News and Reviews December 2022
- This may not sound like important news to the average Weight Watcher but I’m excited. This new infrastructure at WW seems to really have our success firmly in their sights and I think we can all feel it with the roll out of the new simplified program! On November 30th, Weight Watchers announced that they are adding two key leadership appointments: Tiffany Stevenson as Chief People Officer and David Cohen as Chief Data Officer. I will be interested to see how these new positions bring a more cohesive and simple approach to our weight loss and wellness journeys!
- I counted up all the official holidays left for the year and if we included and celebrated all of them (Christmas, Boxing Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, AND Festivus) that is 15 days of partying. But that still leaves 16 normal days…and I seriously doubt any of us is celebrating every single one of these. Just wanted to point that out before we get started, you and I both have at least 16 opportunities for a normal day this month!
- In case you haven’t noticed it, there is a new section on your app called “Coach’s Corner.” These new LIVE STREAMS are 30 minute virtual sessions discussing “How to Eat on Weight Watchers” from Dec 1 – 22nd and include time for a Q&A session. Click the link on your app for upcoming times and to join LIVE!
Last week in Chat #297: Take Charge Of Unhelpful Thoughts we celebrated because you did it, you survived another turkey day.
With this one holiday checked off your to do (or maybe to don’t!) list how are you feeling about how you handled it? Taking charge of potential unhelpful thoughts can keep you on track and in charge this holiday season!
Plan it, Track it
Even if you go over your dailies and dip into some weeklies (or alllll the weeklies in my case) planning for that special meal and then writing it down can help you feel victorious instead of normal holiday guilt
Christmas to Thanksgiving
As my in-person leader of more than 25 years likes to remind us, it’s not what you eat from Thanksgiving to Christmas that brought us here. It’s what we eat those other 10 months from Christmas to Thanksgiving! Remind yourself it’s a season, and this too shall pass.
Just because it’s a thought doesn’t mean it’s true
- Another great visual during our in person workshop that I want you to try with me. Let’s imagine we have what seems like an insurmountable issue staring us right in the face. I will make it non-weight-related and say we are in charge of a broccoli salad for the holiday meal and arrive at the store only to find they are completely sold out of fresh broccoli. Put your hands in front of your face and imagine yourself standing, helpless in the produce aisle realizing you are a failure because you waited too long and it’s all sold out. The holiday meal is ruined because of you….
- Now pull your hands out a little and say out loud, the meal isn’t ruined. Other people are bringing lots of delicious foods.
- Now pull them out a little more and look around…you might see shredded broccoli slaw in another area. Or maybe you could change it up a little and use Napa Cabbage or fresh cauliflower this year!
Your homework for last week was #JustAThought. This week I wanted you to find a common holiday thought that you have told yourself over the years (or maybe it’s new) is true just because you thought it. But when you pull your hands back, you realize it’s really just a thought and how you changed it! …. 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!
- Scott didn’t intend to do his homework (cough cough, ahem Scott!) but I’m giving him a bravo for what he shared this week. “When you screw up, skip a workout or eat a bad meal, it doesn’t make you a bad person (there’s that thought). It makes you human (pull your hands back a little). Welcome to the club. There’s like seven billion of us (pull your hands all the way out).” Sooo the truth!
- Deanna told herself for years that desserts were off limits because she would gain weight. Now she pulls her hands away from her eyes and realizes that she can enjoy a serving especially if they are “made with love”!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: Set Healthy Intentions and Stick with Them
Well I’m never doing that again! We’ve all said it. We probably meant it. But how do we set an intention and actually stick with it?
Believe it or not willpower has nothing to do with sticking to something you meant to (or didn’t mean to) do. Here are some ideas to get you started!
Won’t Power
It takes a ton of energy to talk yourself out of something, like an exhausting amount in some cases. Willpower is so unreliable…think how much easier it would be to have “won’t” power. I “won’t” bring a red light food home and then it can’t call my name at midnight. Now THAT’S power and it took little to no energy.
Pin The Points
Naming some of the things you want to avoid by “pinning” them can actually help you get ahead of them next time. You don’t have to physically write them down but it might help!
Just a Guideline Away
The easiest way to avoid repeating a behavior that is hard for you to avoid is to set a guideline and be intentional about it. For me it was a habit of binge eating in secret. I can’t tell you how many times I sat in a car or a closet and just dared someone to come in and catch me eating whatever it was I was scarfing down. My guideline is “when I eat red light foods I eat them with witnesses.” That doesn’t mean I never eat potato chips or cookie dough, I just enjoy them when someone else is around!
This Week’s Homework: #JustAGuideline
Your homework for this week is #JustAGuideline. This week I want you to make a guideline for an intention you want to set AND keep …. 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 #JustAGuideline and tag me when you share on social media!
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on Instagram
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on our Facebook Page
- Tag @Kelly Green Milligan in our Facebook Group
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on WW Connect
Extra Credit: Revisiting Zero Point Foods – Nonfat Plain Yogurt
No matter who you are, we all have nonfat plain yogurt (traditional or Greek) back on our zero point lists and whether it’s a common staple in your house or not, it’s an incredibly versatile ingredient that can help lighten up a ton of recipes and is a great source of protein, calcium, and other nutrients!
Tonight we’re going to be making my Skinny Waldorf Salad with my favorite nonfat plain Greek yogurt. If you’ve been with me for a while you’ll know that there are tons of recipes already on my blog that feature this ingredient and many which used to be a small amount of points are now actually zero points! A few of my other favorites include Cheesecake Fruit Dip and Windstar Karen’s Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Another great way to use your nonfat plain Greek yogurt is – believe it or not – making your own nonfat cream cheese. I don’t know about you and your area, but it’s been incredibly difficult to find store bought fat-free cream cheese in my local grocery store. You can view the full instruction on my blog, but to put it simply, strain your nonfat plain Greek yogurt using a fine mesh strainer of some kind (cheesecloth, reusable coffee filter, etc..) and with a little time you’ll have homemade cream cheese!
Comment below with a zero point food you want to revisit, I love hearing from you! And please remember to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel and share with a friend – most of our new group members got here because someone took a few minutes to share this with them 🙂
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