Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Tasty Tuesday Recipe

Recipe Of The Day:
GRAHAM CRUST PUMPKIN PIE  


Weight Watchers take on this classic treat with a light graham cracker crust.  The filling’s custardy and rich with just a hint of spice!

Servings:  8
PPV:  5
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:  65 minutes
Other:  30 minutes

Ingredients:
·        3 oz. reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 ½ sheets
·        1 Tbsp.  packed light brown sugar
·        2 Tbsp. regular butter, melted
·        2 large egg whites
·        1 large egg
·        ½ cup dark brown sugar
·        ¼ tsp table salt
·        2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
·        1 cup canned pumpkin
·        ½ cup fat free evaporated milk
·         ¼ cup lite whipped topping  

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. 
  2. Place graham crackers and light brown sugar in a food processor; process into crumbs and put in a small bowl.
  3. Add melted butter and combine with fingers into a course meal.  Distribute crumbs evenly on the bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie plate.  Chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Bake crust until golden, about 8-10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
  5. Meanwhile in a large bowl, use an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; fold in egg, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, canned pumpkin and evaporated milk.
  6. Beat pumpkin custard until smooth and pour into pie shell.  Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. 
  7. Slice into 8 pieces, top each piece with ½ tablespoon of whipped topping and serve warm or at room temperature.
  8. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Monday, November 16, 2015

R.I.P.

MY STORY… BEYOND THE SCALE & REAL LIFE TOO
True Confessions of an Imperfect Weight Watcher Leader

Nov. 16, 2015
Weight:  -.2
How many times have I felt sorry for myself today: too embarrassing to admit
____________________________________________________________
We woke up Sunday to find that the temperature inside our fridge was 69 degrees!  I am not sure when it stopped working. Last time I know it was good was when I made lunch on Friday.  Then the weekend got busy; we had funeral, b-day party and work & I guess we weren’t eating at home much.  So Sunday morning the stench and the thawed meat in the freezer meant a trip from the appliance repairman and a diagnosis of a dead fridge. 
Back up about 3 months ago- the freezer had stopped freezing and we had hired a different guy to fix it.  This man apparently put in a refurbished part, cut some corners, but got the freezer working.  I had no idea what he did.  I just knew my freezer worked and I was out a few hundred bucks.  Since the darn thing broke again I called a different company.  He comes out and tells me that I am missing a part.  That my compressor had wires that should be coming from it and for some reason they had been cut off.  Hmmm, and that the part that was previously replaced was a cheap knock off that in reality had probably killed my fridge.  I had been ripped off by a cruddy repairman.  Really?  Nothing else can be done?  Nope.  Without spending a ton of money my best option is to just start over.
Can I just whine for a minute more and tell you I had just shopped on Thursday and had to throw away a few hundred dollars’ worth of food. AHHHGGH!  Ok temper tantrum done. 
In the midst of my overwhelming morning I started to see the comparison of my refrigerator problems and my WW story.  I had been doing this journey since 2006 (or before if you count me growing up with a WW mom) and with very little change (until we were allowed fruit for zero points) and yet every so often the weight would try to creep back on.  Whenever that weight piled on I would just go back to the beginning and start fresh.  Remember week one?  I pulled out my scale, kept my tracker close, used my measuring spoons, ate off smaller plates, got in my steps, you get it right?   Went to the basics until the weight got back in check.  However, after almost ten years of this I started to make a few tweaks......  I decided I was smart enough to make repairs to the plan on my own.  Pshh WW nutrition and research teams.  I’m actually living this.  I know my body.  I am a WW leader for goodness sake. 
So I tweaked, cut some corners, took out the parts I didn’t want to do and tried it my way.   The Jenn version of W.W.  Some weeks my way worked.  Some weeks my way didn’t do anything but make me gain weight (those weeks were never my fault) How crazy am I that I thought I was smarter than a company that has been successful for 52 years!  Smarter than a research team of medical nutritionists? OMG! I realized I was the Crappy Repairman!  I am that guy that came to my house this summer.  I put in a cheap alternative, removed a part I didn’t think I needed anymore and felt pretty proud of myself.  For a while anyway.  Pretty soon the tricks started to fail and my manipulations got so tired that there was nothing else to do but give up and start over.  The gimmicks were dead. 
I can complain and I can whine but the bottom line is I need to fix what I broke. I may not like it but heck I know that when I kinda do the program it kinda works.  And when I work the program it really works.  So WHY do I try to fight it?   
It’s time to fire the Crappy Repairman and get to work.  R.I.P. “Jenn’s Version of WW” Anyone else with me? 


NOVEMBER Theme:  HEALTHY HOLIDAYS

Last Week:    SUPERMARKET SMARTS
What new shopping strategy did you choose?  How did it go in the supermarket? 
This Week:   THE GREAT PLATE
After having conquered the supermarket, we are now going to find ways to get us to and away from the Thanksgiving dinner table. Feeling relaxed, in control and proud of our choices!  At this food focused event (or events) a little advanced planning and a few Points Plus calculations can do wonders!  Let's leave the holiday still feeling proud or our health & weight loss goals.

What’s Happening…
ON SALE THIS WEEK
Fitness equipment: $9.95


STRUGGLING MEMBER WORKSHOPS:
This month we are looking at how we can PLAN TO SUCCEED.  How come we leave our meetings ramped up and ready for a successful week then mid-way through just throw in the towel?  Sound familiar?  If so join us as we strive together to develop a plan for overcoming those “bad days” that throw us off the wagon!
·         In South Elgin = Nov. 21, 11:30-12:30pm

Quote of the Week:
By Anne Ricci

                        
This newsletter is and the views shared are not affiliated with weight watchers international, inc.  It is meant to be a motivational tool.


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Still on the fence

MY STORY… BEYOND THE SCALE & REAL LIFE TOO
True Confessions of an Imperfect Weight Watcher Leader

Nov. 4, 2015
Weight:  -1.2
Number of days I ate Halloween Candy: 4

Number of days I ate candy I don’t like:  4!
____________________________________________________________
Last week I was so determined to pick a side of the fence (read last week’s blog if that doesn’t make sense) and stay in a highly motivated state that would continue to lead me to success, but that determination waned.  Specifically since Halloween.  Which is why I lost weight from last week but, unfortunately I didn’t make it past that.  Does that make me a failure?  Maybe.  Maybe not.
Here’s what I am learning.  Just because we say were going to do something doesn’t mean that we will be able to do IT 100% perfect all the time.  I had been on the fence for so long that it was pretty comfy there.  I knew how to “do my version” of WW from that spot atop the fence.  I could choose one side for a day or two as long as I hopped over to the other side for the other 5 days of the week.  Do you relate to this?  Eating whatever we want – feeling like a quote normal person and not tracking a bit of it!  Maybe that meant we walked a little more or took a class at the gym but the weight would be ok.  Then all of a sudden “My Plan” stopped working!  What the heck happened?!?  Ohhh, that’s right.  I had manipulated the program so long doing it MY WAY that I forgot what the program really required to be successful. 
When I started WW all those years ago I was excited and ready for a change.  I wanted success!  I stayed for my orientation for new members and left a little confused but I understood a few basic things I needed to do before the next weeks meeting.  I used my understanding of the program and followed it in its simplest state.  The longer I attended meetings the more I learned and eventually I felt confident in how all the parts worked together.  Slowly I was adding more and more to what my plan looked like.  Sounds good right?  But this is also the time when I get cocky and think I can do this on my own.  I can take the weekends off.  I can eat out and not look up points.  This is when I started gaining weight and not losing as easily as when I began.  This is when the motivation starts to dwindle and I decide that WW is no longer working.  Have you thought those thoughts with me?  Do you relate?  Guess what?  The program works when I work it.  I don’t have to be perfect but I have to be willing to make changes in order to see the changes I want.  How crazy am I to think I can continue doing what is not working and still think I can get the success I want? 
When I enrolled in college I wasn’t shocked that I had homework or needed to study before exams.  When I started working I wasn’t surprised that there were rules I needed to follow in order for my boss & coworkers to think I was a valuable asset to the team.  Why then do I fight the fact that losing weight is hard?  That in order to keep my weight off, to stay happy, healthy and confident in THIS body I may – just may, have to put in an effort! 

At the beginning of this blog I asked if I was a failure.  I have decided NO.  If I am willing to learn from even the worst of weeks then I am on the right track.  If I stayed sitting on that fence then I answer in a different way, but failing is not determined by one decision, one action or even one candy bar.  Come along with me this week as I become a private investigator of my life.  I will be looking to see when it is that I am derailed from my goals.  Is it the same challenge week after week or is it a daily challenge?  What behavior is keeping me on the fence?  Is it out of Habit? Comfort?  Do I tend to self-sabotage?  Once we find the answers to these questions we can take steps toward change.   Don’t let me kid you.  Change is hard.  Learning something new can be challenging.  Making a new habit takes time and effort but I have come to the realization that I am worth it!  I want to get off the fence no matter how weird it feels.  I may not be able to do it alone.  I may need to ask you for help and accountability.  But I am done whining about where I am; if I am unwilling to try & change it.  What about you?



Let’s Clap the Big Hands!
Celebrate the Scale & those Non Scale Victories too!

I want to recognize the 80+ people that came to the Weight Watcher 5K!

Many of our walkers!
This past Sunday we had men, women, children and dogs come walk with us in Geneva!  I was overwhelmed with the large number of you that gave up your Sunday afternoon to do something good for your health!  It may or may not help the scale this week but I think we can all attest that we felt great when we finished.  The sun was shining.  We were choosing health and activity over sitting on the couch!  Yay!  Many members also donated their left over Halloween candy.  42 pounds of candy will be sent to our service men and women. 

It was such a great success that we will be adding another walk in the spring.
Great job everyone

Keep celebrating with us!  Your accomplishments matter!  Whether Scale related or Beyond!
(if you’d like to share your success, let me know you’d like to be added in the blog)


NOVEMBER Theme:  HEALTHY HOLIDAYS

Last Week:    MAKE YOUR WORLD PLAN FRIENDLY
Our lives are rich & exciting AND full of obstacles!  Knowing exactly where our biggest challenges are allows us to strategize ways to overcome them.  What Ah Ha moments did you have this week?  Did you have to make changes to your environment at all?  Finding ways to overcome our daily environments now will set us up for control during the holiday months. 

This Week:   BE NUTRITION SAVVY
We are continuing the Nutrition 101 series by exploring healthier alternatives & tasty food swaps that remain satisfying while reducing our daily consumption of saturated fats and added sugars!  This is one meeting you will not want to miss with the holidays around the corner! 



 TECH TIP:
   We are updating our website!  Over the next few weeks several changes will begin to trickle in.  Stay on the look out! 

What’s Happening…
ON SALE THIS WEEK
Fitness equipment: $9.95
Water enhancers:  $1 off

STRUGGLING MEMBER WORKSHOPS:
This month we are looking at how we can PLAN TO SUCCEED.  How come we leave our meetings ramped up and ready for a successful week then mid-way through just throw in the towel?  Sound familiar?  If so join us as we strive together to develop a plan for overcoming those “bad days” that throw us off the wagon!
·         In N. Aurora = Nov. 14, 11:00am - 12:00pm
·         In South Elgin = Nov. 21, 11:30-12:30pm

Recipe:
SUPER VEGGIE MINESTRONE  

Click on the link below to open this tasty W.W. recipe!  In line with this weeks meeting topic here is a recipe with less saturated fats and added sugars!  A quick and easy way to add protein would be to add some beans (like garbanzo) or some chicken breast.  Both would add only a few extra points per serving and would give an extra satisfying punch! 


PPV:  3




Quote of the Week:




                       
This newsletter is and the views shared are not affiliated with weight watchers international, inc.  It is meant to be a motivational tool.