WW Article: Decode Your Cravings
Posted by: elaine on: January 7, 2009
Do your chocolate (or potato chip, or French fry) cravings have control? Find out what your must-have-now urges mean and what you can do to keep them under wraps.
Cravings—those intense desires to eat a particular food, strong enough that you may go out of your way to get it—are complex urges that some 97 percent of women and 68 percent of men experience, according to a survey conducted at Canada’s McMaster University in Ontario.
Does a craving mean your body lacks a particular nutrient in the food you’re longing for, such as the iron in red meat? Researchers don’t yet know the answer to that.
“But we do know there are strong psychological components to food cravings,” says clinical psychologist Susan Head, PhD. “A craving can mean you’re being too restrictive, and that it might be a good idea to start planning on eating more foods you enjoy,” says Head. “Cravings can also be emotional,” she says. Your food craving may be triggered by negative feelings, such as stress, anxiety, anger, guilt and low self-worth.
“Such feelings often make people crave certain foods, since food tends to be associated with pleasure,” says Head. Some cravings might even be spurred on by happy feelings. Has celebrating with friends and family ever made you want to eat?
Curbing Your Cravings
So your number one crave controller is to identify where it’s coming from. But that doesn’t mean that if a big craving comes along you can’t satisfy it. Try these top tactics.
Distract It.
When you notice a craving setting in, try to find something else to think about. Take a walk, listen to your favorite CD, browse your favorite Web site. Just set your mind to something else. If that doesn’t work and after 10 to 15 minutes your craving’s still kicking, move on.
Fake it.
Try eating the lowest-fat, lowest-calorie variety of the item you’re craving. If you find yourself wanting sweets like chocolate, for example (a frequently-craved food, according to studies), opt for nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt instead of chocolate cake. If you’re prone to over-doing it, however, don’t bring the coveted food into the house, no matter how low-fat or fat-free it is. Instead, go out for your frozen yogurt and order a single-serving cone or cup.
Feed it.
If faking it doesn’t work for you—say you’re still craving something truly decadent, such as peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a burger—go out and get some. Just order from the kid’s menu.
Dig deeper.
If cravings linger, dig deeper to get at the root of them. Have you been too restrictive? If you suspect so, plan it differently, including more variety and more foods you enjoy. Is there something going on in your life that’s making you anxious, angry or stressed? If that’s the case, face the issue head on. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming meeting at work, do your best to prepare for it. By being proactive and making yourself aware of why you may be craving a certain food, your desire for it may abate.
I’m baaaack!
Posted by: elaine on: January 5, 2009
- In: thoughts
- 5 Comments
Yes, I’m back. After neglecting the site and my weight for the last 6 months, gaining about 10 lbs. and a pant size, I am back to the weekly weigh-in’s & the diet journal.
I am starting optimistically because I still feel good despite the weight gain. I haven’t gained enough to squeeze me out of all of my clothes but the seams are a bit more strained. I want them to feel loose again and I have found that when I hold myself accountable to weekly weigh-in’s I do actually see a slow & gradual weight loss.
So here we go again! Join me on the journey! 
WW Article: The Skinny on Ice Cream
Posted by: elaine on: June 26, 2008
Another great article on ice cream from the Weightwatchers website, perfect for these hot summer days…
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Come on, who doesn’t scream for ice cream? If you’ve been avoiding it, we’ve got good news: There are many satisfying ways to enjoy this warm-weather favorite that won’t derail your weight-loss efforts. The more you know about this treat, the easier it is to make good choices. So here’s your must-have guide for summer ice cream runs.
Ice cream
The one-size-fits-all term of old now has several sub-categories, with varying degrees of waistline-friendliness.
The rich, decadent flavor of superpremium ice cream comes from an abundance of milkfat (at least 14 percent) and very little added air—and denseness means more calories. Premium is a step down from there (11- to 15-percent milkfat, and a bit more air), but still packs plenty of POINTS® values. Both varieties tend to come in more unusual, “gourmet” flavors. Regular contains at least 10-percent milkfat, and has even more air than premium. Compare nutrition facts labels—you’ll be surprised by how well some regular ice cream fits into the program. Reduced Fat contains at least 25-percent less fat than its regular counterpart. Light and low-fat has less than 30 percent of calories from fat or no more than 3 grams of fat in a half-cup serving. Non-fat has less than 0.5 grams of fat. That said, always check the nutrition facts: the “light” variety of a superpremium brand may have more POINTS values than the “regular” from another brand.
A few words about milkfat: Because the amount of air pumped into different brands varies so greatly, the percentage of milkfat doesn’t correspond precisely to the number of fat grams per serving. For example, if a superpremium vanilla has 16-percent milkfat and 12 fat grams per serving, the regular might have 10-percent milkfat and 7 grams of fat in a serving, and the light could have 4-percent milkfat and 4 fat grams. That’s why it’s so important to calculate the POINTS values for each specific brand you try.
Slow-churned, cold-churned or double-churned
Three names for the same thing, this is a revolution in reduced-calorie ice cream production, a new process that disperses the tiny globules of milk fat more thoroughly. The basic recipe—and the milkfat content—is the same as other low- and reduced-fat ice creams, but the technique used to make it creates the illusion of richness. These products can offer the satisfaction of premium ice cream with far less fat and calories. One brand, for example, has a POINTS value of only 3 per serving, but it still feels indulgent. Note that “no sugar added” doesn’t always equal a big difference in calories (or POINTS value).
Soft serve
Surprise! Those sweet swirls are almost always reduced-fat—most recipes call for only 3- to 6-percent milkfat. Plus its soft texture comes from churned-in air, which yields fewer calories by volume. Frozen custard is not the same as soft serve—it’s got added egg yolks, plus a higher percentage of milkfat.
Gelato
Similar in texture to soft serve but with a much more intense flavor, gelato can be an occasional treat. It usually has more milk than cream, meaning a lower fat count than regular ice cream, but with much less air—so there are more calories in less volume. Stick to small servings.
Frozen yogurt
With a taste and calorie count that’s similar to light ice cream, this is usually a good choice—but don’t forget to read the nutrition facts! Some frozen yogurts have a higher POINTS value per serving than slow-churned ice cream.
Non-dairy frozen desserts
If you’re a vegan, lactose intolerant or watching your cholesterol, you can still enjoy a creamy treat. Frozen desserts based on soy or rice are plan-friendly—relatively low in calories and fat—and, while they may not taste exactly like the real thing, they’re a whole lot better than nothing.
Sherbet and sorbet
Sherbet has less milkfat and more sugar than low-fat ice cream, and its POINTS value is relatively low. Sorbet has no dairy in it at all, so it’s usually fat-free—but the high sugar content means that it may have just as many calories as some ice creams. But texturally it’s entirely different: more icy and refreshing, but less decadent.
Being bad & gaining – hitting a plateau
Posted by: elaine on: June 24, 2008
- In: recipes| thoughts| weigh-in
- 5 Comments
So I’ve hit it. That plateau where I struggle to stay within my points but also can’t get motivated to add exercise to help me over the hump. My head knows what I need to do, the body doesn’t want to do it and right now, the body is winning.
I had *not* been tracking my points and I gained another 0.6 lbs at my weigh-in last Friday. I did start tracking that day and have been diligent about it since then but I have already used up almost all of my extra points (I don’t usually use them up so early in the week). The 22 points a day limit is a real struggle for me. I snack a lot and even though I am picking low-point snacks, they add up. When I had more points to use I didn’t feel as hungry but at this stage, I am.
Dinner last night was really yummy and healthy though. We had tilapia seasoned with kosher salt & Penzey’s Mural of Flavor seasoning – silly name but wonderful complement to the fish – with baked asparagus flavored with a touch of olive oil spray & seasoned with another Penzey’s mix, Sicilian Salad Seasoning.
So, yes, I am tracking once again & watching my points disappear way too quickly. *sigh* Wish me luck!
WW Article: Warm-Weather Cocktails
Posted by: elaine on: June 18, 2008
Found this great article in the latest Weight Watchers Newsletter…
A frothy daiquiri, a crisp gin and tonic or a sweet Long Island iced tea sipped outdoors among friends is as much a part of warm-weather seasons as daylight savings. But are these drinks slowing your weight loss?
Here’s a buzz kill: A piña colada packs a caloric wallop. Your average eight-ouncer can set you back more than 400 calories. Follow our strategies to help you avoid drink disasters like this one.
Six Smart Summer Sipping Tips
Swear off fun, fruity beverages? Never! Just follow our tips to help lighten up these summer classics.
1. Never come to happy hour hungry.
“Skipping lunch to compensate for the calories you plan to drink is not a good idea,” says Molly Gee, RD, weight-loss counselor and researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Alcohol does not satisfy hunger.”
Arrive with a growling belly and you may find yourself downing a few handfuls of bar nuts (about 600 calories), or worse, falling prey to the cheese-covered nachos. A better choice: Eat how you normally would during the day, work in some extra exercise, and munch a piece of fruit before you go to take the edge off.
2. Be mindful of mixers.
Hard liquor runs 100-200 calories per shot, but add a sugary or creamy mixer and you’ll double or triple the calories, says Lisa Drayer, a New York City-based dietician. Her tip: Order what you love, just make it lighter—a rum and Coke using diet cola, a gin and tonic using low-calorie tonic. Or, skip mixers altogether and sip a light beer (one-third the calories of regular) or a glass of red wine (just over 100 calories). Incidentally, light beers have always been low in carbs. “A Miller Light versus a Michelob Ultra is really only a caloric difference,” says Drayer.
3. Make the cocktail your dessert.
If you can’t resist a piña colada or daiquiri, drink seltzer during your cocktail hour and savor the mega-calorie libation instead of dessert, suggests Drayer. “Negotiate with yourself.” But exercise moderation. “If you drank a piña colada or any 500-calorie drink every day in excess of what your body needs to maintain your current weight, you’d gain a pound a week,” says Drayer.
4. Enjoy alcohol every other round.
Alternate each alcoholic beverage with seltzer or water. It’ll cut down on calories and help you keep count of how much you’re drinking. And because alcohol has a diuretic effect, the water will hydrate you, says Drayer. Or, follow Gee’s lead and order a glass of water along with your cocktail. You’ll sip the hard stuff more slowly.
5. Focus on the conversation, not the cocktails.
When you find yourself alone at a fête, you may swig more swiftly out of anxiety or a need to look occupied. “Food and drink become substitutes for conversation; don’t fall into that trap,” says Gee. “If you don’t want to look like you’re standing there doing nothing, drink seltzer.”
6. Go for volume.
A platter of healthy food can satiate you more than a couple of high-fat morsels; it’s the same way with cocktails. “The taller the drink, the longer you’ll have it in your hand and hopefully drink a little less,” says Gee. “Make it last by adding lots of ice and soda water.”
Drink slim.
Sip skinny with slimmed-down versions of your favorite cocktails, concocted by master mixologist Dale DeGroff, author of The Craft of the Cocktail (Clarkson Potter, 2003).
Caipirinha
Cut a room-temperature lime into quarters and drop it in a shaker. Add one packet of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) and one tablespoon water. Mash the mixture very well with a wooden spoon, dissolving the lime into mush. Add a shot (1½ ounces) of white rum and enough ice cubes to fit in an old-fashioned glass. Shake well. Pour mixture (including the peel) into a glass. Variation: Add slices of mangos or a few cherries along with the lime.
Mojito
Pour 3/4 of an ounce (about half a shot) fresh lime juice into a glass. Add one packet of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) and four or five mint leaves. Stir until the sweetener dissolves. Add a shot of light rum and several ice cubes. Top with 2 ounces club soda and a sprig of mint.
Margarita
To shaker, add 3/4 of an ounce (about half a shot) fresh lime juice, 1 to 1½ ounces low-calorie triple sec and 2 ounces tequila. Add ice. Count slowly to 10 while shaking. Rub a lime halfway along the glass’s outside rim, then roll the moistened part of the rim in kosher salt. Pour margarita into the glass.
Long Island Iced Tea
To shaker, add 1/4 shot vodka, 1/4 shot rum, 1/4 shot gin, 1/4 shot tequila, 3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice and two packets of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) dissolved into 2 tablespoons of water. Shake. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and top with diet cola. Squeeze lemon on top.
Sangria
Dissolve four packets of sucralose sweetener (such as Splenda) into 4 tablespoons of water. Pour into pitcher. Add slices of oranges, lemons, limes, peaches, plums or nectarines as well as grapes (for white wine sangria, red grapes; for red wine sangria, white). Add a bottle of red or white wine. Stir, then let sit. Before serving, top pitcher with a drizzle of club soda.
My Confessional
Posted by: elaine on: June 13, 2008
As Sydney pointed out in my personal blog, I haven’t updated in a couple of weeks over here. Can I just say I was feeling shameful? After ending the Weight Watchers program at work I continued on my own but fell off of the wagon. I gave in to cravings in a bad way and I was ashamed to track it so for 2 weeks I went on a tracking “strike”. Tracking would make me so how badly I was eating which would make me feel extremely guilty and I wanted nothing to do with it.
But, I still weighed myself in at home and over 2 weeks I saw the weight creep. The damage was not bad honestly – 1.4 lbs. But after losing weight every week for so many months it was a reminder to get back on track before it snowballed and became a pattern in the wrong direction. So I sort of half-assed tracked this past week and was rewarded with a 3 lb. loss. Yay! I am now at an all time low for 2008 – 160.2 I can just see the 150’s and can’t wait to break that line, hopefully next week.
So how bad was I? Let’s just say the last few weeks involved a frito pie, an assortment of cake eaten at work and at weddings, brownies, a cheeseburger with fries, some more fries, pizza rolls, pizza, a couple of mojitos, a frozen margarita, KFC popcorn chicken and many glasses of wine plus various cheesy things. Individually I often include at least one of these in my weekly intake but typically don’t go this overboard!
So there is my confession. And now I am ready to move ahead…
WW Article – Rub it Down: Spice Mixes for Grilling
Posted by: elaine on: May 28, 2008
Rub it Down: Spice Mixes for Grilling
Article By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Stop larding up meat on the grill! There’s no need for oil, bacon or other fat-heavy additions. Dry rubs add tons of flavor without adding fat.
Getting Started:
Here are six dry rubs for pork, beef, chicken, fish, or even tofu. Whisk any one of them together in a large bowl.
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All-American Barbeque Rub #1
2 tablespoons mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
All-American Barbeque Rub #2
1/4 cup chile powder
1/4 cup mild paprika
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Southwestern Rub
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
Jerk Rub
1/4 cup dried crushed rosemary
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry mustard
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon cayenne
Curry Rub
3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon mild paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Szechwan Pepper Salt
2 tablespoons coarse-grained or kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground Szechwan peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
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What To Do:
Use the best spices you can find. Only freshly ground black pepper, please.
Dried herbs have a shelf-life, usually about a year. Don’t use dried spices that have taken on a bland, tea-like smell.
To grind Szechwan peppercorns and the like, use a cleaned-out coffee grinder, a mini food processor, or a spice grinder.
Use between 1/2 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon per cut, whether steak, fish or chicken thighs.
Now, how do you get it to stick? Rub each cut with about 1 teaspoon unsweetened apple juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar. Pat the rub in place to make a thin coating on all sides and you’re ready to roll.
For a deeper taste, coat with the rub, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
After that, you’re ready to roll. Fire up the grill and cook the meat, fish or tofu until done.
These rub recipes make a lot, more than you’ll need. Cover the rest in a tight-fitting jar for the next time you’re over the heat.
Woo-hoo! 20 lbs gone!
Posted by: elaine on: May 23, 2008
So the biq question this week was whether or not I was still losing weight onced I started to weigh-in at home since the drastic “weight loss” last week was mostly due to the switch.
Well I am happy to report that yes, I still managed to lose 0.8 lbs! I now weight in at 161.8 lbs which is exactly 20 lbs. lighter than my first official weigh-in at Weight Watchers!
To celebrate I am wearing new size 12 jeans. The size 14 jeans are hanging rather loosely even after coming out of the dryer. I also recently fit into size 10 skorts too! So I am down a size to a size and a half. I am also able to pull out some dress pants in smaller sizes that I still had in the closet. Yay!
So I am halfway to my total weight loss goal of 40 lbs… slow but steady…
Transitioning from meetings to only eTools
Posted by: elaine on: May 22, 2008
As I said in my last post, I am now strictly using WW eTools. I also have started to weigh-in at home and will now weigh myself on the digital scale at home 1st thing Friday morning.
So last week was my first home weigh-in and I will warn you now – there was a noticeable weight loss but I don’t attribute it to me… I attribute it to two specific factors: 1) I am wearing less clothing at the home weigh-in (just underwear vs. whatever I wore to work) and 2) I always noticed a ~2 lbs. difference between my scale at home and the scale brought in by the Weight Watchers rep (home scale registered me as lighter).
So taking these two factors into consideration, I was not surprised to see my weight is now at 162.6 lbs. The 19.2 lbs. lost is an inflated number, but not by much.
Anyway, I have to just live with this over inflation of loss but also rejoice in what I feel is a more accurate & lower weight.
Now let’s see how I did at tomorrow’s weigh-in!
Last WW’s Weigh-In
Posted by: elaine on: May 16, 2008
Hello – so last Friday was my last Weight Watchers weigh-in here at work. I have decided to stop attending the meetings but HAVE renewed my e-Tools membership and will continue to track points.
So why stop the meetings when that is the whole mantra of how Weight Watchers works? Well, to be honest, I was getting nothing out of the meetings and I blame that on my persoanlity. I am very pragmatic & logical and I wanted to be given tips and advice, I didn’t want to spend hearing the same thing over & over, listeing to the emotional obstacles people were having. In short, the meeting leader never brought us anything new to discuss and she never gave me any useful tools to help me on my weight loss. I actually discovered them on my own through various e-newsletters I subscribe to (inlcuding the really helpful Weight Watchers e-newsletter). So why waste a perfectly good hour every Friday?
Now I won’t drop eTools. I do credit them with my success (not the meetings) so I will gladly fork over the money to keep that going.
So where did I stand at the end of the work program? I didn’t hit my 10% goal – I missed it by less than 2 lbs – but that’s OK. My final weigh-in was 165.2 lb. for a total of 16.6 lbs loss! Yay me!!
I will continue a weekly weigh-in every Friday using my home-scale…
