Vitalicious® VitaTops, VitaMuffins and VitaBrownies are delicious. They are healthy, taste great and
fit within any program you are using to attain your healthy
new lifestyle.
~ Dotti
Dotti's Update
Happy New Year everyone! Don't you just love New Years? I look at it like a time to renew; begin again. And that is what I'm doing, beginning again. My motto for 2009 is:
2009 is the time to look fine!
We did not have a Weight Watcher meeting the last couple of weeks since they land on a Thursday. Christmas and New Years was celebrated instead. In that time I've been trying to soak up the 1st two weeks of info about their new "Momentum" program. It seems to be an awesome program and one that will address the issue of getting the "right" foods into you. I'm an old die-hard when it comes to their Points program. I've always done the Original 1-2-3 Success Program (original) and I've not wanted to stray far. I will be heading back to my meeting on Thursday, the 8th.
My stress level is still too high on some days. I need to find a balance in my life somehow or I'll be struggling with this Journey forever. I try to listen to my "Enjoying Weight Loss" Hypnosis CDs" whenever I can to help keep my 'head' in the game, usually a couple times a week. I am planning on taking that a step higher and listen to a session everyday for the month of January. I'm sure that will help tremendously with my motivation, self-esteem and outlook on Program. When I miss listening to my CD's I can tell it. I love these CD's because they are available anytime I need a pick-me-up or the right mind-set to get moving on Program. We all know that this Journey is 99% in the head. If it's not there first the rest of you will not get on board. These CD's are a great tool for my Journey and since they only work if you listen to them, my plan is to listen to them through January to help get "all of me" going.
New Years was spent working on the website for the New Year but at midnight I did wish my son and bestest friend, Tammy, a very Happy New Year on the phone. I sure do miss them. Al fell asleep hours earlier. 
This Journey of ours is a day-to-day process and I know one of these days all will be in place. Meanwhile, I keep on keeping on. Thank you all for your support. It truly does mean the world to me.
Dotti
The Squash Court
Butternut squash soup with orange and ginger
Serves 6
Recipe Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger-root
½ tsp ground cumin
6 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
2 cups chicken broth
1½ cups unsweetened carrot juice
¼ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1 tsp grated orange zest
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Light sour cream (optional)
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Stir in ginger-root and cumin, and cook for 30 more seconds. Add squash and remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Mix well. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot. Serve hot soup with a dollop of light sour cream in the center, if desired.
Nutritional Info Per Serving
102 Cal, 1.9g Fat, 2.4g Fiber, 20g Carbs, 372mg Sodium, 3g Protein *2
~Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet & Greta Podleski
—I love this cookbook - full of great recipes, cartoons and great fun! ~Dotti
Weight Loss is 90% Mental
I use Dr. Roberta's
Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs as an important help on my lifelong Journey to a healthier me:
- Whenever I listen to these CDs—I have a good day on program.
- Whenever I have failed to do well on program, it has always been when I stopped listening regularly.
- They continue to be an irreplaceable part of my Journey back to goal!
If you would like a power assist on your Journey
I highly recommend these Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs!
Want to know more?
- There's lots of info on our Review Page—see how this has worked for me.
- Don't want to pay all at once?—Just choose 3 equal installments!
What can you do to get your mind onboard with your weight loss desires?
—I honestly believe this is an answer to a dilemma that we all face. Come and read about it.
Beans ~ How to Get More Into Your Diet
A recent study analyzing the antioxidant content of over one hundred different foods found that beans - particularly red, kidney, pinto, and black beans - are the highest vegetable sources of these disease-fighting compounds. Studies confirm beans' power to lower heart attack risk. The abundant soluble fiber in beans works hard to stabilize blood sugar levels. Beans provide the steady, slow-burning energy that keeps glucose levels well regulated, which is helpful for controlling diabetes and for weight management. You receive bulk with minimal calories with beans and they fill you up. Here are a few ways to get beans into your diet.
- To make an "instant" black bean soup, add a can of low-sodium black beans to a jar of salsa and thin it with vegetable or chicken stock. Add oregano, chili powder and Tabasco to taste. Mash some of the beans and return them to the pot to thicken the soup.
- Sprinkle garbanzo beans on a salad for a boost of flavor, texture, and protein.
- Mash garbanzo or black beans with finely chopped garlic and chopped red onions or scallions. Fill a whole-wheat pita or wrap with the beans, sprouts or some shredded romaine lettuce, and some chopped tomatoes for a packable lunch.
- For a great salad, combine a half cup of black beans, a few spoonfuls of salsa, some diced red onion, and diced avocado.
- Roast green beans by placing them in a single layer in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle pepper and perhaps some finely diced garlic on top. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for about twenty minutes, shaking the pan a few times during cooking.
~~SuperFoods HealthStyle by Steven G. Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews
Positive Thought
"In all your adversities there lie the seeds of equivalent advantages. In every defeat there is a lesson showing you how to win the next time."
--Anonymous
Girl Scout Cookies
It's almost that time of year again so I thought I would give you a heads-up on the nutritional values of some of your favorite Girl Scout cookies.
When my niece calls me up and says she's selling cookies I tell her to have her Mom, Dad, brother, sister and herself pick out their favorite box. This way she gets the sale, they get the treats and I get to leave the gym a little bit earlier! I do the same thing if they come to my door. If food is involved I love to help the little ones out but I prefer to leave the goodies with them.
Lemon Chalet Crèmes, 1 cookie [80 cal/3g fat/0g fiber/12g carbs/40mg sodium/<1g protein] *2
Trefoils, 5 cookies [150 cal/7g fat/<1g fiber/20g carbs/105mg sodium/2g protein] *3.5
Do-si-dos, 2 cookies [110 cal/5g fat/<1g fiber/15g carbs/85mg sodium/2g protein] *3
Samoas, 2 cookies [150 cal/8g fat/<1g fiber/19g carbs/50mg sodium/1g protein] *4
All Abouts, 3 cookies [150 cal/7g fat/<1g fiber/21g carbs/75mg sodium/1g protein] *3.5
Chocolate Chips, 3 cookies [160 cal/9g fat/2g fiber/22g carbs/140mg sodium/1g protein] *3.5
Tagalongs, 2 cookies [150 cal/10g fat/1g fiber/14g carbs/100mg sodium/2g protein] *4
Thin Mints, 4 cookies [150 cal/7g fat/1g fiber/20g carbs/115mg sodium/2g protein] *3.5
~~These cookie nutritionals are from the Little Brownie Bakers at www.littlebrownie.com
February 2008
Penny's Low Fat Desserts Sampler with Free Shipping: Only $18
Buy the best tasting healthy,
low fat, high fiber desserts
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$4 off Assorted Muffins: $24.99 for 18
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Muffins and TOPS: Almond Poppy, Carrot Raisin, Apple Cinnamon, Orange Cranberry, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip
Cookies: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin
| Note
From Al: Dotti and I have had Penny's cookies and muffins many times,
and we love them! They don't stay long in our house because they make
great snacks, and desserts during the day, without blowing you off
program. They are good—really good! And if you want a hot
snack,
pop one of them in the microwave, and you are ready to go with a very
tasty, LOW POINT, treat. ~Al
|
Come Join the Fun!
Do you want some extra support during your Journey? Would you like to have a place you can call "home," where you can be yourself? 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

~
24/7. Our DWLZ Message Board is at:
http://www.dwlz2.com/forum/. Don't forget to register if you haven't already done so.
Good Choices, Bad Choices ~ Dairy Queen
* Good Choice ~ Small Chocolate Sundae
[280 calories/7g fat/42g sugars]
* Bad Choice ~ Small Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard
[720 calories/28g fat/78g sugars]
* Good Choice ~ DQ Homestyle Burger
[350 calories/14g fat/400mg sodium]
* Bad Choice ~ Side Salad with DQ Ranch Dressing
[355 calories/33g fat/440mg sodium]
* Good Choice ~ Grilled Chicken Salad with Fat-Free Italian Dressing
[280 calories/11g fat/1,550mg sodium]
* Bad Choice ~ 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket
[1,270 calories/67g fat/2,910mg sodium]
* Good Choice ~ DQ Sandwich
[190 calories/5g fat/18g sugars]
* Bad Choice ~ Small Chocolate Malt
[650 calories/15g fat/96mg sodium]
A few other facts while dining at Dairy Queen ~
Can you guess how many extra grams of fat are added to your cone when you have the cone 'dipped'? The coating adds a whopping 13g of fat to the cone. Doesn't seem possible, does it?
Did you know that a classic Banana Split trumps the Peanut Buster Parfait and the Brownie Earthquake by at least 14g of fat?
The Dilly Bar was introduced in 1955 and consists of reduced-fat ice cream dipped in chocolate for just 240 calories.
Weapon of Mass Destruction ~ Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard ~ This creation comes in at 990 calories/39g fat/114g sugars.
~~Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
Positive Thought
"Don't let the scale be your reason for living each day."
--Anonymous
Upside-Down Coconut-y Cream Pie
Serves 1
Recipe Ingredients
1 Jell-O Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding Snack
½ sheet (2 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers, crushed
¼ tsp coconut extract
1 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
2 tbsp Fat Free Reddi-Wip
Directions
Spoon pudding into a small bowl. Mix in coconut extract. Top pudding with crushed graham crackers and coconut flakes. Finish off this creamy coconut cloud with whipped topping. Mmmmm.
Nutritional Info ~
[124 Cal, 3.5g Fat, 1.5g Fiber, 24g Carbs, 243mg Sodium, 3g Protein] *2.5
~~Hungry Girl, Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
Lisa is awesome and this new cookbook of hers is a must-have. You can order her book by visiting her website at Hungry-Girl.com. Don't forget to sign up for her newsletter! ~Dotti
Baja Bob's Cocktail Mixes
~ Home of the Original Sugar-Free Margarita Mix
Note from Baja Bob's
|

Baja Bob's mixes are great with
or without alcohol, allowing people who are watching their weight, or those who
are forced to watch their sugar intake due to health reasons the
opportunity to enjoy the great taste of a cocktail.
Enter Coupon
Code dotti10 when ordering and receive a 10%
discount…
|
The growing
popularity of the Weight Watchers Diet, combined with Baja Bob's incredible
taste, has helped to push this cocktail mix leader
into the mainstream. Baja Bob's newest
release, Mojito Mix, follows their other
popular flavors. All of the Baja Bob's cocktail mixes contain approximately 70-100% less calories and carbs than
traditional mixes sweetened
with high fructose corn syrup
making these the perfect Weight Watchers addition.
|

Baja Bob's cocktail mixes come in several flavors: Original Margarita, Wild
Strawberry Margarita, Desert Key Lime Margarita, Crazy Caribe
Pina
Colada,
Loco Lemon Sweet & Sour, Maui Madness Mai Tai,
Cranberry
Cosmo
Martini Mix, Sour Apple Martini Mix, and more to come…
Enjoy a cocktail and stay
on your Program
|
Success is a Choice
Today I will make many choices, and each will have a consequence.
Today I will choose to tell myself that I am worth the effort, or I can tell myself it doesn't matter, I'll do it tomorrow.
Today I can choose to journal, or I can choose not to.
Today I can choose to drink my water, or I can choose to be dehydrated.
Today I can choose to stay in my points range, or I can choose to hinder my goals.
Today I can choose to be more active, or I can choose to take the easy way.
Today I can choose to be motivated, or I can choose to tell myself "I can't.
Today I can choose success. IT IS MY CHOICE.
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself; and the other for helping others.
~Sent to me by a good friend
Motivation
JUST FOR TODAY, I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I'll improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I'll refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I'm overweight, I'll eat healthily – if only just for today. And not only that, I'll get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
~Dear Abby's New Year's Resolutions (re-printed every year)
Pizza Fit'n Free
Hello Everybody!
Well, 2009 is already upon us!...As we look forward to realizing our hopes and dreams, let's be good to ourselves in the process...after all, you deserve it!
As you work toward your resolutions this year, don't deprive yourself of healthy eating and good food...That's where Pizza Fit'n Free comes in...at only 250 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Points for the whole 7″—6.4 oz pizza, we help you be good to yourself without missing out on the comfort food that America craves most...PIZZA!
We here at Pizza Free Inc. would like to take this opportunity to wish you the very best of health in 2009 and want this to be the year that all of your hopes and dreams come true!
Comic Relief
Burning Calories
My doctor flipped the weight of the scale over another notch, looked at me with annoyance and said, "Man does not live by bread alone."
"You think I don't know that?" I said. "Any fool knows you have to make it into a sandwich, top it with homemade preserves or cover it with cheese sauce and make a casserole out of it."
"You are overweight again," he said.
"Like how much?"
"Like if you were scheduled to fight Muhammad Ali this fall, you would have to drop fifteen pounds to make the heavyweight division. How much exercise do you get?"
"I leaned over a week ago Thursday for what I thought was a gingersnap cookie in the carpet, but it turned out to be a cork coaster and I haven't taken a chance since."
"Do you go to the refrigerator a lot?"
"Yes, and sometimes I even run."
"I have here a list of activities that tell you how many calories you can burn up per hour. I want you to go over the list and try to do at least one or two activities a day."
The list was depressing. An hour of housework burnt up 80 to 180 calories, ironing 50 to 60 and writing 10 to 20. I would have to arm-wrestle King Kong to make a difference.
Then a brilliant idea hit me. If I could do some vigorous exercises, I could eat all the fat food I wanted and burn it off before it took root.
That night I had a piece of apple pie. Then I grabbed one of the kid's bicycles and pedaled for two hours. It was work, but it was worth it. I had paid for my folly.
The next night I had 40 potato chips. To make up for it, I did a little ironing that I had put back. (Actually I only ironed for eight hours and put the rest of it back again.)
The next afternoon I outdid myself. I found an Easter egg I had hidden from the kids in the freezer totaling 583 calories. I had to paint the house to work it off. The same night I had lobster in butter, which totaled 2,390 calories. Checking my list I discovered I would have to row across Lake Erie and back to balance the calories.
Then, a terrible pattern began to form. I was borrowing on my energy and putting IOUs in the refrigerator. I owed two hours of carpentry for a bowl of cereal in cream, three miles of jogging for a French doughnut, and eight days of shoveling snow for a piece of birthday cake.
As I sit here writing this column, I am in hock through 1975. As I told my doctor, the only way I can possibly catch up is to be an oarsman on a slave ship. He is making the necessary arrangements.
~"Forever, Erma" by Erma Bombeck
Did you know…?
Our Journey is not just about weight loss; it's about constantly learning new things…
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.
Francis Scott Key was a young lawyer who wrote the poem "The Star Spangled Banner" after being inspired by watching the Americans fight off the British attack of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The poem became the words to the national anthem.
The Netherlands and the United States both have anthems that do not mention their countries' names.
Pilgrims ate popcorn at their first Thanksgiving dinner.
American Indians never actually ate turkey; killing such a timid bird was thought to indicate laziness.
~The Book of Useless Information
by Noel Botham & The Useless Information Society
Software You Can Use! — And Now Available Online!
Weight Commander
The
Weight Commander is an awesome program for your Journey. I
highly recommend it to all those who are 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 to be successful on your Journey.
And for those who don't feel comfortable downloading software, or who cringe when Windows gives them another unnecessary warning about running perfectly safe software, Michael has created a wonderful online version of Weight
Commander, where you can always access your information with privacy, with no worry about trying to transfer it from computer to computer when you switch. You can of course still get the software version (which continues to work very well, even on my Windows Vista computer), but the online version of Weight
Commander is a wonderful new option! You make the choice, but you win either way.
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:
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 also make wonderful gifts.
Philly Swirl
Every day is a good day to stock up on some great tasting Philly
Swirl's Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops! They are delicious and only 10
calories.
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.
DWLZ Website Updates
Keeping Dotti's Weight Loss Zone current is a full time job and then some. Anytime you would like to find my latest updates you can find them at these links:
The DWLZ Website News & Updates forum—
US restaurants updates are on my Restaurants TOC page—
Canadian restaurants updates are on my
Canadian Restaurants TOC page at—
|
"Today is the first day of the rest of your health."
~~~Jamba Juice
Goodbye
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…

Dotti
"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 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. - 2009, 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.
*Whenever
possible, I calculate ALL my Points on my Offline Points Calculator in
the Half Points Mode, which rounds UP to the nearest Half Point. This
keeps my site consistent. All point values shown in BLACK are
calculated with the 10-gram fiber cap [Original 123 Success Points].
When there is a difference with the 4 gram fiber cap calculation, I
show the points value for that in RED.
Note: Points® is a registered trademark of Weight Watchers
International, Inc. The Points® values displayed are not intended in any way to show an endorsement or sponsorship of any product or organization by Weight Watchers International, Inc.