News and Reviews August 2022:
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire released that in a randomized clinical study (meaning the participants didn’t know which program they were getting) reports that “A new randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open found that those engaged in WeightWatchers, a commercially available weight loss program, lost more than twice the amount of weight than those who tried to lose weight on their own. Those randomly assigned to WeightWatchers were also more likely to achieve clinically significant weight loss of five percent at three and twelve months, which can help lead to health benefits – including improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar.”
We already know that as a community we are better together and this proves it! For more info visit their study here.
The month’s theme is “The Journey” and we will spend the entire month learning how to find our way while we are on our way!
Last week during Chat #285: The Journey to Learning How To Say No, I asked if I told you learning to say no really means finding ways to say yes would you agree or disagree? (or shake your head and think I didn’t get enough coffee today LOL)
Tuesday night during our in person workshop, we spent a lot of time commiserating about times that we had to say no to something even if we didn’t want to . And then spent even more time realizing what it helped us say yes to instead. Here’s how:
When someone or something wants more time than you have available…
This could be as simple as a request to collect money for flowers for a neighbor, or as emotionally complicated as a toddler who wants your attention when there is water pouring out from your cabinet. Trust me I know from experience.
Saying NO to heading up the flower committee this time let my friend Jacci say YES to completing a project she had a deadline on and a bonus YES because it allowed another neighbor to meet some new families while taking up the money this time.
And a gentle NO to Alyssa to play while I was on my hands and knees trying to figure out why water was pouring out from Casey’s sink allowed me to say YES to getting it under control before she had any water damage.
When you really want to say yes, but know you should say no…
This one is tough for sure. You want to do whatever it is. Or you felt obligated to help, listen, do, whatever it is…but you know deep down you really should say no this time.
I ended up with a cat that way last week. That cute little orange and white face pleading desperately the whole way it followed me home. It took every bit of strength I had to say NO to Casey, NO to Alyssa, NO to myself…he was soooo cute!
But guess what? It let me say YES to a beautiful young college girl who was looking for her first cat and he was PERFECT! He needed some TLC, she desperately wanted a kitty, it was a YES made in Heaven. And fyi, his new name is Rocky (for Rocky Top since he’s orange and white) and he now has a clean bill of health and the sweetest little bowtie collar.
When you didn’t want to say yes to start with…
You would think saying no when you really don’t want to do whatever “it” is would be easy wouldn’t you? Those of you it comes naturally to have a gift. I’m not one of those people.
But, learning to take a breath and say NO thank you when someone offers food you really didn’t want or NO to going to an event you care nothing about can lead to a YES, let’s do lunch another day! Or YES, why don’t we take that trip to the new JoAnn’s to shop for yarn when we are both off from work?
Don’t feel guilty saying no, you may be able to turn it into a yes that you both will really enjoy!
Your homework for last week was #MyNoNoJourney. This week I want you to muster up some strength to firmly (but with love) say “No No” to someone or something….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!
- Lynn put some items in her Aldi cart that were not part of her plan (it happens right?) but when she went to check out they were not available which allowed her to breathe, take a quick check of what she really wanted, and say NO when they asked if she wanted subs for those items. That let Lynn say YES to staying on plan!
- Mary said NO to popcorn the day before weigh in so she could say YES to success at the scales without that extra sodium!
- Kelly said NO to an offer of McDonalds this week so she could say YES to homemade mac n’ cheese for dinner with plenty of points to spare!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: The Journey To I Want To Move It Move It
We literally just talked about exercise three or four weeks ago…am I right?
In Chat #282 we talked about putting the “F” Back In Fitness but here we are again, talking about exercise just a month later. Why do you think that is?Because our bodies are designed to be mobile, that’s why! An article in Harvard Health quoting Dr. Forman even states that, “While you can’t completely stop aging, staying active can slow down the destructive processes that lead to disease and immobility, which diminish your quality of life. “Most of my patients are very concerned about frailty.” For more information visit: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercise-is-still-the-best-medicine
“If you see me running you better run too because something is chasing me”
Exercise is not one size fits all. I will never run. I’m not a runner. Tried it a couple of times and am not even interested in learning more. My fearless leader Gwen on the other hand loathes anything that involves the water. I’m going to tell you what I told Casey growing up and Alyssa has to hear at least once a week though “try one bite (in this case exercise) and if you don’t like it you never have to eat it (do it) again”.
Just Do It
A phrase made famous by Nike, but it’s a good one. It doesn’t matter what you choose…just do it. Maybe it’s an hour of intense CrossFit. Or perhaps taking the dog out for an extra stroll twice a day is more your style. Just do it.
Never Say Never
Whenever we chat about exercise I start getting messages like “I can’t, I just had surgery”; “my knees are bad, I’ll never be able to walk/run/jog/you name it”; “I’m too old to start exercising!”
Well Cynthia in our IYHAE group shared a YouTube video today that proves everyone no matter your age, physical limitations (please do ask your doctor if you have medical limitations before you try anything), or attitude you can do this! Check out the Metro Active In Home Silver Sneakers workout she found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ-v8IMnNKM
This Week’s Homework: #MyMoveItJourney
Your homework for this week is #MyMoveItJourney. This week I want you to find a workout video that you or anyone can do on YouTube or Facebook (or some other place we can all access) and share the link….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 #MyMoveItJourney and tag me when you share on social media!
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on Instagram
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on our Facebook Page
- Tag @Kelly Green Milligan in our Facebook Group
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on WW Connect
Extra Credit: #BulkItUp – Taco Tuesday Edition
Starting today and through the rest of the month, we’re going to talk about how to #bulkitup with your favorite meals! We’ll kick things off tonight with bulking up our Taco Tuesday favorites.
I don’t know about you, but I could eat tacos every day. When you think of tacos most people start with some kind of protein, whether that’s chicken, ground beef, carnitas, etc… In my meal, I’m going to use a plant-based ground beef alternative. Keep in mind, a meatless option won’t be many less points than a traditional protein but it will have far fewer saturated fats.
Next, you’ll pick a carb to add to your meal. Even if you’re in need of a low carb option, a complex carb (like brown rice) will be helpful for you. I’m choosing beans and corn (both 0 points for me) for my Taco Tuesday meal.
Then, pick 2 zero point foods to add into the mix – for my bowl, I’m counting the beans and corn as both my carbs and my zero point foods but you may choose different options!
Add 2 cups of non-starchy veggies to #bulktiup. I’m choosing riced cauliflower and diced tomatoes (full drained) and topping it with some taco seasoning (a favorite of mine is DAK’s Taco Knight). Not only does this make your meal more filling, but for every cup on non-starchy vegetables that you eat during the day you’ll add back a point to your daily allotment! Once those ingredients are heated and mixed well, I’m adding a few additional ingredients to my bowl including 1 cup butter lettuce and some sliced raw peppers.
By the time my meal is ready to eat, I’ve created an incredibly filling meal that only cost me a couple of points and if I want to, I now have the option to add real cheese, real sour cream, some guacamole, or even eat this meal with tortillas without breaking my points budget.
By bulking up my meal, I’ll stay full longer, earn points back for my day, give my body tons of nutrients to help me feel better, and use up tons of food items in my fridge and pantry that might otherwise go to waste!
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