Cook Out, Get Fit

Hello, Weight Watchers! Have you thought about your own Cure for Anything this week? I hope that you can take note from Ms. Blixen and find your own source of strength and calming center this week. I also hope that our conversation last week helps those of you who struggle to get in your water.

It's officially summer and you may be tempted to play hooky from healthy eating, but don't do it! Think of all the delicious summer fruits and veggies that are available right now. Watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet corn, and more! Remind yourself that you can and will succeed. Imagine yourself at your smaller size, having more energy and feeling happy and proud of your success. Keep that image with you and stay strong!

This week, we’ll be taking advantage of the great summer weather and discussing ways to Cook Out–Get Fit. Grilling and barbecuing are popular ways to cook foods and eat wisely, especially in warm weather. These methods help to reduce fat, since much of it drips away from the food. We will also be declaring our Thindependence, and discussing our rights as a Weight Watcher and any special challenges created by the July Fourth holiday.

$5 SMOOTHIE SPECIAL – LAST WEEK!

Now is a great time to try Weight Watchers Smoothies – usually $7.50, they're now on sale for just $5! Each box has 7 packets -- only 71 cents per smoothie! They come in French Vanilla, Strawberry Banana, and Chocolate (my favorite). Make them with milk and they count as 2 dairy servings. Each packet delivers 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1.5 grams of fat. I make mine with milk, ice cubes, and PB2 (powdered peanut butter) – YUM!

MEETING CLOSINGS

Weight Watchers will not be meeting on Independence Day (Wednesday, July 4). You are welcome to attend another meeting that week (to find locations, visit www.weightwatchers.com and type your ZIP code into the box on the left-hand side of the page or dial (800)651-6000). If you do not wish to attend a meeting at a different location, you will not be charged missed meeting fees when we resume on July 11.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

· Why the Scale Lies

· The Skill of Flexible Restraint

· The Starvation Myth

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 c sugar substitute

2 T cornstarch

2 c water

1 qt strawberries, halved

1 small box sugar-free Jell-O

1 pie crust

Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook until the mixture is thick and clear. While still hot, add Jell-O and mix thoroughly. Let stand until cool. Place strawberries into pie shell and cover with mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Makes eight servings. Core if made crustless. If not, calculate points based on the pie crust nutrition information.

Have a great week! I’ll see you on Wednesday! Danville Weight Watchers lost 29.2 pounds this week!

Cyndi

Tears are the summer showers to the soul

~Alfred Austin

The Cure for Anything

Hello, Weight Watchers! Last week’s meeting spotlighted the Weight Watchers Tools for Living as a system to help you adopt healthier habits and get the results you want. They focus on what’s “inside” weight management. The Tools for Living are contained in the Week Five booklet and we will be covering individual Tools in more detail in the coming weeks.

$5 SMOOTHIE SPECIAL!

Now is a great time to try Weight Watchers Smoothies – usually $7.50, they're now on sale for just $5! Each box has 7 packets -- only 71 cents per smoothie! They come in French Vanilla, Strawberry Banana, and Chocolate (my favorite). Make them with milk and they count as 2 dairy servings. Each packet delivers 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1.5 grams of fat. I make mine with milk, ice cubes, and PB2 (powdered peanut butter) – YUM!

MUSCLE MYTHS

Have you ever heard that muscle weighs more than fat? Well, a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat but the muscle is much leaner. Imagine a pound of corn kernels and a pound of popped popcorn -- the popcorn takes up much more space than the corn kernels. Each pound you lose is about 1/3 muscle and 2/3 fat -- exercise helps to prevent some of that muscle loss. When you lose weight ( i.e., body fat) you'll become leaner, but not always see the results at the scale. A 175-pound person that has 25% body fat will be leaner than a 175-pound person with 35% body fat. If you've increased your activity and not seen a payoff at the scale, be sure to check your measurements or pay attention to how your clothes are fitting!

WEIGHT WATCHERS WANTS YOU!

Are you near your goal and wondering about a career with Weight Watchers? Are you interested in a part or full-time job where you can pick your own hours? Weight Watchers may just be the opportunity for you! If you are interested, please come talk to me after any meeting!

In this week’s meeting, we’ll be discussing The Cure for Anything. Have you ever wished that you could take a magical pill and all of your troubles would be over? This week we will explore a quote that promises a simple cure for all that ails you!

Yogurt Vegetable Salad

Makes four servings

Core or 2 POINTS per serving

2 c plain, nonfat yogurt

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

3 T finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt to taste

1 c chickpeas, drained

1 c halved cherry/grape tomatoes

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Garnish with additional mint leaves. Refrigerate until serving.

I hope you’re having a great week!

Cyndi

Our greatest glory is not never failing, but in rising every time we fail.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

10 Tools for Weight Loss - 10 Tools for Living

Hello, Weight Watchers! How are you doing with Monitoring Yourself this week? One of the most common complaints of members is that they are not losing as much weight as they think they should be for the amount of food that they think they’re cutting back. The main contributing factor is often underestimation.

Did last week’s discussion make you more aware of a few areas where you might be underestimating your portions sizes and POINTS? Did the discussion of the Comfort Zone and tips for tracking make you more aware of your true intake this week? Accurate tracking not only helps monitor our intake, but it makes it easy to go back and see what you did differently after a particularly successful week to duplicate that loss!

Make a pledge to monitor accurately and completely this week: Use your Quik Trak, count your 35 Weekly POINTS Allowance, check portion sizes, track Activity Points, check in with your Comfort Zone, and add up your daily good health habits. When you take the time to track accurately and completely, you will do better with your weight-loss efforts. Make some magic happen: put your pen to the paper and write it when you bite it, track it when you snack it, and scribble if you nibble!

$5 SMOOTHIE SPECIAL!

Now is a great time to try Weight Watchers Smoothies – usually $7.50, they're now on sale for just $5! Each box has 7 packets -- only 71 cents per smoothie! They come in French Vanilla, Strawberry Banana, and Chocolate (my favorite). Make them with milk and they count as 2 dairy servings. Each packet delivers 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1.5 grams of fat. I make mine with milk, ice cubes, and PB2 (powdered peanut butter) – YUM!

As promised, here are links to two articles that I find to be particularly helpful for Weight Watchers. The first article, Why the Scale Lies, is not endorsed by Weight Watchers, but does raise some excellent thinking points regarding weigh-ins. The second article, The Skill of Flexible Restraint, discusses that having a little flexibility in our Weight Watchers habits is more likely to lead us to long-term success.

This week we will be discussing 10 Tools for Weight Loss – 10 Tools for Living. I think the Tools for Living are a great part of the Weight Watchers program, and you’ve heard me mention my favorites often. This meeting will provide an overview of all ten and a preview of which ones we will be reviewing in detail in the coming months. I hope you can join us to learn about them! This topic is perfectly timed for your At-Work series – you’ll be receiving your Week Five booklet, which contains the Tools for Living, this week!

Berries and Granola Snack (from www.weightwatchers.com)

POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

This combo of sweet berries, crunchy granola, creamy yogurt and a rice cake makes for one terrific snack. It's also a great breakfast in a rush.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
• 2 Quaker Multigrain Rice Cake(s)
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cups raspberries
• 1 Tbsp Quaker Oats Low-Fat 100% Natural Granola

Instructions

• Spread 2 tablespoons of yogurt over each Multigrain Cake, spreading almost to the edges.
• Top each with 2 tablespoons of blueberries and raspberries and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of granola. Yields 1 topped cake per serving.

Cyndi

Never eat more than you can lift.

--Miss Piggy

Monitoring Yourself

Hello, Weight Watchers!

I’m back from my vacation and look forward to seeing everyone this Thursday! Did everyone Refuse to Accept Less Than Success this week? Remember, there are no failures, only feedback in our weight loss journey!

This week’s meeting is about Monitoring Yourself. We will be discussing the tools that Weight Watchers provides to help you monitor your intake and get the results you want.

This week’s recipe is from www.weightwatchers.com. I chose it because rhubarb cobbler is something my mother makes literally every week in the summer and I can’t wait to try this version!

POINTS® Value: 4 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 45 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate

What could be better than sweet, bubbling fruit nestled under tender, flaky sour cream biscuits? Our version of this traditional comfort food is a delicious and low-fat alternative!

Ingredients

• 16 oz unsweetened frozen strawberries, thawed for 15 minutes
• 14 oz frozen rhubarb, or fresh, cut into 1-inch pieces, thawed for 15 minutes if frozen
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar, divided
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 4 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
• 1 large egg(s), lightly beaten

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375º F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well and spoon mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• To prepare dough, in a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Add margarine and mix with your fingers or process in the food processor until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
• Add sour cream and milk and mix until dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 5 times, until blended.
• Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a small ball. Place balls on top of strawberry-rhubarb mixture and gently press down to flatten. Brush the surface of dough with egg and sprinkle remaining sugar over top.
• Bake until filling is bubbly and top is golden brown, 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup fruit mixture and 2 biscuits per serving.

Cyndi