Judy's Jottings - March 28 - April 3

We will spend some time in our meeting this week talking about the value of having a buddy while you are trying to follow the Weight Watchers Momentum Plan.

Here's Some Info on Easter Candy......Before You Bite It, Remember to Write It!

Cadbury Caramel, (1 egg)-5.0 points
Cadbury Chocolate Creme Egg, (1 egg)-4.5 points
Cadbury Creme, (1 egg)-4.0 points
Cadbury Mini Creme Egg, (1 mini egg)-1.5 points
Cadbury's Mini Eggs (in a bag), (12 pieces)-5.0 points
Chocolate Nest Eggs, (1 egg)-1.0 points
Dove Chocolate Bunny, (1.8 oz)-3.0 points
Hershey Milk Chocolate Eggs, (7 pieces)-5.0 points
Hershey Milk Chocolate Bunny, (7 oz)-5.0 points
Hollow Chocolate Bunny (1 oz)-4.0 points
Jelly Beans, Smuckers, (24 pieces)-3.0 points
Jelly Beans, (Large) (13 pieces)-3.0 points
Marshmallow/Chocolate Egg, (1 piece)-2.0 points
Malted Milk Eggs (8 eggs)-4.0 points
Milky Way, (1 egg)-5.0 points
Nestles Baby Ruth-4.5 points
Nestles PB Mallow-3.5 points
Peanut Butter Chocolate Egg (Small 3)-5.0 points
Peeps (4)-3.0 points
Plain/Peanut M & M'S (1/4 cup)-5.0 points
Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs (1)-4.0 points
Snickers Egg, (1 egg)-4.0 points
Solid Chocolate Bunny (2 oz)-8.0 points
Suck An Egg Sucker (1 egg)-2.0 points
Sweet Tart Eggs (12 eggs)-1.0 points

Buddy Poem

When you're confused or unsure of what should you do?
You can try calling a buddy or two.
When eating decisions are getting you down,
A really good friend can get rid of that frown.
When celebrating is in order and you won't except less,
You can rely on your friends to cheer your success.
You're in great company and each week you will see,
You can always count on your Weight Watchers Family

I plan to add more as time allows for this week. In future weeks the Jottings will be done before the Sunday meeting each week.

Plateaus

I found this interesting article on plateaus that I thought might help since we discussed this in today's meeting.

Get Beyond Weight Loss Plateaus

By Jennifer May, M.S., R.D., MS

Whenever you lose weight, there's a chance that you might experience a plateau, a period when you just don't lose any weight. The reason this happens is because your body works hard to keep energy intake and output in balance. Sometimes the efforts you make to lose more weight may eventually slow down your weight loss.

Here are some tips to help you get beyond the plateau:

Understand Weight Loss - When your body loses weight it requires less energy to move. Weight training can help you increase lean body mass and help make up for the loss of calories.

Make Workout Changes - Your body gets used to your workout routine and doesn't work as hard as it did when you first started. Try adjusting the intensity, duration and/or frequency of exercise and try interval training for a boost.

Monitor Food Intake
Sometimes calories have a way of "creeping up" on us. Maybe it's a good time to review your daily food intake and see if you aren't adding unnecessary calories that you weren't aware of. Also pay special attention to restaurant meals. Make sure you are getting enough calories, especially if you are working out a lot. Sometimes when the body doesn't get enough calories it can thwart the weight loss process.

Wear a Pedometer - Think you're walking enough? Well this handy device can tell you exactly how many steps you take and make it easy for you to add in more! Aim for 10,000 steps a day.

Eliminate Stress with Yoga - A weight loss plateau can cause stress, which may cause stress eating. Research has shown that Yoga actually lowers levels of stress hormones and increases insulin sensitivity. This means that it sends signals to the body to burn calories as fuel rather than storing it as fat.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables - Produce is high-volume low-calorie fuel. Make the veggies the center of your plate instead of the meat. Start a meal with a filling dinner salad or warming bowl of broth-based soup. Have fresh fruit for desert, instead of a high-calorie treat. Filling up on fruits and veggies gives you a boost of nutrition and helps you stay away from less healthy processed food.

Most importantly, don't give up on your healthy regimen because of a weight loss plateau. Be happy that your body is working efficiently and that you're on your way to the healthiest YOU ever!

My Meeting Schedule

Saturday 8:30 @ First United Methodist Church in Watauga
Saturday 10:00 @ First United Methodist Church in Watauga

A New Venture

Today I am exploring the world of blogging. This may be a big failure, but I'm willing to look on the bright side and believe that even at my age, I can learn something new.

Trying to keep members in 13 meetings informed with my newsletter, Judy's Jottings, has become an albatross around my neck taking up way too much time. While I love having email contact with members, I think this will be a better way of conveying member achievements, challenges, recipes and up to date information about the meetings I lead.

Members will still have my email address so that they can contact me personally if needed.

I can't seem to figure out how to change the color in my title, but I'm sure I will learn how that is done.