WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #254: Slow Down Speedy Eating

WW News December 2021:

You did it! You survived Christmas…now you just have to make it past New Years and it’s all a downhill slide from there 🙂
For the middle and east Tennessee WW Franchises all meetings will be held as normal this week except for New Years Day
Knoxville girls we have more exciting news…the Friday workshop with Linda Mitchell is back starting Jan 7th! You can join Linda’s workshop at the Cedar Springs (Cedar Bluff) WW Center on Fridays at 9:30am starting the week after next!
Did you know 42 million people are expected to experience food insecurity this year? Even more shocking is that 24% of the fresh food in the US is going to waste with a whopping $408 billion spent on food that will never be eaten! WW is joining Change.org to ask Congress to amend the Emerson Act which is the 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. This piece of legislation encourages companies to donate their surplus food and grocery products. It’s a fuzzy bill leaving some food producers confused…read more here and sign the petition if you agree senseless food waste should be a thing of the past!

The month’s theme is “Find Balance” and we will spend the entire month finding ways to change the “all or nothing super overwhelming” holiday season into a “balanced and say yes to what you really want” season to enjoy!

Last week during Chat #253: Get Together. Stay on Track, we discovered there are lots of reasons to get together and believe or not they don’t all revolve around food. We had a discussion in the showroom this week about “civilians” (people who have never had to worry about their weight up OR down) versus the rest of us. There were three of us in the discussion: One woman who constantly battles keeping weight off, me (kind of in the middle but have to be ever vigilant), and a very tall man who struggles every day to keep weight on. I’m telling you, he did most of the talking and for him keeping weight on is just as hard!

One thing we all agreed on, “civilians” don’t have an issue with every discussion, decision, or planned get-together revolving around food. Here is how to make your next get together do just that!

Know Before You Go

If the get together does revolve around food (dining out, party or a family event):

Do your best to look up the restaurant or find out the menu so that you can pre-plan what you will have ahead of time
Pre-track what you can – the best in the moment decisions are made when you’ve already committed something to paper
Decide BEFORE you get there that if something isn’t good or doesn’t meet the pre-planned point expectation that you will leave it, throw it away or give it away

Coffee, Tea, or Me?

I have a friend who likes to meet at a favorite coffee shop, but they also have sweet treats that I find it hard to resist. We are planning on getting together soon and this time I’m thinking about ME

Coffee Shop – There are so many local coffee shops now I can choose one that doesn’t have yummy treats I’ve already decided I have trouble resisting
Tea Shop – Does your city have cute little tea shops popping up like we do? My favorite, Tonya Rea’s, is tea and a show. Many of her teas are quite the presentation and she knows so much about the ingredients she has carefully selected for them that I know I can enjoy the experience without feeling like I have to go overboard on snacks while I’m there
At Home Barista – Maybe you should just set up your own low-point hot cocoa or coffee bar using sugar free syrups, homemade cocoa blends, or no sugar creamers to save some money, points, and your sanity

Enjoy the Company

Have you ever been so preoccupied with what you are getting on your second plate at the dessert bar that you got lost in the conversation you went there to have?

Put your fork down in between bites and actually listen to the other person(s)
Offer to share a treat, tell the waiter you want extra spoons, and let them go first
Mentally make a note of the sights, smells, and sounds accompanying your meal BEFORE you take that first bite

Your homework for last week was #KeepItTogether. Think of a get together opportunity coming up soon and let us know how you will get together while still keeping it together ….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!

Lynn had Christmas with her sister and brother-in-law. They were not having anything special, just sandwiches and dessert but she enjoyed the time together in this holiday season!
Julie was starting a week of holiday eating with her son who wanted alllll his California foods. She is posting here to keep her accountable for the week. And drinking a lot of water!!!
Zaob didn’t exactly do her homework but she kept our spirits up by posting a picture that said “When what to my wondering eyes should appear…but 10 extra pounds on Hips, Thighs, and Rear”!

Bravo, you did it!

This Week’s Topic: Slow Down Speedy Eating

Are you a Miss Manners diner sitting politely with your napkin in your lap and never an elbow near the table? Or are you the friend or family member who is machine gun eating so quickly that everyone guards their own plate while you lock and reload?

Not gonna lie, I’m a slow eater. To the point that the quicker eaters sometimes get frustrated with me and so I often just wait until everyone is done before I start. But we’re talking about the speed eaters today…we will psychoanalyze my eating behaviors another day hahaha.

How many times have you quick eaters looked down to an empty plate and realized you missed the meal? I know (and am related to) some counter grazers too…too busy to sit down and eat so they graze as they walk to save some time. That’s not very enjoyable either, is it?

Here are a few ways to slow down that speedy eating!

Righty Lefty

Use your non-dominant hand to eat
Sit next to a person who eats with the opposite hand so you have to take turns raising your elbow to put another bite in
Pass the dishes the opposite direction from normal and pay attention to your new meal buddy

Stop and Smell the Pot Roast

Try setting your fork down in between bites or taking a sip of water before taking your next one
Match the pace of the slowest person at the table
Take a few minutes to notice your surroundings before you start eating: What can you hear? Smell? See?

Bottoms Down and Cartons Up

Bottom. In a chair. Do it.
Eat off real plates. With real utensils. Do not walk around licking the yogurt cup
At least one meal this holiday season try to include different colors on your plate. A pretty plate never killed anyone, or made them miss the after dinner couch nap marathon. You’ve got time for both.

This Week’s Homework: #HolidaySurvivorClub

Your homework for this week is #HolidaySurvivorClub. I am so proud of you all for being here, being aware, and being you this holiday week that you get a homework badge for just being here and being part of our club! Just shout “I’m here, I’m surviving Christmas to New Year’s week!” or something like that and you can be part of our Holiday Survivor Club ….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 #HolidaySurvivorClub 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: 3 Day Holiday Detox

The first week of 2021 we chatted about how angry I was that 2020 had taken so much from us. But like many of you I dusted off, picked up and carried on. And I’m 2 healthy grandchildren and 13 pounds lighter for it.

We started the year with detox ideas that not only cleansed our bodies, it cleared our minds. Just to review a couple of those great ideas from Chat #207:

Mindi enjoys the WW Garden Veggie soup (cabbage soup) as well as other high fiber, high water content foods and probiotics. She also suggests starting the day with warm lemon water before breakfast in the mornings
Loretta likes making a big jug of green tea and enjoys it with a squirt of lemon
Lani loves lemon in her water and heats it up in the mornings to start her day
Kathy is working on cutting out processed foods and starting her day with meditation to detox her brain before the day even begins
Karen is exploring the positive results of a daily dose of Kefir (and I found out this is pronounced kee-fur)

This year I decided not to wait until AFTER the holidays. I’m taking my dignity back this week. This holiday week. This “we just finished Christmas and have two birthdays, an anniversary and New Years” week.

Using every bit of knowledge I possess from Nana, my amazing support group, WW and the internet (haha) I hope you will join me this week for 72 hours of the hardest but most rewarding moments detoxing before the new year!

3 Day Holiday Detox! – Follow each of these steps EVERY DAY for 3 days and comment below with you did

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #1 – AVOID THE FOLLOWING!

Added salt / sodium
Processed sugar
Diet drinks
Anything out of a box, can or drive thru
Alcohol. Sorry…you better get this detox in before the ball drops!
The family member or friend who will question what you are doing

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #2 – START EACH DAY WITH WARM LEMON WATER
All of my dental hygienist friends just gasped. Ok, use a straw and start each day with warm lemon water. I can’t explain why it works but it does. According to Very Healthy LIfe.com there are 30 reasons to add this warm drink to your daily routine like aiding in digestion and combating constipation. I found it very “filling” and my skin always looks great when I include it daily!

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #3 – INCLUDE SOME FORM OF RELAXATION FOR 10 MINUTES EACH DAY
By relaxation I don’t mean hide in the bathroom from your coworkers and check Facebook for the latest cute cat videos. I mean real relaxation. For 10 minutes. This is for three days, you never know you may like it and keep it up. Go to your WW app and find a new 5 minutes BREATHE coaching or check out an article on EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) which is thought to be an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #4 – SLEEP 6-8 HOURS IN A ROW EACH OF THE THREE NIGHTS
We have soooo many chats about sleep, rest, the effect of both. It only makes sense that in this 3 days of detoxing that we try to add some. I found six different chats about sleeping without even trying real hard. Go back and watch one for more details but basically you need it, so do it

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #5 – EAT A SUPERFOOD OR HERBS AT EACH MEAL
Superfoods and herbs are the best and most natural way to detox your body from the inside out. Superfoods include: berries, kale, turmeric, spinach, grapefruit, asparagus and apples. Great herbs include: basil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, ginger and turmeric. (Did you notice turmeric made it on the list twice?)

3 DAY DETOX PRO TIP #6 – GET PLENTY OF FIBER…DRINK LOTS OF WATER
You are going to need to poop, I know some of you don’t like talking about it but these holiday toxins have to go somewhere when we shake them off your insides. Getting lots of fiber is one thing, you have to drink lots of water or it’s just going to bulk up and sit there. Trust me on this one.