Friends of Weight Watchers Newsletter
| Volume 3 Number 2 |
http://home.roadrunner.com/~foww |
| April/May, 2007 |
Newsletter Editor: Diana |
May
is the month
for Mother's Day and Memorial Day celebrations. With the beautiful weather
we can enjoy picnics, fishing,
camping....all the things that were put on hold because of the winter months.
Take time this month to enjoy the beauties of life, the warmth of families, and
the company of good friends.
Congratulations to our "Biggest
Losers" in the Easter Challenge.
Helen.........13.7 lbs.
Chelsea.......11.2 lbs.
Jenny D......11.0 lbs.
Join us for the Memorial Day Challenge which ends May 25.
2007 CHALLENGES:
Valentine Challenge - 12/29/06 thru 2/16/07
Easter Challenge - 2/16/07
thru 4/6/07
**Memorial Day Challenge - 4/6/07 thru 5/25/07**
Independence Day Challenge - 5/25/07 thru 7/6/07
Labor Day Challenge - 7/6/07 thru 8/31/07
Halloween Challenge - 8/31/07
thru 10/26/07
Hugs,
Diana, Group Leader
THIRD
ANNIVERSARY - April 22, 2007
Friends of Weight Watchers was created on April 22, 2004, under the name of At Home With Weight Watchers. Our name was later changed to "Friends of Weight Watchers" to avoid confusion with the "Weight Watchers At Home Program". A small group joined in to create a place where people doing Weight Watchers on their own...or who needed additional support while attending meetings...could find information and share recipes and ideas. We have grown to over 1300 members, and I'm proud to be your Group Leader. Thanks to all of you for making this one of the top Weight Watcher message boards.
What's the Connection between Easter, Passover, Tax Season
and Dieting?
Submitted by: Bruce
Well, it's that time of the season again, the time we all dread. More holiday dinners, and to make matters worse, the federal taxes are due again! It's the time of the year I sit down and try to figure out the point value of everything; can I get away sampling a bit of this and a bit of that, a bite of this and a bite of that. It's the time of the year you really don't want to "put all your eggs in one basket" or "count all your (proverbial) chickens before they hatch". But on the other hand, it's a time where Mother Nature really "comes out of her shell" and bursts forth with life! Ah yes! "Spring has sprung, the grass is growin'; now its time to get my feet a goin'!"
I hope that very few of you gentle readers have been hibernating all winter long. How many can say that they monitored their activity points during the winter season and maintained a decent daily number?
Food Finds
Submitted by:
Mistie
Weight
Watchers Individual Ice Cream Containers
Each come with 2 containers in a package. They come in Mint Chocolate
Chip, Chocolate Brownie, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and each are 2 points
per container. There is also a Caramel one and it is 3 points per
container. Check your local grocery freezer section.
100
Calorie Cheddar Cheese Chex Mix.
These are the perfect size for portion control! Very yummy. Only the cereal
no nuts or pretzels.
FOWW Success Story
Submitted by: Mistie
Susan - Before
Susan - After
Susan Miles (Sue to her friends), lives in Northwestern Lower Michigan. She and her DH have been married for 32 years and have 12 children (11 adopted from US and abroad, some with special needs) ranging in age from 11 to 38. Sue is 55 years old and worked for 21 years as a reference librarian at a University and now works part-time at a community college library and as a special education assistant to two elementary school students in wheelchairs.
Sue began her first journey with Weight Watchers in 1975 and over the years was on and off the program. She got serious on January 3, 2006 at a weight of 220 pounds and 5'4" height. She has lost 80 pounds over the last 14 months.
Sue says her motivation each day to keep going is that she kept feeling better and better each day, then her clothes started getting too big and she wanted to keep the momentum going! Her biggest support has been her DH, her kids, and the FOWW email list.
Some of her most cherished NSV's
(non-scale victories) to date have been....
a) the day last Spring when she could fit into size 16 jeans;
b) fitting into her almost 32-year-old wedding dress; and
c) when her mother recently asked..."Don't you think you've
lost enough weight, dear?"
When asked what a few of her
favorite low-point snacks or meals are, she says...
a) French Vanilla International Coffee (1 point)
b) Hazelnut Latte (made with decaf, skim milk, and sugar-free
syrup) (2 points)
c) Fiber One Oat and Chocolate Bar (2 points)
Sue says her advice to a new WW member would be to "Get your head in the right place to make this lifestyle change and keep your eye on the prize. Remember, you are doing this for you because you deserve it! Your family and friends may benefit, too, but YOU are the focus here."
Additional comments from Sue are....
"I am so grateful to have found this group. I've tried several others, but
this in the only one I've stayed subscribed to because the people are so
friendly, informative, supportive, and understanding."
Recommended Websites
Submitted by: Susan
Weight
Watchers Recipes
(http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/)
Offers a large collection of low point recipes arranged into categories
Weight
Watchers Recipe Cards from 1974 (http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html)
A humorous look at
WW 30+ years ago
My Virtual Model
(http://www.mvm.com/en/index.htm)
Create your own before and after model!
Weight
Watchers
Evaluation (http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/7/3220_529.htm)
WebMD's evaluation of WW
Tunes List....Songs To
Get Your Body Moving
Submitted by:
Chelsea
We all have songs that seem to make our bodies start moving...whether it is dancing, walking, a cardio workout, biking, jogging or just playing around, having music on makes you want to move. This list is compiled of some songs that can perk up your mood and get you moving. Try them out. If you like one, two or all of them, download them onto your iPod or perhaps make a CD...turn up the music on your stereo or plug in those earphones and GET MOVING! If you have a particular song that gets your body moving please submit it to Chelsea at FOWWMAIL@aol.com for consideration to be placed on a future newsletter, Tunes List.
In this new section I am hoping to get you to venture outdoors and open your senses to getting some fresh air fitness. Being outdoors and breathing in fresh air can energize your mind and body...not to mention, in most cases, it's free! I hope during these spring and summer months you are motivated to get outside using some of my suggestions. Perhaps you will use these suggestions to get yourself up off the couch or to break up the monotony of your indoor workout routine and as Anna Nalick says..."Just Breathe."
For this newsletter edition I would like to suggest for you to find a forest preserve or community park that you have yet to discover. I, personally, have a forest preserve with a beautiful lake and path that I have driven by for 8 years and I have never once turned into that parking lot to discover what it has to offer. I will be going there to walk the path as soon as our weather warms a bit. I plan to try a new park or forest preserve each week. And I hope you do the same.
If you have a Fresh Air Fitness suggestion, please submit it to Chelsea at FOWWMAIL@aol.com and it will be considered for a future newsletter. This section of the newsletter will become an exercise tips section during the fall and winter editions.
Why The Scale Lies
Submitted by: Jenny D
From:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/scale.htm
We've been told over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it's readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.
Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it's water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.
Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.
Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.
Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it's associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you're prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it's likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.
This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.
If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It's a matter of mind over scale.
Recipe Corner
Submitted by: Donna
Breakfast: Mexican Omelet
Points 5
I like Mexican omelettes. This morning I sauteed 1/4 c. green pepper, 1/4 c. canned black beans, 1/4 c. corn, and 1/4 c. tomato in a tsp. of olive oil. When the veggies are softened, mix in 1/2 c. egg beaters. This sets up really fast. Put 1/4 c. low fat Mexican cheese on top, put a lid on and wait a minute for it to melt. You get a serving of veggie, a serving of dairy, and a healthy oil all for 5 pts.
Salad:
Mix together..
1 bag
baby spinach
2 cups strawberries
1/3 cup pecan halves
Dressing:
Whisk until blended..
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup Splenda
1/8 tsp worstershire sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds
1tsp poppy seeds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp minced onion
1/8 tsp paprika
SUPPER : Chicken Chili
Serves 6 - Points 6 per serving
2 tsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 (28 ounce) can Italian peeled tomatoes
1 (15.5 ounce) can red kidney beans
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Heat the oil in a nonstick dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion,
bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until
softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until
lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the chili powder and oregano; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and
simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the chili thickens slightly,
about 20 minutes. Rinse and drain the bean, then stir into the chili and cook
until heated through. Transfer to a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
3. Preheat the oven to 400.
4. To make the corn bread, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and
salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and egg substitute in a small bowl. Stir
the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just blended. Stir in the
cheese. Spoon the batter in 6 spoonfuls on top of the casserole. Bake,
uncovered, until the chili is bubbly and the corn bread is golden, about 15
minutes.
tip: you can make the chili, without the topping, up to 2 days ahead of time,
and keep it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve it, reheat the
chili, make the corn bread mixture, spoon it on top of the hot chili, and bake
as directed.
Dessert:
Frozen Raspberry Desserts
Points 1 per serving
2 (3-1/2 ounce) cartons fat-free vanilla pudding
1 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup raspberries
Breakfast: Banana Oat Pancakes
Serves: 12
WW Points: 1
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups plain soymilk
2 bananas - thinly sliced
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, unbleached flour, soy flour, and
baking powder. Add the soymilk, and blend with a few swift strokes. Fold in the
banana slices.
Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or pan. Cook for about 2
minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip the pancake and cook for
another minute or until heated through.
Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, fruit spread, or applesauce.
Nutritional Analysis:
Per Serving: 68 Calories; 1g Fat (16.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 12g
Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 126mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2
Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Lunch: Tuna Salad
Point
Value 2 per serving
Servings 8
Ingredients
Supper: Tangy Pork Loin
POINTS Value: 5 per serving
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 40 min
The tangy citrus juices in this dish bring out the flavor of the pork without overwhelming it.
Dessert:
Coconut Cream Pie
POINTS
Value: 7
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 7 min
Your friends and family will never believe that this sinful-tasting pie is light. The trick to intense coconut flavor with minimal fat? Toast the coconut first.
"Fruits & Veggies - More Matters"
campaign.
Fruits and vegetables are not only extremely healthy for you, but they are a great asset when losing weight. When you eat more fruits and vegetables, your intake of higher calorie, less healthy foods tends to decrease. Broccoli in your pasta means that you will eat less pasta, and a piece of fruit can replace a cookie for a snack.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is easy when you integrate them into your daily food choices. Here are just a few suggestions:
-- Whether you pack a lunch for work or
not, take fruits and vegetables to eat for healthy snacks.
-- Always keep a stock of frozen vegetables in the freezer to use for quick and
easy side dishes, and in preparing main dishes.
-- When short on time, buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables and bagged salad to use
for quick meals and healthy snacks.
-- When filling your plate, aim for 2/3 or more of vegetables, beans, whole
grains and fruits; 1/3 or less of fish, lean poultry or lean cuts of red meat.
-- When eating out, substitute vegetables for higher-fat side dishes. You can
also ask for extra vegetables to be added to your entree, and order a salad or
side of fruit.
Make it your goal to eat more fruits and vegetables, and you'll find yourself eating fewer calories, improving your health, and losing weight.
What's a serving?
For leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach, one serving is 1 cup; for all
other fruits and vegetables, 1/2 cup is one serving.
Product Review
Submitted by: Diana
V8 Vegetable Juice
Many questions recently came up about whether or not V8 Juice is considered as a Vegetable serving by Weight Watchers. It has been clarified and here it is....YES!
V8 100% Vegetable Juice is a uniquely satisfying, vitamin-rich blend of eight vegetables which provides 2 servings of your daily vegetables in every 8-ounce glass. And it has 50 calories per serving! V8 is also certified by the American Heart Association and is now 19% lower in sodium and tastes great!
Enjoy the GREAT TASTE of Oh Boy! Oberto meat
snacks!
Snacking has never been so good. Oh Boy! Oberto
products are the perfect snack food for your active life. Naturally high in
protein and low in fat, these tasty snacks tame even the biggest hunger. Whether
you're hiking through the mountains or fueling up for your next outdoor
adventure - Oh Boy! Oberto has you covered.
And since time is the last thing you have, America's #1 favorite, great tasting jerky is easily found in convenience stores and grocery stores nationwide.
Quaker Mini Delights
Quaker Mini Delights are the NEW way to snack smarter. Get these crunchy, multigrain, bite-sized delights in decadent flavors like Chocolatey Drizzle, Cinnamon Streusel, and Buttered Popcorn. With just 90 tasty calories per pack these yummified snack-packs help keep you on track wherever you go.
http://www.quakerricesnacks.com/?q=products/tastyflavors
Weight
Watchers Yogurt and Smoothies.
Say hello to a
dreamy treat you can really feel good about. Rich. Smooth. Creamy. And quite
possibly the most satisfying POINTS value you'll have all day. Weight
Watchers introduces their line of delicious yogurt and smoothies that are all
one delicious little POINTS value!
Weight Watchers Yogurt and Smoothies are the ideal breakfast, snack or dessert. Smoothies are especially handy on-the-go. Both are a great way to work toward your recommended daily dairy servings. The best part? Because they're all one POINTS value, they're an easy way to help you stay on track no matter how busy life gets.
Look for Weight Watchers Yogurt and Smoothies in your grocer's yogurt aisle.
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