Shortcuts to Mealtime Success

Hello, Weight Watchers! Did this week's meeting help you take charge of your own Royal Castle and try some new healthy substitutes? Remember that it's okay to use our Asserting tool to help us with the Ask for Help habit!

SMALL CHANGES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!
Just to humor myself, I looked up my menu from my very first day on Weight Watchers in July 2003. I'm posting a menu from a few weeks ago just for comparison. It's amazing how different they are after five years of small changes!

7/7/03
Breakfast
2 - 1 c FF milk
6.5 - 2 c Post Frosted Shredded Wheat
Snacks
3 - 1 serving Pepperidge Farms Xplosive Pizza Goldfish crackers
0 - 1 SF Popscicle
2 - 1 stick Kraft String'Ums string cheese
Dinner
2 - 1 cup canned green peas
2.5 - 2 servings Bull's Eye barbecue sauce
9 - 12 piece Tyson popcorn chicken bites
3 GHG checked (though healthy oils wasn't one of them at the time - I can't remember what the eighth one was)

4/9/08
Breakfast
0 - 6 medium strawberries
1 - 1 tsp canola oil
0.5 - Splenda brown sugar blend
2 - 1/2 c Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats
1 - 1 c 8th Continent Light vanilla soy milk
Lunch
1 - 2 T Kraft Light raspberry vinaigrette
1.5 - 2 T crumbled blue cheese
0 - 6 medium strawberries
0 - 5 oz baby spinach
1 - 20gm raisins
Dinner
1.5 - Green Giant Baby Brussels Sprouts & LF Butter Sauce
4 - 3.5oz pork chop, grilled in dry rub
2.5 - 1/2 c Betty Crocker au gratin potatoes, prepared
Snacks
2 - 2 small apples
1 - Sargento Light string cheese
2 - Fiber One Oats & Chocolate bar
1 - 1 c 8th Continent Light vanilla soymilk

NEW COOKBOOK COMING!
Look for the newest seasonal cookbook, Sizzle It, to hit meeting rooms near you between now and the end of May. At $10, this cookbook comes packed with 140 Flex and Core recipes, a handy how-to guide for grilling, and a decadent grilled desserts section.

TFL OF THE WEEK
Mental Rehearsing is practice in your imagination. Since the mind and body form one system, your mind can help you prepare for the actual situation in which you want to behave or act a certain way. It's practiced by all top performers, be they athletes, actors musicians, artists, public speakers, or salesmen. It can also be practiced by people who want to become top performers at losing and managing their weight. Mental rehearse for weight-management success by doing the following:

1. Imagine yourself in a tough weight-loss situation - one that's likely to come up in your life - as though you're watching yourself in a movie.
   
2. Create the specific situation in your head. Be as detailed as possible.
   
3. In your mind, step into the movie and practice responding the way the new, healthier you wants to respond. Try to see, hear, feel, and do what you would if you actually responded that way when the situation comes up.
4. Mentally rehearse every day before the actual situation.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

• Shortcut Cooking
• Success and the City

We are in constant need of great ideas for quick and easy ways to Eat Wisely, whether following the Flex or Core plan. This meeting will help us to identify and share tips for stocking up the freezer, pantry, and refrigerator with helpful, corner-cutting groceries and utensils.

Have a great week, everyone!

Cyndi

A smiling face is half the meal

--Latin proverb

Crustless Strawberry Pie
3 cups strawberries slices
1 package sugar free cook & serve vanilla pudding (not instant)
2 cups water
1 package sugar free strawberry jello

Spray pie pan lightly with Pam.
1. Place the sliced strawberries in a deep pie dish.
2. Cook pudding in a pan with water (not milk) as package directs to a boil.
3. Sprinkle the jello powder into the pudding mixture after the pudding cooks. Cool 5 minutes.
4. Pour pudding/jello mixture over strawberries.
5. Refrigerate until cooled.

SF Pudding mix is 80 calories per box
SF jello mix is 40 calories per box
3 cups of strawberries is 2 points so the whole pie is 4 points.

Would You Like Fruit with That?

Hello, Weight Watchers! Did last week's discussion bust through some of your activity excuses? Activity does NOT have to be formal exercise at a gym to count, you just need to find some enjoyable ways to Move More! Dancing, playing, and strolling all count!

ORANGE CREME TWIST-ING IT UP!
I finally got around to trying the new Smoothie flavor this weekend and I LOVE it! I've been making the French Vanilla Smoothie with orange juice for a different flavor for years, but the new Orange Creme Twist flavor really packs a great orange punch! Weight Watchers Smoothies are a great, low POINTS way to incorporate those Dairy, Healthy Oil, and Fruit Good Health Guidelines into your day! Include ice and skim or light soy milk for a milkshake-like filling breakfast or snack!

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Orange Julius (4 pts)
1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C Skim Milk

½ c. frozen pineapple

Mandarin Chocolate (3 pts)
1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C. Skim Milk
2 tsp. Cocoa Powder
½ c. crushed ice

Strawberry Julius (3.5 pts)
1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C. Skim Milk

½ c. Frozen Strawberries

Fuzzy Navel (4 pts)
1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C. Skim Milk
½ C. Sliced Frozen Peaches

Orange Creamcicle (4 Pts)

1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C. Skim Milk
½ C. crushed ice

½ can drained mandarin oranges

Pina Banana (4 pts)
1 Package of Orange Smoothie
1 C. Skim Milk
1 small banana
½ tsp coconut extract

TFL OF THE WEEK

Storyboarding is a planning strategy use to create the consecutive steps that lea to your dream or Winning Outcome.

1. Write a one-sentence description of your Winning Outcome.
2. What do you need to do first to achieve this outcome? Second? Third? Fourth?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When do I need a doctor's note for Weight Watchers?

A doctor's note is required for anyone between the ages of 10-16 to become a member of Weight Watchers. This note must be submitted before the member may weigh-in or pay any fees. Members under the age of 18 may not purchase the Monthly Pass.

A doctor's note is also required to set a goal outside of the Healthy Weight Range chart (found in your Welcome to Your Meeting Week One book), or if a member is losing an average of more than two pounds per week, not including the first three weeks on the program. Rapid weight loss can cause serious medical problems and should only be done under the supervision of a doctor.

WEIGHT WATCHERS WANTS YOU!
Are you at or nearing Lifetime and interested in a fun, fulfilling part or full-time job inspiring others to their weight-loss goals? If so, Weight Watchers might just be the place for you! Plan to attend our next Open Information Session for a no-obligation chance to find out what we're all about! Upcoming session will be at the Castleton WW Center on May 5 at 5pm and in Martinsville May 26 at 5pm.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

• Family Power: Give Your Family a Healthy-Weight Home
• Queen of Healthy Cooking
• How to Make Your Cubicle Heathier

We often need help finding simple (maybe even sneaky) ways to introduce healthy eating ideas to other people in our lives - families, co-workers, and friends. We may also need to practice the Ask for Help habit, so we don't always have to be so secretive.

Have a great week, everyone!

Cyndi

Every great man is always being helped by everybody; for his gift is to get good out of all things and all persons.

--John Ruskin

"But Muscle Weighs More than Fat!" (Not!)

Hello, Weight Watchers! Did you use your new Three Rs of environmental cleanup to help manage your trigger environment this week? The Manage Your Environment habit helps us to discover how to make what's around us work for us in our weight-loss progress. If we make our environment less "toxic," healthy foods and opportunities to get active are more available.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I become a Lifetime member?

In order to become a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers, you must reach your weight goal (set after a Weight Conference with your Leader). You will follow the Maintenance plan for six weeks, and learn what level of food and activity is required to maintain your loss, but stop the losing process. At the end of the six weeks, as long as you are no more than two pounds above your weight goal, you are awarded Lifetime membership.

Lifetime members of Weight Watchers may attend Meetings at no charge, provided they weigh-in no more than two pounds over their goal at their first Meeting of each calendar month. After that first weigh-in, the member is welcome to attend additional meetings and weigh up to once per week at no additional charge, regardless of their weight. Lifetime members never pay missed week or registration fees again, and your Lifetime registration number stays with you, even if you are gone from Weight Watchers and return.

Lifetime members who are more than two pounds over their goal weight pay for each meeting, whether they choose to weigh or not, until they return to within two pounds of goal. Lifetime members return to free status as soon as they are within two pounds of goal, and do not have to pay for six weeks of Maintenance.

TFL OF THE WEEK
Anchors are reminders of your resources. You have all the resources you need to achieve your Winning Outcomes. Sometimes you just need a reminder to get in touch with these resources.

You actually use Anchoring already - every time you touch an object, hear a song, or smell a scent that reminds you of another time and place, you're anchoring to that day. For weight-loss purposes, the trick is doing it intentionally. Here's how:

1. Identify the inner resource you need
2. Remember a time when you had this inner resource
3. Choose an anchor
4. When you need that inner resource, touch (or picture, gesture, or say) the anchor and remember again the time when you had that strong, inner resource.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

• Does Muscle Weigh More than Fat?
• Weight Training vs. Aerobics
• Weight Gain with Exercise?

Since Moving More is one-fourth of the Weight Watchers Four-Way Approach to weight management, we need to regularly explore how to incorporate it into our lives. This often means overcoming excuses for not exercising, discovering relevant reasons four ourselves to Move More, and finding ways to fit more activity in our own lives, even if it's one step at a time.

Have a great week, everyone!

Cyndi

The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.

--Anthony Robbins

7 Quick Dinners On-Plan

But if you plan ahead and have a few staple ingredients always on hand, you'll never be caught without a healthy option. We've got seven dinner ideas for you. Each serves two and has a POINTS value of 7 or less per serving. What's more: They're good for the whole family. Because each meal can easily be tripled or quadrupled, you've got quick, healthy meals for the whole brood!

Peking Chicken (POINTS value = 5)
Rub 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast with 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce and some five-spice powder. Broil the chicken, then chop and mix with 1/2 cup sliced scallions and 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers. To serve, spread 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce over 4 small whole-wheat pita rounds, then top with the chicken mixture.

Italian Tuna Salad (POINTS value = 7)
Drain two 4-ounce cans of solid white, water-packed tuna and mix with 2 cups canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt-free Italian seasoning blend, 1 tablespoon chopped sage and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil.

Wild Rice and Chicken Salad (POINTS value = 7)
In a large bowl, mix 6 ounces cooked, chopped boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 cups cooked wild rice, 1 1/2 cups raspberries, some chopped scallions, a little chopped parsley and fresh thyme and 1/4 cup Italian-style fat-free dressing.

Egg White Omelet (POINTS value = 5)
This makes a filling dinner served alongside salad greens tossed with lemon juice. To make the omelet, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Whisk 6 egg whites with a little salt-free dry Italian seasoning mix in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to pan and cook. Coat a separate pan with nonstick spray and sauté 2 cups sliced mushrooms and 1/2 cup chopped shallots. Spoon mushroom mixture onto the omelet, fold over, then top with 1/4 cup pesto sauce.

Fish Baked in Packets (POINTS value = 5)
Place two 4-ounce red snapper fillets in the center of a sheet of foil. Top with 1 cup chopped tomato, 1 cup diced yellow zucchini, 2 ounces chopped pitted black olives, 1 tablespoon drained capers and a sprinkling of rosemary and parsley. Seal and bake in a 400°F oven for about 7 minutes. Serve with 2 slices high-fiber bread.

Pasta with Mixed Vegetables (POINTS value = 6)
Heat 1 cup tomato and basil sauce in the microwave with 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables. Pour both over 1 cup cooked, whole-wheat pasta. Garnish with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

Fajita Salad (POINTS value = 7)
Make an easy fajita salad by rubbing 6 ounces sirloin steak with salt-free chile seasoning before broiling. Slice the cooked steak and mix with 4 cups lettuce, 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato, some diced red onion, bell pepper and apple. Top with 1/2 cup purchased guacamole, 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream and 1/4 cup fat-free salsa.

Eating Triggers, Part 3: Trigger Environments

Hello, Weight Watchers! Did last week's discussion help you break the connection between your feelings and your eating habits? Emotional eating is not a problem for everyone, but I want you to keep in mind that even celebration can be a trigger for overeating. Developing ways to cope with trigger feelings without food is vital for lasting weight loss.

Flex Plan members: Have you re-taken the PDPT quiz on pages 18-19 of Eat Wisely lately?

OFFERS AND PROMOTIONS
- This week only, get a free one-POINT sample of the new Double Chocolate Delight bar!
- New Items! Double Chocolate Delight Bars ($5), Orange Creme Twist Smoothies ($7.50), and Next Move intermediate-level workout DVD ($15)! The smoothies taste like a Dreamsicle and the bars are an all-chocolate version of the popular Peanut Butter Bliss mini bars.
- Get a free Situation Solved: Weight Loss Advice for Busy Lives booklet.
- Free registration is back at Traditional and Traveler meetings until May 10th! Pay only the weekly fee to join.
- Lifetime Members who are returning to goal can attend Traditional or Traveler meetings at a discounted rate of $11 per week. Ask for details. Offer ends May 10.
- Bring a Friend is available at Traditional meetings through April 19. Give an invitation to a friend and if they sign up (you do not have to attend the same meeting) you both get a free mini cookbook.
- Bring a Co-Worker is available at At-Work meetings through May 31. Give an invitation to a co-worker and if they join, you will both receive three free issues of Weight Watchers magazine.

SPRING BREAK SHAPE-UP

Here are some tips to help your children get moving:

Learn a new activity.
Take lessons together in a new sport, such as tennis or golf. "This depends on the parent and their attitude toward the kids," says Graham. "If the parent is engaged and having fun, most likely the kid will, too."

Save the earth one stroll at a time.
Go for a walk in the neighborhood, suggests Germano, and pick up trash along the way, placing it in the nearest receptacle.

Take advantage of the neighborhood park.
Play ball games, such as softball, soccer or volleyball. Bring along a Frisbee and invite other kids to join in.

Start a pedaling tradition.
Strap on safety gear and take the whole family on a bike ride.

Discover nature in your hometown.
Go for a hike in a nature preserve or park. Bring a book about regional bird, or flowers or trees, so you and your kids can identify birds and plants on your hike.

Swim.
Visit the local YMCA or park and go swimming together. Most swimming pools offer specific hours for family swim sessions.

Jump rope.
It's inexpensive, great exercise and it can be done almost anywhere.

Bowl or play miniature golf.
Creative rules will help your family make these activities more fun and physical. Every time the bowler gets a strike, the rest of the family has to do five jumping jacks. A hole-in-one results in the other putters doing five squats.

Don't give up when the clouds roll in.
If it's raining, go for a walk in the mall. Set up an activity space in the basement or an extra room in your home. Lay down a mat, suggests Corbin, so your kids can do gymnastics and stretches.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

• Creating a Healthy-Weight Environment
• Weight and the Workplace
• Rethinking Old Family Habits

When we practice the Managing Your Environment habit, we discover how to make what's around us work to support our weight loss and maintenance. This week, we will be trading tips for cleaning up a "toxic" environment so that healthy foods and opportunities to get active are more readily available.

Have a great week, everyone!

Cyndi

You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?

--W. Clement Stone

Peanut Butter "Blissard"
1 serving | 4 POINTS values

1 frozen Peanut Butter Bliss bar, cut into pieces
1 packet French Vanilla or Creamy chocolate smoothie
1 cup skim milk
1 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency.