WW (Weight Watchers) Chat #257: Tracking #NailedIt!

WW News January 2022:

There are food shortages in ALL areas of the country right now and that is certainly news. I’m curious…what items are in no or short supply in your area, and have you found substitutions or learned to live without them short term?
74.4% of WW Success Members who lost 20 pounds or more and kept it off for more than a year report they track “most of the time” or “always”. Visit https://healthresearch.calpoly.edu/ww-global-success-registry to learn more or participate in this ongoing study!

The month’s theme is “Start Strong” and we will spend the entire month finding ways to Start Strong and then Stay Strong. New Year doesn’t always mean New You. Sometimes it means big plans with little follow through. Stick with us this month to find out how to stay excited and keep that momentum going!

Last week during Chat #256: 2021 – And That’s a Wrap! we agreed it’s time to consider 2021 a wrap! It’s still ok to look in the rearview, but keep your eyes forward…on the new year, on some new goals.

I promised we would be talking a lot about STAR Goals this month, and the WW Weekly did not disappoint. Most New Year’s Resolutions are grandiose ambiguous “dreams” which in the wise words of Jiminy Cricket means it’s a wish that your heart makes. You may want whatever this “resolution” is with all your heart, and wish that it will come true, but if it’s too big, too vague, too overwhelming and especially if you won’t know if you did or didn’t do it it’s still just a wish that your heart made.

Let’s break down a STAR GOAL

Specific – Make sure the goal is Specific. “I want to reduce my food waste” isn’t specific, it’s not measurable, how would you know when you reached the goal? “I want to reduce my food waste by 50% by the end of the year” is measurable and very specific! Even if you didn’t make 50% you can still measure how far you did come in the specified timeline.

Truly Doable – Is this something you can truly do? If the task is too big, adjust it. If the timeline is too short, extend it! If your goal was to become a 5’ 10” blonde and you are a 5’ 5” redhead only one of those tasks is truly doable!

Actionable – For a goal to be successful it should be something you are going to DO and not something you will NOT do. Saying “I will never eat french fries again” probably won’t happen. An actionable goal instead would be “I will only eat french fries when they are hot, crisp, and fresh and when I can share them with someone”

Relevant – The goal you set has to be relevant to YOU. This is not something your mother in law’s cousin said you should do or ever something I said you should do. This is about YOU. Is the goal relevant to you, your journey, your wishes that your heart makes? If not, drop it like a hot potato and move on to something just for you!

Your homework for last week was #ShootingSTAR. You are all my shooting stars and you deserve to get the wishes that your heart makes. Tell us one STAR goal you have made for this year, this month or even just this day ….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!

Katy is going to accurately track 3 days this week and when she checks that off as accomplished will make it 4 the next week!
Marlene is pre-planning her next day’s meals five days a week for the remainder of January!
Kim is adding two servings of non-starchy vegetables to her lunch 5 days a week for the rest of January…that’s also like 15 points added back!

Bravo, you did it!

This Week’s Topic: Tracking #NailedIt

As a reminder – 74.4% of Weight Watchers who were successful with losing over 20 pounds cite tracking as an important part of this success. When you track your food you’re actively paying more attention to your food intake and giving yourself more opportunities to make good choices.

If tracking hasn’t necessarily been the easiest thing for you to keep up with, there are a few small tips and adjustments you can make to simplify the process!

Take a moment and think… is it easier for you to track your meal as you eat, before you eat, or after you eat? Do you save your common foods in the app? Do you already know the point value of your food?

Adjust your Timing

Depending on your lifestyle it may be easier to pre-track your food if you eat the same lunch every day or plan out your meals for a few days at a time. If you’re eating leisurely, it might be simplest to track your meal as you’re eating it. And if you’re pressed for time and can’t get your meals tracked during the day, snap a picture of the meal so you can track your food later in the evening when you have more time.

Save Time with Saved Foods

Do you make the same meals in rotation week after week? Save those recipes in your app to make adding them to your daily tracking quick and easy.

Use the Quick Add Function

If you already know the point value of the food and portion size you’re eating, save time by quick adding those foods.

This Week’s Homework: #TrackStar

Your homework for this week is #TrackStar. This week I want to hear what your STAR goals are when it comes to tracking ….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 #TrackStar 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: 7 Steps to Reduce Food Waste

You all know I’m serious about reducing my food waste this year so I’ve set a STAR goal to reduce my food waste by 50% by the end of the year. So we’re going to talk about a few more ways that I’m making that happen!

Purge. Get rid of anything that’s expired, crusty, unidentifiable, questionable, freezer burned, etc.
KISS (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart). Don’t overcomplicate your kitchen. I’m using things like reCap Flip Lids on mason jars to make my foods easily accessible so that I don’t have a reason not to eat the things in my pantry.
Take Inventory. Go through the food you have already so you don’t overbuy or double up on commonly bought items.
Make It Clear. Use clear containers to make sure the food in your fridge or pantry is visible – you’ll be more likely to eat it before it goes bad if you can see what it is!
Condense and Label. When you take your inventory you may find out that you have duplicates and (if you’re like me) some of those duplicates might be hidden and already expired. I recommend putting your ingredients and pantry staples into those clear containers and labeling the containers so you can easily recognize what’s inside.
Prep and Preserve. Your freezer is your friend! I use Grip Sticks to keep bagged frozen foods closed and protected from freezer burn and Souper Cubes to freeze pre-portioned servings of soups and other meals. Food Huggers are also a great way to preserve vegetables if you don’t need to use the whole thing at once.
Reduce and Recycle. I’ve cut my grocery store purchases almost in half already! Things like composting your food waste, finding creative ways to use foods that are past their prime (for example, baking your apples instead of throwing them out or using brown bananas for banana bread), and repurposing your old foods around the house are great ways to reduce your waste.