Weight Watchers Chat #333: “Re-Energize with 3 Good Things!”

News and Reviews

#1 I am 6 days post op on the tooth extraction and it’s going great! I cannot overemphasize the importance of being prepared for this. At first I thought I was overplanning but nope, this was one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made.

Did I prep too much food – YES
Did I get bored though – NO
Was I ever worried about having an option that would not aggravate the situation – NO
Do I have plenty left for several more days of “soft” eating – YES
Did my plan of Protein + Comfort come in clutch – YES (actually I don’t know what that even means but I’ve been dying to use that phrase)
Do I now have a strange love for polenta with a little light butter and honey – definitely YES

Review Last Week: Last week was Chat #332 “The Joy in Movement!”

For those of you who just zoned out because you think we are talking about exercise again…we are not, so jump right back in!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever just had a meh, bleck, or bah humbug day. Raise your hand again if it was today LOL.

Three Fast Facts from WW (sort of, I took some creative license because they don’t pay me so I can):

Sometimes you just need a nap

WW is not using this topic to undervalue the very real need for self care, therapy, and yes sometimes just a nap. The next two fast facts are just a way to bust that bad mood but not always the only way, ok?

Movement doesn’t equal sweat

When I heard this week’s topic was about movement I immediately started thinking about exercise. Again. But the Merriam Webster definition of movement is:

The act or process of moving : especially change of place or position or posture
A particular instance or manner of moving

Moving can bust a bad mood!

Have you ever been in such a meh mood that it seemed nothing would cut through that fog, and then your cute puppy asks for a quick trip outside to bark at bugs and roll in the leaves. You can’t stay blah watching that!

Maybe it’s a particularly bleck day and your co-worker asks you to make the loop at work to check out the new bird feeders that maintenance just put in. Feel those dark clouds lifting?

Or you’ve just had a bah humbug week but then the grandkids ask to spend the day with you in the woods, splashing in a creek, and not answering your cell phone. Bad. Mood. Busted.

Your homework was #BadMoodBusted. What’s something that happened this week (or something you can pre-plan for next time) that was just a little movement that busted that bad mood? Whatever it is let us know, I promise your decision to participate this week will help you AND someone else! Then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!

Trish busted her bad mood by scooting over to the local grocer to grab some bone broth to prep for her own dental surgery!
Lynn was in a funk and didn’t feel like doing much until her son called and said he and her grandson were headed that way. That mood was busted and her house got a little freshen up while she was at it!
Deanna and her hubby are *ahem* competitive. She wasn’t going to work out but when he announced he was she busted a bad mood by popping in some Leslie Sansone!

Bravo, you did it!

This Week’s Topic: “Re-Energize with 3 Good Things!”

After this topic was posted last week on WW I asked John to list three things that had happened that day that just made him happy.

He said nothing, nothing about that day made him happy.

Have you ever had a day (or days) like that? Overwhelming schedules, long commutes, never ending meetings about how long the never ending meetings are, how could you find anything happy about a day like that?

Three Fast Facts from WW (sort of, I took some creative license because they don’t pay me so I can):

Press Pause

Taking a moment to press pause and notice good things is a great way to practice gratitude

AND the more often you do it the more automatic the behavior becomes.

Focus On The Big Picture

Repetitious gratitude on the little things helps us focus on the happiness to be found in the big things!

3 Good Things!

Being grateful (happy) improves our ability to overcome a challenge, cope with a setback, and actually reframe how we feel about our day. Remember the challenge for John at the beginning? After we talked our way through some other events of the day he still didn’t come up with 3 good things…he came up with FIVE! And while finding five small things that actually did make him happy that day didn’t resolve all the problems, it left us both feeling much better about the big picture results for that day!

This Week’s Homework: #3GoodThings

Your homework for this week is #3GoodThings. Raise your hand if you were thinking “yeah, I had that day…NOTHING went right and of course nothing made me happy” when I was telling John’s story at the beginning. Now DO YOUR HOMEWORK because I promise there were at least 3 things when you really pause, really focus and really write down those 3 Good Things! Whatever it is let us know, I promise your decision to participate this week will help you AND someone else! 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 #3GoodThings 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: Egg Lady Labs – CrockPot Electric Lunch Box

I know you’re getting tired of hearing about my tooth LOL, but I do think this experience is a gateway to what I need for getting a handle on work lunches

If you’ve watched many of our other 300+ videos you know I struggle with eating lunch at work. That struggle leaves me hungry, with bitter feelings, heading into the kitchen when I’m home with a “trouble is a coming” look in my eyes, and a lack of desire to track. It’s not pretty and I recognize it as a strong issue I’m still working on overcoming for future success.

I knew having my tooth extracted was going to just set up a weight loss death spiral in addition to the terrifying thought of a dry socket.

You already know from last week that I planned, prepped, and pulled the trigger on success like I never have before. It was critical to making sure that I didn’t just eat ice cream and wallow in self pity all week. Part of that success was the tools I enlisted (the full list is below copied from last week) but this little personal Crock Pot Lunch Box was a crucial part of that success.

Let me get you some important details with an Egg Lady Labs product test I performed, and then we will wrap up with some product features and how to!

While there are several styles, colors, features to choose from, I chose the Crock Pot Brand Electric Lunch box in this lovely green that compliments our work kitchen. I didn’t feel bad leaving it out while I worked because it fit right in with our decor

Important Note: this is a food “heater” not a food “cooker. NOT recommended for any uncooked food and should only be used to reheat fully cooked foods

Is this a safe way to reheat my lunch? I don’t know, let’s ask the USDA! According to the US Department of Agriculture and I quote: “Foods that have been cooked and cooled should be reheated to at least 165 °F. Heat cooked, commercially vacuum-sealed, ready-to-eat foods, such as hams and roasts, to 140 °F. Reheat leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 °F. Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.”
https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-methods-of-reheating-food-are-safe#:~:text=Reheat%20leftovers%20thoroughly%20to%20at,food%20thermometer%20when%20safely%20reheated

On stove top: Place food in pan and heat thoroughly. The food should reach at least 165 °F on a food thermometer when safely reheated.

In oven: Place food in oven set no lower than 325 °F. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food reaches 165°F.

In the microwave: Stir, cover, and rotate fully cooked food for even heating. Allow standing time. Heat food until it reaches at least 165 °F throughout.

Not Recommended: Slow cooker, steam tables or chafing dishes. Reheating leftovers in slow cookers, steam tables or chafing dishes is not recommended because foods may stay in the “Danger Zone,” between 40 °F and 140 °F too long. Bacteria multiply rapidly at these temperatures. UH OH…right??

So what is the “Danger Zone”? Let’s ask the USDA again The “Danger Zone” (40 °F-140 °F)

This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” That’s why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration for over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.Oct 19, 2020

Let the product testing begin! I asked my friend Carol Lou who uses one of these almost every day for heating up her lunch and she gave me some tips. I took those and did my own testing to confirm this little beauty would work for me, for you AND reheat our lunches safely and within the USDA guidelines. Here is what I found:

I used heat cooked, commercially vacuum sealed, ready to eat foods for this test since we only had to get to 140 °F

For this test I used a can of Chicken & Stars Soup that was room temp (straight out of the pantry), one that was refrigerated, and one that was frozen.

Each one was heated in the Crock Pot Brand Electric Lunch box and the time and temperature tested. Here are my results!

Room Temp – after just 45 minutes the room temperature canned soup reached almost 150 degrees. A little above the USDA recommended internal temp, and alot under the 2 hour “danger zone”

Refrigerated Temp – surprisingly it only took an extra 30 minutes (total of one hour and 15 minutes) to reach almost 160 degrees. The USDA would still be proud!

Frozen Temp – by this point in the chat we are about 20 minutes from the 2 hour danger zone limit, let’s check it out together!

Below is a printable quick list for your prep but here are a few links to get you going!