WW News February 2022:
- You can now view Instagram in Landscape! Some of you are scratching your head…those of us who get alot of our WW news, recipes, info etc from Instagram are in LOVE and our necks feel alot better!
- Knoxville and Oak Ridge guys and gals – there are two more in person workshops open! UT Knoxville Student Union on Wednesdays at noon (weigh in is 11:30am) and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge on Tuesdays at noon (weigh in is 11:30am) whoop!
- Did you know not all music motivates us all in the same way? According to an article on WW “How To Make Music Motivate You” music can be a powerful motivator and can actually “turn on” things like self confidence, moving more / longer, and even turn off things like stress. But if you don’t listen to music that you don’t like it can actually fail to activate YOUR brain even though it’s stimulating someone else. Very interesting article, click on the How To Make Music Motivate You link above and check it out!
The month’s theme is “Embrace Now” and we will spend the entire month remembering that it’s good to plan ahead, smart to check your rear view mirror, but sometimes you just need to be in the here and now!
Last week during Chat #258: Your Stay on Track Tools I said two words. Meal Planning.
And then without overthinking I asked you to shout out (or comment below) the first thing that popped in your mind.
Some of you got all angelic and glisteny-eyed dreaming about color coded lists, stickers, and some alone time with your favorite cookbooks and some sticky note flags.
The rest of you just turned off the chat and decided C Span would be less painful.
For those of us who think meal planning takes hours, a special set of markers, and a 72 pocket planner just hang on…we can do this! WW breaks it down into 4 easy steps (although I love sets of 3’s I can get on board). Check it out:
- Which meal or meals do you “need” to plan?
Notice it doesn’t say want to or feel like you have to. Which ones do you need to plan? This week I needed to plan Monday night and Wednesday night, plus Tuesday – Friday for lunch so that’s all I wrote down. - What are you going to make?
Even though I’m not technically “making” my lunches, I am adding #bulkitup items so I counted it as making. This week I am making salads for those lunches, pot roast, and veggies for Monday and beef stew for Wednesday - What do you need to buy?
Please remember to do your pantry, fridge, and freezer inventory before you do this one. I am serious about you joining me in reducing food waste so please make sure you really need it before you buy it. I needed a roast and two bagged salads but I already had the rest either here at KC Kitchen Center or at home – tada! - What do you need to prepare?
Remember this also doesn’t have to be a marathon day in the kitchen…unless you want it to be. I chose a pot roast and veggies because I can put them in the crock pot before I take Dusty to the vet in the morning and it will be done by the time John gets home without any other intervention from me.
Your homework for last week was #PrepStar. Last week I wanted you to choose one meal on one day that you will prep using the 4 simple steps we just listed….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!
- Orlando Debbi took a rotisserie chicken and made an Orange Chicken Masterpiece of preparation…head over to the IYHAE Facebook Group to see how she did it!
- Tina meal planned without really knowing it…she makes a two week grocery list to make sure they have enough meals on hand. She used Deana’s notepad idea to make it even more fun (p.s. Her Jenna even got in on the fun and wrote “Jenna was here” on the planner)
- Mary Ann prepped lunch for 3 days this week and everything looked simple, delicious, and well within her power to make it happen!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: 2022 WW Olympics
In an unfortunate turn of events we were not able to keep the girls last week as planned, BUT we did get them for a short overnighter last night. You all already know Alyssa is a slumbie party champion and as long as we have a good book, some Disney music, and the sleepin’ sweater we will have a good night.
This was our first time having a double trouble slumbie party and honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect. Long story short, Beau is quite possibly an even happier baby than Alyssa was (hard to believe right?) and her grasp of which cry to make to get what she wants is amazing. Casey had already warned us that there was a late night “nap”, followed by another bottle at 9pm, then sleeping until about 3am, snuggling and another bottle and then sleeping until 7 or 7:30. It was like clockwork!
What I wasn’t expecting was her interest in the Winter Olympics. I’m not kidding. John stepped in front of the tv during curling and she was craning her neck to see around him. At the 3am bottle and snuggling she didn’t cry at all. Instead she enjoyed her 6 ounces while enjoying some snowboarding. She was mesmerized and so was I!
What does this have to do with WW? Being up at 3am meant watching events I’d never seen before and I’m going to be honest…after about the third person went down on their bottom I was asking myself what was the point? Are these olympic-level athletes or is the course just so icy no one is going to pull this off?
Suddenly it was clear. This isn’t an all or nothing, only perfection matters run down the slope. Each run is a test of the frozen waters, not giving up, and certainly not giving in. Are you an olympic-level Weight Watcher? Let’s find out!
Bronze Medal
You’ve been a WW’er before. Maybe it’s only once, maybe it’s a dozen times. But pandemic or not here you are. You know the plan works and won’t give up, even though some days it doesn’t look too pretty.
Silver Medal
You like a good blue dot, but aren’t obsessed with it. If you’ve had a bad day (or week) it doesn’t take too long for you to shake it off and get back on plan. Your support team is good and your accountabilibuddies are on board with your journey no matter how messy it gets.
Gold Medal
You’ve been at this long enough you realize this is not a “perfection” sport. A lot of practice has made your actions permanent, not perfect. You know a triple digit day doesn’t mean you lost, it means you tracked! Your pep talks with Bronze and Silver medalists are spot on, but as a Gold Medal winner your inner voice is your own best cheerleader!
This Week’s Homework: #PracticeMakesPermanent
Your homework for this week is #PracticeMakesPermanent. This week I want you to tell us if your practice has made you a Bronze, Silver or Gold Medal winner on this WW journey….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 #PracticeMakesPermanent 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: Super Bowl Taco Bar!
If you all are watching the big game next week, we hope to still see you for the chat! And in preparation for the parties that will inevitably take place next week I’m going to show you how to make a quick, WW-friendly taco bar.
We may not all like the same things in our tacos, but everybody loves a good tacos! And they’re the best “finger” foods to serve at a party to give all your guests the opportunity to choose exactly what they love.
First, you’ll need to start with a low-point tortilla. I’d recommend starting with La Banderita Carb Counter soft taco shells and baking them in your oven if you prefer a crunchy taco shell. These are super low in points and come in a variety of sizes from street tacos to burrito/quesadilla size.
Next, you’ll need to choose your filling. That might be chicken, ground beef, beans, or whatever your heart desires! I love the Tyson Grilled Oven-Ready chicken (diced or shredded) on tacos or quesadillas and if you have chicken as a zero point food, it’ll be zero points for you! I’m also making some taco meat with the Cauli Crumble from Big Mountain Foods for a meatless option. This is vegan with tons of protein and it’s free of common allergens including gluten and soy.
Then come the toppings! I love beans (which you might have as a zero point food) so I’m choosing some fat-free refried beans to add to my tacos. You don’t need much and it adds an excellent flavor! I like guacamole in my tacos, but my family doesn’t eat it so it wouldn’t make sense for me to make a big batch for my taco bar. So instead, I’m opting to buy a single-serve container to ensure I’m not stuck eating the whole batch by myself. And again, a little goes a long way on your tacos.
Seasonings are important too! I love the Taco Knight seasoning from Dak’s Spices because it’s salt and MSG free but they’ve recently come out with a Street Taco flavor that I love as well. Heads up – it’s spicy but delicious!
Don’t forget to add your veggies and dairy! On my taco bar, we’ll have shredded green leaf lettuce (so much prettier and more flavorful than iceberg), locally grown cilantro microgreens, queso blanco (I’m splurging for the 1 point per tablespoon because I’m using so many other zero point foods), and sour cream (or nonfat plain Greek yogurt if that’s a zero point food for you).And finally, I took a few of my low-carb tortillas and cut them into strips, spritzed them with olive oil, and topped them with nutritional yeast and seasoning. After cooking them for a few minutes in the air fryer I was able to create some crispy strips for my tacos. As an extra treat, I even made some homemade candied jalapenos that are absolutely delicious if you like a little spice.
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