Scoopable Creamsicle Crush Pie (Thank you Robin, Ijamsville_
PointsPlus per serving: 3
PER SERVING (1/8th of dessert, about 2/3 cup): 112 calories, 0.5g fat, 284mg sodium, 25g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 15.5g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus value 3*
This recipe's big enough to share with a crowd... but we understand if you don't want to!
Ingredients:
Two 10.5-oz. cans mandarin orange segments in juice (not drained)
1 large (6-serving) package fat-free sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
2 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed
10 Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers, crushed
Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip
Directions:
Pour the juice from the oranges into a medium bowl. Add pudding mix, yogurt, and Cool Whip, and mix until uniform and free of lumps. Set aside.
Place 8 orange segments in a dish, to be used later for topping, and refrigerate. Roughly chop all the remaining oranges, and gently mix them into the pudding mixture.
Pour contents of the bowl into a medium dish or large pie pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
Just before serving, sprinkle crushed Nilla Wafers over the majority of the top of the dish, leaving an uncovered circle in the center. Arrange reserved orange segments decoratively in the circle. If you like, finish off each serving with a dollop of Reddi-wip. Enjoy!
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Broccoli & Chicken Quiche
Broccoli & Chicken Quiche
Servings | 8
Estimated PointsPlus™ value per serving | 4
Course | Breakfast
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp of table salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 egg
1 cup of fat -skim milk
1 cup of chopped, cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups of Reduced Fat Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cups of Bisquick Original Baking Mix
1 tbsp of chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400F. Grease 9 in pie plate. Sprinkle broccoli, 1 cup of cheese, the chicken and onion in the pie plate.
2. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, salt, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes.
4. After removing dish from oven, garnish with 1 Tbsp of parsley. (0 pts) - optional
Special Notes
This is a great meal if you do not have time to sit down and cook an entire breakfast in the morning. Take a slice of breakfast to go!
Servings | 8
Estimated PointsPlus™ value per serving | 4
Course | Breakfast
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp of table salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 egg
1 cup of fat -skim milk
1 cup of chopped, cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups of Reduced Fat Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cups of Bisquick Original Baking Mix
1 tbsp of chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400F. Grease 9 in pie plate. Sprinkle broccoli, 1 cup of cheese, the chicken and onion in the pie plate.
2. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, salt, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes.
4. After removing dish from oven, garnish with 1 Tbsp of parsley. (0 pts) - optional
Special Notes
This is a great meal if you do not have time to sit down and cook an entire breakfast in the morning. Take a slice of breakfast to go!
Ditch the Guilt Wrapping this Christmas
Ditch The Guilt Wrapping This Christmas
Article By: Carole Ann Rice www.weightwatchers.ca
Stay true to yourself—and your weight loss goals—this Christmas…
Taking seasonal strain? Peruse these fantastic festive tips from Life Coach Carole Ann Rice to overcome the festive pressure to overindulge—and discover how to focus on you and your weight-loss goals this Christmas.
"Go on, have another slice, I made it just for you" is just one of those phrases everyone watching their weight dreads, along with "a bit more won't make any difference" or "spoil sport" (if it looks like you're ready to refuse diet sabotage). When you're losing weight it can sometimes seem as if the world is conspiring to stop you.
At Christmas time it is almost obligatory to overeat and feast until you're reaching for the indigestion cure - because if you don't, you feel everyone will think you're spoiling their fun. The good news is that this yuletide you don't have to let guilt get in the way of your food plan.
Make This Your Christmas
When we feel obliged or manipulated into eating, or doing, something against our will, we are forcing ourselves to live by someone else's agenda. In order to go with the flow or not cause a fuss, we set ourselves up to damage our own self esteem and willpower. People feel that they've "won" (i.e. got you to do something to please them) if you give in to their demands, but will secretly respect you less.
This Christmas decide to be true to you. Ask yourself: "Do I really want to do this? What will really be the true consequences?" Think about it. Will your friends or family really push you out of their lives if you don't eat a mountain of trifle?
Isn't their anxiety about what you are or not eating more about them than you? What do they get out of pushing their needs on you? Can you really justify that sixth mince pie and cream? A desire to be all things to all people will show up as a lack of self worth. Life becomes one big guilt trip where you bow to the needs of others whiles subjugating your own. Buying gifts for people you don't like or feel obliged to buy for, will only drain your energy and make you feel abused and railroaded by convention.
Simple Self Caring Solution
So how do you say no to other people's demands and expectations? Very simply, know yourself and put your needs first. This doesn't mean you are selfish but self caring. It means that you let people know that you mean what you say; that you stick to your word and have integrity.
"I'd love to have another helping, it's delicious, but so want to stick to my food plan so I can start the New Year feeling and looking great" is a perfectly reasonable response. Their discomfort, remember, is about their issues around food or who they thought you were.
Usually people who know themselves and respect their own needs, in the face of opposition and objection, then go on to inspire the very people who sought to control them.
Saying yes to please others but not yourself will lead to self sabotage on many levels. Say no, mean it and honour yourself and you walk away feeling great, more confident and on target to meet your personal goals.
Article By: Carole Ann Rice www.weightwatchers.ca
Stay true to yourself—and your weight loss goals—this Christmas…
Taking seasonal strain? Peruse these fantastic festive tips from Life Coach Carole Ann Rice to overcome the festive pressure to overindulge—and discover how to focus on you and your weight-loss goals this Christmas.
"Go on, have another slice, I made it just for you" is just one of those phrases everyone watching their weight dreads, along with "a bit more won't make any difference" or "spoil sport" (if it looks like you're ready to refuse diet sabotage). When you're losing weight it can sometimes seem as if the world is conspiring to stop you.
At Christmas time it is almost obligatory to overeat and feast until you're reaching for the indigestion cure - because if you don't, you feel everyone will think you're spoiling their fun. The good news is that this yuletide you don't have to let guilt get in the way of your food plan.
Make This Your Christmas
When we feel obliged or manipulated into eating, or doing, something against our will, we are forcing ourselves to live by someone else's agenda. In order to go with the flow or not cause a fuss, we set ourselves up to damage our own self esteem and willpower. People feel that they've "won" (i.e. got you to do something to please them) if you give in to their demands, but will secretly respect you less.
This Christmas decide to be true to you. Ask yourself: "Do I really want to do this? What will really be the true consequences?" Think about it. Will your friends or family really push you out of their lives if you don't eat a mountain of trifle?
Isn't their anxiety about what you are or not eating more about them than you? What do they get out of pushing their needs on you? Can you really justify that sixth mince pie and cream? A desire to be all things to all people will show up as a lack of self worth. Life becomes one big guilt trip where you bow to the needs of others whiles subjugating your own. Buying gifts for people you don't like or feel obliged to buy for, will only drain your energy and make you feel abused and railroaded by convention.
Simple Self Caring Solution
So how do you say no to other people's demands and expectations? Very simply, know yourself and put your needs first. This doesn't mean you are selfish but self caring. It means that you let people know that you mean what you say; that you stick to your word and have integrity.
"I'd love to have another helping, it's delicious, but so want to stick to my food plan so I can start the New Year feeling and looking great" is a perfectly reasonable response. Their discomfort, remember, is about their issues around food or who they thought you were.
Usually people who know themselves and respect their own needs, in the face of opposition and objection, then go on to inspire the very people who sought to control them.
Saying yes to please others but not yourself will lead to self sabotage on many levels. Say no, mean it and honour yourself and you walk away feeling great, more confident and on target to meet your personal goals.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
Servings | 4
Estimated PointsPlus™ value per serving | 9
Course | Main Meals
Ingredients
1 lb 93/7 lean ground turkey
1 small onion (diced)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chilis
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can black beans (drained)
3 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown meat with onion. Add salt/pepper.
Once meat is browned, add in all other ingredients.
Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
Special Notes
I like mine more on the spicy side. I've also used Rotel for some added kick and extra veggies.
And the spinach adds fiber and gives the chili color.
Servings | 4
Estimated PointsPlus™ value per serving | 9
Course | Main Meals
Ingredients
1 lb 93/7 lean ground turkey
1 small onion (diced)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can green chilis
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can black beans (drained)
3 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown meat with onion. Add salt/pepper.
Once meat is browned, add in all other ingredients.
Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
Special Notes
I like mine more on the spicy side. I've also used Rotel for some added kick and extra veggies.
And the spinach adds fiber and gives the chili color.
De-Stress your Holidays
De-Stress Your Holidays
Article By: Estelle Sobel
Here's how to turn holiday havoc around so it doesn't get you down.
Christmas shopping, office parties, high-pressure family dinners—let's face it, the holidays can be as stressful as they are merry. With a little help, though, you can say "so long" to your inner Scrooge and enjoy this season.
"The four sources of stress during the holidays are fantasies, family, food and finances," says Mark Gorkin, a psychotherapist and public speaker who goes by the moniker "Stress Doc." "The temptation is to want it all," he says. People often get so caught up in the eating, drinking, partying and shopping, he adds, "that there is no time for spiritual reflection and quiet nurturing."
So nurture your sanity this holiday season with these nine tips from Gorkin:
1. Just say "no"
Be realistic about how many parties you can actually attend. Remember that saying yes to every invitation could result in burnout. Also, going to tons of parties presents more challenges to your diet than you might want.
2. Stay in your groove
Carve out time for yourself — and greedily guard it. If you have an exercise routine, such as walking every other day, keep that as your anchor, and try to make holiday chores and events revolve around your exercise schedule, not the other way around.
3. Take baby steps
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of holiday tasks, like sending out 114 holiday cards. Certain tasks are more doable when broken into chunks. For example, you could purchase the cards a month before Christmas or Hanukkah and write a few at a time over the next several weeks. Then, address all the envelopes. If you have kids, why not enlist them to stuff envelopes and put on the stamps?
4. Appoint a "designated nagger"
Give your partner or a close friend permission to nag you when you start worrying too much. Have your "designated nagger" tell you to slow down and take a deep breath as soon as you begin worrying too much about overeating, not exercising enough or finding the perfect gift for everyone down to your boss's cat.
5. Have a big holiday draw
Sit down with your family early in the holiday season and discuss the sources of stress and conflict that always seem to rear up this time of year. Then distribute crayons and paper, and have everyone draw pictures of your "family stress image" — a big ogre wearing a Santa hat or a giant present exploding like a firecracker, for example. "This is a great way to get out your frustration in a positive way," says Gorkin.
6. Revel in the scent of solitude
Light a lavender-scented candle in your bathroom and take a hot bath, or use some lavender-scented bath oil. A study on aromatherapy reported in the International Journal of Neurosciences stated that the scent of lavender helped adult test subjects feel more relaxed and perform mental calculations more accurately than did other scents.
7. Walk it out
Take a nice long walk and focus on smelling the crisp winter air or watching snow falling for a form of meditation.
8. Immerse yourself in music
Listen to a tape of holiday songs, or make your own recording by dubbing a set of your favorite tunes onto a cassette tape, CD or MP3.
9. Stroll down memory lane
Fill a hatbox or shoe box with objects that are important to you, such as your child's first tooth, family photos, postcards, love letters or inspirational poems or quotes. Whenever stress looms, take out your box and enjoy the warm feelings your mementos inspire.
Article By: Estelle Sobel
Here's how to turn holiday havoc around so it doesn't get you down.
Christmas shopping, office parties, high-pressure family dinners—let's face it, the holidays can be as stressful as they are merry. With a little help, though, you can say "so long" to your inner Scrooge and enjoy this season.
"The four sources of stress during the holidays are fantasies, family, food and finances," says Mark Gorkin, a psychotherapist and public speaker who goes by the moniker "Stress Doc." "The temptation is to want it all," he says. People often get so caught up in the eating, drinking, partying and shopping, he adds, "that there is no time for spiritual reflection and quiet nurturing."
So nurture your sanity this holiday season with these nine tips from Gorkin:
1. Just say "no"
Be realistic about how many parties you can actually attend. Remember that saying yes to every invitation could result in burnout. Also, going to tons of parties presents more challenges to your diet than you might want.
2. Stay in your groove
Carve out time for yourself — and greedily guard it. If you have an exercise routine, such as walking every other day, keep that as your anchor, and try to make holiday chores and events revolve around your exercise schedule, not the other way around.
3. Take baby steps
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of holiday tasks, like sending out 114 holiday cards. Certain tasks are more doable when broken into chunks. For example, you could purchase the cards a month before Christmas or Hanukkah and write a few at a time over the next several weeks. Then, address all the envelopes. If you have kids, why not enlist them to stuff envelopes and put on the stamps?
4. Appoint a "designated nagger"
Give your partner or a close friend permission to nag you when you start worrying too much. Have your "designated nagger" tell you to slow down and take a deep breath as soon as you begin worrying too much about overeating, not exercising enough or finding the perfect gift for everyone down to your boss's cat.
5. Have a big holiday draw
Sit down with your family early in the holiday season and discuss the sources of stress and conflict that always seem to rear up this time of year. Then distribute crayons and paper, and have everyone draw pictures of your "family stress image" — a big ogre wearing a Santa hat or a giant present exploding like a firecracker, for example. "This is a great way to get out your frustration in a positive way," says Gorkin.
6. Revel in the scent of solitude
Light a lavender-scented candle in your bathroom and take a hot bath, or use some lavender-scented bath oil. A study on aromatherapy reported in the International Journal of Neurosciences stated that the scent of lavender helped adult test subjects feel more relaxed and perform mental calculations more accurately than did other scents.
7. Walk it out
Take a nice long walk and focus on smelling the crisp winter air or watching snow falling for a form of meditation.
8. Immerse yourself in music
Listen to a tape of holiday songs, or make your own recording by dubbing a set of your favorite tunes onto a cassette tape, CD or MP3.
9. Stroll down memory lane
Fill a hatbox or shoe box with objects that are important to you, such as your child's first tooth, family photos, postcards, love letters or inspirational poems or quotes. Whenever stress looms, take out your box and enjoy the warm feelings your mementos inspire.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Individual Ham, Cheese and Veggie Frittatas
recipes (Thank you Linda and Greg, Frederick,Friday)
Individual Ham, Cheese and Veggie Frittatas
PointsPlusTM value | 3
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 25 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
breakfast | Whip up a batch of these mini frittatas on a Sunday night and you've got breakfast ready to go for the week. Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy.
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
4 large egg(s), beaten
1 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 oz cooked lean ham, finely chopped
1/8 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), finely chopped (2 Tbsp)
1/8 cup(s) green pepper(s), finely chopped (2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp onion(s), finely chopped
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8 muffin tin holes with cooking spray. Spread potatoes around bottom and press potato up sides of each muffin hole; place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add ham, peppers, onion and cheese to bowl; mix to combine.
Remove potatoes from oven (after cooking for 10 minutes) and press potatoes down firmly with a spoon so that they are spread out like mini piecrusts (potatoes should cover bottom and sides of each hole). Pour about 1/4 cup of egg mixture into the center of each muffin hole.
Return pan to oven and cook until potatoes are crisp and golden, and the egg mixture is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving. Yields 1 frittata per serving.
Individual Ham, Cheese and Veggie Frittatas
PointsPlusTM value | 3
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 25 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
breakfast | Whip up a batch of these mini frittatas on a Sunday night and you've got breakfast ready to go for the week. Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy.
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 pound(s) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
4 large egg(s), beaten
1 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 oz cooked lean ham, finely chopped
1/8 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), finely chopped (2 Tbsp)
1/8 cup(s) green pepper(s), finely chopped (2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp onion(s), finely chopped
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8 muffin tin holes with cooking spray. Spread potatoes around bottom and press potato up sides of each muffin hole; place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add ham, peppers, onion and cheese to bowl; mix to combine.
Remove potatoes from oven (after cooking for 10 minutes) and press potatoes down firmly with a spoon so that they are spread out like mini piecrusts (potatoes should cover bottom and sides of each hole). Pour about 1/4 cup of egg mixture into the center of each muffin hole.
Return pan to oven and cook until potatoes are crisp and golden, and the egg mixture is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving. Yields 1 frittata per serving.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
What can you expect in weeks 2-4
What you can expect in weeks 2 – 4
With a week on Plan under your belt, you should be more comfortable tracking what you’ve already eaten, and may have started planning ahead using the online tools. You’ve also probably realized that some foods keep you full for longer, and that others are genuine treats best saved for special occasions.
During the next couple of weeks, you’ll start hearing about the benefits of exercise, as well as learning that not every goal should be about a number on the scale. After all — and let’s be honest here — the scale doesn’t always reflect your hard work without fail. The tips and motivation we’re serving up to you will help you stay on track, even when times get tough. And remember: Any time you need a knowledge boost, you can attend the Getting Started session at your meeting as many times as you like.
With a week on Plan under your belt, you should be more comfortable tracking what you’ve already eaten, and may have started planning ahead using the online tools. You’ve also probably realized that some foods keep you full for longer, and that others are genuine treats best saved for special occasions.
During the next couple of weeks, you’ll start hearing about the benefits of exercise, as well as learning that not every goal should be about a number on the scale. After all — and let’s be honest here — the scale doesn’t always reflect your hard work without fail. The tips and motivation we’re serving up to you will help you stay on track, even when times get tough. And remember: Any time you need a knowledge boost, you can attend the Getting Started session at your meeting as many times as you like.
Week 2 Challenge
Challenge to Use the PointsPlus™ Program: Week Two
Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg
Welcome to Week Two of the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus Program. We dare you to dig in and make use of all of the amazing tools available, while watching the pounds melt away.
Join us for the next four weeks as we give you tasks that really allow you to take full advantage of the features that make the PointsPlus program so unique and revolutionary.
The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. To help you get there, we’re going to take you through some of the great features of the PointsPlus program, which heralds a new, smarter way of eating.
Each week for the next four weeks we will focus on one of four pillars of the plan, sharing techniques, tips and strategies that will assist you in your efforts.
Week 2: Getting smarter
The message is clear. Not all PointsPlus values are created equal. Certain foods are more filling, nutritious and serve your body better than others. Taking the time to incorporate those foods into your meals allows you to eat more while losing weight. The PointsPlus program is crammed with tools that can help you learn to make smarter food choices. Food choices that lead to greater overall eating satisfaction while supporting weight loss. This week we challenge you to take time to understand how Weight Watchers Power Foods and the Good Health Guidelines steer you toward more eating satisfaction, better overall health, and weight loss.
The amazing thing about the tools is that they are intricately linked. If you take a careful look at the Good Health Guidelines you will notice that most of them guide you toward Weight Watchers Power Foods! They urge you to consume fruits, veggies, lean meats and calcium servings. By following the Good Health Guidelines you are effortlessly maxing out on Weight Watchers Power Foods!
As you tackle this week’s challenge to familiarize yourself with both tools more fully, perhaps you will reread each list and guideline, as they are brimming with information. A deeper knowledge of each and stricter adherence will only make your experience on the Plan more enjoyable! After spending some time familiarizing, take it one step further. Renovate a meal, adding Weight Watchers Power Foods or challenge yourself to squeeze in those two teaspoons of healthy oil each day. Push yourself toward those smarter food choices.
You may notice that when you follow the Good Health Guidelines you won't have a huge amount of room in your daily PointsPlus Target for indulgences. Smart, successful members take advantage of another great tool available to them, their weekly PointsPlus Allowance. Man cannot live on fruits and veggies alone! Use that weekly PointsPlus Allowance to keep life interesting. Work in your favorite indulgence alongside all of your healthy, new Weight Watchers Power Foods this week.
Join in the conversation. Share how you spend your weekly PointsPlus Allowance or how you get the Good Health Guidelines in each day. Found a great new way to work a Weight Watchers Power Food into your day? Share it in the Community!
Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg
Welcome to Week Two of the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus Program. We dare you to dig in and make use of all of the amazing tools available, while watching the pounds melt away.
Join us for the next four weeks as we give you tasks that really allow you to take full advantage of the features that make the PointsPlus program so unique and revolutionary.
The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. To help you get there, we’re going to take you through some of the great features of the PointsPlus program, which heralds a new, smarter way of eating.
Each week for the next four weeks we will focus on one of four pillars of the plan, sharing techniques, tips and strategies that will assist you in your efforts.
Week 2: Getting smarter
The message is clear. Not all PointsPlus values are created equal. Certain foods are more filling, nutritious and serve your body better than others. Taking the time to incorporate those foods into your meals allows you to eat more while losing weight. The PointsPlus program is crammed with tools that can help you learn to make smarter food choices. Food choices that lead to greater overall eating satisfaction while supporting weight loss. This week we challenge you to take time to understand how Weight Watchers Power Foods and the Good Health Guidelines steer you toward more eating satisfaction, better overall health, and weight loss.
The amazing thing about the tools is that they are intricately linked. If you take a careful look at the Good Health Guidelines you will notice that most of them guide you toward Weight Watchers Power Foods! They urge you to consume fruits, veggies, lean meats and calcium servings. By following the Good Health Guidelines you are effortlessly maxing out on Weight Watchers Power Foods!
As you tackle this week’s challenge to familiarize yourself with both tools more fully, perhaps you will reread each list and guideline, as they are brimming with information. A deeper knowledge of each and stricter adherence will only make your experience on the Plan more enjoyable! After spending some time familiarizing, take it one step further. Renovate a meal, adding Weight Watchers Power Foods or challenge yourself to squeeze in those two teaspoons of healthy oil each day. Push yourself toward those smarter food choices.
You may notice that when you follow the Good Health Guidelines you won't have a huge amount of room in your daily PointsPlus Target for indulgences. Smart, successful members take advantage of another great tool available to them, their weekly PointsPlus Allowance. Man cannot live on fruits and veggies alone! Use that weekly PointsPlus Allowance to keep life interesting. Work in your favorite indulgence alongside all of your healthy, new Weight Watchers Power Foods this week.
Join in the conversation. Share how you spend your weekly PointsPlus Allowance or how you get the Good Health Guidelines in each day. Found a great new way to work a Weight Watchers Power Food into your day? Share it in the Community!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Chocolate Eclair Points Plus 3
Here is one of my favorite recipes that I have converted to PointPlus and it is only 3, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chocolate Éclair Dessert (Thank you again Tommy Jo)
24 Low Fat Graham Cracker Sheets
2 small Boxes Sugar-Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 Cups Skim Milk
1 (8 oz.) Container Fat Free Cool Whip
1 small Box Sugar-Free Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 1/2 cups Skim Milk
Place 8 graham crackers in bottom of 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish. Mix vanilla pudding and 3 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Gently fold in Cool Whip. Pour half of vanilla pudding on graham crackers. Top with another 8 graham crackers. Pour remaining vanilla pudding over graham crackers. Top with last 8 graham crackers. Mix the chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Spread over graham crackers. Let it sit in the fridge for awhile to soften the crackers. Serves: 18 – PointsPlus per serving: 3
Chocolate Éclair Dessert (Thank you again Tommy Jo)
24 Low Fat Graham Cracker Sheets
2 small Boxes Sugar-Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 Cups Skim Milk
1 (8 oz.) Container Fat Free Cool Whip
1 small Box Sugar-Free Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 1/2 cups Skim Milk
Place 8 graham crackers in bottom of 9 in. x 13 in. baking dish. Mix vanilla pudding and 3 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Gently fold in Cool Whip. Pour half of vanilla pudding on graham crackers. Top with another 8 graham crackers. Pour remaining vanilla pudding over graham crackers. Top with last 8 graham crackers. Mix the chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups skim milk, let sit 2 minutes. Spread over graham crackers. Let it sit in the fridge for awhile to soften the crackers. Serves: 18 – PointsPlus per serving: 3
Challenge to use the Points Plus Program
Challenge to Use the PointsPlus™ Program: Week One
Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg
This week we’re kicking off the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus program. We dare you to dig in and make use of all of the amazing tools available, while watching the pounds melt away.
Join us for the next four weeks as we give you tasks that really allow you to take full advantage of the features that make the PointsPlus program so unique and revolutionary.
The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. The PointsPlus program heralds a new, smarter way of eating. You can learn more about the details of the program in multiple places on the site, including in the Your Plan section. This challenge will not direct you to follow specific parts of the new Plan; it’s more to keep you grounded in the fundamental principles of the Weight Watchers approach while you adjust to the changes.
So, each week for the next four weeks we will focus on one of four pillars of the plan, sharing techniques, tips and strategies that will assist you in your efforts. Join us as we delve into its details and inspire you to make the changes necessary to achieve lasting, healthy weight loss. We guarantee that it will be time well spent as you get the scoop on the secrets of highly successful Members!
Week One: Track attack
One of the key rules of the PointsPlus program is that you must track everything you eat and drink. Successful Members have long realized that self-monitoring leads to greater success; it provides a level of accountability that those people rely on. They report two great benefits: it allows them to look back at what they have done, and to plan ahead for success. Their instincts are supported by several studies proving that keeping track of food intake can boost weight-loss success.1
We all know how important tracking can be, but that doesn’t make it easy to do all the time. This week we challenge you to up the tracking ante! Make a small, manageable change to your tracking that might support your plan and supply you with more useable information and ultimately greater success. Perhaps you can commit to tracking something that you have never tracked consistently before, like your water intake, or the small slice of tomato you put in your sandwich. Perhaps you can begin logging your activity or steps on the activity tracker
There are many aspects of tracking, and different ways to do it. Quite often the greatest hurdle is just doing it. Maybe you can try a new way of tracking this week. Try tracking on your mobile device for the week. The challenge here is to adjust your tracking in a way that will make it even more relevant for you. Having trouble thinking of something? Head to the Community and ask for suggestions and discuss ideas. Share your success and share what you learn this week by making the change.
Remember that all the effort you put in will ultimately pay off. If you are having trouble making tracking a consistent part of your plan, know that people who have successfully maintained their weight losses report that, over time, tracking becomes easier and requires less attention.2 Your effort this week will ultimately bring you closer to a place where tracking feels more natural and doable!
1. Boutelle KN, Kirschenbaum DS. Further support for consistent self- monitoring as a vital component of successful weight control. Obes Res. 1998 May;6(3):219- 24.
2. Klem ML, Wing RR, Lang W, McGuire MT, Hill JO. Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obes Res. 2000 Sep;8(6):438-44.
Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg
This week we’re kicking off the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus program. We dare you to dig in and make use of all of the amazing tools available, while watching the pounds melt away.
Join us for the next four weeks as we give you tasks that really allow you to take full advantage of the features that make the PointsPlus program so unique and revolutionary.
The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. The PointsPlus program heralds a new, smarter way of eating. You can learn more about the details of the program in multiple places on the site, including in the Your Plan section. This challenge will not direct you to follow specific parts of the new Plan; it’s more to keep you grounded in the fundamental principles of the Weight Watchers approach while you adjust to the changes.
So, each week for the next four weeks we will focus on one of four pillars of the plan, sharing techniques, tips and strategies that will assist you in your efforts. Join us as we delve into its details and inspire you to make the changes necessary to achieve lasting, healthy weight loss. We guarantee that it will be time well spent as you get the scoop on the secrets of highly successful Members!
Week One: Track attack
One of the key rules of the PointsPlus program is that you must track everything you eat and drink. Successful Members have long realized that self-monitoring leads to greater success; it provides a level of accountability that those people rely on. They report two great benefits: it allows them to look back at what they have done, and to plan ahead for success. Their instincts are supported by several studies proving that keeping track of food intake can boost weight-loss success.1
We all know how important tracking can be, but that doesn’t make it easy to do all the time. This week we challenge you to up the tracking ante! Make a small, manageable change to your tracking that might support your plan and supply you with more useable information and ultimately greater success. Perhaps you can commit to tracking something that you have never tracked consistently before, like your water intake, or the small slice of tomato you put in your sandwich. Perhaps you can begin logging your activity or steps on the activity tracker
There are many aspects of tracking, and different ways to do it. Quite often the greatest hurdle is just doing it. Maybe you can try a new way of tracking this week. Try tracking on your mobile device for the week. The challenge here is to adjust your tracking in a way that will make it even more relevant for you. Having trouble thinking of something? Head to the Community and ask for suggestions and discuss ideas. Share your success and share what you learn this week by making the change.
Remember that all the effort you put in will ultimately pay off. If you are having trouble making tracking a consistent part of your plan, know that people who have successfully maintained their weight losses report that, over time, tracking becomes easier and requires less attention.2 Your effort this week will ultimately bring you closer to a place where tracking feels more natural and doable!
1. Boutelle KN, Kirschenbaum DS. Further support for consistent self- monitoring as a vital component of successful weight control. Obes Res. 1998 May;6(3):219- 24.
2. Klem ML, Wing RR, Lang W, McGuire MT, Hill JO. Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obes Res. 2000 Sep;8(6):438-44.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Holidays and how not to gain weight.
Article sent to me by Margaret from our Frederick, Sunday meeting. It came from active triathlete. (Thank you Margaret!)
From Halloween to New Year's Day the average weight gain is about 5 to 7 pounds. Unfortunately that weight doesn't drop off come January. It's like a winter coat that we never shed.
Why do you struggle with weight gain though the holidays? Many challenges exist, such as office potlucks, family gatherings, once-a-year treats, and traditions of over-eating. Take time now to think about your challenges and create new approaches for this holiday season.
Here are the 10 best tips to beat holiday weight gain. Which tips work for you?
10. Prioritize exercise.
Exercise in the morning so you start your day energized with a clear mind. Exercise gives you the mental reminder that you are living a healthy lifestyle, which keeps you on track and focused during the day. Can't swing a morning workout? Plan a lunch-hour workout with colleagues or buddy up to workout before leaving your worksite. Build exercise into your day; schedule it as you would any other commitment.
9. Don't be a caveperson.
Cave people are programmed to eat. Avoid famine and feast cycles by eating regularly throughout the day. It's hard to turn down the extra treats that fill the office this time of year, and when you are tired and starving, they are nearly impossible to resist.
8. Plan ahead.
Understand what food challenges you are facing so that you can make informed decisions. Call friends to see what healthy side dish you can bring to the dinner party. Look up restaurant information before going out to eat. Know when you need to pack a lunch or bring a healthy option to the office potluck.
7. Indulge with full awareness.
If you decide to indulge, do so consciously; make that tasty treat a part of a planned meal or snack. Then you can savor each and every bite.
6. Enhance family favorites.
As you plan your meals and treats for the holiday season, look for creative ways to cut calories and boost nutrients in your favorite recipes.
Spice sweet potatoes with nutmeg and cinnamon rather than brown sugar.
Make sure to prepare a few vegetable dishes, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach and garlic or an arugula salad.
Use dried fruit for half the chocolate chips in cookies and pumpkin or banana bread.
Cut cookies and bars into smaller bite size pieces.
5. Honor your body's healthy limits.
Honor your body by committing to NOT overeat. Commit to filling your plate full of colorful veggies and cutting back portions of high calorie sides, such as stuffing, buttery rolls, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, savory appetizers, creamy dips, desserts and candies.
There's no need to eliminate these tasteful, traditional foods; just cut back your portions so that you finish the meal feeling satisfied, not stuffed.
Save room for dessert so that it doesn't push you into a food coma.
If you are tempted to overeat because many holiday foods are only served once a year, put away a plate of food to enjoy tomorrow. It will taste better when you are able to savor each bite, rather than stuffing extra bites into an already full stomach.
Make one holiday favorite every month so that you are able to enjoy these favorites year round.
Resist peer pressure to overeat. Talk to loved ones prior to meals and explain your personal goals.
Eat slowly and savor each bite. You will be more satisfied and it will help limit comments such as, "you haven't eaten a thing" or "surely you will go back for more."
4. Eat breakfast every day.
Include a bit of protein at this important meal. Start the day with protein rich foods to control your appetite and boost self-control. This will help you to "just say no" to all of the holiday treats that surround you.
3. Don't let holiday weight gain creep up on you.
Weigh yourself once a week and make adjustments to your lifestyle as needed. If you gain a pound, reflect on your eating and exercise habits. Be curious not critical. Look for opportunities to make changes. Have you been stressed? Are you an emotional eater? Have been to more parties and social engagements? Eating out more often? These are factors that everyone faces more frequently this time of year, and they often lead to weight gain.
2. Keep alcohol consumption low.
How easily alcohol calories add up. During this social holiday season, you could easily gain a pound or two through alcohol alone.
Pint of beer = 150 calories
Typical glass of wine = 200 calories
Martini = 250 calories
Margarita = 300-800 calories depending on who makes it!
Spiked eggnog = 400 calories per cup
These calorie counts don't even include the extras that come from reduced inhibitions and missing your morning workouts.
1. Get off the "See Food Diet"!
We see it, we want to eat it. This time of year, the "See Food Diet" consists of cookies, pastries, candies and fudge. Not too mention all of the leftovers, gifts and party favors. Change what you see, and you will change your body.
Bring a beautiful bowl of fruit into the office.
Place a bowl of nuts in the shell on your desk. You'll eat fewer when you have to crack them open yourself.
Put cut veggies front and center in the fridge; use hummus or herbed ricotta as a healthy dip.
Always bring a healthy option to dinners, parties and potlucks.
Gift your office or home with an opaque candy dish or cookie jar. When you don't see it, you're less likely to eat the treat.
Get rid of leftovers. If you throw a party, clean out the house the next day. Host a dinner? Send everyone home with leftovers or have a "part 2 dinner" the next night.
Surround yourself with the healthy foods that you need to eat, and you will find it easier to maintain your weight--or even lose weight--during this holiday season.
From Halloween to New Year's Day the average weight gain is about 5 to 7 pounds. Unfortunately that weight doesn't drop off come January. It's like a winter coat that we never shed.
Why do you struggle with weight gain though the holidays? Many challenges exist, such as office potlucks, family gatherings, once-a-year treats, and traditions of over-eating. Take time now to think about your challenges and create new approaches for this holiday season.
Here are the 10 best tips to beat holiday weight gain. Which tips work for you?
10. Prioritize exercise.
Exercise in the morning so you start your day energized with a clear mind. Exercise gives you the mental reminder that you are living a healthy lifestyle, which keeps you on track and focused during the day. Can't swing a morning workout? Plan a lunch-hour workout with colleagues or buddy up to workout before leaving your worksite. Build exercise into your day; schedule it as you would any other commitment.
9. Don't be a caveperson.
Cave people are programmed to eat. Avoid famine and feast cycles by eating regularly throughout the day. It's hard to turn down the extra treats that fill the office this time of year, and when you are tired and starving, they are nearly impossible to resist.
8. Plan ahead.
Understand what food challenges you are facing so that you can make informed decisions. Call friends to see what healthy side dish you can bring to the dinner party. Look up restaurant information before going out to eat. Know when you need to pack a lunch or bring a healthy option to the office potluck.
7. Indulge with full awareness.
If you decide to indulge, do so consciously; make that tasty treat a part of a planned meal or snack. Then you can savor each and every bite.
6. Enhance family favorites.
As you plan your meals and treats for the holiday season, look for creative ways to cut calories and boost nutrients in your favorite recipes.
Spice sweet potatoes with nutmeg and cinnamon rather than brown sugar.
Make sure to prepare a few vegetable dishes, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach and garlic or an arugula salad.
Use dried fruit for half the chocolate chips in cookies and pumpkin or banana bread.
Cut cookies and bars into smaller bite size pieces.
5. Honor your body's healthy limits.
Honor your body by committing to NOT overeat. Commit to filling your plate full of colorful veggies and cutting back portions of high calorie sides, such as stuffing, buttery rolls, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, savory appetizers, creamy dips, desserts and candies.
There's no need to eliminate these tasteful, traditional foods; just cut back your portions so that you finish the meal feeling satisfied, not stuffed.
Save room for dessert so that it doesn't push you into a food coma.
If you are tempted to overeat because many holiday foods are only served once a year, put away a plate of food to enjoy tomorrow. It will taste better when you are able to savor each bite, rather than stuffing extra bites into an already full stomach.
Make one holiday favorite every month so that you are able to enjoy these favorites year round.
Resist peer pressure to overeat. Talk to loved ones prior to meals and explain your personal goals.
Eat slowly and savor each bite. You will be more satisfied and it will help limit comments such as, "you haven't eaten a thing" or "surely you will go back for more."
4. Eat breakfast every day.
Include a bit of protein at this important meal. Start the day with protein rich foods to control your appetite and boost self-control. This will help you to "just say no" to all of the holiday treats that surround you.
3. Don't let holiday weight gain creep up on you.
Weigh yourself once a week and make adjustments to your lifestyle as needed. If you gain a pound, reflect on your eating and exercise habits. Be curious not critical. Look for opportunities to make changes. Have you been stressed? Are you an emotional eater? Have been to more parties and social engagements? Eating out more often? These are factors that everyone faces more frequently this time of year, and they often lead to weight gain.
2. Keep alcohol consumption low.
How easily alcohol calories add up. During this social holiday season, you could easily gain a pound or two through alcohol alone.
Pint of beer = 150 calories
Typical glass of wine = 200 calories
Martini = 250 calories
Margarita = 300-800 calories depending on who makes it!
Spiked eggnog = 400 calories per cup
These calorie counts don't even include the extras that come from reduced inhibitions and missing your morning workouts.
1. Get off the "See Food Diet"!
We see it, we want to eat it. This time of year, the "See Food Diet" consists of cookies, pastries, candies and fudge. Not too mention all of the leftovers, gifts and party favors. Change what you see, and you will change your body.
Bring a beautiful bowl of fruit into the office.
Place a bowl of nuts in the shell on your desk. You'll eat fewer when you have to crack them open yourself.
Put cut veggies front and center in the fridge; use hummus or herbed ricotta as a healthy dip.
Always bring a healthy option to dinners, parties and potlucks.
Gift your office or home with an opaque candy dish or cookie jar. When you don't see it, you're less likely to eat the treat.
Get rid of leftovers. If you throw a party, clean out the house the next day. Host a dinner? Send everyone home with leftovers or have a "part 2 dinner" the next night.
Surround yourself with the healthy foods that you need to eat, and you will find it easier to maintain your weight--or even lose weight--during this holiday season.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Power Foods-What's in, What's Out
Weight Watchers Power Foods: What’s In, What’s Out.
Article By: Elly Trickett McNerney
A handy cheat sheet to how the old Filling Foods list translates to the new Weight Watchers Power Foods list.
By now, you have probably heard or read about the Weight Watchers Power Foods. These replace the Filling Foods — except, not exactly. More on that later.
First, the basics. Power Foods are determined by the energy density of a food as well as the nutrient content of a serving of food. We combined foods into categories, for example beef, cookies, yogurt, and ranked all the foods in each category using a proprietary formula tailored to the category. (Some categories, such as cookies, do not have any items that make the cut.) The foods that rose to the top of the list — based on the lowest energy density, as well as being low in fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, (depending on category) and/or fiber — are determined to be Power Foods. They are the healthiest and most filling choices within a specific category of foods. These foods were assigned the green pyramid to identify them as Power Foods.
A great many of the Filling Foods have stayed on the Power Foods list, along with a few exciting new ones. And some didn’t make it. There were some foods that, while they have healthy properties, they didn’t meet all the criteria we set for Weight Watchers Power Foods. Avocados, for example, may have lots of healthy fats in them, but the fact remains that they are simply still high in saturated fat. And many canned vegetable soups no longer make the grade because of the high amount of sodium they contain. (Of course, this doesn’t mean you can no longer eat them!)
So, here’s a handy cheat sheet to what’s in and what’s out in the Weight Watchers Power Foods list.
What’s in — new on the Power Foods list
Bread
Light breads (whole-grain varieties are preferred) are now Power Foods. They were added to the list after the aforementioned analysis, and our tests of the new Plan showed that eating these breads didn’t have a negative effect on weight loss.
More pasta varieties
Pasta is normally made from wheat, but increasingly available are varieties made from other grains such as rye, spelt and kamut. These are now Weight Watchers Power Foods.
Fat-free yogurt (artificially sweetened)
Yogurt’s a delicious way of getting in some of your dairy servings, and we’ve made the fat-free, artificially sweetened varieties a Weight Watchers Power Food.
What’s out — Filling Foods that aren’t Power Foods
Avocado
Canadian bacon
Beef — porterhouse steak, T-bone steak, tongue
Cereal — puffed, shredded wheat
Chicken — canned
Chicken livers
Fish — including cooked eel, herring, mackerel, farmed salmon and pompano. Also lox (smoked salmon) and sardines canned in tomato sauce
Lamb — cooked, trimmed leg and loin, also cooked ground lamb
Milk — fat-free evaporated
Plantain — baked or boiled
Pork — including cooked and trimmed leg and loin, plus cooked lean sirloin
Pudding — fat-free, sugar-free, various types
Soup — many canned or instant soups including black bean, lentil, Manhattan clam chowder, split pea, tomato and vegetable beef.
Soy cheese
Sun-dried tomatoes
Textured vegetable protein
Turkey — 93% ground, cooked, plus regular, cooked
Veal — cooked leg, trimmed
Veggie burger — black bean
Article By: Elly Trickett McNerney
A handy cheat sheet to how the old Filling Foods list translates to the new Weight Watchers Power Foods list.
By now, you have probably heard or read about the Weight Watchers Power Foods. These replace the Filling Foods — except, not exactly. More on that later.
First, the basics. Power Foods are determined by the energy density of a food as well as the nutrient content of a serving of food. We combined foods into categories, for example beef, cookies, yogurt, and ranked all the foods in each category using a proprietary formula tailored to the category. (Some categories, such as cookies, do not have any items that make the cut.) The foods that rose to the top of the list — based on the lowest energy density, as well as being low in fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, (depending on category) and/or fiber — are determined to be Power Foods. They are the healthiest and most filling choices within a specific category of foods. These foods were assigned the green pyramid to identify them as Power Foods.
A great many of the Filling Foods have stayed on the Power Foods list, along with a few exciting new ones. And some didn’t make it. There were some foods that, while they have healthy properties, they didn’t meet all the criteria we set for Weight Watchers Power Foods. Avocados, for example, may have lots of healthy fats in them, but the fact remains that they are simply still high in saturated fat. And many canned vegetable soups no longer make the grade because of the high amount of sodium they contain. (Of course, this doesn’t mean you can no longer eat them!)
So, here’s a handy cheat sheet to what’s in and what’s out in the Weight Watchers Power Foods list.
What’s in — new on the Power Foods list
Bread
Light breads (whole-grain varieties are preferred) are now Power Foods. They were added to the list after the aforementioned analysis, and our tests of the new Plan showed that eating these breads didn’t have a negative effect on weight loss.
More pasta varieties
Pasta is normally made from wheat, but increasingly available are varieties made from other grains such as rye, spelt and kamut. These are now Weight Watchers Power Foods.
Fat-free yogurt (artificially sweetened)
Yogurt’s a delicious way of getting in some of your dairy servings, and we’ve made the fat-free, artificially sweetened varieties a Weight Watchers Power Food.
What’s out — Filling Foods that aren’t Power Foods
Avocado
Canadian bacon
Beef — porterhouse steak, T-bone steak, tongue
Cereal — puffed, shredded wheat
Chicken — canned
Chicken livers
Fish — including cooked eel, herring, mackerel, farmed salmon and pompano. Also lox (smoked salmon) and sardines canned in tomato sauce
Lamb — cooked, trimmed leg and loin, also cooked ground lamb
Milk — fat-free evaporated
Plantain — baked or boiled
Pork — including cooked and trimmed leg and loin, plus cooked lean sirloin
Pudding — fat-free, sugar-free, various types
Soup — many canned or instant soups including black bean, lentil, Manhattan clam chowder, split pea, tomato and vegetable beef.
Soy cheese
Sun-dried tomatoes
Textured vegetable protein
Turkey — 93% ground, cooked, plus regular, cooked
Veal — cooked leg, trimmed
Veggie burger — black bean
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The PointsPlus Program and Weight Watchers.com
The PointsPlus™ Program and WeightWatchers.com: 15 Essentials
Article By: WeightWatchers.com
Here’s a quick guide to the changes you’ll see on WeightWatchers.com.
1. You are now following the PointsPlus™ program
We have converted absolutely everything — the foods, recipes and meals in the Weight Watchers database, the information on WeightWatchers.com, the Meeting room books and products, the Weight Watchers products you can buy from the grocery store; everything — to PointsPlus values.
2. PointsPlus values and POINTS® values are not the same thing. At all
The PointsPlus program calculates the PointsPlus values of any food or beverage in an entirely different way from the POINTS program. It takes into account how the nutrients in food are processed by the body. We now use protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber numbers to calculate a PointsPlus value. Calories aren't in the equation anymore because they don't give us a very accurate picture of how much energy is available to the body from a food choice. It actually takes calories to digest foods - some more than others.
3. Not all the foods in your "Favorites" have been converted yet
When you first logged on to WeightWatchers.com on or after November 29, you were asked to convert (or delete) any foods that you'd created in your Tracker and tracked in that current week to PointsPlus values. There might still be others - marked by a red exclamation point in your Tracker - that will still need converting before you can use them again. Just click on the foods, and you can either enter in the nutritional information from the product label (or from the manufacturer's website); search for a similar food in our database; or delete it.
4. You won't be able to use your "Recently added" foods list for a couple of weeks
These won't be available for approximately two weeks after the switch to the PointsPlus program. This is because the recently added feed uses the Plan Manager tracked data. Since we let you look back at two weeks of your tracking history in your tracker, the recently added section has to be disabled to ensure you don't track these outdated items that use the old calculation.
5. You have a new daily PointsPlus Target
Whatever your daily POINTS Target used to be, it's now higher. The minimum per day is now 29. Don't worry that this will cause you to eat more and gain weight; the PointsPlus values of many foods are also higher.
6. You have a new weekly PointsPlus Allowance
Everyone gets 49 weekly PointsPlus values to use any way you want. Save them up for a splurge, or use a few at a time every day. It's up to you.
7. All fruit, and most vegetables, are free
You don't need to count the PointsPlus values for these items. However, it's important to pay attention to how satisfied you feel when you eat these zero PointsPlus value foods. They do still contain calories. Our research has shown the amount a person is likely to eat following this plan, and we've taken this amount into account in your PointsPlus budget.
8. Fruit (and vegetables) in recipes still contribute toward the PointsPlus values
Just as we've always done with 0 PointsPlus value vegetables, even 0 PointsPlus value fruits contribute toward the total PointsPlus values of a recipe, whether it's a Weight Watchers recipe or one you build yourself in the Recipe Builder. Recipes add up the nutritional info for all their ingredients. If you ate fruit only, save it as a "meal" rather than a "recipe."
9. Filling Foods are now Weight Watchers Power Foods
We took our Filling Foods - those that had a low energy density (that is, a lot of their bulk came from water or air) and that were healthy - put them into categories (such as "beef," for example) and ranked them using a special formula unique to each category. The winners are the Weight Watchers Power Foods. They are they healthiest and most filling foods in the category, and have the lowest energy density, as well as the lowest fat, sugar and sodium content. Just look for the green pyramid.
10. Not all Filling Foods are Weight Watchers Power Foods
There are some foods that, while they have healthy properties, they don't meet all the criteria we set for Weight Watchers Power Foods. Avocados, for example, may have lots of healthy fats in them, but the fact remains that they are simply still very high in saturated fat. And many canned vegetable soups no longer make the grade because of the high amount of sodium they contain.
11. There are no half PointsPlus values
All PointsPlus values are now whole numbers.
12. There is no more Personal POINTS Quiz
We automatically calculate the number of PointsPlus values you need to eat each day in order to lose weight - or maintain your loss, if you are at your goal weight. Every time you log a weight change in your Weight Tracker or at a meeting, your daily PointsPlus Target will be recalculated to make sure you're eating what you should.
13. There are no SetPOINTS (or PointsPlus) values anymore
You won't find these numbers in the PointsPlus Tracker anymore.
14. You can now choose to swap activity PointsPlus values before your weekly PointsPlus Allowance
Previously, your activity POINTS values didn't start being swapped for food POINTS values until you'd used up your weekly POINTS Allowance. Now, you can choose to swap your activity PointsPlus values first, and even choose to "use or lose them," meaning that if you don't swap activity PointsPlus values on the day you earn them, they won't roll over to the following day. Just change the settings in your Plan Manager. Remember that neither can be rolled over from week to week.
15. We no longer offer the Original Tools on WeightWatchers.com
Weight Watchers is always working to improve our user experience. All of your tracking needs are taken care of in the Plan Manager. We also offer tracking on our iPhone app as well as our mobile website that is available on the BlackBerry, iPhone, and Windows 7 devices.
Article By: WeightWatchers.com
Here’s a quick guide to the changes you’ll see on WeightWatchers.com.
1. You are now following the PointsPlus™ program
We have converted absolutely everything — the foods, recipes and meals in the Weight Watchers database, the information on WeightWatchers.com, the Meeting room books and products, the Weight Watchers products you can buy from the grocery store; everything — to PointsPlus values.
2. PointsPlus values and POINTS® values are not the same thing. At all
The PointsPlus program calculates the PointsPlus values of any food or beverage in an entirely different way from the POINTS program. It takes into account how the nutrients in food are processed by the body. We now use protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber numbers to calculate a PointsPlus value. Calories aren't in the equation anymore because they don't give us a very accurate picture of how much energy is available to the body from a food choice. It actually takes calories to digest foods - some more than others.
3. Not all the foods in your "Favorites" have been converted yet
When you first logged on to WeightWatchers.com on or after November 29, you were asked to convert (or delete) any foods that you'd created in your Tracker and tracked in that current week to PointsPlus values. There might still be others - marked by a red exclamation point in your Tracker - that will still need converting before you can use them again. Just click on the foods, and you can either enter in the nutritional information from the product label (or from the manufacturer's website); search for a similar food in our database; or delete it.
4. You won't be able to use your "Recently added" foods list for a couple of weeks
These won't be available for approximately two weeks after the switch to the PointsPlus program. This is because the recently added feed uses the Plan Manager tracked data. Since we let you look back at two weeks of your tracking history in your tracker, the recently added section has to be disabled to ensure you don't track these outdated items that use the old calculation.
5. You have a new daily PointsPlus Target
Whatever your daily POINTS Target used to be, it's now higher. The minimum per day is now 29. Don't worry that this will cause you to eat more and gain weight; the PointsPlus values of many foods are also higher.
6. You have a new weekly PointsPlus Allowance
Everyone gets 49 weekly PointsPlus values to use any way you want. Save them up for a splurge, or use a few at a time every day. It's up to you.
7. All fruit, and most vegetables, are free
You don't need to count the PointsPlus values for these items. However, it's important to pay attention to how satisfied you feel when you eat these zero PointsPlus value foods. They do still contain calories. Our research has shown the amount a person is likely to eat following this plan, and we've taken this amount into account in your PointsPlus budget.
8. Fruit (and vegetables) in recipes still contribute toward the PointsPlus values
Just as we've always done with 0 PointsPlus value vegetables, even 0 PointsPlus value fruits contribute toward the total PointsPlus values of a recipe, whether it's a Weight Watchers recipe or one you build yourself in the Recipe Builder. Recipes add up the nutritional info for all their ingredients. If you ate fruit only, save it as a "meal" rather than a "recipe."
9. Filling Foods are now Weight Watchers Power Foods
We took our Filling Foods - those that had a low energy density (that is, a lot of their bulk came from water or air) and that were healthy - put them into categories (such as "beef," for example) and ranked them using a special formula unique to each category. The winners are the Weight Watchers Power Foods. They are they healthiest and most filling foods in the category, and have the lowest energy density, as well as the lowest fat, sugar and sodium content. Just look for the green pyramid.
10. Not all Filling Foods are Weight Watchers Power Foods
There are some foods that, while they have healthy properties, they don't meet all the criteria we set for Weight Watchers Power Foods. Avocados, for example, may have lots of healthy fats in them, but the fact remains that they are simply still very high in saturated fat. And many canned vegetable soups no longer make the grade because of the high amount of sodium they contain.
11. There are no half PointsPlus values
All PointsPlus values are now whole numbers.
12. There is no more Personal POINTS Quiz
We automatically calculate the number of PointsPlus values you need to eat each day in order to lose weight - or maintain your loss, if you are at your goal weight. Every time you log a weight change in your Weight Tracker or at a meeting, your daily PointsPlus Target will be recalculated to make sure you're eating what you should.
13. There are no SetPOINTS (or PointsPlus) values anymore
You won't find these numbers in the PointsPlus Tracker anymore.
14. You can now choose to swap activity PointsPlus values before your weekly PointsPlus Allowance
Previously, your activity POINTS values didn't start being swapped for food POINTS values until you'd used up your weekly POINTS Allowance. Now, you can choose to swap your activity PointsPlus values first, and even choose to "use or lose them," meaning that if you don't swap activity PointsPlus values on the day you earn them, they won't roll over to the following day. Just change the settings in your Plan Manager. Remember that neither can be rolled over from week to week.
15. We no longer offer the Original Tools on WeightWatchers.com
Weight Watchers is always working to improve our user experience. All of your tracking needs are taken care of in the Plan Manager. We also offer tracking on our iPhone app as well as our mobile website that is available on the BlackBerry, iPhone, and Windows 7 devices.
Updting WW Cookbooks and Weeklies to PointsPlus
Updated Weight Watchers Food & Cookbook Recipe Information
etool users: paste this link into your browser for LOTS of useful information
www.weightwatchers.com/productinfo
etool users: paste this link into your browser for LOTS of useful information
www.weightwatchers.com/productinfo
Recipes in my blog
Hi gang,
I just want to make sure you understand any recipes dated before 11/28/2010 were in points and are not longer correct for our new PointsPlus Plan. I will be starting a new label named Recipes PointsPlus as of now so that you will know at the right information.
See you at the meeting this week.
Diana
I just want to make sure you understand any recipes dated before 11/28/2010 were in points and are not longer correct for our new PointsPlus Plan. I will be starting a new label named Recipes PointsPlus as of now so that you will know at the right information.
See you at the meeting this week.
Diana
Welcome to the PointsPlus
Welcome to the PointsPlus™ Program: Now What?
Article By: Elly Trickett McNerney
So, the plan has changed. Don’t panic! Here are 5 things you can do right now to get you started on the right foot.
If you’re reading this, then you’ll already have gone through the process of updating your information on this site to follow the new PointsPlus program. To jog your memory, here are some of the things that you did:
You learned your new daily PointsPlus Target.
You may have re-entered some nutritional information for food items that you created in the PointsPlus Tracker, if you’d tracked them during this current week.
You may also have been asked to enter information for other food items that you have stored in your Favorites.
So, what’s next? These 5 to-dos will help you get started!
1. Understand your new PointsPlus Target
Because there is a new formula for calculating PointsPlus values for food, you also have a new daily PointsPlus Target and weekly PointsPlus Allowance. Don’t spend any time trying to wrap your brain around how your old daily POINTS® Target relates to your new daily PointsPlus Target. The way that PointsPlus values are calculated is completely different to the old POINTS values calculation, so don’t even try to guesstimate.
Everyone will find that they have a higher number to work with every day. A lot of foods have also got a higher number of PointsPlus values attached to them — but not all! Stay tuned for some happy surprises.
2. Take stock in the kitchen
Go through your cupboards and fridge at home, and recalculate the PointsPlus values for foods that you eat often. You can either look on the product’s nutritional labels and use the PointsPlus calculator, or look in Find and Explore for the items by name. Don’t be afraid to deface food packaging with a big ol’ Sharpie — better to have graffiti in your pantry than anxiety in your meal planning.
If you’ve got any food items in the PointsPlus Tracker that you’d created previously, but didn’t need to convert straightaway (they'll have a red exclamation point next to them), now’s a great time to go back and either delete them if you don’t use them anymore, or re-enter the nutritional info so they’re ready to track next time you eat them. If you don’t have the package handy, and if the item isn’t in our Food Tracker, remember that many manufacturers put nutritional info right on their websites.
You’ll find that some of the items in your kitchen — like pasta, rice, beans, starchy vegetables like potatoes, and many packaged foods — have a higher PointsPlus value than POINTS value. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat these foods! Don’t forget that your new, higher daily PointsPlus Target is also higher.
That said, you’ll also find that some other items — yogurt, most meats and fish, and cheese — actually have the same number of PointsPlus values as POINTS values. A 3oz. serving of grilled chicken breast has 3 PointsPlus values — that’s how many POINTS values it was, but it’ll eat into your daily Target less! Foods that are higher in protein and fiber, and lower in carbohydrates and fat, will often turn out to be real bargains.
3. Hit the stores
You will likely have learned by now that Weight Watchers Power Foods are nutritious and satisfying foods that work hard to help you lose weight. Foods that are marked with a green triangle are Weight Watchers Power Foods, and you can see the full list of them in Find and Explore.
But don’t just sit there and read it: Go shopping! Load up your cart with these foods — try some new ones, and find some Weight Watchers recipes to make use of them here. As well as the new food items you might try, you may also be pleasantly surprised by some of the items that make their way into your cart: Bread (reduced-calorie, whole-grain is best), fat-free luncheon meats, and light yogurt are all Weight Watchers Power Foods, even though they weren’t Filling Foods.
(On that note, though, do note that a few of the Filling Foods, such as avocados and certain soups, are not Weight Watchers Power Foods.)
4. Buy a new fruit bowl
You’ll need it! All fruit — apples, oranges, strawberries, even bananas and mangoes (yes! Even bananas and mangoes!) — have 0 PointsPlus values. They’re Weight Watchers Power Foods, and they help you meet your Good Health Guidelines. (And most vegetables still have 0 PointsPlus values.)
Yes, fruit contains calories and sugar, but trust us: provided you listen to your hunger signals (and forgo the banana-eating contests), you can eat it and still lose weight.
The key is to use fruit as a particularly delicious “tool.” Eat a filling banana to keep you away from the vending machine between breakfast and lunch. Add some grapes to your salad to bulk it up and add a juicy sweetness for 0 PointsPlus values. Roast some plums or peaches with your chicken for a tangy accompaniment. Have some mango with plain Greek yogurt and honey for a creamy and delicious low PointsPlus values dessert. Or stash an apple in your purse to munch while you rush from place to place. Zero PointsPlus value fruit is, quite simply, awesome.
5. Know where your tools are
Your Plan Manager contains all the tools to discover the PointsPlus values of the food you want to eat, plus a full database of activities that can earn you extra PointsPlus values. You can take, and retake, the tutorial as many times as you need to. Even if you were tracking in the Plan Manager faithfully before, it’s still worth taking the tutorial again so you can refresh your memory of how to look up foods that you may not have had to look up for some time.
Your Plan page contains information we’ve picked out for you according to how long you’ve been following the plan. If you’ve been a subscriber for some months, you can still go back to basics by looking at the info that people in their first few weeks on plan get. Just change your week to get a refresher on some Plan basics.
Finally, the Weight Watchers Community is full of people who are transitioning from the old plan to the new one, just like you. Who knows what nuggets of advice you’ll stumble across?
Article By: Elly Trickett McNerney
So, the plan has changed. Don’t panic! Here are 5 things you can do right now to get you started on the right foot.
If you’re reading this, then you’ll already have gone through the process of updating your information on this site to follow the new PointsPlus program. To jog your memory, here are some of the things that you did:
You learned your new daily PointsPlus Target.
You may have re-entered some nutritional information for food items that you created in the PointsPlus Tracker, if you’d tracked them during this current week.
You may also have been asked to enter information for other food items that you have stored in your Favorites.
So, what’s next? These 5 to-dos will help you get started!
1. Understand your new PointsPlus Target
Because there is a new formula for calculating PointsPlus values for food, you also have a new daily PointsPlus Target and weekly PointsPlus Allowance. Don’t spend any time trying to wrap your brain around how your old daily POINTS® Target relates to your new daily PointsPlus Target. The way that PointsPlus values are calculated is completely different to the old POINTS values calculation, so don’t even try to guesstimate.
Everyone will find that they have a higher number to work with every day. A lot of foods have also got a higher number of PointsPlus values attached to them — but not all! Stay tuned for some happy surprises.
2. Take stock in the kitchen
Go through your cupboards and fridge at home, and recalculate the PointsPlus values for foods that you eat often. You can either look on the product’s nutritional labels and use the PointsPlus calculator, or look in Find and Explore for the items by name. Don’t be afraid to deface food packaging with a big ol’ Sharpie — better to have graffiti in your pantry than anxiety in your meal planning.
If you’ve got any food items in the PointsPlus Tracker that you’d created previously, but didn’t need to convert straightaway (they'll have a red exclamation point next to them), now’s a great time to go back and either delete them if you don’t use them anymore, or re-enter the nutritional info so they’re ready to track next time you eat them. If you don’t have the package handy, and if the item isn’t in our Food Tracker, remember that many manufacturers put nutritional info right on their websites.
You’ll find that some of the items in your kitchen — like pasta, rice, beans, starchy vegetables like potatoes, and many packaged foods — have a higher PointsPlus value than POINTS value. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat these foods! Don’t forget that your new, higher daily PointsPlus Target is also higher.
That said, you’ll also find that some other items — yogurt, most meats and fish, and cheese — actually have the same number of PointsPlus values as POINTS values. A 3oz. serving of grilled chicken breast has 3 PointsPlus values — that’s how many POINTS values it was, but it’ll eat into your daily Target less! Foods that are higher in protein and fiber, and lower in carbohydrates and fat, will often turn out to be real bargains.
3. Hit the stores
You will likely have learned by now that Weight Watchers Power Foods are nutritious and satisfying foods that work hard to help you lose weight. Foods that are marked with a green triangle are Weight Watchers Power Foods, and you can see the full list of them in Find and Explore.
But don’t just sit there and read it: Go shopping! Load up your cart with these foods — try some new ones, and find some Weight Watchers recipes to make use of them here. As well as the new food items you might try, you may also be pleasantly surprised by some of the items that make their way into your cart: Bread (reduced-calorie, whole-grain is best), fat-free luncheon meats, and light yogurt are all Weight Watchers Power Foods, even though they weren’t Filling Foods.
(On that note, though, do note that a few of the Filling Foods, such as avocados and certain soups, are not Weight Watchers Power Foods.)
4. Buy a new fruit bowl
You’ll need it! All fruit — apples, oranges, strawberries, even bananas and mangoes (yes! Even bananas and mangoes!) — have 0 PointsPlus values. They’re Weight Watchers Power Foods, and they help you meet your Good Health Guidelines. (And most vegetables still have 0 PointsPlus values.)
Yes, fruit contains calories and sugar, but trust us: provided you listen to your hunger signals (and forgo the banana-eating contests), you can eat it and still lose weight.
The key is to use fruit as a particularly delicious “tool.” Eat a filling banana to keep you away from the vending machine between breakfast and lunch. Add some grapes to your salad to bulk it up and add a juicy sweetness for 0 PointsPlus values. Roast some plums or peaches with your chicken for a tangy accompaniment. Have some mango with plain Greek yogurt and honey for a creamy and delicious low PointsPlus values dessert. Or stash an apple in your purse to munch while you rush from place to place. Zero PointsPlus value fruit is, quite simply, awesome.
5. Know where your tools are
Your Plan Manager contains all the tools to discover the PointsPlus values of the food you want to eat, plus a full database of activities that can earn you extra PointsPlus values. You can take, and retake, the tutorial as many times as you need to. Even if you were tracking in the Plan Manager faithfully before, it’s still worth taking the tutorial again so you can refresh your memory of how to look up foods that you may not have had to look up for some time.
Your Plan page contains information we’ve picked out for you according to how long you’ve been following the plan. If you’ve been a subscriber for some months, you can still go back to basics by looking at the info that people in their first few weeks on plan get. Just change your week to get a refresher on some Plan basics.
Finally, the Weight Watchers Community is full of people who are transitioning from the old plan to the new one, just like you. Who knows what nuggets of advice you’ll stumble across?
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