Weight Watchers Chat #337 “Portions 101!”

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News and Reviews

  1. Halloween is in 17 days! If you are in the Knoxville TN area please note there will be no meetings on Tues, Oct 31st but all other meetings are scheduled to meet as normal
  2. Halloween is in 17 days in case you weren’t listening to #1. Here is my database for common Halloween candies and their points values https://www.ifyouhaveanegg.com/halloween-candy-smart-points-database/
  3. Third, my WW app did give me a chance to do an update even though the WW app in the app store said “no updates this week, but we’re working behind the scenes to ensure your WW app is powering your weight loss and health gains”. I went ahead and logged out and back in just to be sure, but I don’t see any changes. And I’ve been preaching to know your password for years now just in case there is an update and you get logged out. Have you tried the “magic link” yet to your e-mail? Super easy to get logged back in!

 

Review Last Week: Last week was Chat #336 “Eating Habits Be(A)ware!”

I’ve got another movie reference tonight…who has seen Disney’s A Bug’s Life?

In one of my favorite scenes the ants are doing what ants do which is harvest. Their little perfect lines are irritating when they are in your home or on your picnic table, but you have to admit the skill with which they maintain their ranks is pretty impressive. In this scene a leaf falls and lands where else? Smack in the middle of the line. Suddenly the next ant is LOST…where is the line?? 

  • Ant #1: [gasps] No, no, no, Oh, no. Oh, no.
  • [a leaf falls in front of one of the worker ants in the food line]
  • Ant #1: I’m lost! Where’s the line? It just went away. What do I do?
  • Ant #2: Help!
  • Ant: We’ll be stuck here forever!
  • Mr. Soil: Do not panic, do not panic. We are trained professionals. Now, stay calm. We are going around the leaf.
  • Ant #1: Around the leaf? I-I-I don’t think we can do that.
  • Mr. Soil: Oh, nonsense. This is nothing compared to the twig of ’93

Three Fast Facts from WW:

You are what (and how) you eat

Did you realize you have an eating pattern? How you eat often determines what you eat:

  1. Are you a machine gun or a snail?
  2. Do you eat on a schedule or when the mood hits?
  3. Is mealtime a sit down at a table experience or while hovering near a flat surface or driving from one place to the next?

Knowledge is Power

Recognizing your eating patterns and why you have them will help you figure out what’s working and also identify some things you want to change.

We are going around the leaf

Life is busy and we tend to march in the same line day after day. 

Maybe your “line” is eating scheduled meals every day and when your “leaf” falls your next planned meal does tooOr maybe you are like me and your “leaf” is an unexpected customer walking in the door right as you get your lunch out

Do not panic, do not panic. We are trained professionals. We are going AROUND the leaf

The WW topic can be found under the three horizontal lines on your app and then “Discover Content”. Check out the “Try This!” activity to dive a little deeper into what’s really going on when you eat!

 

Your homework was #GoAroundTheLeaf I asked for one example this week of how a leaf fell into your path of either when to eat, what to eat, or how you are were eating and then let us know how you will #GoAroundTheLeaf next time

  • Well Deanna, one to always do her homework, did her homework. And by “did her homework” I mean recognized the leaf but refused to go around it LOL!
  • Mary Ann goes around the leaf of fast food by eating her meals at home, at her own table and finds it easier to stay on plan and most of the time faster than grabbing “fast” food!
  • Kelly’s leaf was a last minute request to go sit with someone at the hospital. After walking the line of cheeseburgers, greasy cafeteria food, and mayo laden sandwiches, she went AROUND the leaf and found a quinoa and hummus wrap and a bottle of water!

 

Bravo, you did it!

 

This Week’s Topic: “Portions 101!”

Whoever coined the term “eat with your eyes” wasn’t kidding.

 

Medical Definition of Serving size

RxList

https://www.rxlist.com › serving_size › definition

Serving size: 1. The portion of food used as a reference on the nutrition label of that food.

2. The recommended portion of food to be eaten.

 

But if you’re like me you are more likely to eat with your eyes instead of your tummy. How much ice cream does it take to satisfy me? I don’t know, how big is the container and how many people am I required to share it with LOL?

Read the label

The amount of food listed on a product’s nutrition label or often found in a recipe is known as a “serving size”. The USDA sets these standards and by law, serving sizes must be based on the amount of food people typically consume and not on how much should consume. Weight Watchers uses standard serving sizes to allocate a points value to that amount of food.

Example: a standard “serving size” of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia is ⅔ of a cup and equals a whopping 20 points

 

Use your eyes

Using your eyes, your hunger level, or even past experience you may choose a specific “portion size” aka the amount you are choosing to consume at that time.

Example: a perfect scoop at a Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop is 3 oz and equals 12 points. If you decided to scoop up your B&JCG at home instead, a standard ice cream scoop serves up 4 oz or a ½ cup at 15 points. The portion is whatever amount you choose at that time and situation

 

Portion Power

Realizing that the amount you choose to consume may vary up (or down!) from the recommended amount can help you plan and stay within your points budget. 

Example: if I am home alone (no witnesses LOL) a perfect “portion” of Cherries Garcia could be a pint container or FIFTY-NINE mind blowing points because my eyes can’t let my tummy be happy until that container is empty. If I happen to be out and about and decide to enjoy a perfectly portioned Scoop Shop scoop, I am just as happy with my tiny empty cup and save 47 points in the process

 

This Week’s Homework: #PortionPower

Your homework for this week is #PortionPower We are going to spend the next 30 minutes talking about portions and that will helpfully assist with your homework for this week. I want you to find ONE food, locate its assigned “serving size” either on the container, in a recipe or on the product website and then determine what would be an appropriate “portion size” and the corresponding points for YOU. Not for me, not for her or for him, the appropriate portion for YOU.  Now DO YOUR HOMEWORK because I promise there is something in your fridge or pantry that needs to either be seen or unseen! Whatever it is let us know, I promise your decision to participate this week will help you AND someone else!  Then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!

 

Extra Credit: What’s Your Perfect Portion?

I need three volunteers!  You must be able to pay attention for the next 30 minutes, not get distracted, and answer fast so we don’t get bogged down waiting on your response. This is not a test, no grades will be assigned, I just need three opinions while we find our perfect portions!

 

Our three volunteers are Melissa, Kim, and Carol Lou! We are discussing how different everyone’s perfect portion is, and look at how different all of our answers are!

Dole Bacon Caesar Chopped Salad (Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups)

Melissa: 2 cups

Kim: 1 cup

Carol Lou: 2 cups

Me: 1/3 bag

 

JIF To-Go Peanut Butter Cups (Serving Size: 1 container / 4 Tbsp)

Melissa: 1 container

Kim: 1/2 container

Carol Lou: 1 Tbsp

Me: 1/2 container

 

Cheerios (Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups)

Melissa: a little under 1 cup

Kim: 3/4 cup

Carol Lou: 1 cup

Me: 1 cup

 

Air Popped Popcorn (Serving Size: 5 cups)

Melissa: about 2 cups

Kim: 3 cups

Carol Lou: 2 cups

Me: the whole container! (roughly 6 cups)

 

The final example tonight will keep you thinking. A medium apple is 1 serving and is 95 calories. A small apple is 77 calories. However… a large apple is 177 calories! They are all 0 pts, but the size matters. The PORTION matters. Just keep that in mind and work on your #PortionPower!

 

What’s one thing where your Perfect Portion is other than the USDA assigned serving size?  Let us know in the comments below!

 

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