Here is the poem I promised to put in the blog. I suggest you print it and follow it through the year.
If I lose 1 pound each week in 2011
By Valentine's Day I'd be 7 lbs. lighter!
I’m loving it!
By St. Patrick's Day I'd be 11 lbs. lighter!
With the luck o'the Irish I'll make my goal.
By Easter I'd be 13 lbs. lighter!
I'd be a cuter bunny.
By Memorial Day I'd be 23 lbs. lighter!
What a memory that would make!
By Flag Day I'd be 25 lbs. lighter!
I’d wave my flag proudly then.
By Independence Day I'd be 27 lbs. lighter!
That's quite a declaration of independence from overeating!
By Labor Day I'd be 36 lbs. lighter!
What a wonderful reward for all my hard work.
By Columbus Day I'd be 41 lbs. lighter!
What a joy to discover what I can do.
By Halloween I'd be 44 lbs. lighter!
I would know I had more than a ghost of a chance.
By Thanksgiving I'd be 47 lbs. lighter!
I'd have so much to be thankful for.
By Christmas Eve I'd be 51 lbs. lighter!
Talk about being merry.
By New Year's Eve I'd be 52 lbs. lighter!
It's not just a new year, It's a new ME!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Holida Weight and New Year's Resolutions
Holiday Weight Gain and New Year's Resolutions
Article By: Weight Watchers Research Department
While the holidays are a special time of year, bringing seasonal cheer and time-honored festivities, they can also be a time for overindulgence and weight gain.
How much holiday weight is gained?
Although it is a popular belief that average adult gains between 5 to 10 pounds in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the good news is, this does not appear to be true. According to the most reliable to-date study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average weight gain was a little less than one pound. The study participants who did have a major holiday weight gain, defined as 5 pounds or more, were more likely to be overweight than people who gained less.
While this small average amount of weight gain may seem trivial, that weight was not lost over the remainder of the year. In fact, when the study participants were weighed a year after the study began, they gained an average of 1.4 pounds, over half of which was accumulated during the six-week holiday period. In other words, a large proportion of yearly weight gain occurs during the holidays and is likely to accrue over the years, contributing to the increase in body weight that often occurs during adulthood.
The researchers also investigated possible reasons for holiday weight gain, including stress, hunger, physical activity, smoking habits, the presence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and the number of seasonal parties attended. Only changes in hunger and physical activity were related to changes in weight. People who reported increased hunger or decreased activity gained the most weight while those who reported being much less hungry or much more active had the least weight gain.
Do New Year's resolutions work?
After the holidays are over, many people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight. and research suggests this may be helpful. According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, people who made New Year's resolutions had higher rates of success at making the desired behavior change (losing weight, exercising more and quitting smoking being the most prevalent) than people who did not make resolutions. After six months, 46 percent of the resolution makers were successful compared to just 4 percent of the people who did not make resolutions.
Bottom line
Working to prevent weight gain during this holiday season along with making a New Year's resolution to lose weight, by having a healthy relationship with food, may be helpful in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Article By: Weight Watchers Research Department
While the holidays are a special time of year, bringing seasonal cheer and time-honored festivities, they can also be a time for overindulgence and weight gain.
How much holiday weight is gained?
Although it is a popular belief that average adult gains between 5 to 10 pounds in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's, the good news is, this does not appear to be true. According to the most reliable to-date study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the average weight gain was a little less than one pound. The study participants who did have a major holiday weight gain, defined as 5 pounds or more, were more likely to be overweight than people who gained less.
While this small average amount of weight gain may seem trivial, that weight was not lost over the remainder of the year. In fact, when the study participants were weighed a year after the study began, they gained an average of 1.4 pounds, over half of which was accumulated during the six-week holiday period. In other words, a large proportion of yearly weight gain occurs during the holidays and is likely to accrue over the years, contributing to the increase in body weight that often occurs during adulthood.
The researchers also investigated possible reasons for holiday weight gain, including stress, hunger, physical activity, smoking habits, the presence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and the number of seasonal parties attended. Only changes in hunger and physical activity were related to changes in weight. People who reported increased hunger or decreased activity gained the most weight while those who reported being much less hungry or much more active had the least weight gain.
Do New Year's resolutions work?
After the holidays are over, many people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight. and research suggests this may be helpful. According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, people who made New Year's resolutions had higher rates of success at making the desired behavior change (losing weight, exercising more and quitting smoking being the most prevalent) than people who did not make resolutions. After six months, 46 percent of the resolution makers were successful compared to just 4 percent of the people who did not make resolutions.
Bottom line
Working to prevent weight gain during this holiday season along with making a New Year's resolution to lose weight, by having a healthy relationship with food, may be helpful in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.
5 Steps to a Workable New Year's Resolution
5 Steps to a Workable New Year's Resolution
Article By: Sally Hammond
Who hasn't spent a New Year's Eve resolving to be svelte by spring? Then by mid-February, you've sold your rowing machine and bought a new couch. Follow five steps to make this year your most successful yet.
For many people, a new year's resolution is a highly personal goal that, if fulfilled, becomes a "private victory." But whether you keep things quiet by accident or by design, you are giving yourself an out: You can fall off track, and no one will be the wiser.
On the other hand, you are more likely to follow through with your resolutions if you share them with the significant people in your life.
Which brings us to our five-step resolution-reaching plan.
1. Make your resolutions public
Share them with one or more people so they can help you stay on track. If you let your friends and family in on your dream, you can use their support to help you make it a reality.
2. Write down your resolution
But don't stop there: Also include the steps you will take to keep it. According to Laura Hess, a Nevada-based personal and business coach, having a clearly articulated goal and a plan of action is vital for success.
3. Keep things simple
Break a big goal into a series of smaller goals. Want to lose 50 pounds? Shoot for losing 5 percent of your body weight first, or set five 10-pound incremental weight-loss goals.
4. Mark your achievements
Each time you make a small lifestyle change aimed at reaching your goal — adding five minutes to your daily walk, for instance — put a star on your calendar so you can see your progress.
5. Make small changes
If weight loss or a healthier lifestyle is your goal, put a bowl of fruit or vegetable pieces front and center in the fridge, and hide the cookie jar behind the oatmeal. Each week, try a new low-fat cereal or an exotic fruit or a vegetable you haven't tasted before. Stash away your car keys for a weekend and challenge yourself to walk wherever you need to go. Lose the deep-fat fryer, too, and steam, bake or microwave your food.
Article By: Sally Hammond
Who hasn't spent a New Year's Eve resolving to be svelte by spring? Then by mid-February, you've sold your rowing machine and bought a new couch. Follow five steps to make this year your most successful yet.
For many people, a new year's resolution is a highly personal goal that, if fulfilled, becomes a "private victory." But whether you keep things quiet by accident or by design, you are giving yourself an out: You can fall off track, and no one will be the wiser.
On the other hand, you are more likely to follow through with your resolutions if you share them with the significant people in your life.
Which brings us to our five-step resolution-reaching plan.
1. Make your resolutions public
Share them with one or more people so they can help you stay on track. If you let your friends and family in on your dream, you can use their support to help you make it a reality.
2. Write down your resolution
But don't stop there: Also include the steps you will take to keep it. According to Laura Hess, a Nevada-based personal and business coach, having a clearly articulated goal and a plan of action is vital for success.
3. Keep things simple
Break a big goal into a series of smaller goals. Want to lose 50 pounds? Shoot for losing 5 percent of your body weight first, or set five 10-pound incremental weight-loss goals.
4. Mark your achievements
Each time you make a small lifestyle change aimed at reaching your goal — adding five minutes to your daily walk, for instance — put a star on your calendar so you can see your progress.
5. Make small changes
If weight loss or a healthier lifestyle is your goal, put a bowl of fruit or vegetable pieces front and center in the fridge, and hide the cookie jar behind the oatmeal. Each week, try a new low-fat cereal or an exotic fruit or a vegetable you haven't tasted before. Stash away your car keys for a weekend and challenge yourself to walk wherever you need to go. Lose the deep-fat fryer, too, and steam, bake or microwave your food.
Portabello Mini Pizzas
Portabello Mini Pizzas
Serving Size: 1 pizza PointsPlus® Value: 1
1 portabello mushroom cap, cleaned with the stem removed
2 tablespoons of your favorite low point sauce (I like Eden Organic, which is only 1 point per 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons part skim mozzarella cheese
Vegetable toppings – for this pizza I used green peppers and red onions
Salt and pepper
1.Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Clean the mushroom and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper . Place on a piece of tin foil or small baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes.
3. Take the mushroom out of the oven and add the sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you choose. Make sure to account for any additional points if you choose ingredients with a pointsplus value greater than 0.
4. Return the pizza mushroom to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble on the top. These also keep fairly well, so sometimes I make more than one and keep them on hand for a quick lunch or snack during the week.
Serving Size: 1 pizza PointsPlus® Value: 1
1 portabello mushroom cap, cleaned with the stem removed
2 tablespoons of your favorite low point sauce (I like Eden Organic, which is only 1 point per 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons part skim mozzarella cheese
Vegetable toppings – for this pizza I used green peppers and red onions
Salt and pepper
1.Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Clean the mushroom and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper . Place on a piece of tin foil or small baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes.
3. Take the mushroom out of the oven and add the sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you choose. Make sure to account for any additional points if you choose ingredients with a pointsplus value greater than 0.
4. Return the pizza mushroom to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese begins to bubble on the top. These also keep fairly well, so sometimes I make more than one and keep them on hand for a quick lunch or snack during the week.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Scoopable Creamsicle Crush Pie
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
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
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.
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