WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #245: H2O Go!

WW News October 2021:

People who don’t think WW cares about our wellness as well as weight loss just aren’t paying attention. I found an article on the WW Blog (which can be accessed from the website but here is a quick link to the article https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/m/cms/blog/health/caregiver-burnout-symptoms ) that hits home for John and I so hard right now. As you all know we have been dealing with parental care more in the last 10 years than we have caring for our own child and grandchildren. We met another family in the ER last night from the same facility, same age parent, same situation we are in, whose loved one had been brought by ambulance to the same hospital we were standing in just after John’s mom arrived. In my opinion caring for aging parents is the new pandemic and it can have an effect on your health and your weight loss. WW has added an entire section called “Improve Your Mindset” and I hope you will go check it out
Historically, every other year we receive news of something sometimes not so affectionately known as “plan change November”. Following in that tradition, WW has clinical trials underway for a plan update that I expect will be released in November as usual. I don’t have any insider information, but because I am an observer of things I will give you my guesses as we continue to chat over the next few weeks. The new plan called “PersonalPoints” has rolled out in Australia and New Zealand. I’m excited to see what’s coming our way because their version looks very interesting. I do encourage you to be just a little patient though and wait for the US details before you get too carried away. For now we are still Blue, Green and Purple…no need to rock the boat until it’s time!

The month’s theme is “What Happens In Your Body When You Eat (and Drink!)” and is in my opinion another easter egg (clues hidden in plain sight) to the new program launching in November 2021. If you go to the desktop version of WW you will notice a new MyWW+ Personal Assessment on the homepage of ww.com. The topic this week is about upping our water intake. Next week we chat up fiber…my spidey senses are going crazy trying to take these clues and patiently wait for the puzzle to come together in November!

Last week during Chat #244: Let’s Get Sugar Savvy, we realized there can be a significant difference in our bodies if we pay a little attention to sugar in our diet.

My grandfather bought into the “I have diabetes, I have to do what my doctor says and take shots the rest of my life” theory. My mom, on the other hand, said to heck with the diagnosis, went to the library and every seminar she could find, joined Weight Watchers where she lost 120 pounds, learned everything she could about sugar in food, added sugar and how this all (including exercise) affects your body. Sound familiar?

Today WW is more invested than ever in not only your weight loss success but your wellness victory. This week we are sticking a little tiny toe in the big big ocean of sugar information that my mom found through years of research and recording. This week’s WW Weekly hits the highlights that, diabetic or not, we all need to know!

Natural Versus Added Sugars:

Sugar (or carbs) that are naturally occurring in dairy, fruits and vegetables is “natural” sugar and can be part of a healthy eating pattern
Added sugars are ones that are well just that…sugar (and usually overly processed sugar at that) that is manually added to a food or beverage
My mom added another category and that was “hidden” sugars. You expect to find added sugar in things like candy, syrups, etc but what about your favorite yogurt, flavored instant oatmeal, light bread, healthy protein bars??

What to do:

Check the label. Whole foods don’t have labels and guess what else they don’t have? Added sugar. If it came in a box, a bag, a jug or a jar…check the label for added sugar
If your favorite convenience food has given you sugar shock after checking the label make your own. Use non fat plain greek yogurt and add berries for sweetness. Use quick cook oats and add your own low-cal sweetener and some cinnamon. Chopped Air Fryer Baked Apples in your oats will make you forget all about that sugar!
Look for lower sugar substitutes in your peanut butter, coffee creamer, and favorite flavorings. Jordan’s Skinny Syrups are a great way to add some flavor to coffee, yogurt and more without adding sugar!

Your homework for last week was #SkinnySugar. Find one of your favorite convenience foods, check the sugar and tell us how you will skinny it up. (If it’s at Starbucks or Dunkin be sure and share how the barista helped you so we can order the same thing next time!) ….and then type it, snap it, however you want to share it and then tag me for your next cool badge!

Let’s see how you did!

Cynthia realized commercially prepared yogurt could be sugar skinnied up and now chooses 0% Fat Greek Yogurt and adds her own sweetener to her taste
Malinda killed two birds with one stone (not that Malinda or I would ever kill a bird mind you hahaha) and got her sweet fix without added sugar while she snuck in some water with a Sonic Diet Strawberry Limeade
Mary Ann uses Monk Fruit or Stevia sweeteners in her treats and drinks because she doesn’t like the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners

Bravo, you did it!

This Week’s Topic: What Happens in Your Body When You Eat & Drink – H2O Go!

Remember when we had paper trackers and all those little circles to fill in for drinking water?

We’ve heard it all over the years:

“Drinking water makes you feel fuller”
“You have to drink (6 or is it 8? Or is it back to 6?) glasses of water every day”
“Consuming any other beverage besides water doesn’t count as water”

Are the water rumors true? Is there a minimum? What happens if you don’t drink any water at all?

Myths about water come and they will go. And they will probably come again hahaha. What I can tell you with utmost certainty is this:

You can get water from other sources than just plain water
Water helps your body flush out waste (#1 AND #2), it helps regulate your body temperature and it is important for many bodily functions including brain function
Many supplements and medications say to take with a full glass of water because that’s how much it takes to get the active ingredients “active”
Consuming more water can help fight off some illnesses like constipation, dehydration, kidney stones, urinary tract infections and hypertension
While you can’t survive long without water, there have been cases of people making it months with only access to water and no food

Every person is different and will need to find their own “water level” (for instance an athlete in training will demand much more than someone who’s more sedentary) but here are some tips and tricks for getting the right amount for you:

Keep Track – There is a water tracker on your WW app. There are also fun apps like Plant Nanny and Aqualert. Or if you prefer a paper tracker, download our IYHAE Water Tracker Printable Sticker Sheet and tally up your daily water intake in your planner.
Use Food – Grapes, watermelon, celery, cucumbers and more zero point fruits and vegetables contain enough liquid to help keep you hydrated
Make it Fun – Adding frozen fruit, flavored drops and powders like Everly, or even switching to a flavored non caloric fizzy water can help!

This Week’s Homework: #H2OGO

Your homework for this week is #H2OGO. Find ONE way to add or track a little more H2O in your day ….and then type it, snap it, however you want to share it and then tag me for your next cool badge!

Don’t forget to do your homework #H2OGO 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: Egg Lady Labs – Souper Cubes!

This week I’m introducing you to a new product that I’m absolutely thrilled about – Souper Cubes! These are available through my shop, KC Kitchen Center, or you can find a link through my Recommendations section as well.

Before we start testing these out, here are some basics about the Souper Cubes and what makes them so great:

Made of food-grade silicone
Keep their shape with steel-reinforced rims
Each compartment has fill lines
8 cups fit in a gallon size freezer bag
Lid included to make storage easy
Dishwasher safe
BPA-free
Stackable
Don’t stain
Oven-safe up to 415 degrees (only the cubes, not the lid)

The first thing I did was make some fruit ice cubes with the 1 oz. tray. I often make these in traditional ice cube trays but I’ll never do that again after making them with Souper Cubes! There’s no twisting or cracking needed to free the cubes – just push from the bottom and they pop straight out. This size tray would also be great for storing pre-measured ingredients!

Next, I used the ½ cup tray to make individual servings of canned pumpkin! I love to cook seasonal recipes using pumpkin, but they rarely call for a whole can of pumpkin and I hate seeing it go to waste. With Souper Cubes, that’s no longer an issue! I simply scooped the pumpkin into the mold and froze it for use later on.

Another idea that I’m so excited for is the obvious – soup! It’s officially soup season and there are so many delicious soups I love to make (taco soup, pasta e fagioli, and more), but I always make WAY too much and if I’m not careful, I’ll keep eating it until I pass out. So instead of overeating, I’m going to use my Souper Cubes to freeze individual servings for later!

And finally, I’m going to make a copycat of one of my favorite dishes from a local restaurant – pepperoni spaghetti – and use my Souper Cubes to save individual, ready-to-eat portions! Not only will this let me save individual portions for meals throughout the week, but it also provides built-in portion control which is a huge help!

What are you going to use your Souper Cubes for?