How do you recognize stress? What are some of the warning signals that stress is taking over
your life? If you are having trouble with sleeping or concentrating, irritability, confusion, frustration, headaches, or even becoming accident-prone, you may be suffering from stress. There are many things in your life that can trigger these stress signals. Deadlines at work, a broken washer, having no time for yourself, debt, and family issues are just a few. We really can't avoid stress all the time, but we can find ways to deal with our stress.
Make sure you take your multivitamin/multi-mineral daily. This will help cover you nutritionally and strengthen your reserves. The B vitamins have been known to produce energy and reduce the effects of stress.
Did you know that indigestion is one of the common reactions to stress because the stress response signals the body to channel blood away from the digestive system? If this happens to you, try sitting still for about five minutes, taking deep breaths and eating a cup of yogurt, which provides "friendly" bacteria that may help with healthy digestion.
One way to instantly relax is to use your imagination to daydream a bit. Yes, I know work
is so busy, and family obligations won't allow you to get away on that long-overdue
vacation but that vacation may be closer than you think. Your imagination is a wonderful
thing. You can be on that beautiful, warm and secluded beach in your to-die-for bathing suit
(why not, it's YOUR vacation) now. You are calm, relaxed and soaking in the sunlight. You are feeling great and nothing can dampen your mood or stress you out. In fact, there is no stress. WOW! How did that happen? It's nice, isn't it? Not a worry in the world. Your imagination can be used at any time to pull you out of a stressful situation, and you can pretty much do this anywhere, anytime. Isn't it amazing how much better you can feel after a fun, stress-free vacation?
Find your stress triggers. Is it when you are doing the bills? How about when you have to drive somewhere you've never been before? I get stressed out when I have to go to the doctor (I know, who doesn't?). Keep a journal of your stress triggers and how you dealt with them. Did it work? No? Then try different ways to deal with your different stress triggers until you find one that works with that situation. For my stress filled doctor's appointment I try to keep thinking of other things—work, friends, funny times…you get the picture. If you are stressed more than usual when you are doing your bills then maybe you can light a scented candle and have a cup of warm tea to keep you company. I found that keeping good records (organization) of my bills help with stress but I have to tell you, the candle and tea go a long way to help you stay relaxed.
Write down your most stressful situations. Then identify the stressful situations you can change to become no-stress situations. Think about each one and what you can do differently to take the stress out of the situation. Even the ones that you can't completely remove stress from, you can lower the amount of stress by finding an escape. (Those mental vacations can be used anytime!) Fix what you can, and forget the rest. Sometimes you just have to hang on and get through a situation, but that doesn't mean you can't take a hot de-stressing bath afterwards, or relax in other ways.
How does stress affect your weight loss? One of the most important reasons we need to learn to cope with stress is that stress triggers a starvation response, a tendency to conserve energy from food, as if your body were getting ready to starve itself. When stress hormones are present in your body, you start storing calories as fat. During stress, blood sugar is shunted away from chemical pathways that would burn it, so instead of being burned for fuel, it is stored as fat. Stress causes your body to store more fat but it also changes where it is stored. Overweight women who are under a lot of stress usually store fat in their abdomens rather than on their thighs or buttocks.
Managing your stress is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Below are just a few of the ways you can manage your stress levels. Also, there are many good books out there to help you with relaxation and breathing methods.
Stress Reducers
I already feel better and less stressed! How about you? Have an awesome couple of weeks until we meet again.
Want a Cheeseburger & Fries?
There has been interesting research done on how much exercise you need to do to burn off a certain amount of foods. Of course, we all know that the higher calorie foods will require more exercise than, let's say, our veggies and healthier options. Well, here are some examples in black & white so you can actually envision what you need to do in order to burn off that cheeseburger and fries meal you've been craving.
If you want to eat extra-large servings of low-calorie veggies, fruits and proteins you will have to do a bit of extra exercise to avoid gaining weight.
On the other hand, if you want to indulge in fast food or sugary foods you will have to do a lot more exercise just to maintain your weight.
You can have that 300-calorie jelly doughnut but you'd better be prepared to walk for an hour at a moderate pace (20 minutes per mile). Was the doughnut that good?
Oh my, that double-cheeseburger, extra-large fries and 24-ounce soda look so good, YUM! It may be yummy but it adds up to a whopping 1500 calories, which will require 2 hours of running at a 10-minute-mile pace. Did it really taste that yummy?
Next time you want one of those sugary sweets or fast food meals say to yourself, "Do I like it enough to wear it?"
—The Method Jump Start Journal—8 weeks to Wellness by Inspired Productions
Quote of the Day
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
~~Charles Dederich
Dotti's Message Board
One of the things that you might want to consider for your Journey, is getting some extra support in a place where you can be yourself. Our Message Board is just the place. It's home to many of our Zonie friends who share their Journey experiences and are always willing and ready to offer support, laughs, and friendship.
When you arrive at our DWLZ Message Board ( http://www.dwlz2.com/forum/ ), you will be asked to register. There is no charge, and this is not to gather personal information about you to be used in any way by us. It is only to make sure that we weed out spammers, and allow people to have a safe friendly environment where we can all share support. If you aren't a member already, please try it out. I think you will like it!
Ranchero Soup
♦ 1 large onion, quartered
♦ 3 celery ribs
♦ 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
♦ 1 large sweet red pepper, quartered and seeded
♦ 1 poblano pepper, quartered and seeded
♦ 1 tbsp olive oil
♦ 2 cans (14-1/2 ounce each) diced tomatoes, undrained
♦ 2 cans (14-1/2 ounce each) vegetable broth
♦ 1 cup frozen sliced carrots
♦ 1 cup cooked rice
♦ 1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
Brush the onion, celery zucchini and peppers with oil. Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill vegetables, uncovered, over medium heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until tender (pepper skins will char).
Immediately place the peppers in a bowl; cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Peel off and discard charred skin. Coarsely chop grilled vegetables.
In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, broth and carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Stir in grill vegetables, rice and lemon-pepper; heat through.
Makes 8 servings
Per 1-1/4 cup serving: 99 Calories, 3g Protein, 2g Fat, trace Saturated Fat, 18g Carbohydrate, 623mg Sodium, 0mg Cholesterol, 4g Dietary Fiber *1.5
~~Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Recipe Cards
Weight Loss is 90% Mental
Just like
Matt Hoover, 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!
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The "Enjoying Weight Loss"
hypnosis CDs help me to be the
best I can be on Program. ~Dotti~
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FREE w/order
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This is a great tool to
help you stay motivated,
focused, and positive.
Read our
Review
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Want to know more?
- There's lots of info on our Review Page—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.
Allow TIME to change.
Focus on the PROCESS of changing
rather than the outcome of change.
Be patient.
Lean Beef & Pork Cuts
Ever wonder how many calories and fat are in that piece of beef or pork? Below is a list of some lean beef and pork cuts with their corresponding calories and fat. They are based on a 3-ounce cut, cooked and trimmed.
Lean Cuts of Beef
♦ Eye of Round - 143 calories/4.2g fat
♦ Top Round - 153 calories/4.2g fat
♦ Round Tip - 157 calories/5.9g fat
♦ Top Sirloin - 165 calories/6.1g fat
Lean Cuts of Pork
♦ Tenderloin - 139 calories/4.1g fat
♦ Ham (95% lean) - 112 calories/4.3g fat
♦ Boneless Sirloin Chops - 164 calories/5.7g fat
♦ Boneless Loin Roast - 165 calories/6.1g fat
♦ Boneless Loin Chops - 173 calories/6.6g fat
—Fat-Free Holiday Recipes by Sandra Woodruff, RD
Motivation
Motivational Quotes
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. —Mark Twain
Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can. —Anonymous
It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up. —Vince Lombardi
My advice is to go into something and stay with it until you like it. You can't like it until you obtain expertise in that work. And once you are an expert, it's a pleasure. —Milton Garland
No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. —Eleanor Roosevelt
Rule your mind or it will rule you. —Horace
Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. —Jim Rohn
The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. —Samuel Johnson
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.
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”
~~Anonymous
Carbohydrates
Some carbohydrate foods are better than others. Below is a list to help make good choices of your carbohydrates.
Good Sources of Carbohydrate
♦ Vegetables (all kinds)
♦ Fruit (limit quantity if trying to lose fat)
♦ Oats and oatmeal
♦ Brown Rice
♦ Yams
♦ Lentils
♦ Whole Grain Breads
♦ Whole Grain Pitas
♦ Whole Grain Cereals
♦ Potatoes
Carbohydrates to Avoid or Limit
♦ White Pasta
♦ White Rice
♦ White Bread
♦ Instant Oatmeal
♦ Fruit Juices
♦ Bagels
♦ Donuts
♦ Muffins
♦ Sweets and Candies
♦ Processed Breakfast Cereals
The Simple Rule - If in doubt choose carbohydrate foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed.
—FreeDieting, the Weight Loss Guide
Baja Bob's Cocktail Mixes
~ Home of the Original Sugar-Free Margarita Mix
Baja Bob's incredibly good tasting 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.
Enjoy a cocktail and still stay
on your Program |
Comic Relief
Weight Loss Buddies
My friend Kimberly announced that she had started a diet to lose some pounds she had put on recently.
"Good!" I exclaimed. "I'm ready to start a diet too. We can be dieting buddies and help each other out. When I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries, I'll call you first."
"Great!" she replied. "I'll ride with you." -- Katina Fisher
Subtle Hint
Although I knew I had put on a few pounds, I didn't consider myself overweight until the day I decided to clean my refrigerator. I sat on a chair in front of the appliance and reached in to wipe the back wall. While I was in this position, my teenage son came into the kitchen.
"Hi, Mom," he said. "Whatcha doin', having lunch?"
I started my diet that day. -- Betty Strohm
—Reader's Digest
Food Finds
Tired of the same foods? Why not be adventurous and try some of these new food finds. I try to find a new food a couple times a month to try. Most I have liked and now include them on my shopping list.
- Quaker Chewy Granola Bar, Chocolate Chip, 1 bar
[100 cal/3g fat/1g fiber/18g carbs/75mg sodium/1g protein] *2
- Mary's Gone Crackers, Organic, 13 crackers
[140 cal/5g fat/3g fiber/21g carbs/190mg sodium/3g protein] *3
- Finlandia Deli's Best Light Cheeses, 1 oz, about 2 slices (I buy this package at Costco and it comes with 4 rows of different light cheeses—Swill, Cheddar, Gouda, Havarti)
—Swiss [70 cal/4g fat/0g fiber/0g carbs/130mg sodium/9g protein] *2
—Cheddar [70 cal/4.5g fat/0g fiber/0g carbs/170mg sodium/8g protein] *2
—Gouda [70 cal/5g fat/0g fiber/0g carbs/140mg sodium/8g protein] *2
—Havarti [70 cal/4g fat/0g fiber/0g carbs/150mg sodium/9g protein] *2
I love those crackers and cheese. I take each slice of cheese and split into thirds. It's a great high protein snack with healthy, nutty crackers.
Pizza Fit’n Free “America’s Fat Free Pizza”
Order Online at www.pizzafree.com
 |
Topping Idea Contest
How do you top Pizza Fit'n Free?
Send your topping ideas to toppings@pizzafree.com to enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Pizza Fit'n Free!
Our topping idea contest ends on 2/28/10.
At that time, our employees will choose three winners with the best topping idea.
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Due to the amount of emails we receive, not all topping ideas will be posted on our site. We will contact the winners via email once the contest is over and feature their idea on our site and newsletter.
VISIT OUR TOPPING IDEAS
PAGE FOR EXAMPLES
Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits
Eating "light" never tasted so good!
Makes 6 servings
♦ 2 tbsp reduced-fat chunky peanut butter
♦ 2 tbsp plus 2 cups cold fat-free milk, divided
♦ 1 cup plus 6 tbsp reduced-fat whipped topping, divided
♦ 1 package )1.4 oz) sugar-free instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
♦ 3 tbsp finely chopped salted peanuts
In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and 2 tablespoons milk. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk remaining milk with the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.
Spoon half of the pudding into six parfait glasses or dessert dishes. Layer with reserved peanut butter mixture and remaining pudding. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Refrigerate remaining whipped topping.
Just before serving, garnish each parfait with 1 tablespoon whipped topping and 1-1/2 teaspoons peanuts.
Did you know Cool Whip now comes in a can, making it easy to top puddings and desserts? I love it!
Per Parfait: 146 Calories, 6g Fat, 1g Dietary Fiber, 16g Carbohydrate, 300mg Sodium, 2mg Cholesterol, 6g Protein *3.5
~~Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Recipe Cards
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. These are 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.
Did You Know?
Our Journey is not just about weight loss; it's about constantly learning new things… let's see what we can learn today.
Fruits Named After them
Granny Smith apples were first cultivated in Australia by Maria Ann (Granny) Smith of New South Wales.
Bartlett pears are named for Enoch Bartlett a Roxbury, Massachusetts, farmer.
Greengage plums got their name from Sir William Gage, an English botanist.
Temple oranges honor William temple, the man who developed that variety.
Macintosh apples came to us from a Scottish immigrant who discovered those kinds of apples growing wild on his newly-settled Canadian farm. Mr. Macintosh's first name has been lost to history, but his apples haven't been.
~~Strange & Fascinating Facts About Famous Brands by Charles Reichblum
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 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—
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"Your body keeps an accurate journal…
regardless of what you write down!"
—Anonymous
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.
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…
Dotti
Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright © DWLZ, Inc.—2010, 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.
