Twas the night before Christmas and,
What thoughts did it bring?
My mind said to me,
Why not have a big fling?
There were pies in the oven,
Sugared nuts in the jar.
There were snacks for the party,
And booze in the bar.
No! I'll resist the temptation,
I will keep a strong head.
I'll not eat a bite!
And I climbed into bed.
When out of my stomach,
There came such a roar,
I sprang from the bed,
Landing flat on the floor.
Away to the kitchen
I flew like a flash.
Tore open the fridge,
To do something RASH!
A light from within,
Gave off such a glow
To the objects of food,
Laid on trays there below.
I was going to grab
An odd goodie or two
When into my mind
Came my promise to you.
Before I could have
Any snack food to eat
I must put on my coat
And get out on my feet.
I got into my coat,
My warm gloves and shoes
Determined to walk
For the goodies I'd choose.
The moon on the breast
Of the new-fallen snow
And on houses and trees
Gave a sparkle and glow.
As I walked down the street
My mind did recall
The words that we'd spoken
At the Weight Watchers hall.
Of meetings through which
I ambitiously sat
For words of encouragement
To help shed this "fluff".
I spoke not a word
When my walk was done.
I felt so renewed.
I knew I had won.
I walked past the kitchen
Without turning my head.
I smiled in the mirror
As I headed for bed.
And I said to myself
As I turned out the light
"With my mind, will and body,
I have fought the good fight!"
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
16 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season
Courtesy of WeightWatchers.com...
Here's a holiday list you shouldn't miss: 16 super-easy, almost effortless ways to be healthier in the busy weeks ahead.
Hoping to shed some pounds during the holidays? No matter how motivated you are, this is a difficult season to make drastic changes to your routine. With all the lists you're making and checking twice, you barely have time to breathe, let alone challenge yourself with a new weight-loss or fitness plan.
But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep long-term health goals in mind, even if there's no time yet to really start on them.
If you ignore those goals altogether, says Karen Miller-Kovach, MS, RD, chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers International, they may be much harder to address—mentally and physically—in the new year. "The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by Thanksgiving may seem like a hill, but if you overdo it in December, the 18 pounds you'll face on Jan. 1 will feel like a mountain," says Miller-Kovach.
Have a healthy holiday!
Even in the hectic weeks ahead, you can make small adjustments that will make it easier for you to tackle your weight-loss goals in the new year. The first step toward a healthful holiday season is simple and effective: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge. The second is to always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life.
1. Always eat a healthy dinner before you go to a holiday party.
2. Bring healthy foods to potlucks.
3. At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites and put them on a small plate or, better yet, a napkin. Then, walk away. When you're done with your food, throw away the napkin or take your plate to the kitchen. Avoid large plates.
4. At a buffet, cover most of your plate with vegetables and fruits. Then find room for smaller portions of the high-calorie main dishes.
5. Watch out for times when you feel guilty for overeating. Just because you slipped up at lunch isn't license to overindulge all day. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day.
6. On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two. And don't indulge every night, says Fink. Also, choose wisely—a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories.
7. If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free drinks such as like flavored seltzer. Or, choose wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer.
8. Drink extra water to help flush out the excess sodium you consume during rich meals.
9. No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on.
10. If baked goods are your holiday weakness, consider hosting a cookie party: Ask every guest to bring one batch of his or her favorite cookies, plus the recipe, and share. This way, you and your family get a variety without having to bake loads. (For extra credit, challenge your guests to bring low-fat or low-calorie cookies.)
11. Store healthy snacks at the front of your fridge and pantry, and go for them before you treat yourself to the splurge stuff.
12. Just say "no" to packaged holiday candies and cakes! So what if they're red and green or blue and white—with all the homemade goodies hanging around, you don't need them.
13. Streamline your grocery shopping with lists of the ingredients you'll need for a week's worth of quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute convenience and fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around.
14. Online shopping is a great time saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), then increase your cardio by that much for the week.
15. On heavy-eating weeks, add some strength training to your routine. Building muscle will help your body continue to burn calories while at rest.
16. Add health-related gifts to your wish list this year—they could help make for a slimmer, healthier new year.
Here's a holiday list you shouldn't miss: 16 super-easy, almost effortless ways to be healthier in the busy weeks ahead.
Hoping to shed some pounds during the holidays? No matter how motivated you are, this is a difficult season to make drastic changes to your routine. With all the lists you're making and checking twice, you barely have time to breathe, let alone challenge yourself with a new weight-loss or fitness plan.
But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep long-term health goals in mind, even if there's no time yet to really start on them.
If you ignore those goals altogether, says Karen Miller-Kovach, MS, RD, chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers International, they may be much harder to address—mentally and physically—in the new year. "The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by Thanksgiving may seem like a hill, but if you overdo it in December, the 18 pounds you'll face on Jan. 1 will feel like a mountain," says Miller-Kovach.
Have a healthy holiday!
Even in the hectic weeks ahead, you can make small adjustments that will make it easier for you to tackle your weight-loss goals in the new year. The first step toward a healthful holiday season is simple and effective: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge. The second is to always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life.
1. Always eat a healthy dinner before you go to a holiday party.
2. Bring healthy foods to potlucks.
3. At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites and put them on a small plate or, better yet, a napkin. Then, walk away. When you're done with your food, throw away the napkin or take your plate to the kitchen. Avoid large plates.
4. At a buffet, cover most of your plate with vegetables and fruits. Then find room for smaller portions of the high-calorie main dishes.
5. Watch out for times when you feel guilty for overeating. Just because you slipped up at lunch isn't license to overindulge all day. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day.
6. On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two. And don't indulge every night, says Fink. Also, choose wisely—a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories.
7. If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free drinks such as like flavored seltzer. Or, choose wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer.
8. Drink extra water to help flush out the excess sodium you consume during rich meals.
9. No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on.
10. If baked goods are your holiday weakness, consider hosting a cookie party: Ask every guest to bring one batch of his or her favorite cookies, plus the recipe, and share. This way, you and your family get a variety without having to bake loads. (For extra credit, challenge your guests to bring low-fat or low-calorie cookies.)
11. Store healthy snacks at the front of your fridge and pantry, and go for them before you treat yourself to the splurge stuff.
12. Just say "no" to packaged holiday candies and cakes! So what if they're red and green or blue and white—with all the homemade goodies hanging around, you don't need them.
13. Streamline your grocery shopping with lists of the ingredients you'll need for a week's worth of quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute convenience and fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around.
14. Online shopping is a great time saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), then increase your cardio by that much for the week.
15. On heavy-eating weeks, add some strength training to your routine. Building muscle will help your body continue to burn calories while at rest.
16. Add health-related gifts to your wish list this year—they could help make for a slimmer, healthier new year.
Stress...
Stress is the trash of modern life -- we all generate it, but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life.
~ Danzae Pace, writer
~ Danzae Pace, writer
Thursday, December 10, 2009
WW Recipe Swap
Check out WeightWatchers.com's Recipe Swap!
http://www.weightwatchers.com/community/rcp/index.aspx
Look for new holiday recipes or even add your own!
http://www.weightwatchers.com/community/rcp/index.aspx
Look for new holiday recipes or even add your own!
Up for a Challenge???
Looking to successfully manage your weight loss efforts this holiday season?
Need a challenge to keep you on your toes?
Check out WeightWatchers.com's "Don't Quit Now Challenge"!
http://community.weightwatchers.com/Challenges/ChallengePage.aspx?sid=1539523
Email me at stephanie@wwleader.com and let me know your progress!
Need a challenge to keep you on your toes?
Check out WeightWatchers.com's "Don't Quit Now Challenge"!
http://community.weightwatchers.com/Challenges/ChallengePage.aspx?sid=1539523
Email me at stephanie@wwleader.com and let me know your progress!
De-Stress Your Holidays
Courtesy of WeightWatchers.com...
Here's how to turn holiday havoc around so it doesn't get you down.
"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.
Here's how to turn holiday havoc around so it doesn't get you down."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.
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