WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #210: #SnackAttack

WW News February 2021:

Check out the WW app this week for the Top 20 Most Popular WW Recipes and 22 ways to use some of your frozen favorites
East TN Wellness Checkins are being expanded and a new Monday afternoon check in is available. Go to WW → Connect → and find the Kingston Pike – W Knoxville, TN group for more info. You can also join me on Sunday afternoons at 2:30pm eastern in this same virtual workshop with hostess Gwen, my fave WW’er and the inspiration for the name of our group If You Have an Egg! East TN Lifetime Members who were in good standing when COVID started have had their membership extended again until the end of June 2021. You will need to attend a Wellness Workshop during the month of June to continue those privileges.
The month’s theme is “WW Success Registry” focuses on a group of over 6,000 current and former WW members who have lost 20 or more pounds and kept it off for more than a year. This month’s focus is a common theme found amongst those members. WW has been part of more than 115 published scientific papers, this is some information founded in fact and “normal” people just like us!

WW is offering a chance to join (or re-join) this month for free using my referral code! https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/checkout/iaf/?iaftoken=51AFA56700

Last week in Chat #209: #TalkBack we took some of those fixed mindsets that follow all of us around (weight related or not) and found a way to make them into a growth mindset instead. I’m telling you I am living proof this can work. For years I have not been able to eat a snack, much less a lunch at work and it leaves me irritable, agitated, many days light headed and then playing refrigerator roulette when I get home. My attitude (fixed mindset) has been that it will never change because everything I have tried has not worked. That’s just it…I had to try something I’d never tried. So for the last two weeks I have started my lunch time an hour earlier and in a designated space. To my shock and pleasant surprise it has worked 11 out of 12 days…and the only reason it failed one day was because I allowed a meeting to run over past noon!

Your homework for last week #TalkBack was to make an index card or sticky note that says NOTICE. TALK BACK. SHIFT. To make sure you have a tool in your back pocket for when those fixed mindsets try to sneak in your day. Let’s see how you did!

Michele made a super cute note to herself with stickers that say “Great job!” and “Keep it Up!”
Barbara used her #TalkBack card and reminded herself she CAN make other choices…and bonus, her original fixed mindset choice was freezer burned so she saved herself from disappointment too!
Victoria is going to work on her card so she can hit reset…new week, new mindset!

Bravo, you did it!

This Week’s Topic: #SnackAttack

One of our favorite stories to repeat as a family is “Miss Holly, I’m hungry”. When my nieces Ashley and Sarah were little my sister Holly was “that mom” that went on every field trip, made sure every boo boo had a bandaid, every child was accounted for, and most importantly every tummy fed.

On one fieldtrip a little girl latched onto Holly (probably because she always smells like freshly baked cookies) and almost every 30 minutes said “Miss Holly, I’m hungry”. Each time my sister asked “Do you want your snack?” and she replied “No”. It’s much funnier when my sister does it, but the point is the little girl wasn’t really hungry. She knew Holly’s pockets are always filled with brownies, thumbprint cookies, and cocoa. Ok, not really but she’s kind of got a reputation. So when she said “I’m hungry”, Holly knew she was looking for a treat…not really a snack.

A snack is a small meal that is used to tide you over until your next meal, keep you from getting hangry, avoid drops in blood sugar, and when you are genuinely hungry before or after a regular meal. If you truly need a snack you’ll eat almost anything (apple, stick of cheese, carrots). A treat on the other hand is when you feel what I’m going to call “snacky” which is completely different than needing a snack. Feeling snacky for me usually means something else is going on…I’m bored, I just saw a commercial that triggered a thought, and it’s usually VERY SPECIFIC. When I’m feeling snacky an apple just won’t do.

But is it ok to snack? I mean really snack? Yep! Over 6,000 WW’ers surveyed who have reached their goal and kept their weight off for over a year agreed. Having a healthy snack between meals is a go to behavior that keeps them on track, feeling satisfied, and is sometimes the only way they can “eat dinner with dignity” (I wish I knew who said that originally so I could credit them!)

In the second half of tonight’s chat we are going to check out some specific point friendly and healthy snacks but first let’s make a plan.

When you start to feel hungry (or when you know a between meal snack will be a necessity) keep a little back pocket plan and:

PICK A TIME – Will you plan a snack every day, when a certain situation arises, or any time you feel like you might need something in between a meal?
PICK A PROTEIN – If possible try to pair the snack with some kind of protein like yogurt, low-fat cheese, kefir, or even an egg!
PICK A PLAN – Cutting and prepping fruit or veggies? Keep a quick snack in your purse or drawer at work?

This Week’s Homework: #SnackAttack

Your homework for this week is to Pick a Time, Pick a Protein, and Pick a Plan post it and tag me or hashtag #SnackAttack to earn your next super cool badge!

Don’t forget to do your homework #snackattack 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 @scrapnstamp2

Extra Credit: Snack Attack!

This week we talked about the difference between a snack and a treat. So what are some good snacks to keep on hand so that the fine line between a small meal between meals and an indulgent treat doesn’t get crossed? (Unless you planned that treat and tracked it, then go ahead!)

Some of my favorites are:

Lower point protein bars, prepackaged nuts, or a small container of low point whole grain cereal and some sturdy fruit (banana, clementine or apple) in my purse or backpack for emergencies. I call this #pursecheck … you may want to check what’s in yours in case I decide to have a surprise check!
An apple and any kind of low point cheese like: string cheese, light colby, snack size brie, Laughing Cow wedges, or Light Babybels
Low point protein drinks like Premier Protein in some cold brew coffee for a double pick me up
Sugar snap peas, carrots or other veggies and hummus
Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt with a couple of pumps of any flavor Skinny Syrup and a little no or low point sweetener
Nut powder or whipped peanut butter and an apple or banana
*If you feel like planning ahead, make a batch of my Cheesecake Fruit Dip to keep on hand with pre-washed and cut up fruit…SUPER YUMMY!
Popcorn! I know, I said pair it with a protein…adding just a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in this yummy easy Cheesy Ranch Popcorn adds 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber to your snack plan!

Please remember to Like and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel so that we can continue to bring you and other WW’ers who have been displaced by this pandemic more great content like this. And if you click the little bell you will be notified each time a new video is posted!