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.

Talking to Myself

So, some who spend lots of time around me may think that I've gone crazy, but I'm actually trying to talk to myself more often these days. Not in my head- actually talking aloud to myself. Now why would I want to do this? To annoy the guy who sits next to my office at work? To entertain my husband? Nope. Rather, I think that my little Weight Watchers catch phrases are actually a lot more effective for me if I actually say them out loud.

Over the years I've picked up a few sayings about staying motivated, on plan, and to help out in those precarious moments when faced with a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. Sayings such as:

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"
"One moment in the mouth= a lifetime on the hips"
"Is it really worth it?" (that simple one is my favorite)
"Am I really (actually) hungry?"

There are plenty more out there- try exploring the message boards on the Weight Watchers website and you'll stumble across many different sayings, appropriate for a variety of situations.

For years I've been using these sorts of phrases- in my head- with some success. Recently however, I've tried actually saying things a loud. Honestly- I've noticed a difference! Example: this morning I overdid it at breakfast and had a pumpkin nut muffin. I knew that I could keep within my POINTS (by using some of my Weekly Points Allowance) if I was focused for the rest of the day. Mid-afternoon rolls around and I start to get antsy for snacky foods. I truly wasn't hungry- and there really weren't all that many exciting snack options available anyway- so when I asked myself out loud if I was actually hungry, I responded (to myself) with a resounding "no"! That did it! No more snacking urge for the afternoon.

Think of talking to yourself like having a conversation with your best friend- give it a try. You can ask the hard questions, and give the candid responses that only you can give yourself. Plus, I'll vouch for you if your family, friends, or coworkers attempt to have you committed! :)

Millions of peaches, peaches for me

...anyone remember that song from the 90's? It was by that band "The Presidents of the United States of America"- they were a random band. In any case, peaches (and not "the peaches come from a can,they were put there by a man" kind as the song lyrics go...) are WONDERFUL right now! I've had this little rephrase from the song in my head ever since I bit into my first truly ripe and juicy peach of the season on Sunday afternoon.

**Public service announcement: Colorado Palisade peaches are currently on sale at Denver-area King Soopers for $.99/lb.**

Back to the regularly scheduled blog: We talk about fruit quite a bit in the meeting room, and I love a good piece of fruit as much as the next Weight Watcher- but I'm telling you- these peaches are out of this world. They are not just fruit- they are truly divine. If you have not yet had a ripe peach this season run- do not walk- to the nearest place where you can get your hands on these juicy orbs!

I've been enjoying them as-is (be sure to have plenty of napkins hand), sliced in fruit salads (with raspberries in particular), with a dollop of low fat ice cream in the center (slice in half, pop out the pit, fill with a mini scoop of frozen goodness- great built in portion control in the cavity of the pit), and I've even grilled them, as we discussed in a meeting earlier this summer. YUM!

So, get 'em while they are fresh, and savor this summer sweet the last few weeks of the season. True to the lyrics, "If I had my little way,I'd eat peaches every day".

I'm baaaackkkk...

Well- it is official- I'm married! We had an absolutely incredible few days surrounding our wedding- and the day of was just as we had wanted. We lucked out with gorgeous weather for our spectacular outdoor setting (which we learned quickly to appreciate, as the day following the wedding we awoke to a torrential downpour). We came back to Colorado on Thursday of that week and on Friday morning embarked on our honeymoon hike. I'll share the details later- but in short, I'm very proud to say that we did it! We walked just around 100 miles- from the top of Kenosha pass to the Mt. Elbert/Mt. Massive trailhead outside of Leadville. We averaged around 12 miles/day with our 25 pound packs, and were up between 9,000 and 12,500 ft. for the whole trip. Whew! Needless to say, I'm still catching up on my relaxation. I got to do a bit of sitting around this weekend, which was very nice. I'll be back to my semi-regular posting here now too.

I though that I'd share a few photos from the hike (wedding photos to come later...). The first photo here is somewhere between Kenosha Pass and Breckenridge. This was the typical scene on the trail. The second one (with the very blue sky) was between Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. This was probably one of our most challenging days- as we were up above the treeline for a good portion of the hike (and we had to go up, up, up to get there)! The final picture of me by the sign is at the very end (proof that I made it)! This is where the trail continues on towards Durango. We've already discussed the possibility of doing a similar hike from this point forward for our anniversary...

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!