Stop Dieting!!

Stop dieting and start living!!  How many times have you heard yourself say, "Oh I can't have that....I'm on a diet."  It's time we stop dieting.  We need to tell ourselves that there is nothing we can't have, but how much do I need?  I loved this thought when I heard last week in Weight Watchers.  I can have anything I want, but how much do I NEED.  It's okay to indulge once in a while.  And when we are indulging keep in mind that the last bite will taste the same as the first.  

Our lovely Leader gave us some common scenarios for dieting and how to tackle them.  

#1:  I deprive myself until I end up overeating.

Solution:  Indulge in moderation.  Remember that the first and last bite taste the same.

#2:  I like to cook high fat favorites.

Solution:  Try low fat versions of the same favorites.  Shhh...don't tell the family.  They may not even notice.  

#3  I often skip breakfast to speed weight loss.

Solution:  Do not skip any many meal, especially not breakfast.  Get your metabolism in motion by feeding your body in the morning.  Not enough time?  Choose fruit that you can eat on the go.  Set the alarm a little earlier.  You are worth a good start to your day.  

#4  I lose my will power at parties and restaurants. 

Solution:  Share an entree with someone.  Have a snack before you go.  Park farther away so you have to walk to get to the party/restaurant.  Fill up instead on the salads and fruits.  Order your meal the way you want it.  It's okay... you are allowed.  And you are worth it.

#5  I weigh myself several times a day/week.

Solution:  Try to limit your weight check in to once a week, and at the same time.  Our weight fluctuates daily depending on time of day, what we have consumed, for women where we are in our cycle.  Look for NON SCALE VICTORIES:  clothes getting looser, measuring your waist, your arms, legs etc.  I have even dropped a shoe size!  

#6  I often eat while watching TV/reading

Solution:  We will get more satisfaction if we are focusing on just eating.  This is a huge challenge for me.  I like to watch TV while I have my lunch, or read blogs.  This is one I have to work on.

#7  I get frustrated when I don't lose weight right away.

Solution:  Slow and steady wins the race!  A healthy and successful weight loss is .2 tenths of a pound to 2.0 pounds per week.  To give a visual, a stick of butter would represent that .2 tenths.  Look at your arms....I think I have a couple of sticks on mine, but when I lost .2 a couple of weeks ago, well my arms were a little thinner!

Say no to the "ditching the diet" mind set and avoid deprivation.  It's not a diet, it's a "live it."

The Sneaky Chef

Have you heard of the "Sneaky Chef"  this is another gem from my fantabulous leader.  Please only thank me for the link.  She gets the glory! Go check out the Sneaky Chef's site. 

4 Diet Myths Debunked

I have perhaps one of the most awesomest (yeah, it's a word) leaders in the world of Weight Watchers.  She sends her members (who sign up) emails with recipes.  Emails with tips.  Emails with points values for things you would love to eat.  Most recently she sent us a quick email busting some of the most popular dieting myths! So I thought I would share them with you. 

Despite all we know about sound nutrition, myths lurk everywhere -- from a friend's misguided counsel to the latest fad-diet bestseller. Get the facts right here. MYTH: The healthiest diet is fat-free. FACT: "You need some fat for your body to function properly," says Karen Miller-Kovach, MS, RD, chief scientist at Weight Watchers International.Fat helps transport vitamins A, D, E and K to tissues throughout your body. And some dietary fats help regulate your hormones and keep your nervous system humming. "It also contributes to satiety," says Miller-Kovach, so you don't walk around perpetually hungry. The general recommendation is to keep your fat intake between 20 to 30 percent of your total daily calories. So don't be fat phobic, she says. "There's no need to shun all foods that contain fat." MYTH: Sugar is fattening. FACT: There's little scientific evidence that a high-sugar diet leads to obesity. Not that you'd want to (since sugar doesn't provide any of the vitamins and minerals needed for good health), but you could consume 2,000 calories worth of sugar a day and not gain weight — if your body requires 2,000 calories a day to maintain your current weight, says Columbia University nutrition professor Audrey Cross, PhD. Sugar is pure carbohydrate. Your body processes it the same way it does any carb, including bread and fruit. Of course, many sugary favorites, such as doughnuts, are not the best choice not just because of all the sugar, but also the fat. Fresh fruit, at just 1 to 2 POINTS® values per serving, is your best bet if you have a sweet tooth. MYTH: Food cravings are best ignored. FACT: "Ignoring a food craving can lead to backlash," Miller-Kovach says. If you feel deprived, you might give up and overindulge in the craved food. A better idea: "Go for the lowest-fat, lowest-calorie item in the category you're craving, say chocolate frozen yogurt for a chocolate fix," Cross suggests. Or have a small amount of the real thing, such as a square of high-quality chocolate. If neither curbs your craving, look at the bigger picture. Cross adds that a craving that persists could mean your diet is too limited, or that you could be craving emotionally, perhaps due to anxiety, anger or stress. MYTH: Eating at night leads to weight gain. FACT: It doesn't matter what time you eat; your body burns calories 24 hours a day. "Although your metabolism does slow down at night, it doesn't slow down enough to make a difference," says Miller-Kovach. So go ahead and eat dinner at 8 p.m., or have a midnight snack without feeling guilty. But do factor those choices into your POINTS Tracker! Overall, says Miller-Kovach, it's the number of calories you take in over the course of a week

What dieting myths have you heard that need busting?

Dining Out

Dining out can almost be as scary as the "D" word.  If you are anything like me, your heart starts pounding, your mind is racing and sweat beads begin to form across your forehead.  What can I order?  How big are the portions?  What do I say when asked, "Can you eat that?" 

The truth is there are many lines of defense for dining out when we are in the midst of changing our habits and the way we eat.

• Have a light snack before you go
• Order water as your first drink and drink it up
• Try not to drink your calories whether it be a glass of wine or regular soda
• order the house salad with dressing on the side
• have your server bring you a take home box with the meal.  Cut it in half and put that half in the box.  You have lunch for tomorrow.
• Ask the server to bring your food naked....that is no butter on the meat--oh yes they do!  It's why their food tastes so good and it looks so mouth watering.
• If you have the time, look up the menu online and choose a healthier meal
• If you know the menu well enough then you can make a decision wisely
• Be the first to order so as not to be influenced by others
• Ask your server how much does the chicken/steak/hamburger weigh they should know the answer to that question.
• Ask for the food to be prepared the way you want it.  It's okay...that's their job...then when you give them that nice tip they won't grumble.  
• Ask for fruits and veggies
• Eat one breadstick and have the server remove the basket or cover it up and shove it out of reach.
• Tip nicely it will give good karma to calories taken in.  

Okay so that last one was totally made up, but having waitressed before, I know how hard that job is. 

Lastly, go for a walk after you are done dining out.  Dining out does not have to be an anxiety inducing time.  It can be an experience to enjoy.  Savor the flavors, enjoy the fact that you do not have to prepare, or clean it up.  And always enjoy the company!

What tips do you have for dining out successfully?

Benefits

Aside from the obvious benefits of smaller clothes, and boosting the ego there are many other benefits.  Did you know that for every pound you lose, you relieve your knees of 5 pounds of pressure!?  Let me say that again, because it bears repeating.  For every ONE POUND you lose, you relieve you knees of FIVE POUNDS of pressure.  I don't like math, but I have lost 25 pounds.  That is 125 pounds of pressure.  Holy cow!  No wonder my knees were hurting!  What other things can it do when we eat healthier?  Well I haven't had my yearly yet, but I can't wait to see the numbers!!  My blood pressure was on the rise...for me normal is about 90/60.  Last October it was 130/80.  I can't wait to see the difference.  And then there are the cholesterol's.  The HDL's (good) will be up and hopefully the LDL's (the bad) will be down. 

Do you remember my post about Healthy Oils?  I have noticed a huge difference in my hair and skin.  There are so many benefits to this.  Aren't we worth those lovely benies??

The Power of Filling Foods!

We have been talking a lot about snacks lately.  Snacks, mindless eating, sneak eating and that ravenous I just got home from work get out of my way eating.   I am not forgetting my SAHM sisters.  I know how busy we are too.  Isn't just easier to grab something quick to stave off hunger?  The problem with those quick things is they are the least satisfying.  If I grab a couple of cookies or a small brownie, I am usually hungry in about 10 minutes.  The leader gave a very eye opening example.  A single two inch brownie is about the value of 5 points.  About 300 calories.  Five apples hold about the same amount of calories with the difference of quality.  Do I want that brownie?  Heck yeah!?  Am I going to eat 5 apples in one setting?  Ummm....no. 

Our leader went on to talk about our cars, and how they perform better if we keep the tank full and never let it get below half a tank.  We need to keep our tanks full too.  Have quality food prepared so that we can grab those things instead.    She went onto say that we should eat the minute we feel hungry.  Think about our kids...the little ones.  When they are hungry they tell us.  When they eat dinner, they stop when they are done.   I think we get out of practice of listening to our bodies.  Our body knows when we need to eat and sleep.  I am not saying you can't have a brownie ever again.  If you really want that brownie, add a cup of milk with it and a little fruit.  Or how about a 1/2 cup of fat free vanilla ice cream and a dollop of fat free cool whip.  You can add some fruit here too. 

Our challenge this week is to keep our tanks half full and to try and choose higher quality snacks.  Prepare ahead of time.

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply."  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe--writer

Peanut Butter Cookies

A member from one of my leader's other meetings emailed her this recipe for peanut butter cookies.  She (the member) was over joyed when she saw at the bottom of the recipe that the cookies were equivalent to one weight watchers point.  My leader quickly did the math and figured it was really TWO points per cookie.  She revamped the recipe and turned them into ONE POINT cookies.  Unless the recipe has the Weight Watchers trademark, it has not been figured by the Weight Watchers program.  That doesn't mean it isn't a good recipe.  However, if you want the true points value you need to look for the WW trademark.  The nutrition information of course, would be accurate.

The weird thing about these cookies, is there is no flour in them.  How bizarre is that?  It is suppose to make 24 cookies.  I made 22.  They turned out very tasty.  Perhaps too tasty.  I worry about my will power.  Although my son and husband are helping me with that.  My only complaint, I guess is the cookies get stuck in your teeth like....peanut butter! haha.

Betty’s Amazing

Peanut Butter Cookies

(1 POINT  each – Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced fat peanut butter

3/4 cup Splenda

1/4  cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°   Combine peanut butter,

sweetener, brown sugar, baking soda, and

vanilla in medium bowl, stir until mixed well. 

Add egg and stir until dough is formed. 

Scoop dough, by level tablespoons, into 1-inch

balls.  Place on ungreased baking sheet and

flatten ball with fork, forming a crisscross pattern

on top of each cookie.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes,

or until cookies are golden brown on the bottom

but still slightly soft in the center.  Remove

from the oven and let cool on the baking

sheets for 5 minutes.  Remove to wire racks

to finish cooling.

I cooked mine for 9 minutes and that seemed to be just right.  I bought the Target brand of reduced fat peanut butter.  It really is pretty good for REDUCED FAT NO-NAME peanut butter.  Try them...if you dare!  If you do...share them.

Flexibility

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This week at Weight Watchers, we talked about being flexible.  Not flexible like a Cirque du Soleil performer.  No, she was talking about bending with the winds of change.  

Change can be a scary thing.  I am the first to admit that.  I like things a certain way.  Even if it is negative.  Consider the way we think about our eating.  Do we call it a diet?  What happens when we are so rigid in our thinking?  What happens when we set unrealistic goals.

How about bending a little?  I like the the image of the slinky.  A fun and a wonderful toy!  And it bends and moves to its situation.  How can we move and bend to our own situation?

"I have to lose X pounds."  This is far to rigid in thinking.

"I want to lose X pounds by this date.  And this is how I plan to do it.  I am going to A, B, C...."

"I am going to lose 5 pounds every week!"

"I am going to aim to lose weight each week.  I will expect set backs, small loses, and being 'stuck' along the way."*

"I am not going to eat chocolate anymore."  Now, I have known people who have done this.  And I say, more power to you.  But for me, I am not willing to let it go.  I am, however, willing to have it less.  To choose something with less fat and more fiber.  It's that flexibility talking.  We are more likely to succeed when we are flexible in our thinking.    What are you doing to increase your flexibility?

My Virtual Model

Have you heard of this site before?  No?  It's a fun site.  What you do is a build a virtual version of yourself.  Tell it how tall you are, how much you weigh, eyes, hair, are you fuller figured, thin lips, etc.  It builds YOU!  And then the really fun part... you can enter the weight you want to be and it will adjust your virtual you accordingly!  Then...you get to go shopping!  I played for over an hour.  How do you like the virtual me!?

In 12 more pounds she really will be me!  If you want to play along....just go here.

The Real Reveal!

My journey started in February and I looked like this...

 My eyes can't hardly believe that was ever even me!!  Larger than life...for realsies!  Than I lost my first ten and it felt great!

I felt great!

It gave me inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward.  It has taken me six months to come this far!  I am not about to stop now!  So without any further adieu!

TA-DA!

So what is it that I am doing?  Mostly it is better food choices and portion control.  It's not buying candy every time I am out.  It's not buying regular ice cream.  It's making cake with diet soda instead of oil.  It's chewing gum to keep me from nibbling when I don't need to.  It's going up the stairs instead of sending one of my kids up to get whatever it was I wanted.  It's cooking healthier.  It's trying new foods.    It's going to my Weight Watchers meetings.  It's all the wonderful support I receive from family and friends.  I can hardly wait to post the final picture!! 

A Reveal?

I had this all planned out.  I was going to have Kristin take a picture of me. I was going to take a picture of my prizes.  Here it is Thursday night and wouldn't you know it...I totally forgot about this.

I have lost 25 pounds since I started Weight Watchers back in February!! I was going to show a recent picture.  Well the above picture is as recent as it gets.  Soooo come Monday (I hope) I will have a more revealing picture--so to speak--and a shot of my reward for my latest milestone.

I am 11 pounds from where I think I want to be.  I say "think" because I can't picture how I will look.  I have to see it.  And once I get there, don't think for one moment I will give up this blog!  No way.  I will keep posting.   

Have a great weekend everyone.  I will see you Monday!!! 

Storyboarding

I love Disney/Pixar films.  They are fantastic.  Is it any wonder why we all love them so much?  They certainly don't just throw something together and call it a day.  Days, weeks, months and years of planning, drawing, writing, on and on it goes until  they come to the final product.  The movie. 

How they start is with a storyboard. 

A storyboard to write/draw each action.  A space to insert the dialog which the characters will be speaking as the story unfolds.  These creators show a full storyboard to their artists.  Without the storyboards the artists wouldn't be able to bring the story to life.

Weight Watchers gives the same idea to its members.  That we should create a storyboard of our own. 

Start with a big star on top of your page.  Inside that star write your goal or "winning outcome" as they call it.  For me it is to lose 7 pounds.  I know it's a strange number, but it will put me into the next bracket of tens.  Which in turn brings me closer to my final goal. 

Next you write out a small list of things to help you achieve this winning outcome.  For me the list looks like this:

1.  Continue attending Weight Watchers meetings
2. Track what I eat each day
3. use low and zero point alternative snacks 
4. walk at least 3 times each week

Is there a time limit on when I should reach this goal?  Absolutely not.  I do not need that kind of pressure.  I do not do well under the clock.  As long as I get there, that is what is most important to me.  And how I arrive.

How will your storyboard look?