Friends of Weight Watchers Newsletter
founded April 24, 2004

Welcome new members! 

Temperatures are dropping and Fall will soon be here.  Along with Fall comes Back To School, Labor Day, Halloween and then we'll be facing the "Holidays".  During this time we face the dreaded "stress eating"!  I hope the articles in this Newsletter will help you face those stressful days and enjoy eating healthy.

Congratulations to the "BIGGEST LOSERS" in our last Challenges.....
 

MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE
Leela . . . . . . . 14.0 lbs.
Rae . . . . . . . . . 12.0 lbs.
Lisa P . . . . . . . . 10.6 lbs.
Rose . . . . . . . . . .10.0 lbs.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CHALLENGE
Laura Kay . . . . . 15.0 lbs.
Sharlene . . . . . . . 11.3 lbs.
Renee . . . . . . . . . 10.8 lbs.
Diana M . . . . . . . . 10.6 lbs.
Patty B . . . . . . . . . .10.4 lbs.
Dianne . . . . . . . . . . 10.0 lbs.

Join us for our current challenges.  It's a great way to be accountable and strive for a healthier lifestyle.

Hugs,
Diana, Group Leader

Upcoming Challenges
Halloween Challenge.......Sept 5 thru Oct 31
Holiday Challenge........Oct 31 thru Dec 26

Join us . . . .
Set a weight goal and report in each week.

The Key to Weight Loss Success - - It’s "Write" In Front of You!
Submitted by:  Kammy

Finally!  Here it is - - You have been waiting to hear these words for years - - or at least as long as the zipper on your skinny jeans hasn't budged.  The key to weight loss success!!  It is not a shake.  It is not a supplement.  It is not an exercise gizmo.  You have it already, right at your finger tips!!!

Drum roll please - - - and the answer is - - -
            A FOOD DIARY!!!

Yes it takes time to write down everything consumed during the day, but this in itself can help stop overeating and be vital for self-assessment and monitoring.

Studies show that people who keep food journals lose more weight and keep more of that weight off in the long run.  The National Weight Control Registry - - an ongoing research project tracking more than 3,000 people who have lost an average of 66 pounds and have kept the weight off for 5 years found that keeping a food journal is the one strategy used by the majority of the successful people.  (http://www.nwcr.ws/)

• Tracking the food you eat forces you to take responsibility for your food choices.
• An accurate food journal helps you to see eating patterns, giving you the insight into when and why you eat
• Monitoring the foods you eat helps you to estimate calorie intake so you can make adjustments buy eating less or exercising more.
• Helps with busy days - - one can to a past day once your journal is established and it will help you to make healthy food choices.
• If you get into a rut, you can look back over past days and renew your mind and choices with old ideas you have forgot about.

• You do not need a fancy journal - - a notebook will do just fine!  I would suggest a small one that fits into your purse or briefcase for the people on the go.  You will be more apt to use it if it is right there by you at all times.
• Weight Watchers gives out free weekly journals at their meetings.
• Weight Watchers also has a 3 month journal.
• Weight Watchers online has a journal for the on-line goers.
• There are basic Food Journals that you can purchase at bookstores and on line that will work with any weight loss plan.
• If you go to the home page of this group, then to the files section, you will find a file that is called "WW Daily Points Chart" which can be printed out for each week.

• Write down food you eat as soon as you eat it. Yes, even if it's a handful of peanuts. Don't wait until later; just write it down ASAP before you forget. If you don't have time to figure out the points or calories, that's fine, write it down and come back to it later.
• Don't forget your drinks. Yes, liquid calories and fat still count. I know this is called a food journal but you should journal EVERYTHING that is put into your mouth - - liquid or solid.
• Don't cheat. Who are you cheating? Do you think someone is going to secretly read your journal and then confront you with "AHA! You ate a candy bar on Thursday!" This journal is meant to educate YOU. If you cheat on it, you're just cheating yourself.
• Keep going for at least a month. Food habits change from day to day, from weekday to weekend and from week to week. If you want a clear picture of what you are eating, you need to keep track of it for at least a month.
• Analyze your food journal and see your results. Once you do, decide on any changes you need to make.  If you are not going to journal all the time, come back and do another month long food journal in 2-3 months. What's changed? Have your efforts succeeded? Do you have any new bad habits?  Have you gone back to your old habits again?
• Some people like to journal calories, carbs, fiber, ect as well.  This is a good idea on top of the Weight Watchers Points if you are following the Flex Plan. 
• Also journal your exercise you do including the activity, length and intensity and the estimated calories you burned.

Once you have a baseline journal, you can set priorities for what you need to work on.  Do you eat well when eating by yourself?  But go overboard when you are with friends?  Does the routing of a workday keep you in line, while the freedom of the weekend weakens your willpower?  Do you like convenience foods that are heavy on processing but light on nutrients?  Do you like to munch in the evening when the day starts to wind down?  Do you eat when you are bored?  Do you eat when you are angry?

Keeping a food journal can make us uncomfortable because doing so forces us to recall things we would rather not take note of - - that chocolate shake we had for lunch, or that extra mound of mashed potatoes we regretted as soon as we inhaled it.  In other words, no pain, no gain.  When you see the foods you have eaten listed in black and white, you cannot wish them away.  But pain, even metaphorical pain, can be the impetus for change, and if used consistently, a food journal can be the instrument of that change!

So as your children go back into school, grab a notebook for yourself or the journal of your choice, and journal all that you put into your mouth - - yes even write down that piece of gum you are chewing!  Remember, the holidays are just around the corner - - HAPPY JOURNALING!

Fall Fitness Plan: Get Out & Exercise
Submitted by:  Kammy

Fine fall weather makes it easy to get outside - - during lunch, after work - - and get active!
by Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Crisp fall weather is made for physical activity - - walking, running, biking, swimming are all fair game. They're excellent forms of aerobic exercise, which means they give the heart a good workout. Even when life is ultra-hectic, it's important to plan for exercise.

Exercise helps control blood pressure, and it helps your heart function optimally when you're under mental stress, according to a Duke University Medical Center study. Additional benefits of regular aerobic exercise: weight loss, improved cardiovascular fitness, lowered heart rate, healthier blood vessels, and a better-pumping heart.

Runner's high is real, research shows. During exercise, the brain produces endorphins - - natural chemicals similar to morphine that cause a feeling of happiness. For maximum endorphin benefit, get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week, advises the American Council on Exercise.

Yoga and tai chi also help with relaxation. While they won't produce a significant endorphin release, these timeless practices increase strength, flexibility, and balance control. Because they involve deep breathing and calming exercises, they also help in releasing stress.

No Time? Try Lunchtime Workouts

If your schedule is tight, try a 30-minute lunchtime workout. You'll lose the stress and anxiety - - and get a boost in energy. Stepping away from work helps clear your mind, helps you refocus, too. You'll be calmer, more productive.

Circuit training is great for a 30-minute workout. If a gym isn't nearby, take a walk. Walk half an hour every day, and you can lose 10 pounds in a year - if you keep your diet healthy. A few more tips:

Keep a workout bag at your desk: sneakers, gym clothes, basic grooming tools. Baby wipes help you clean up fast so you don't have to shower.

Pack a lunch so you don't have to wait in food lines.

Keep small pre-workout snacks on hand, like almonds, walnuts, string cheese, cottage cheese, oatmeal - - so hunger won't slow you down.

As we head into the holiday season, these workouts are especially important. Just don't stress out about exercise. With just a little plan, exercise should eliminate the stress!

Six Benefits of Eating Whole Grains

The Whole Grains Council says that people can't go wrong eating whole grains in everything from cereal in the morning to brown rice in their battle to ward off a list of killer ailments.

For overall health benefits, nutritionists suggest eating three or more servings of whole grains a day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a whole grain serving as any food containing 16 grams of whole grain.

According to the council's Web site, here are some benefits research has shown from whole grains:

-  They reduce the risks of diabetes. Researchers at Tufts University found that people who eat three or more servings of whole grains a day, especially from cereals, are less likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, common precursors of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Diabetes Care.

-  They cut the risk of heart disease. According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that for each 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, there was a 14% reduction in heart disease risk and a 25% reduction in risk of dying from heart disease. In short, the cereal fiber in whole grains appears to make heart disease much less likely-and less serious if it does occur.

-  Whole grains cut the risk of rectal cancer. University of Utah nutritionists found that high intakes of vegetables, fruits and whole grains reduced the risk of rectal cancer by 28%, 27% and 31% respectively. A high-fiber diet-more than 34 grams of fiber per day-reduced rectal cancer by 66%, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

-  Whole grains lower the risk of obesity. After tracking the eating patterns of more than 74,000 women from 1984 to 1996, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than women who consumed fewer whole grains, they reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

-  Whole grains slow the buildup of plaque. In the American Heart Journal, researchers at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found that eating six servings or more per week of whole grains was associated with slower buildup of artery-narrowing plaque.

- They are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Cornell University researchers found that whole grains contain protective antioxidants in quantities rivaling or exceeding those in fruits and vegetables. Apples are no match for corn in antioxidants, while wheat and oats almost equal broccoli and spinach in antioxidant activity.

The Whole Grains Council's list will help with determining whole grain servings. Each food provides about 16 grams of whole grains.

Cheerios--2/3 cup 
Wheat Chex--2/3 cup 
Hot, cooked oatmeal-1/2 cup 
Quaker Oatmeal Squares or Toasted Oatmeal Cereal--1/2 cup 
Grape Nuts--1/5 cup 
Frosted Mini-Wheats, bite size-9 mini-biscuits 
100% whole grain bread-1 slice 
100% whole grain English muffin-1 half 
Popped popcorn--2 cups 
Sun Chips or baked Tortilla Chips-1 ounce, about 15 chips 
100% whole-grain crackers-4 crackers 
Whole wheat pasta--1/3 cup cooked 
Brown rice, bulgur, sorghum, or barley--1/3 cup cooked

10 Ways to Crush Cravings     

Suddenly, you crave cookies and milk. Or maybe some calorie-laden comfort food slathered in gravy. Or a cheeseburger and jumbo fries. Doesn't that huge chunk of pecan pie look delicious?

Can you stick to your healthy eating plan under all this pressure? Follow these steps to short-circuit your cravings.

-  Avoid triggers. The more you're away from foods that start you to hankering, the less likely you'll want them - - and you may even start craving fruits and vegetables.

-  Destroy temptation. If you've bought one of your trigger foods and feel bad while noshing it, don't throw it away - - destroy it! Rip up the package. Douse it in running water. You'll get a sense psychologically that you've defeated your binge.

-  Drink two glasses of water and eat an ounce of nuts to extinguish a craving. But keep the nuts to only an ounce because of their calories.

-  Sip coffee to quench your appetite rather than that calorie-laden candy bar that beckons you with its siren song.

-  Let go of stress. Learn various ways to reduce stress, such as deep-breathing exercises, and relaxation and affirmation techniques.

-  Snooze. Cravings can sneak up on you when you're tired.

-  Brush your teeth, garble with mouthwash or chew on a mint.

-  Call a friend, listen to music, run an errand or, better still, exercise.

-  Indulge once in awhile, but don't go overboard. Those 100-calorie packs of cookies and candy look healthy, but eating more than one of them is just like eating the old kind of snacks - - you'll get just as many calories and fat.

-  Avoid places that pump up your cravings. Got a yen for pizza? Don't go past the pizza place. Got a hankering for donuts or fried chicken? Avoid the neighborhood with the donut shop and the chicken stand.

5 Reasons Why Hunger Strikes

Despite your best efforts to lose weight, hunger can strike at any time. For instance, do you end up snacking your way through the mornings and afternoons?  Or find yourself still dissatisfied after you've cleaned your plate?

Here are 5 reasons why people get so famished - - and a foolproof plan from nutritionists to keep those hunger pangs away.

For example, eating sparingly throughout the day can lead to binge behavior at night. However, munching on small, healthy meals throughout the day will keep your hunger at bay - - and your metabolism on the right track.

Look at this five reasons and see if they apply to your diet and weight-loss efforts:

-  You eat the right foods at the wrong times. Eating at different times every day can make it difficult to tune in to your body's hunger signals. It can also throw your metabolism out of whack.

Try writing out a schedule that focuses on eating within two hours of waking up, and every three to five hours after that for the rest of the day.

-  You don't eat the right breakfast. The right breakfast foods will affect significantly how satisfied you feel the rest of the day. For example, a breakfast bar may seem like a good choice, but its mega-dose of simple sugars will have you rummaging through the 'fridge well before lunchtime.

Instead, build a morning meal with a healthy balance of protein and carbs - - so you're not counting the seconds 'til noon.

-  Your diet has no flavor. If grilled chicken and steamed veggies are your mealtime staples, you'll get bored eventually - - and this is when dangerous binges can occur. Get creative in the kitchen with spices galore, quick and guiltless ways to really add great flavor. Texture is also key. Aim for combinations of creamy, crunchy, and chewy - to keep your taste buds on their toes. Just keep in mind that "creamy," "crunchy" and "chewy" also can mean additional calories that your waistline doesn't need.

-  You stockpile your calories. Do you eat so sparingly during the day that you're famished by the time dinner rolls around? When you skip meals, it's harder to think straight, so you're less concerned about the implications of what you do eat.

Try limiting the size of your evening meal so you wake up eager for breakfast. And even if you're not hungry, eat regularly throughout the day to help avoid a diet disaster come dinnertime.

-  You drink your meals. With the increasing lattes for breakfast and smoothies for lunch, many of us are drinking our calories away, but these beverages can leave you feeling dissatisfied. Chewing causes the release of hormones that signal fullness, and solid food is also digested more slowly than liquids.

Next time, try a slice of toast with peanut butter, or yogurt with fruit. Just as easy, and far more satisfying.

3 Fabulous Foods for Weight Loss      

There's no one food that can magically transform an overweight body into an ideal figure. Eating plans that consist solely of grapefruit aren't realistic or effective, nor are plans that promote eating only cabbage soup or special "weight-loss cookies."

But there are foods that are beneficial to eat on the journey to a slimmer body.