|
|
Dotti's Newsletter |
January 21, 2007 |
|
Issue #016 |
WelcomeHow is everyone today? Have you been having a great 2007? I'm having an awesome year so far. It's been very busy but busy is good. January is the month when many of us embark on our Journey, either for the first time or recommitting ourselves to our Journey once more. Today we are going to talk about the Supermarket and how it can be our friend or foe. I hope by the time we are done with our visit you will be armed with enough knowledge to keep your Supermarket your friend and not your enemy. Okay, let's grab our tall glass of water and find our way to our comfy chair. Let's see that wonderful SMILE ☺ of yours. All right! We are ready to have a great visit. Your Supermarket ~ Friend or Foe? I remember that very first week at my Weight Watcher meeting back on January 5, 1998. I listened intently about the new 123 Success Points Program and learned how to use my "slider" that helps figure out Points using the nutritional label. Guess what I did right after my meeting? I went to my Supermarket to check out some of my favorite foods I'd been eating and to see how they "measured" up in Points. Since I knew I was allowed 26-33 points a day I figured I wouldn't have to give up any of my favorite foods. Boy, was I ever wrong! As I started to check some of the foods I ate on a regular basis I slowly started to see a pattern emerging. It was a pattern of high fat, high calories and no fiber! No wonder I was 100 lbs overweight. By the time I was done checking out some of my favorite foods I was thoroughly convinced that I would have to eliminate most of the foods I was eating. Why? Well, let's just say I would be out of points for the day by noon! So, here I am, me and my grocery cart, parked to one side of the cereal aisle wondering; what I was going to eat that wouldn't put me to bed by noon because I was out of points for the day? Off I went on a different mission. I checked out all the other foods I could think of that I liked or might like and wrote down the points-value per serving in a notebook. This would give me a base list, for the time being, to work with. The numbers started looking more reasonable and I was seeing a new pattern emerge; low fat, low calories and fiber! Amazing! That visit to the Supermarket opened my eyes to many things. My investigation of the foods I was eating reinforced the reason I was overweight to begin with; eating the wrong foods, unhealthy foods. I always said I didn't eat much so why was I a 100 lbs. overweight? Well, what I found out was it's not the amount you eat so much as the type of food you eat. Let me show you. Here is a quick meal at Burger King which used to be one of my stops: Whopper w/Cheese Sandwich (760 cal/47 g fat/3 g fiber/52 g carbs) 18.5 pts Remember, I'm keeping my points between 26-33 a day. This meal alone adds up to 47.5 points/around 2400 calories! Who would've known? It's ONLY a quick "cheeseburger," fries and shake. Being aware of the food you eat is the first step to making your Supermarket a friendly place. If you are not aware of what you are buying the Supermarket becomes the enemy, tempting you in so many ways to buy the foods THEY want you to buy, making the Supermarket in control, not you. Always remember, "Knowledge is power". Here are a few ways you can guarantee your visit to the Supermarket will be friendly to your Program. Always make a shopping list before you go and do not buy anything that is not on your list. Make sure you always read the label of the foods you plan on buying; per serving calorie-count, fat, sugar and sodium content and watch closely for hidden trans fats. Take your water bottle shopping with you. When you are tempted, gulp some water. Water keeps you full, hydrated and busy. Keeping that water bottle close by also reminds you of the Journey you are on, to a healthy new you! Visit the produce department first. Fresh vegetables and fruit are the foundation of your healthy lifestyle. They are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and a lot of times they are high in bulk and low calorie-density foods. They bring beautiful color to your table. Fresh vegetables and fruit make great snacks. Have you ever noticed how brightly colored and inviting the produce department is? Fresh and pristine! Don't leave without trying something new. Never shop on an empty stomach. You are guaranteed a dismal visit to the Supermarket when your tummy is growling. Shopping on an empty stomach takes the control away from you. An empty stomach will guide you to impulsive shopping of all the wrong foods. Try eating a healthy snack before you go shopping or better yet, shop after you eat a meal. Don't use a coupon for something you wouldn't ordinarily buy. The coupon is making the decision for you concerning what you are going to buy; and more times than not it's not a good buy. Your pocketbook may appreciate the savings but your hips will not! Bulk - think hard before you buy. Yes, you will usually save a lot of money by buying foods in bulk but will you save in the calorie department? How many times have you bought something in bulk and over-indulged knowing that you had plenty more around? Again, a few dollars are saved but in the long run the price was too high. Don't always grab food that is just below your eye-level. This is a marketing gimmick and the foods placed here are ones with the highest markups. If you look closely at the cereal aisle you will notice that the most expensive and least nutritious cereals are always at a kid's-eye level. Spend very little time in the center aisles. They are crammed full of processed food. Stay away from all the promotional displays of sale items that you neither want nor need. They are only a bargain for the store—not one for you necessarily. Never buy those pre-packaged lunch "kits" with crackers, meat and cheese. They are always high-priced (pocketbook and hips) and high in fat. Try making your own "lunch kit" with cut-up veggies, fat-free lunch meat and cheese and some whole-wheat cracker options. You can make these up ahead of time for the week. In the frozen aisle, stick to veggies and unsweetened fruits. Most frozen foods are high in sodium and not very filling. Stick to your list when heading to the dairy department. Did you ever notice that the dairy department is usually the farthest from the entrance at most of the Supermarkets? This is done on purpose so those just going into the supermarket to grab some milk will be tempted to purchase other foods "on the way" to the dairy department. It's called "marketing" and works well. Stick to your list. Buy NOTHING at the checkouts. By the time you get to the checkout line you need to be done with shopping. You can lose control very fast during the checkout process. Supermarkets like to put all that candy, chips and other tempting goodies right in front of you as you are checking out. Pick up a magazine and browse through it while you are waiting for your turn to checkout. Strike up a conversation with the people around you. Get in and out of the Supermarket as fast as possible. It's a proven fact that the longer you linger in the Supermarket the more you buy. Take your list, get your groceries and get out. The main thing to remember when you are going to the Supermarket is that you need to stay in control. Using the tips above will help you achieve that goal, thus turning your Supermarket experience into a positive one that will indeed help you on your Journey. The Supermarket doesn't care about you personally; bottom line is they care about sales. So, in that aspect, you need to be well informed and prepared to meet your Supermarket's marketing strategies. You can do this! Knowledge is power! Good luck to you all on your Journey to a healthier, happier, thinner and more confident YOU. You all have it within yourselves to be the best you can be. It's up to you. I'm rooting for you all. Best wishes, Quotes to Lift Your Spirits "When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, "A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn." ~~Anonymous "Fall seven times, stand up eight." ~~Japanese Proverb Emerson Come Join the Fun! Do you want some extra support during your Journey? Would you like to have a place you can call "home" and be yourself at? Our Message Board is just the place. It's home to all our Zonie friends who share their Journey experiences and are always willing and ready to offer support, laughs, friendship and My Journey Back to Goal A little about my Journey back to Goal... Program is good, program is easy and program feels great! It's been a very busy January for me but I've managed to stay focused on my Program. Al and I have been taking some walks in our brisk cool temps. Very refreshing! We haven't started working out on our new gym equipment yet. We are hopefully going to get it set up in the next week or two. In the meantime, we'll get our walks in when we can. I've been taking it easy and only doing about a mile, then resting and reading at Starbucks or Borders until we are ready to head home for the final mile. My foot and the Plantar Fasciitis seems to be okay with this. In the activity department I've also been moving a lot with reorganizing our house and changing rooms around again. Why are we just never satisfied? LOL I'm having no problem getting my water in. I do add propel to some of it, which makes it go down easier. Below are a few photos of us out and about in our first snowstorm of the season. Al loves to get out there immediately and take photos. They always come out so great. The photo of me is one of me bundled up for one of our brisk, cold walks. They really are very refreshing~
My "Enjoying Weight Loss" Hypnosis CD's by Dr. Roberta Temes continue to be a strong, constant tool on my Journey, especially in the area of keeping me motivated, strong on Program and in a positive attitude at all times. Along with listening to my Hypnosis CDs I'm keeping myself surrounded by those on our Journey. Amazing how much support is on our Message Board and all our friends we've met along the way. I've been in a lot of pain the last couple of weeks with my rheumatoid arthritis and Plantar Fasciitis. I'm learning to handle it but it sure can be tiring at times, if you know what I mean. I would like to say thank you to all of you who have sent me emails of concern and help in dealing with these problems. They are very much appreciated. I am slowly coming off my sleep meds and reducing my other meds. This has helped me tremendously in the sleep area. Let's hope it continues, saying with fingers crossed. I am still working on a plan to get a more regular schedule going which will include a good sleeping pattern. Well, I'm happy to announce I'm getting my sleep but it's from about 5-7 am to about noon-1 pm. So, I'll have to slowly get it back to the same time as Al :)
THANK YOU all for your wonderful support. It's always so nice to know we are traveling this road together; that we are never truly alone on this Journey; that there are always helping hands to get us over the hurdle; that a HUG will be waiting when needed and most of all, that we have each other - ALWAYS! Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance Al has written many in depth essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance and they are now available on the website!
You can find Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance at: Penny's Low Fat Desserts As you begin or maintain your new healthier lifestyle, you're probably considering foods that are going to help you stick to your plan and keep up with your healthy habit changes. Of course, this includes fresh fruits and vegetables, but also some snack foods you can quickly access at home or "grab and go". Luckily, there's a vast selection of good foods available that we can enjoy on our plan. Penny's next newsletter will address how some people rely on healthy portable snacks to get them through the stress of a busy work day or an outing with the kids. Their desserts are perfect for a sit down snack or being away from home because they are individually wrapped and the servings are substantial. These are delicious, big cookies and muffins that are all natural, low in fat and calories, and high in fiber. There's more---Penny's desserts are kosher and have no transfats and are available in 10 flavors of muffins and 10 flavors of cookies. We recommend that you take a look at their website and give them a try! Penny's Website: http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/ Penny's newsletters are short and sweet: http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/newsletter.asp Have a question on these delicious snacks and desserts? Send a message direct to Penny on the DWLZ message board: "Foods that keep us OP". Penny's email and telephone: Penny@PennysLowFatDesserts.com or call (866)-221-5109 Comic Relief Magical Weight Loss JUST SAY "ABRACADABRA," AND WATCH INCHES FROM YOUR "They say there's no magic way to lose weight and get in shape. I'm here to prove them wrong." David Copperfield, world famous magician and AbracadAB Roller inventor. Why struggle and strain with conventional ab machines? With the AbracadAB Roller Plus, you just lay back, say "abracadabra," and presto! Fat and inches magically disappear! Harnessing the same magical powers used to make the Statue of Liberty vanish, Copperfield now uses his wizardry to make inches vanish from your waist! All it takes is 20 seconds, three times a week, without ever breaking a sweat. In fact, you can even enjoy a smoke or your favorite cocktail while in the machine. And when you're done, just say "abracadab-away," then watch in amazement, as the E-Z Fold-A-Way feature automatically stores the machine under your bed. Don't be fooled by conventional ab exercisers that make you do the work. Say goodbye to painful sit-ups and boring crunches forever, with the one-and-only AbracadAB Roller Plus! What Our Customers Are Saying: "The best thing since the Psychic Friends Network." -- Laverne Mowatt, Omaha, Nebraska "After a 20 minute nap lying inside the AbracadAB Roller, I feel totally re-energized." -- Cecil Bodine, Tupelo, Mississippi "If you believe it works, it works!" -- Thelma Tucker, Lubbock, Texas ORDER NOW! Just 3 easy installments of $29.95 plus $7.95 hocus-pocus tax. No money-back guarantee necessary. Allow 6 - 8 light-years for delivery. (Like you have something better to do?) by Mitch Lemus Stress Busters to Help You De-Stress Tired eyes? Pour warm (not hot) tea into a washcloth and place it over your eyes for several minutes. Keep a journal. Writing down thoughts and feelings in a journal can help ease mental tension and provide some clarity or direction regarding problems. We all get into that mid afternoon slump, sometime between 1 and 4 pm. To help reduce the effects of this slump avoid large, heavy meals and alcohol at lunch. Take a walk after your meal. Eat a fruit snack in the afternoon. Resources Software You Can Use! The Weight Commander is an awesome program for your Journey. I highly recommend it to everyone who is on a Journey of their own. It is a wonderful program to track your progress on any weight loss program you are using. You can read My Review of the Weight Commander or go straight to the source and check out this great software by following this link to Weight Commander. He has many tips and ideas throughout his program which will help you be successful on your Journey.
100 Calorie or Less Snacks Based on averages of the brands available. Don’t forget to always check your nutritional label. DWLZ Cookbooks One and Two Have you ordered your DWLZ Cookbooks yet? These cookbooks are filled with recipes that are Zonies' favorites, dishes that are delicious but on program, with nutritional information listed. This is two books in one package: DWLZ Cookbooks Volumes One and Two. The recipes are easy to make and don't use hard-to-find items. They are together in one PDF file, viewable in your free Acrobat Reader (Version 5 and higher). These make wonderful gifts. SuperPower Foods Nuts - Nuts build muscle and help fight off cravings. Just a handful of almonds provide about 19% of your daily requirement of magnesium. Magnesium is a key muscle-building component. Almonds also help curb cravings. To help suppress your appetite try eating 2 oz of almonds (about 24); followed by 8 ozs of water. Instant Oatmeal - Instant oatmeal boosts your energy and helps curb your cravings. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber which helps you feel full longer. Oatmeal breaks down slowly in the stomach which will help keep your insulin levels at a norm. You don't want insulin spikes as that will slow down your metabolism causing your body to store fat. Receive a 1 day shopping pass to Sam’s Club You can still pick up your one day shopping pass to Sam’s Club from Philly Swirl. Go to http://www.phillyswirl.com/aboutus/1day.cfm to get your Free 1 day pass to Sam’s Club. Shop as if you were a member all day and don't forget to stock up on Philly Swirl’s Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops Keep your freezer stocked with these great 10 calorie pops which can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about the Philly Swirl products please visit them at http://www.phillyswirl.com/ and drop them a line. They would love to hear from you. Psst...don’t forget to pass the word! We want to see these awesome Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops remain available to all of us on our Journey. Let's take the power we have to make a difference by passing the word about these awesome pops and keeping them available to us in the future. Cheesy Corn Chowder Cheesy Corn Chowder ♦ 1 14-oz. can nonfat chicken broth Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours. Makes 6 servings Per serving: 167 calories, 1 g fat, 0 mg chol, 949 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 8 g protein from The Busy Mom's Slow Cooker Cookbook Food Finds The other day I ran into Wild Oats to "just" grab a gallon of milk (weren't we just talking about that?). While there I did the no-no (never claimed to be perfect) and browsed a bit and discovered these great beverages. I loved them, especially the Silk Chai, one of my new favorite drinks. Try them! You never know, you might just like them, as I did. ♦ Silk Chai, 1 cup [130 cal/3.5 g fat/0 g fiber/19 g carbs] Chayote What is a Chayote? The Chayote, a tropical member of the cucumber and squash family is actually a fruit. Except for the seed, the entire Chayote is edible. The Chayote provides an excellent source of vitamin C. You can prepare Chayote by slicing or dicing it and adding it to salads in place of cucumber or you can prepare it like French Fries. You can also stuff and bake them as a main dish. Another good choice is using the Chayote instead of potatoes in soups and purees. The Chayote can be cooked, mashed and seasoned with sweet spices and served as a dessert or light snack. The nutritional facts on the Chayote, per 1/2 cup cooked pieces, are: 17 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber, 4 g carbs, 1 g protein Who Knew... Our Journey is not just about weight loss; it's about constantly learning new things... While making cookies for her hotel guests one evening, Ruth Wakefield lacked the powdered cocoa called for in the recipe, so she substituted tiny bits of chopped chocolate in its place. Unexpectedly, the chocolate pieces did not melt in baking but, rather, held their shape, softening only slightly to a creamy texture. She served the cookies anyway, naming them Toll House after the inn she owned. The canning process for herring was developed in Sardinia, which is why canned herrings are better known as sardines. The flavor we think of as bubble gum is a combination of wintergreen, vanilla, and cassia (a form of cinnamon). Wedding cake was originally thrown at the bride and groom, instead of eaten by them. Resources Smoothie Recipe Frosty Fruit Smoothie [rich in vitamin C and potassium] ♦ 1 cup orange, pineapple, grape, apple, or cranberry juice, chilled Makes 2 servings 1 serving: 138 calories, 1 g fat, 1 mg chol, 34 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein PurFoods Fitness Fresh, Healthy Food Delivered To You How would you like a personal chef and nutritionist to do all your food shopping and cooking? You would never again worry about eating healthy and you’ll save so much time. PurFoods Fitness makes it happen. Click Here to read our review of PurFoods Fitness ~ we have tried these meals and they are delicious! If you prefer you can Click Here to go directly to the PurFoods Fitness website to find out more about this wonderful program. Organizing Tips ♦ Next time you hear yourself complaining about not having time to get organized, stop. Resources Ways to Cut 100 Calories ♦ Have a roast beef sandwich instead of a hamburger. Website Updates All my updates can be found on the Message Board in the DWLZ Website News & Updates forum at:
US restaurant updates can be found at our Restaurants First, I would like to give a huge thank you to Vikki aka Purplenorsemen on our Message Boards and Michele/Akasha for all their help in bringing these new restaurants and updates to you. I have added and updated the following restaurants: New Restaurants Added Boardwalk Fries Chicken Out Rotisserie Updated Canadian Restaurants Olive Garden "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Goodbye Another visit is coming to a close ~ how fast the time goes when you are having a great time. Until our next visit, always keep in mind you are never alone on this Journey. We are all here with you, right beside you, rooting you on. Take care until next time...
"I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn’t here yet, so I will just deal with today." ~ Dotti Newsletter Sign Up If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for it yourself at: Dotti's Newsletter Subscription Page - http://www.dwlz.com/eletter.html Dotti's Weight Loss Zone
And please don't forget to come and visit DWLZ! If you are not already a regular visitor, it is time for you to come and make yourself at home at my web page, where you will find lots of tips on losing weight, and help in picking out good things to eat at your favorite restaurants, while still remaining on program. We have motivation, success stories, and much more. It is a lot like Disneyland: you'll have lots of fun, and you could never see it all in just one day! However, unlike Disneyland, Dotti's [ http://www.dwlz.com ] is open 24 hours a day, every day. Copyright and disclaimer Copyright DWLZ, Inc. - 2006, all rights reserved. This document may be reproduced freely as long as it is always reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright message, and the disclaimer below, and as long as it is always distributed free of charge. Disclaimer - This newsletter is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling. We are not doctors. Any information contained in this email reflects our own opinions and experiences. It is not intended in any way to serve as or take the place of medical advice from a physician. |
||||||||
Dotti 
 |