WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #269: How to Eat More Mindfully!

WW News and Reviews April 2022

• Thanks for letting me take the week off last Sunday, I forgot to post the uber cute photos (which I will tomorrow!) but we had a great time and enjoyed the break
• Pro Tip – Farm Fresh Eggs! My family grew up with chickens because my sister was deathly allergic to the spray used in commercial processed eggs. We live in a loft so it’s rare I get to enjoy actual straight from the chicken tushy delights but one of my customers gave me six this week! Quick tips if you do receive such a gift:
  • Do NOT wash them until you are ready to use them. Washing them removes the  “bloom” which is nature’s way of protecting what’s inside
  • Store them in a cool spot but NOT the fridge for up to 3 weeks
  • When you are ready to enjoy these special treats simply wash each egg with some warm / hot water and use your hands to gently “scrub” away any dirt or bloom. Pat them dry, wash YOUR hands, and you are ready to go!
• Update: I only need TWO MORE VOLUNTEERS. If you messaged me before we will be starting another way to message and I will be in touch soon. If you’d like to volunteer and didn’t already tell me just let me know by tomorrow if possible. <<< Finally, I like what Jeanne and Suzanne did over on One Day at a Time and I’m copying them. Remember ladies, it’s the most sincere form of flattery 🙂 I will be looking for 7 volunteers to start over the next couple of weeks who can dedicate a minimum of one hour per day, one day per week helping me out in the Facebook Group. There will be extra Bravo stickers and accolades given in return LOL. If you are interested and think you can make that kind of commitment PM me or e-mail me at ifyouhaveanegg@gmail.com

The month’s theme is “Internal and External Hunger” and we will spend the entire month finding out how to know if we are eating because of internal hunger or if there is an external force at play. There IS a difference!

Last week during Chat #268: How to Know if You are Actually Hungry, I asked you to raise your hand if you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of your fridge or pantry doing the “refrigerator roulette” head spin. Round and round she goes…what will go in her mouth, nobody knows.

What you choose to eat at that moment says a lot about whether you are really hungry or you are eating just to be eating (or from some other external force). Internal hunger tells you “it’s time to eat, you need fuel. Let’s grab an apple and a string cheese.”  Eating when you’re not hungry isn’t taboo – “hey, I smell popcorn let’s eat!” – but using discernment and making an informed decision before you take that first bite does make a difference!

The next time you reach for food outside of a planned meal take the 3 question quiz below:

How long has it been since the last time I ate? 

1. If it’s been less than an hour or you just finished a meal this is most likely an external trigger. Give yourself another 15 to 20 minutes and see if the urge goes away
2. If it’s been more than a couple of hours and especially if you can’t remember when you ate last that’s an internal cue…we need some fuel! Go ahead and choose a healthy snack first or if it’s time for your next planned meal go ahead and eat it

How do you feel physically?

1. Feeling pretty good, maybe even still full? Take a step back and decide if you really want whatever it is
2. Headache, hangry or shaky? Let’s get some fuel in you!

What do you want or what are you willing to eat right now? 

1. It has to be the movie theater popcorn or else…you’re probably not hungry. How about a glass of water first and then portion out some popcorn if you still want it
2. I’m so hungry I could eat a yogurt, an apple, (you fill in the blank) then it’s time to at least have a snack or go ahead and eat that next meal

Your homework for last week was   #HungerGames. Rather than refrigerator roulette let’s play the “am I hungry or?” game with yourself and you may be surprised how easy it is to win! The next time you reach for something outside of your normally planned meal STOP. Take the am I hungry 3 question quiz. And let us know how you answered and what you decided to do! Let us know  ….and then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!

Let’s see how you did!

• Julie had a WILD day and knew that she wasn’t really hungry…just tired and strung out. So she ended the day with rotisserie chicken and asparagus instead of snacking her way to bed!
• If you haven’t checked out Deanna’s super awesome journaling skills you must do it. On their way home after traveling hubby stopped for doughnuts and asked if she wanted one. Her plan was in technicolor (literally, go look at it) so she asked herself if she was hungry. The answer was no and she made the decision to pass!
• Lynn had a doc appointment with fasting labs. She had a headache and sick stomach afterward so she recognized it was from the fasting and made the choice to hit a drive thru for a 10 point breakfast sandwich and diet drink. Wow, she won that game!

Bravo, you did it!

 

This Week’s Topic: How to Eat More Mindfully

This is not a new topic. In fact, if I had time to go back through every chat I bet I would find at least 3 or 4 times we have discussed this in various forms.

 

I really do like the graphics this week and hope you will go back and check them out, but I want to take our chat this evening and play a game with you!

Gwen had such a great participation lesson during our in person workshop that I thought I would carry it through to tonight’s chat. I’m going to show you a few food items and without looking at the points you’re going to decide – is this worth it?

 

 

 

This Week’s Homework: #WasItWorthIt

Your homework for this week is #WasItWorthIt. Think about a time you ate something because of what you saw, smelled, heard or felt about it – was it worth it after you looked up the points? Would you eat that same thing again given the same situation? Let us know  ….and then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!

Don’t forget to do your homework #WasItWorthIt and tag me when you share on social media!

• Instagram tag @ifyouhaveanegg
• Facebook Page tag @ifyouhaveanegg
• Facebook Group tag @Kelly Green Milligan
• WW Connect tag @ifyouhaveanegg

 

Extra Credit: Build a Meal That’s “Worth It”

In the first half of the chat we talked about what we considered to be “worth it” when it comes to choosing our food mindfully. Now we’re going to build a meal together that’s absolutely worth it!

 

I love to use bagged salad mixes and I keep them on hand for lunches especially at my office. I found one recently that includes lettuce, green and red cabbage, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and a premade dressing. For ⅓ of the package (which is about 1 cup of salad) this would be 7 points. Is that worth it to you?

But what if I add a cup of sweet butter lettuce which is 0 points on all plans? Is it worth it now?

And what if I add a cup of diced cucumber and a That Man’s chicken breast?

Are eggs 0 points for you? Is it worth it if a hard boiled egg is added to the top of the salad?

Let’s take it a step further – instead of using the dressing that was included with the package, what if we switched to a lighter G Hughes, Skinny Girl, or homemade dressing?

The point is – even if these aren’t your preferred 0 point toppings, you don’t have to settle for things exactly as they are if they’re not in your points budget! If we’d eaten this salad straight out of the package we might have been left hungry, but with a few simple changes we turned it into a filling, nutritious meal to fuel our bodies! AND by adding 3 non-starchy vegetables into the salad we get to add 3 points back to our dailes so my 7 point packaged salad became a 4 point delicious meal. 

So now, is it worth it?

 

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