WOW! Why Would You Offer Me That?

Dear Weight Watchers Friends,

Highlights from this week's meeting: This meeting's topic was titled "WOW! Why Would You Offer Me That?” and it focused on the weight-loss saboteurs we have in our lives. This is one of those topics that really hits home with most of us. Maybe your challenges come from:

• the people pushing “free samples” at the local Costco or Sam’s Club warehouses, or neighborhood grocery store, or
• the well-intentioned people bringing “treats” to work to share with co-workers, or
• Aunt Bette sharing her special apple pie that she made “just for you,” or
• the friend who talks you out of going to the gym, because she wants you to go to the movies with her instead!

No matter who is "tempting" or even "pushing" you to stop (or slow down) your weight-loss efforts (even if that person is sometimes YOU), there is help! I very much appreciated our meeting this week as we discussed the various ways we can ask for weight-loss help and support from our friends, co-workers, and family members. Many times, people in our lives truly want to help, but just don’t know how to go about giving us the help and support we need.

The first step in creating a supportive environment is to recognize food pushers and exercise saboteurs. Then we need to enlist the support of family, friends, and co-workers to help make our journey easier. I look forward to following up with you next week to hear about your successes (or discuss your struggles) in this area. Remember, we’re here to help each other through this journey.

Next week's meeting topic: "What (Gear) Do You Need to Move More?" I am very excited about this week’s meeting topic—it’s one of my favorites. Come next week to discover how new “toys” can increase the enjoyment of activity!

AWARDS! Congratulations to Art and Linda Milliman—for several things. As many of you know, Art and Linda just returned from a 3-week trip to Africa. Congratulations on fulfilling a life-long dream—and welcome home. We hope that, in the coming weeks/months, you’ll feel comfortable sharing with us some of the highlights of your trip. Also, we want to congratulate both of you for earning your “16-Week Stay & Succeed” awards. And, Linda, congratulations for your incredible weight-loss success—you’ve earned your 25-lb. award. You’re such an inspiration!
And, finally, congratulations to those of you who have earned 5-lb. stars (either your first, or additional)! Your continued progress is getting you closer and closer to your weight-loss goals. We’re all so proud of you.

Motivational Thought:
Finally, for those who have faced weight-loss struggles in the past, or perhaps are struggling now, or will likely hit a roadblock or two in the future (I think I’ve covered everyone here), I dedicate the following quote:

“Success doesn't mean the absence of failures; it means the attainment of ultimate objectives. It means winning the war, not every battle.” - Edward Bliss

I look forward to spending time with you on Tuesday. I adore you and truly enjoy our time together.

Take care, my wonderful friends,

Debra

Managing Special Occasions

Dear Weight Watchers Friends,

Highlights from this week's meeting. During our meeting, we talked about "Managing Special Occasions." Not only will we be celebrating Thanksgiving Day next week, but then there'll be Christmas and New Year's Day celebrations, birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, retirement parties, and so many other reasons to party--with FOOD, of course. What are your favorite ways to be successful during these events? Thank you so much for those of you who offered advice and suggestions. I'm personally going to use several of the ideas that were shared. For example, drink lots of water, wear tighter clothes, remember how great you're going to feel for being STRONG ("I can do hard things"), keep a mint or piece of gum in your mouth, carry around a small plate with fruits and veggies, decide BEFORE you eat something whether or not it's worth it (mentally rehearse what you'll do), plan to see some of your plate between the foods, and remember, most of all, that it's only ONE DAY. The problem many people get into is that they will do great on the holiday, because they're prepared for it, but they'll get thrown off the following days as they eat leftovers! Challenge yourself to know how you're going to manage the holiday event, and the days that follow.

Next week's meeting topic: "WOW! Why Would You Offer Me That?" I am really looking forward to this meeting. I am sure it'll be a great discussion. Sometimes we have people in our lives who--unintentional or not--sabotage our weight-loss efforts. Perhaps you know someone who is a food pusher, or who is an exercise saboteur. How do you handle these people and situations? At our meeting, you will learn how to develop strategies that will help you recognize unsupportive behaviors and either enlist weight-loss saboteurs' support or navigate around them.

Celebrations: Congratulations to each of you who earned 5-lb. stars this week. You are an inspiration to all of us. It's those small, consistent losses that bring about the big successes.

Motivational Quote: Remember, what you get by reaching your destination isn't nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals--what you will become is the winner you were born to be! Zig Ziglar

Have a great weekend. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday! And because I won't be "blogging" again until after next Thursday, I wish you all a very ...







Warmest regards,

Debra

Lessons from the Gridiron

Dear Weight Watchers Friends,

Highlights from this week's meeting: This meeting's topic was "Lessons from the Gridiron."
We talked about all the comparisons between football and weight loss. There are many! And some of the best motivational quotes have come from football coaches. For example, Tom Landry, former Dallas coach, says, “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” Weight loss is definitely a team effort. I love how we all understand each other, help each other, and learn from each other.

During our meeting, we walked through the “Anchoring” Tool for Living worksheet. Anchoring helps us tap into our internal resources (i.e., determination, sense of humor, patience, confidence, dedication, etc.) whenever we want/need those resources. We discussed how a gesture, object, word, phrase, song, mental image, etc., can be used as an anchor. We each selected a puzzle piece to use as an anchor. If you’ve ever successfully put a challenging puzzle together, you know how difficult they can be. Frequently, pieces look like an obvious fit (similar color, shape, etc.), when they aren’t. But with patience and persistence, some trial and error, the right pieces are found and the puzzle is successfully completed! So, perhaps you’ll use your puzzle piece to remind you that you have patience and CAN stick with your weight-loss plan!

Next week's meeting topic: "Managing Special Occasions."
Thanksgiving Day is rapidly approaching. You won’t want to miss attending your meeting this week (Nov. 16-23). We’ll be discussing strategies that will help you have a successful turkey day (and prepare you for the other many “food holidays” that are approaching).

AWARDS! Congratulations, Stephanie, for earning your “16 Week Stay & Succeed” award. And a big “high five” for those of you who earned a 5-lb. star this week!

Motivational Thought:
Keeping with our discussion about our internal resources, I really love this quote: “The greatest undiscovered resources in the world lie under our hats and stand in our shoes.” Kenneth Hildebran

Finally, it is with deep sadness that I share with you that our friend Tammie’s wonderful, sweet angel—her service dog, Leska—passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 12. Leska has attended many, many Weight Watchers meetings with Tammie over the years and I know many of us had grown very attached to her. She will definitely be missed. Tammie, our love, friendship, and support are with you during this very difficult time, and we are very sorry for your loss.

Take care, my wonderful friends,

Debra

Vote YES for Yourself!

Dear Weight Watchers Friends,


Highlights from this week's meeting:

This meeting's topic was "Vote ‘Yes’ for Yourself."

• How often do you “vote for yourself” (decide to make your needs a priority)?
• What happens to your weight-loss efforts when you “vote for” other peoples’ needs instead of your own?
• In terms of your weight-loss efforts, what does taking care of yourself look like?

The discussion we had during our meeting this week was inspiring—on many levels. I so appreciated the way many of you opened up and shared your innermost thoughts and feelings. For example, one member shared that she often feels resentful when she sacrifices her needs/wants/desires for the needs of others. Another member said that she gave and gave to a partner in a relationship, but her partner never reciprocated. She felt very hurt and unappreciated. How many of us have had similar feelings? What needs to happen for us to be able to better balance our needs with those of others?

Now that the presidential campaign has ended, let’s campaign for ourselves by electing to make our weight-loss efforts a priority, which ultimately means that everyone in our lives benefits!

Taking care of yourself means:

• Valuing your own needs
• Making time for the activities you love
• Finding the motivation to work toward your goals
• Learning to say “no,” and
• Saying goodbye to guilt.

What have you done this week to take care of YOU? I can't wait to hear all about it on Tuesday night.

Next week's meeting topic: "Lessons from the Gridiron."

Autumn isn’t just election time—it’s also football season. One way you can take care of yourself is by attending next week’s meeting where you’ll discover how to score a touchdown for the home team—YOU!

AWARDS! So many of you have been earning 5 lb. stars--and this week was no exception. Congratulations to the many of you who earned your first (or additional) stars this week. I am proud of you for your continued efforts that are bringing success!

Motivational Thought:
I read the following quote and thought to myself—WOW. This puts into perspective EXACTLY what we were talking about this week.

“At this very moment, you may be saying to yourself that you have any number of admirable qualities. You are a loyal friend, a caring person, someone who is smart, dependable, fun to be around. That's wonderful, and I'm happy for you, but let me ask you this: are you being any of those things to yourself?” ~Phillip C. McGraw

Finally, our fellow WW members, Linda and Art, are in Africa. Linda, your lifelong dream HAS come true. You're really there. Linda and Art, we look forward to your safe return and hope you'll be willing to share some of your experiences with us! We miss you both and wish you well in this incredible journey.

Take care, my wonderful friends,

Debra

Making Meals and Snacks More Satisfying

Dear Weight Watchers Friends,


It's a rainy, cold Sunday afternoon, but I feel cozy and warm as I sit at this computer to write to my dear WW friends! Plus, I'm feeling rested because I got an extra hour of sleep last night--and that's always a good thing! Did you use your "extra" hour to get more sleep?


Highlights from this week's meeting:
This meeting's topic was "Making Meals and Snacks More Satisfying." We had a wonderful discussion (thank you for all of you who shared thoughts/comments) about the things that create a satisfying meal. Some of the ways to make a meal/snack more satisfying are to improve the visual and/or physical satisfaction.




For example, visual appeal may occur when you:

• Use good dishes (treat yourself like "company").



• Remove clutter from your eating area and make your mealtime a peaceful, enjoyable experience.



• Eat from smaller plates/bowls (e.g., serve dinner on salad plates)



• Drink (even water) from your fancy glasses/goblets, and garnish with a twist of lemon/lime.



• Display many different colors (foods, tableware, cloth napkins).



• Treat yourself to flowers and candles on the table (leave no room for tempting serving bowls!)



• Put your snack serving on a nice plate--put the package away.



• Be creative with meal presentation ideas (solicit help from family members).



• Try new or unusual foods.



• Serve bigger portions of low energy dense foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables).



• Choose high-fiber snacks (popcorn, whole-wheat pretzels).



• Offer several courses, such as salad, then broth-based soup, entree, then follow-up with a healthy dessert, such as fresh fruit.

Physical appeal may occur when you:

• Choose foods that are filling because of the fiber, air or water content (low energy density).



• Incorporate the Good Health Guidelines that will add feelings of satisfaction/fullness, such as: fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, milk products, healthy oils, protein.



• Eat a balance of foods from different food groups, which adds to feelings of fullness. For example, instead of having whole-wheat toast for breakfast, top it with some reduced-fat peanut butter and half of a banana. Your breakfast may "stick to your ribs" longer.



• Chew more, drink less. Liquids often don't feel as satisfying as foods that require chewing.

Avoid unsatisfying meals and snacks. When you're not satisfied, you'll likely find yourself searching for more food to satisfy you, which may cause you to spend POINTS unnecessarily or cause you to eat extra portions.

Finally, we had our first BRAVO drawing. We had 17 winners (small gifts--a simple gesture to let you know that you ARE being successful, even when the results don't always show up on the scale). I will return the BRAVO cards to you that were turned in for our drawing so you can continue to collect BRAVO stickers on them or retain the full cards for future drawings, increasing your chances of winning. Congratulations to those of you who won.

Next week's meeting topic: "Vote 'Yes' for Yourself."
When you find ways to feel satisfied from meals and snacks, you are demonstrating your ability to care for yourself. During next week's meeting, we'll be discussing the Take Care of Yourself habit. You will want to attend the meeting to cast an important vote for YOURSELF!

AWARDS!
Congratulations to each of you who earned an award (or 5-lb. star) this week. Specifically, Kelly and Herbert (16-week "Stay & Succeed"), Candice Garfield (10%), and Lauren--YOU REACHED YOUR GOAL! Congratulations to each of you.

Recipe:

Linda--thanks for sharing the following Pan-Seared Chicken recipe. It sounds delicious!

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH CITRUS-HERB GREMOLATA

Gremolata is a garnish usually made with parsley, grated lemon peel and garlic. This tarragon-orange version is simple, but incredibly flavorful. Try it on fish or shrimp, too.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

½ teaspoon minced garlic

Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center, turning once. Combine all remaining ingredients, including remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, in small bowl; sprinkle over chicken.

4 servings. PER SERVING: 170 calories, 6 g total fat (1/5 g saturated fat), 26.5 g protein, .5 g carbohydrate, 75 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium, .5 g fiber.

Motivational Thought:

I recently heard the following quote (by Michael Jordan) and just loved it. I know some of us get so discouraged when we fail, but it's SO important to stick with the things we want to achieve. Never, never, NEVER give up. Michael Jordan says, "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Be sure to vote early so you'll be able to attend our meeting! I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday night.

Finally, our wonderful friends, Linda and Art, will be leaving next week for Africa. We're so excited for you and we'll look forward to hearing about your experience when you return. We hope you'll be able to attend Tuesday night so we can bid you farewell! Oh, and you'll want to chat with Nancy, one of our wonderful Tuesday night receptionists. She has been to Africa and will be returning there again soon (she'll be gone for a few months). I love the fact that WW brings people together who would've otherwise probably never met.


Take care, my wonderful friends,


Debra