjoy!

A little something sweet...Chocolove

I am definitely one of those people who feels that dinner is "complete" with dessert. Unfortunately for my Weight Watchers program, I don't always have the points for a full fledged dessert after each dinner (though I do budget for those from time to time...). For me, a sweet treat is both a physical and mental signal that dinner is done. In the summer, oftentimes a great piece of fruit can do the trick- but come winter, that isn't always a viable option. Instead, I opt for hot chocolate (lots of 1 POINT options out there), tea (see an earlier post for my favorites), or, in other instances it chocolate to the rescue.

I am a firm believer that good, high quality chocolate is a worthy purchase. If I have iccky leftover Halloween style candy (not typically great quality...), it somehow just doesn't do the trick. I think that it has to do with the sweetness of the chocolate overpowering the actual flavor, or something like that and I end up eating more. Instead, I love a very small piece of high quality dark chocolate. Not too sweet- but a strong and rich true chocolate flavor that effectively signals that dinner is done. The high test stuff really is different (better) than Nestle or Mars.

I went through a Lake Champlain Chocolate phase (a nod to my New England roots), but recently have discovered Chocolove- made right here in Colorado! Not only is the chocolate itself the decadent dark chocolate that I love, but there are several varieties with blended fruits/spices. Right now I have a bar of it with orange peels melted in; last week it was crystallized ginger. They also have a raspberry and cherry/almond one. The 3.2 oz bar lasts me a week-- there are 18 little mini squares that you can break off the bar. I've been savoring 2 squares/night, as my little "nightcap". I just love the name too---and, BONUS: there is a love poem on the inside of each wrapper! The one on the bar that I have now is a part of a sonnet (I think...). How cute is that? Check out their website for more information- www.chocolove.com. I've seen them at Sunflower Market, King Soopers, and Whole Foods. Love that it is a local company, love the chocolate, and I love that this little something sweet helps me stay on program each night after dinner!

Handling Halloween

Well, this post may be a bit late for some-- however, I think that a lot of it applies to the other upcoming holidays (we certainly aren't in the clear yet...). As I'm typing I'm waiting for Trick-or-Treaters at home, hoping that we get a good number, since we certainly have plenty of candy! We didn't live at our house last year, so we never know...

Here are my tips for handling Halloween:

1) Take time to enjoy the season- the flavors, the traditions, etc.- this doesn't necessarily mean over indulging in the treats- but it does mean not depriving yourself. I have a "Trick-or-Treat" scented candle burning in my kitchen right now, which somehow just makes it feel like a holiday!

2) In regards to the treats, have some- have your favorites, and enjoy them! Be sure that your are intentional and conscious of your choice, and I'll bet that you'll enjoy them just that much more.

3) That said, pick your POINTs- don't waste POINTS on the stuff that you don't really love. For me, candy corns are just "meh" when compared with some of the other options. So, I'm picking other ways to use my POINTs. Now a Heath on the other hand... yep, I'll pick those POINTs!

4) Know what you are getting yourself into... This goes back to the basic tool of preparing yourself. Consider in advance the types of things that will be available at your parties, know the POINTs of common candy (as a side, here are a few that are relatively low: Twizzlers, York Peppermint Patties, 3 Musketeers, and some of the basic 'sugar' candies- i.e. Runts, Laffy Taffy, etc.), and plan for your success.

5) Enjoy the holiday and celebrate your accomplishments along with the holiday itself! What did you do differently this year? How have you changed your behaviors since last year's Halloween? What did you choose to do well? How did that feel? Don't be scared to celebrate the small accomplishments--- remember that it is the culmination of many small changes that ultimately bring us the overall success.

Allright, it is now 6:17pm, and no Trick-or-Treaters yet. I'm adding one more tip:

6) Have a plan of how to dispose of your leftover candy! Whatever works for you- but don't let it sit around and haunt you past the holiday.

Center is Closed due to snow

Hi all,
Just a quick post for any meeting members out there-- the Westminster, CO Center is closed this evening (Thursday 10/29), as it was last night, due to the snow. Stay warm, dry, and committed to your plan this week! If you must go out, drive safely.

I'll see everyone next week. In the meantime, I'm off to enjoy some low POINT soup to keep me warm as I start a movie-marathon. This is my kind of snow day!


~Braelin

An A+ Apple

Apples don't typically top my list of favorite fruits. I think that in many instances, apples are sort of overdone (along with oranges). My exception to this used to be a crisp Macintosh that I picked off the tree while visiting an orchard in New England. I grew up in New England, and a great Mac. was a true seasonal treat. Since moving to Colorado however, I've had just a few too many mealy macs. to even consider reaching for an apple. I don't dislike apples-- just don't tend to choose them when other fruits are readily available. However, this fall I've seen lots of people blogging and tweeting about apples... and not just any apple mind you, the Honeycrisp apple.

So, I figured I'd give it a try to see what all the buzz was about this year. Let me tell you--- apples have rocketed to the top of my fall fruit list! I got a bag (think that it was 5 lbs) of relatively small organic Honeycrisps on Saturday. Today is Monday. I am going to the store on my lunch break to pick up another 5 lbs. Seriously! I ate 5 (small) Honeycrisps from Saturday night to this morning. I think that Mike beat me- and so another bag is needed. Wow- that's a lot of apples! What I am enjoying most about the Honeycrisp, is well... exactly what the name implies. They are super sweet, but super crisp. Crispyness is my most important factor when it comes to apple consumption, and the Honeycrisp certainly lives up to the name.

When I first got into cooking a lot, I'd ask Mike to "grade" the food that I was cooking-- so I could get some feedback from him about if the meal was worth repeating (otherwise I got a lot of "this is good"-- hard to discern good from good). I earned lots of As, Bs, and a few Cs, but the A+ was reserved for truly stellar food-- not a grade that was given loosly. These organic Honeycrisps deserve that rating: A+ apples!

3 months out

Tomorrow is October 1. That's 3 months out from January 1. Many members make new year's resolutions. Consider however for a moment how it might feel to look both forward into 2010 and backwards at 2009 on 1/1. What will you feel like 3 months from now if you are following the program during October, November and December?

Consider setting some early nearly new year goals for yourself over the next few months. How about picking up a 3-month journal and recommitting to tracking daily? If you do this, you'll certainly have reason to celebrate come 1/1. What about a commitment to moving more? Reframing an old habit and replacing with a healthier alternative? Even a commitment to attending weekly meetings- and staying for the meeting- will help you preempt your new year's resolutions.

Weight Watchers is about making the plan work for you. Find fitting things now that you can (and will) do over the next 3 months to ensure that you wake up with a sense of satisfaction and forward momentum on January 1, 2010.

Shifting with the Season

Yesterday was certainly a fall-feeling day. Although I typically love the fall season best of all, yesterday's dreary day wasn't exactly the kind of fall day that I enjoy. That said, it did get me thinking about the shifts that I make when the season changes. Everything from the linens on my bed, to bringing sweaters out of storage, and yes, to the food that I eat and the way in which I exercise too. Here are a few of my fall favorites:

I posted about soup earlier, and soup definitely tops my list of important seasonal shifts. In fact, I'm up early now preparing a new black bean soup to pack for lunch today!

In addition to soup, hot tea (usually herbal) is another fall favorite. A few of my favorite flavors include Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride (available only during the December holidays, so I stock up), and this year the Republic of Tea's Pumpkin Ginger Spice. I also like Tazo's Passion tea and Stash's Licorice Spice ('gotta be a licorice fan, but if you are...wow!). A cuppa' tea (or three...) in the evening is just a cozy and tasty sign of fall for me.

So the pumpkin spice tea is tasty, but this time of the year I also love incorporating pumpkin in my cooking in creative other ways. This high fiber squash makes a tasty substitution for oil in baking, and adds a hearty texture to savory dishes too (pumpkin soup anyone?).

On a beautiful crisp fall day, a brisk walk outside is a perfect way to get in my activity. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of walking just for the sake of exercise, but add a nip to the air and perhaps the faint aroma of wood fireplaces starting up for the year and I am practically prancing!

Lastly, as I make the classic closet switch from my spring/summer to fall/winter clothing, I have the chance to evaluate my weight from a non-scale perspective. How did those stiff jeans fit last spring when they went into storage? What do they feel like now? This is a good chance to gain perspective and enjoy the things that I haven't worn in several months. Even just having the "new" clothes out is inspiration for me to stay on track.

Here's to a fabulous fall for all this year!

Soup-er Season!

I'm sure that this will be the first of several posts this season about soup- as I'm a big fan of the stuff. Soup may very well be my favorite food- in a general sense, and it has really been an important part of my weight-maintenance too.

Think about it- soups are almost always made with filling foods- veggies, lean proteins and grains are typically the basis of a soup- along with broth and spices (0 POINTs).

Soups are also convenient in the sense that once made, they "age" well. In the fall and winter I typically made at least one soup on the weekend, and then use this as my leftover go-to meal for lunches throughout the week. I'll pre-portion the servings into Tupperware early in the week and then just grab and go with my lunch bag. This week's soup is cutely titled, "One Wild Chick" soup- and is made with wild rice and chick peas. Delicious!

Lastly, as the weather cools, soups are comforting. I love a crisp fall day with a bowl of soup, paired with a piece of crusty bread. Nothing says comfort to me in the fall more than this pairing. Gone are my comfort food days of mac-and-cheese or mashed potatoes. Instead, I opt for a comforting and low POINT bowl of soup and stick to my POINTs target!

This week's meeting topic is all about "red light foods". Anyone have one in mind that fits the definition of comfort food? I'm guessing that there are a few out there.... I'll see you this week to discuss strategies and substitutions!

Blink: Reaching Goal- Anything is Possible

When I was a kid my dad, like many parents, would tell me that I could be anything that I wanted when I grew up- an astronaut, a ballerina, President of the United States-- whatever I wanted. As I grew older and supposedly "wiser", I learned to doubt his optimism- and naturally I am neither an astronaut, ballerina, nor President of the country (and thank goodness about that last one)! However, what if my dad was right? What if I really had kept that childhood belief and want alive everyday of my life? Who knows where I'd be now. On the moon? Dancing in Lincoln Center? In the White House? Perhaps unlikely, however I'll never know- I lost sight of "anything is possible" in most facets of my life at about the age of seven.


I'm reading Malcom Gladwell's book Blink right now, which essentially is starting out to be about the power of our subconscious, our impressions, and how they shape our actions. When I first joined WW, in retrospect I realize that I knew that I could do it-- (deep down) and this in turn is what was a likely significant variable in my success. Although I had never tried a formalized weight loss program before, I had tried to "diet"-- without any success. However, when I walked into the Weight Watchers Center on Colorado Boulevard, I just knew that something was different. The significant "something" that was different was my mindset. I was going to do it. I was motivated to succeed by my leader and I had the information that I needed to actualize my beliefs. I was going to get to my goal. I allowed the "anything is possible" belief to come into my conscious- after many years of being shut out. About a year later and plenty of hard work, ups and downs, and emotions along the way, I reached my goal. Seven years later, I'm still here.

It is worth reiterating the power of our positive thinking in regards to WW success. If we truly believe that we can do this- reach our goals- and stay there, we CAN do it. Such an obvious point, but one that I think is worth consciously considering from time to time. Next step? Bringing those beliefs to the forefront and using them to help propel us forward to action.

Do I now think that I can do this for the rest of my life? Absolutely. I feel this with certainty and am so assured in my thoughts now that it is hard to describe. I finally (7 years later) feel confident and comfortable in my lifestyle and choices, and consequently, in my own body. It feels nice- relaxed and in-control.

So, point being: believe in yourself. Really. As cliched as that may sound, I firmly believe that it is at the root of success on this program. Sure- you'll have moments of self-doubt along the way; however, make a point of thinking about overcoming those moments and truly- sincerely- believing that you WILL reach your goal. I believe that every person- who believes in themselves- and is willing to work to get there, can reach their weight loss goals (and stay there too!) following the Weight Watchers program.