Stressed Spelled Backward is Desserts!

     I've heard that expression, and I've used it as an excuse to eat sweets when I'm stressed.  Not a good thing to do...so why do we do it? 
     Everyone gets stressed at times.  It may be due to your job, your health, your friends, your family or even your attempt to lose weight.  Everyone deals with stress differently.  Some people withdraw.  Others lash out.  Food is sometimes chosen as a coping mechanism. 
     I have to confess; I have to be aware of how I deal with stress.  I know I can be a stress eater.  One incident that I remember well is from high school.  When I finished taking my ACT test I stopped by McDonald's.  I ordered and consumed two Big Macs, a large order of fries, an apple pie and a large Dr. Pepper.  I also stopped by Braum's and had a triple scoop ice cream cone.  All that and I didn't get sick! 
     Sitting with my parents during their illnesses while trying to take care of my other responsibilities was also stressful.  I ate "junk" food, ate out often, and rationalized, "I'm cutting my stress by not worrying about what I eat."  Finally, my health demanded I lose weight.
      How do we deal with stress in ways that are healthy?  WeightWatchers.com has a good article called "Stress Tamers". It discusses the ways stress can manifest physically, emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally.  There are good ideas to help tame stress and the article provides a few links for more details. Exercising and talking to friends are two great ways to help reduce stress.
     The American Heart Association has a detailed article titled "Four Ways to Deal with Stress." It gives examples of positive self-talk, emergency stress stoppers, ways to combat feeling stressed with doing things you like, and daily relaxation. Other information links are on the site. There are a couple of video links in the article, in case so much reading stresses you out. (smile)
     The Emergency Stress Stoppers mentioned in the article were so good, I thought they were worth listing here.  Combining these things is also recommended, depending on the situation:

• Count to 10 before you speak.
• Take three to five deep breaths.
• Walk away from the stressful situation, and say you'll handle it later.
• Go for a walk.
• Don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry" if you make a mistake.
• Set your watch five to 10 minutes ahead to avoid the stress of being late.
• Break down big problems into smaller parts. For example, answer one letter or phone call per day, instead of dealing with everything at once.
• Drive in the slow lane or avoid busy roads to help you stay calm while driving.
• Smell a rose, hug a loved one or smile at your neighbor.

(From "Four Ways to Deal with Stress" by John Hammarley)

     My personal de-stress activities:

1. Breath Prayers- This combines deep breathing with reminding me Who's really in control.  I usually breath in thinking or saying an attribute of God and then exhale with a different attribute.  I use the same two attributes for the entire time I use this method for a specific situation.  This works well for me especially at night when I have a lot on my mind and I need to get to sleep.
2. Talking through things with friends- This helps me put things in perspective and having people I love and trust with my life offer great observations and help me take a practical approach to "getting my act together."
3. Take some "ME" time- I give myself permission to take 15-30 minutes to read, bead a bracelet, take a walk in my neighborhood, or something to take my mind off of what's so stressing.  On occasion, I've actually taken an entire weekend and gone to a cabin or hotel and stayed inside reading a couple of books and sleeping.
4. Saying "NO"- This one is still difficult for me, but I am doing better.  I have to realize that just because I'm asked to do something or participate in something doesn't mean I have to do it.  It's okay to say, "No, but thanks for asking."  I don't have to give any explanation or excuse.

     So next time you feel stressed, instead of reaching for dessert, reach for you phone to talk to a friend, take a walk, or read a book!

May I Take Your Order, Please?

     Several people I've talked to said they don't eat out when they're on a diet. I'm in trouble, if that's the case!  Although I've cut back because of trying to be a better steward of my money, I still eat out at least twice a week.  The key to managing your weight and eating out is making informed, healthy choices.
     In US News and World Report there is an article titled "Diets That Let You Eat Out." I wasn't surprised to find that Weight Watchers topped the list of resturant friendly diets...even though I don't consider WW a diet plan as much as a lifestyle change.  WW does a great job of educating it's members about ways to make good choices when ordering from a menu.
    "The Restaurant Survival Guide," an article on the WW site, gives several good tips for eating out.  It also lists words on the menu to watch out for because they usually are code for "contains lots of calories." Speaking of "code," just because a menu selection has the word "salad" in it doesn't guarantee it is the best choice.  The ingredients of some salads actually push the calories (and the PPV) higher than what a steak or chicken dish may be, so be cautious.
    What do I do when I go out?  I prepare, ask questions, and use portion control.  I prepare by having a good idea of what I want to order before I go.  I will either look up the food items in my WW Dining Out Companion or will use the internet to find the info I need.  One site I use is Dotti's Weight Loss Zone's Restaurant Guide. It lists hundreds of restaurants and a large portion of their menus with the PPV already calculated.  You might want to try some of the restaurant sites; some have the nutrition listed so PPV can calculated. I know this is true for Genghis Grill and Red Robin.  Applebee's actually has some menu items that are endorsed by WW and have the PPV on the menu.
     Some people are shy about asking questions at restaurants.  Not me.  Some of the questions I ask are: "Is the 8 oz. sirloin 8 oz. before or after cooking?" (If it is before, then after you will be consuming 6 oz. of steak.)  "What exactly comes on your side salad?" (I usually ask to hold the croutons and put the dressing on the side; I will dip my fork in the dressing to eat the salad.)  After everyone at the table gets a roll, I say, "Could you please take the rest of these rolls away, and we won't be needing anymore? Thanks!" (Removing the temptation is wise for me!)
     Portion control is a challenge at restuarants.  You've probably noticed that when you get your meal you get a large amount of food...way more than the suggested serving sizes of the individual portions of food.  To try to control the portions and avoid overeating, I usually ask the server to bring a to-go box with my order.  Before I start eating, I put half of my meal in the box and set it aside to have for lunch the next day.  My only problem with this is sometimes I forget to take my box home!
     Again, you don't have to avoid eating out.  Educate yourself about healthy food choices, do a little planning, and then enjoy your meal!!!!

Frozen Chocolate Mint Dessert

If you're preparing a healthy Valentine's Day dinner, you need a healthy (or at least a "skinny downed") dessert.  Here's my pick: Weight Watcher's Frozen Chocolate Mint Dessert.

Valentine's Day...Why and What Else?

     So Tuesday is Valentine's Day.  Here's little about the history of Valentine's Day: It's thought to have originated during the time an emperor of Rome banned soldiers from marrying; he thought it was too distracting for them.  A priest by the name of Valentine defied the ban and secretly performed wedding ceremonies.  Valentine was caught and executed on...you guessed it...February 14th.  It's also traced back farther to pagan beliefs. 
    Following the Weight Watchers program and leading meetings got me to thinking, "Why do give candy, especially chocolate, on Valentine's Day?"  Surfed the web a little and learned a few things.  One is that doctors in the 1800's prescribed chocolate to their lovesick patients to calm their nerves and emotions.  So I guess chocolate is just naturally the "go to" gift to make people feel well loved.  The candy tradition is also said to be tied to Richard Cadbury who made the first Valentine's Day candy box.  Okay, so if you have to have chocolate or your Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete, let me suggest Whitman's Weight Watchers chocolate candy.

     This brings me to my next question:  What else could be given as a Valentine's Day gift in lieu of chocolate?  Having severe allergies keeps me from recommending fresh flowers.  However, a plant that will last a while with a cute, whimsical decoration stuck in the planter would be great.  What are some other alternatives?  There was a good article (Healthy Valentine's Day Candy Alternatives for Your Loved Ones) that suggested a creative fruit basket.  Time during a special planned day was another good suggestion.
     It seems that most of the gift suggestions found for Valentine's Day center around women.  There are a few gifts that I think would be appropriate for guys, also.  The two mentioned above could be enjoyed by both guys and girls.  A pair of movie tickets would also fit into the category.  How about an alternative to flower bouquets?  Try a gift card bouquet.  For the fisherman:  a lure bouquet.  For the person who loves to chew gum, fix a sugar free gum bouquet of as many different types of gum as you can find. Find out what the recipent likes, and make a bouquet to reflect it.
      Don't use Valentine's Day as an excuse to over do it on chocolate.  Exercise self control, or go for an alternative to food.  I've always thought that the gift didn't mean as much as the person giving it.  The fact that a person took the time to do something special for you says that you are loved.  You can enjoy the day and stay healthy!

Articles you might want to read about Valentine's Day:
     The History of Valentine's Day Candy
     History of Valentine's Day

Super Snacks for Super Bowl Sunday

      It's finally here. The event everyone's been waiting for...okay, not everyone.  I actually heard who was playing yesterday.  (No, I don't live under a rock.  Yes, I like football when my nephew is playing or I'm watching it with friends. No, I don't watch TV so I don't have any idea about any of the commercials.) It is the Super Bowl!  The Super Bowl is the number two food consumption holiday [unofficial holiday] in the United States; number one is Thanksgiving. A member said this at the WW meeting this morning and I thought, "I can believe it."  In the Fox News article "Super Bowl Snacks," not only are several food related statistics given, but also some healthy alternatives to typical Super Sunday Snacks.  I especially like how the article not only gives the alternatives, but also gives fat and fiber content so us Weight Watchers can have an idea of the healthier choices. (Don't forget...if you are a Weight Watcher and subscribe to etools you put the recipe in to get the PointsPlus values you need.)
     There is a snack article on ABC, "6 Smart Super Bowl Swaps," that gives additional ideas to the typical Super Bowl fare.  The article is in the men's health section of the website and focuses mainly on calories.  A word of caution here: Not all calories are created alike!  It's better to focus more on the total nutrition because its what makes those calories and how your body processes the food that determines whether you loose or gain weight...healthy and low calorie are not necessarily synonymous.
    My two favorite articles are from Weight Watchers online, and it's not just because I am a WW leader.  Both are snack article that mention things I've never tried before.  Just because it's not a "traditional" Super Bowl food doesn't mean you can't make it a part of your celebration.  Go ahead, be the one to walk on the wild side and try something different.  Check out "1 – 2 PointsPlus™ Value Snack and Meal Ideas" and "Meal and Snack Ideas for 3 or fewer PointsPlus® Values"
      Just think, now you can be snack savvy and still enjoy the party!