Congratulations Larry!

 May 7, 2012

What a wonderful party we had last Monday! Larry, you are truly inspirational and we loved being able to celebrate your huge success with your Mom, Sister and Brother-in-law! I’m hoping I will have some pictures to post next week! I have attached the recipes I have received so far for your enjoyment! I task someone to figure out the PointsPlus value of the Banana Pudding because it was truly delicious!  SEE THE TAB at the top of this page marked Larry's Party...or click HERE for the recipes

One of my members and dear friend, Debi Scott, has so kindly undertaken the task of posting the newsletter so that everyone interested can hopefully see it!

Chatham County Weight Watchers is having an Open House this Thursday for the At Work meeting there. I have attached a flyer and directions for enrolling if you know anyone interested in that type of meeting!  SEE THE TAB at the top of this page marked ....AT WORK....OR click here...

Over one million people took part in Dr. Oz's Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You, and out of all their truly inspirational stories, only ten have been chosen as finalists. On the May 7 episode of The Dr. Oz Show you'll learn their personal stories, see their amazing transformations and meet the judging panel, which includes Deepak Chopra, Rachael Ray and our very own Weight Watchers leader, Liz Josefsberg. Be sure to tune in and also get the word out to other members so they can tune in, too. Also, be sure to tune in to The Dr. Oz Show on May 23rd when the winner will be announced.

GREAT SALE going on – read below for more details!

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Renee's Dining Out Dos and Don’ts

Simple strategies and tools to help you make wise choices.
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD

Some people trying to lose weight steer clear of restaurants to avoid the large portion sizes, bottomless bread baskets and all those high-calorie entrées. But shunning restaurants altogether isn't a realistic approach to weight loss — and it's unnecessary. You can eat out and lose weight. When possible, it's best to plan ahead and account for the occasion. But even eating on the go doesn't have to derail your day. Use these 10 tips to navigate the menus at sit-down restaurants and fast-food joints.

1. Set a budget Determine how much you're willing to eat before looking at the menu. Remember, you can save your weekly PointsPlus® Allowance for indulgences. For even more flexibility, you can earn activity PointsPlus values that can be swapped for food. And as long as you eat carefully most of the time, you can loosen up a bit on special occasions. (Just don't let every day become a special occasion).

2. Put on your game face Decide on some guidelines before you go to a restaurant, and stick to them. For instance:  Skip the all-inclusive (prix fixe) menu and opt for à la carte selections. Take one piece of bread, then ask your server to remove the basket from the table.

3. Make special requests You're paying good money for that meal, so you're entitled to make special requests or slight modifications. Why not say:  Can I have that without butter? Grilled? With the sauce on the side? I'd like mixed greens instead of fries with my sandwich.
4. Practice portion control Some restaurant portions can be two, three, even four times the "normal" size — especially super-sized fast food meals. Keep your portions in check by:  Ordering a salad as a starter and then splitting a main entrée with a friend. Creating your own scaled-down meal from a couple of appetizers and/or side dishes.
5. Break down (language) barriers If you don't know what a preparation term means, ask. In general, though, the following words translate into high-fat, high-calorie dishes:  Au gratin, scalloped, hollandaise. Parmigianino, scampi, Bolognese.

6. Downsize the super-size Super-sized fast food meal options can be loaded with calories. Either:  Order something small, like a basic burger. After all, the first bite tastes the same as the last. Order yourself a children's meal.

7. Watch out for extras The average burger with ketchup, lettuce and tomato isn't so bad. But one with "the works" is usually a caloric nightmare. Skip:  Bacon, cheese and mayonnaise. Double-burger patties and extra pieces of bread.

8. Don't go top heavy Salad bars and garden salads grace menus across the country. But those extra toppings can sabotage your seemingly diet-conscious choices:  Go light on croutons, grated cheese and bacon. Opt for small amounts of low-fat or nonfat dressings on the side.

9. Don't drink away your progress A drink with dinner is fine, but too many sugary margaritas may wreak havoc on your PointsPlus budget — and your resolve. Keep your appetite under control by: Alternating alcoholic beverages with noncaloric sodas or sparkling water. Not drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach.

10. Resign from the "clean plate club" You paid for it so you have to eat it all now, right? Wrong. Downsize by: Enjoying half the meal and doggie-bagging the rest. Pushing your plate away when you're full. Eating slowly. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your body to recognize that it's full.

Stock up on your favorite Weight Watchers treats for less during our spring sale

From May 6 – 26 ~ Mini Bars, Oatmeal and Smoothies ~ $4.95 per box
Through May 26, Weight Watchers® new Snack Bars will be on sale for half price! Yes, that’s only $2.50 per box, or $.50 per bar!

Our new, healthier Snack Bars have natural, wholesome ingredients and fewer preservatives.
This is a great opportunity to stock up on our new healthier Snack Bars.

 It’s like buy one box, get one free!
With our three delicious flavors—
Oh, So Nuts! Snack Bar
Aloha! Almond Snack Bar
and Berry-licious Cashew Chew Snack Bar

Warm them up for 10 seconds in the microwave -- 

they are softer and the flavor of the dried fruit is enhanced.
They are easy to carry along when out and about running errands or being active.

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Here's another helpful eTools feature!!!

Be Nice To Yourself!!

I hope you all were nice to yourselves this past week!  


Summer is coming (or here) and we really want to get serious about our health (and shorts)! Jacky Y. and Jim M. were our Biggest Losers for last week! Great job and I know all of us will have lost this week!
 
We’ll be talking about tips for portions control while dining out, so I know everyone will have input on this topic!
 
Look at the picture of the colorful foods I ate for dinner last week (see attached). The whole plate was 5PPV! 
 
Can you believe the sale on the snack bars for one week only at $2.50? They are truly delicious and healthy (especially at that price)! Let me know if you want me to bring any!
 
See all of you at the meeting,
Renee

What Food Can Do - –Author unknown
Food can fill our stomachs.  It cannot fill our souls.
Food can nourish our bodies.  It cannot nourish our hearts and minds.
Food can make our taste buds happy.   It cannot make us happy.
Food can give momentary pleasure.   It cannot give lasting pleasure.
Food can distract us from our pain.   It cannot take away our pain.

Remember, nourish and nurture yourself!

Remember the SALE we just had on 3 POINTS PLUS BARS????

Well, they are being marked down to $2.50 a box! 

The same great features that make these Snack Bars "cleaner” and more wholesome also gives

them a slightly shorter shelf life than our past Snack Bars and current Mini Bars.

Without all those artificial ingredients and preservatives, we need to take measures to make sure the new Bars stay fresh! 

NEW LOW PRICE

From Sunday April 29 through May 26

• Oh, So Nuts! Snack Bars
• Aloha! Almond Snack Bars
• Berry-licious Snack Bars

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How to Be Your Own Best Friend

Is self-compassion the missing ingredient in your weight-loss plan?

Article By: Megan Gressor

Whether positive or negative-your thoughts can impact your results on the scale. Are you often too critical of yourself? When you go off-Plan, how do you treat yourself? How do you learn to like yourself more? The same way you befriend anyone else: Take the time to get acquainted; look for the good; and be kind, supportive and non-judgmental. Here are more ways you can give yourself the love you deserve every day.
1. Make a list of your many positive qualities
Read your list often. It could include anything from being a good singer to a loving parent. List every attribute that makes you a worthwhile, likable individual.
2. Pay yourself a compliment every day
Focus on a different attribute — your clear complexion, pleasant voice, good fashion sense — and say out loud: "I love my ___." It may sound forced at first, but it's a useful counter to self-doubt.
3. Do things you know will help you feel better about yourself
This could be anything from getting a new hairstyle to losing that first 10 pounds. Tackle the easiest first, to build confidence in future efforts.
4. Give yourself regular treats
Buy yourself flowers, take spontaneous day trips. You'd do these things to make loved ones feel good; aren't you worth the same consideration?
5. Spend time with those who care about you
You'll soon share their good opinion of yourself! If there aren't as many supportive people in your social circle as you'd like, consider ways of expanding it to increase your chances of positive feedback. Ask yourself: "Who will help me feel good about myself?" Apart from your immediate circle, consider neutral outsiders.
6. Avoid situations that reinforce self-doubt
This could involve re-examining long-established relationships — perhaps with a critical relative or colleague who is continually reinforcing damaging self-perception. Are you forever seeking another's approval but never getting it? Rather than simply taking the criticism, you could:

• Retreat from the relationship a bit.
• Stop hoping for approval.
• Respond more assertively to harsh remarks (Example: "I feel bad when you call me 'stupid.' I would prefer that you addressed me with more respect.")

7. Try a little kindness
Instead of beating yourself up whenever you goof up, give yourself the benefit of the doubt, same as you would anyone else. Focus on your achievements, not faults. Chances are, once you start looking, you'll be surprised at just how many there are!

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In the most recent May/June 2012Weight Watchers magazine, our CEO, David Kirchhoff, writes about his own weight loss and maintenance, in light of his first published book, Weight Loss Boss: How to Finally Win at Losing and Take Charge in an Out-of-Control Food World (Rodale, May 2012). In his column, “Lessons from Losing,” he addresses his understanding of weight loss and maintenance, and I find his thoughts worth retyping. Kirchhoff writes:

“I started writing the blog (Man Meets Scale), in April, 2009, shortly after becoming a Weight Watchers Lifetime member. Therefore, the blog has focused on what I have had to do to maintain my weight loss, and there is relatively little information on how I actually lost the weight in the first place. Oddly enough, drawing a conscious distinction between these two topics has been useful. Here’s why:

There is a natural tendency to think about losing and keeping weight off as two completely distinct processes and phases. What I have learned over the past 12 years through my personal experience is that this is actually not the case. In most studies of people who have successfully maintained weight loss for a long time, the conclusion is that most of the food and activity strategies that helped them lose are the same ones that help them keep the weight off. If we think about that statement, it makes perfect sense. If we lose weight by following one strategy, and then go back to our old habits, we will invariably regain the weight. So weight maintenance is actually about continuing these practices.” (~David Kirchhoff. “Lessons from Losing.” Weight Watchers magazine: May/June 2012.)

I echo Kirchhoff’s conclusion: “Most of the food and activity strategies that helped (me) lose are the same ones that help keep the weight off.”   We all can have difficult days maintaining our weight. You know those days.   However, I do “right” myself more easily than in the past, and once again, I quote from Kirchhoff: “One of the challenges of maintaining weight loss is this. We still live in a food-centric culture that constantly tempts us with occasions to eat. We live in a world that wants us to sit, not move around. . . . It makes dealing with weight a constant battle, not a short skirmish. After we lose the weight, we still have to live in the world and manage its many pitfalls.

Dealing with obesity is fully possible, but it requires a smarter strategy that starts with our minds. It requires effort and persistence, but there is not one of us who is not ultimately up to the challenge. We can all learn to master our environment and to take control over our relationship with food and activity. In short, we can each aspire to become our own weight-loss boss.”

We all continue to learn.  I would love to get everyone back to goal in 2012.   I’m here to help and will be reaching out to those of you who currently are not in compliance with the weight policy.

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Be sure to click on the other tabs across the top of the page to see recipes and Renee's suggestions for best food picks at Kroger and Publix! 

There is also a tab for members of her "At Work" groups