Weight Watchers Chat #385: “Your Activity Identity!”

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News and Reviews

  • Today is the start of the “Save A Point / Earn A Pointl!” challenge hosted by Julie over on the If You Have an Egg Facebook Group. It’s not a competition, just a great way to challenge yourself and get some extra encouragement!
  • I feel like I’m the recall recap these last few weeks. Oy Vey there are alot of them. 
    • First up, a variety of frozen waffles due to concerns about Listeria. There have been no confirmed reports of illness, but the risk was found during routine testing. These brands include but are not limited to:
      • Hannafield
      • HEB
      • Harris Teater
      • Kodiak Cakes
      • Simple Truth
      • Publix
      • Good & Gather
      • Great Value
      • The complete list can be found here
    • Next up, BrucePac continues it’s recall of ready to eat meat and poultry products to include some popular frozen and prepared meals. They have also added some products that may be served in institutional or school systems. Yikes!
      • Atkins
      • Trader Joe’s
      • Boston Market
      • Michelina’s
      • Taylor Farms
      • Home Chef
      • Find the entire list and what to do with any products you find in your freezer here

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Last week was Chat #384 “Sugar, Fiber and Carbs…Oh My!!”

Quick, when I say carbs what’s the first word that pops into your mind?

I bet the words “essential macronutrient” weren’t first on your tongue. Why should it be? Let’s dig in!

Eliminating Entire Food Groups is Not a Good Idea

There are diets that ask us to eliminate entire food groups. While it may be ok to eliminate certain forms of that food, or limit certain foods, eliminating entire nutrient groups like carbs is a really bad idea. Why?

  • Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel
  • Consuming plenty of complex carbohydrates like fruit, vegetables and whole grains could help to control weight
  • Fiber is actually a type of carbohydrate. Fiber is a complex carbohydrate found naturally in plant based foods

Your Brain on Carbs

Simple sugars like table sugar, honey, agave, maple syrup don’t offer much nutritional benefit and are less filling than fiber rich carbohydrates.

On the other hand, fiber rich carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas and lentils play many roles in your body AND your brain. Your brain’s preferred energy source is carbs. Let me say this another way, carbs are a necessary source of fuel for your brain. One more time…consuming enough good for you complex carbohydrates can reduce feelings of “brain fog”, anxiety, depression, lack of focus on and on. I don’t know about you but brain fog, anxiety, depression and a lack of focus usually makes me turn to simple sugars for a quick fix and crash. That’s a vicious cycle my brain (and subsequently my body) can do without

Let’s Focus On Fiber

So we need good carbs. Complex carbs. And fiber as we just found out is a complex carbohydrate. Ergo..if we focus on fiber we are focusing on the good carbs that our brain and our body need as an essential macronutrient. So let’s make it simple and focus on fiber. Who’s with me?

 

Your homework was #FocusOnFiber. I mean this really can’t be more simple. Simply focusing on fiber in any natural form completes your homework. No this is not a trick. Tell us ONE, just one thing you will eat this week with naturally occurring fiber and boom, homework done!

  • Deanna went straight for the hard stuff and hit up some prunes!
  • Sherry covered complex carbs, fiber AND yummy food with some salads with garbanzo beans, fruits and nuts added in!
  • Lynn added in sweet potatoes twice this week!

Bravo, you did it!

 

This Week’s Topic: “Your Activity Identity!” 

If you’re a Criminal Minds, Law & Order or even old school dragnet watcher you’ve heard the term M.O. or Modus Operandi, meaning the criminal’s distinctive patterns of behavior
mo·dus op·e·ran·di
/ˌmōdəs ˌäpəˈrandē,ˌmōdəs ˌäpəˈranˌdī/
Noun
a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established.

 

Well we’re not talking about criminals here, but when it comes to activity we have an MO. What’s yours? Let’s dig in!

This is not about exercise

Tonight’s topic is not about exercise per se. WW wanted us to “craft an activity that feels right for you”. So I decided tonight’s chat is about a distinctive pattern of behavior that gets you moving in a way that isn’t necessarily exercise

 

What’s Your MO?

Dig deep. Stop and think a little. In Sunday School we say that no matter what the question is don’t panic. The answer is always Jesus. Well I don’t want your panic Jesus! response. Really think about this. What is an MO (distinctive pattern of behavior) for you that’s not really an exercise. Crawling after toddlers? Gardening while the sun’s out? Blowing bubbles at the nursing home?

Dig a little deeper, really think!

 

What’s the MO On Your T-shirt?

Let’s pretend we are making a T-Shirt that has our activity MO on it. Mine might say “I baby hike (with a water destination)”. My friend Becky’s would be “I do all my physical therapy every day”. What’s yours?

 

This Week’s Homework: #WhatsOnYourShirt

Your homework for this week is #WhatsOnYourShirt. Sooo easy and you get to make a virtual pretend t-shirt!  Now DO YOUR HOMEWORK because I promise there is someone who needs the idea you have already rattling around in your head. 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!

 

Don’t forget to do your homework #WhatsOnYourShirt and tag me when you share on social media!

 

The Amazon Wish List is UP and I so appreciate your support. This will provide a way for us to continue testing products for you, trying out new gadgets and recipes, and refilling the IYHAE pantry since it doesn’t look like the budget cuts are budging. If you don’t already know, it costs more than $100 per week to provide this free content to you and that doesn’t include my time. Your support really does help keep us going!

Amazon Wish List can be found here:  If You Have an Egg Support Wish List

 

Extra Credit:  No Lard Instant Pot Down South Green Beans!

The recipe for these delicious green beans will be up within the next week, but let’s jump in and make some Down South Green Beans!

 

Even if you aren’t from the South, odds are that you know what lard is. But do you know what fatback is???

For anyone who doesn’t know, that is what all of the little Southern grannies saved in a coffee can on their counter. It was full of rendered animal fat like bacon and beef that was drained into the coffee can after cooking. Fatback is a little different, its the fatty cut from the back of a pig. But please don’t let that gross you out! It can be delicious, and it’ll make sense once I get into this recipe.

Becky and I had a 6 hour training with her mom “Gran” learning all of the finer points to making green beans and getting them pressure canned. We canned an ENTIRE CRATE of green beans, and we have officially graduated from the Gran School of Canning!

Step One: You gotta use good Southern green beans. White Half Runners were what my grandmother always canned, but you could also use Brown Bunch. Flat Italian Green Beans are fine, but I love White Half Runners.

Step Two: Sometimes when you make green beans… sometimes you gotta add potatoes. These are simply just green beans and potatoes, but it is a good ole Southern comfort food!

Step Three: YOU GOTTA STRING YOUR BEANS! I know there are many of you who probably never had to sit down with Memaw to string your beans. That wasn’t just quality time with Memaw. You have to string them or you will absolutely hate eating them. They are the best when they are fresh, but you gotta remember to string BOTH SIDES of your beans.

Step Four: You gotta break your beans to can them. I recommend breaking your beans into three or four pieces to get them to fit comfortably in the jar for canning.

Now if you ever watched your little Southern granny make green beans with lard/fatback, you know she was taking these yummy fresh beans and cooking them for AGES with all of this saturated fat. It tastes heavenly, but it’s probably not the best for you. So I’ve been slowly trying to find a way to get that yummy flavor without all of the fats.

I started by switching the fatback for just straight bacon. It was good, but it was still really fatty. Then I traded the bacon for beef broth… the fats were lower, but that flavor was just ok. But now… FINALLY, I am master of the instant pot and it is a game changer. So I’m going to let you in on my little secret to getting the best Down Southern green beans around!

My secret: I don’t use meat. I don’t use fat. Instead, I use a little olive oil, sometimes I use a little bone broth, and my secret ingredient… Bragg Liquid Aminos! It makes the green beans taste so similar to little old church lady beans! Throw in some potatoes and you’ve got the best little Southern comfort food.

I’ll have a detailed video on these green beans coming later this week, and you do NOT want to miss this one!

 

Would you try making Down South green beans? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

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