This was found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
It Really Comes Down to Choices
Everything in life comes down to choices... from the attitude you choose for the day to the food you eat. Take a look at the following comparison.
1 individual Little Debbie Cake is EQUAL to all of the following foods combined:
1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange, 5 cups light popcorn, 2 slices light bread, 1 cup grapes, and 1 container of unsweetened apple sauce.
That totally amazes me.
Personally, I choose to have a great attitude each day and I choose to eat foods that will fill me up without a bojillion calories. (Most of the time anyway!)
Always consider your choices.
1 individual Little Debbie Cake is EQUAL to all of the following foods combined:
1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange, 5 cups light popcorn, 2 slices light bread, 1 cup grapes, and 1 container of unsweetened apple sauce.
That totally amazes me.
Personally, I choose to have a great attitude each day and I choose to eat foods that will fill me up without a bojillion calories. (Most of the time anyway!)
Always consider your choices.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Eight Traits of Emotional Hunger
Emotional and physical hunger can feel identical, unless you’ve learned to identify their distinguishing characteristics.
The next time you feel voraciously hungry, look for these signals that your appetite may be based on emotions
rather than true physical need. This awareness may head off an emotional overeating episode.
Source: Virtue, Doreen. Constant Craving A-Z. (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 1999).
Emotional Hunger
1. Is sudden. One minute you’re not thinking about
food, the next minute you’re starving. Your hunger
goes from 0-60 within a short period of time.
2. Is for a specific food. Your cravings are for one
specific type of food, such as chocolate, pasta, or a
cheeseburger. With emotional eating, you feel you
need to eat that particular food. No substitute will do!
3. Is "above the neck." An emotionally based
craving begins in the mouth and mind. Your mouth
wants to taste that pizza or chocolate doughnut. Your
mind whirls with thoughts about your desired food.
4. Is urgent. Emotional hunger urges you to eat
NOW to instantly ease emotional pain with food.
5. Is paired with an upsetting emotion. Your
boss yelled at you. Your child is in trouble at school.
Your spouse is in a bad mood. Emotional hunger
occurs in conjunction with an upsetting situation.
6. Involves automatic or absent-minded eating.
Emotional eating can feel as if someone else’s hand is
scooping up the ice cream and putting it into your
mouth ("automatic eating"). You may not notice that
you’ve eaten a bag of cookies (absent-mined eating).
7. Does not notice or stop eating, in response
to fullness. Emotional overeating stems from a
desire to cover up painful feelings. The person stuffs
herself to deaden her troubling emotions and will eat
second and third helpings, even though her stomach
may hurt from over-fullness.
8. Feels guilty about eating. The paradox of
emotional over eating is that the person eats to feel
better and ends up berating herself for eating
cookies, cakes, or cheeseburgers. She promises
atonements to herself ("I'll start my diet tomorrow.")
Physical Hunger
1. Is gradual. Your stomach rumbles. One hour later, it
growls. Physical hunger gives you steadily progressive clues
that it’s time to eat.
2. Is open to different foods. With physical hunger, you
may have food preferences, but they are flexible. You are
open to alternative choices.
3. Is based in the stomach. Physical hunger is
recognizable by stomach sensations. You feel gnawing,
rumbling, emptiness, and even pain in your stomach with
physical hunger.
4. Is patient. Physical hunger would prefer that you ate
soon, but doesn’t command you to eat at that instant.
5. Occurs out of physical need. Physical hunger occurs
because it has been four or five hours since your last meal.
You may experience light-headedness or low energy if overly
hungry.
6. Involves deliberate choices and awareness of the
eating. With physical hunger, you are aware of the food on
your fork, in your mouth, and in your stomach. You
consciously choose whether to eat half your sandwich or the
whole thing.
7. Stops when full. Physical hunger stems from a desire to
fuel and nourish the body. As soon as that intention is
fulfilled, the person stops eating.
8. Realizes eating is necessary. When the intent behind
eating is based in physical hunger, there¹s no guilt or shame.
The person realizes that eating, like breathing oxygen, is a
necessary behavior.
The next time you feel voraciously hungry, look for these signals that your appetite may be based on emotions
rather than true physical need. This awareness may head off an emotional overeating episode.
Source: Virtue, Doreen. Constant Craving A-Z. (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 1999).
Emotional Hunger
1. Is sudden. One minute you’re not thinking about
food, the next minute you’re starving. Your hunger
goes from 0-60 within a short period of time.
2. Is for a specific food. Your cravings are for one
specific type of food, such as chocolate, pasta, or a
cheeseburger. With emotional eating, you feel you
need to eat that particular food. No substitute will do!
3. Is "above the neck." An emotionally based
craving begins in the mouth and mind. Your mouth
wants to taste that pizza or chocolate doughnut. Your
mind whirls with thoughts about your desired food.
4. Is urgent. Emotional hunger urges you to eat
NOW to instantly ease emotional pain with food.
5. Is paired with an upsetting emotion. Your
boss yelled at you. Your child is in trouble at school.
Your spouse is in a bad mood. Emotional hunger
occurs in conjunction with an upsetting situation.
6. Involves automatic or absent-minded eating.
Emotional eating can feel as if someone else’s hand is
scooping up the ice cream and putting it into your
mouth ("automatic eating"). You may not notice that
you’ve eaten a bag of cookies (absent-mined eating).
7. Does not notice or stop eating, in response
to fullness. Emotional overeating stems from a
desire to cover up painful feelings. The person stuffs
herself to deaden her troubling emotions and will eat
second and third helpings, even though her stomach
may hurt from over-fullness.
8. Feels guilty about eating. The paradox of
emotional over eating is that the person eats to feel
better and ends up berating herself for eating
cookies, cakes, or cheeseburgers. She promises
atonements to herself ("I'll start my diet tomorrow.")
Physical Hunger
1. Is gradual. Your stomach rumbles. One hour later, it
growls. Physical hunger gives you steadily progressive clues
that it’s time to eat.
2. Is open to different foods. With physical hunger, you
may have food preferences, but they are flexible. You are
open to alternative choices.
3. Is based in the stomach. Physical hunger is
recognizable by stomach sensations. You feel gnawing,
rumbling, emptiness, and even pain in your stomach with
physical hunger.
4. Is patient. Physical hunger would prefer that you ate
soon, but doesn’t command you to eat at that instant.
5. Occurs out of physical need. Physical hunger occurs
because it has been four or five hours since your last meal.
You may experience light-headedness or low energy if overly
hungry.
6. Involves deliberate choices and awareness of the
eating. With physical hunger, you are aware of the food on
your fork, in your mouth, and in your stomach. You
consciously choose whether to eat half your sandwich or the
whole thing.
7. Stops when full. Physical hunger stems from a desire to
fuel and nourish the body. As soon as that intention is
fulfilled, the person stops eating.
8. Realizes eating is necessary. When the intent behind
eating is based in physical hunger, there¹s no guilt or shame.
The person realizes that eating, like breathing oxygen, is a
necessary behavior.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Fennel and Onion Smothered Steak
I promised I'd start posting some of my favorite WW recipes so here goes:
I normally advise you to run the other direction when you see the word "smothered" describing a food dish, but not this one! This one is very, very good and has been declared "the best 'fat' recipe you ever made" by a very reliable source. I've made it several times and it was always met with a thumbs up.
Ingredients:
3 teas olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced (I've also used fennel seeds when needed)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teas dried tarragon
3/4 teas salt
1/4 teas freshly ground pepper
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 (1/2 pound) boneless sirloin steaks, trimmed of visible fat and each cut crosswise in half
1) Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onion, garlic, tarragon, 1/4 teas of the salt, and 1/8 teas of the pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel and onion are very soft and golden, about 11 minutes. Add the broth and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2) Sprinkle the steaks with the remaining 1/2 teas salt and 1/8 teas pepper. Heat the remaining 1 teas oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the fennel mixture and cook, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the steaks are done to taste and the liquid thickens, about 1 minute for medium-rare or about 3 minutes for well done. Serve at once.
Note: Lean sirloin benefits from a shorter cooking time to stay tender. So if you prefer your steak well done, cut the sirloin into very thin slices or substitute beef tenderloin in the recipe.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (1/2 steak with about 1/4 cup fennel mixture): 206 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g fiber. Points value 5 for flex/momentum - recipe is core/all filling foods.
I normally advise you to run the other direction when you see the word "smothered" describing a food dish, but not this one! This one is very, very good and has been declared "the best 'fat' recipe you ever made" by a very reliable source. I've made it several times and it was always met with a thumbs up.
Ingredients:
3 teas olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced (I've also used fennel seeds when needed)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teas dried tarragon
3/4 teas salt
1/4 teas freshly ground pepper
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 (1/2 pound) boneless sirloin steaks, trimmed of visible fat and each cut crosswise in half
1) Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onion, garlic, tarragon, 1/4 teas of the salt, and 1/8 teas of the pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel and onion are very soft and golden, about 11 minutes. Add the broth and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2) Sprinkle the steaks with the remaining 1/2 teas salt and 1/8 teas pepper. Heat the remaining 1 teas oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the fennel mixture and cook, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the steaks are done to taste and the liquid thickens, about 1 minute for medium-rare or about 3 minutes for well done. Serve at once.
Note: Lean sirloin benefits from a shorter cooking time to stay tender. So if you prefer your steak well done, cut the sirloin into very thin slices or substitute beef tenderloin in the recipe.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (1/2 steak with about 1/4 cup fennel mixture): 206 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g fiber. Points value 5 for flex/momentum - recipe is core/all filling foods.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Filling Foods First!
I have come to realize that our food choices are SO key to managing our weight long term. I'm so glad that the WW Momentum program has finally honed in on this.
I have a news flash for you my friends, "Not all points are created equal." I can eat fruits, veggies, lean meats, fat-free dairy and whole wheat grains galore and be more filled up and satisfied than chowing down on fat and sugar laden items. For instance...we could eat one "gotta have it" ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery OR we could eat healthy, filling food for the WHOLE day! Choose your points wisely!
Okay - think of your car. Would you consider filling the gas tank with fat and sugar and expecting it to run flawlessly day after day? No Way! You fill the tank with what it needs to run well. Why would you not do the same for your body? Your body is a well-tuned machine that runs hour after hour, day after day, year after year. Doesn't it just make sense that we would fill it with great fuel (and perhaps take it out for a run/walk now and again?)
Not all points ARE created equal. Choose from FILLING FOODS FIRST and you'll definately feel more full and satisfied. This I can guarantee and promise you.
Now, as my daughter says, "Bacher out."
I have a news flash for you my friends, "Not all points are created equal." I can eat fruits, veggies, lean meats, fat-free dairy and whole wheat grains galore and be more filled up and satisfied than chowing down on fat and sugar laden items. For instance...we could eat one "gotta have it" ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery OR we could eat healthy, filling food for the WHOLE day! Choose your points wisely!
Okay - think of your car. Would you consider filling the gas tank with fat and sugar and expecting it to run flawlessly day after day? No Way! You fill the tank with what it needs to run well. Why would you not do the same for your body? Your body is a well-tuned machine that runs hour after hour, day after day, year after year. Doesn't it just make sense that we would fill it with great fuel (and perhaps take it out for a run/walk now and again?)
Not all points ARE created equal. Choose from FILLING FOODS FIRST and you'll definately feel more full and satisfied. This I can guarantee and promise you.
Now, as my daughter says, "Bacher out."
Saturday, January 3, 2009
core pancakes
Quick core tip: core pancakes
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 egg
~ 1/2 tbsp water
optional: 1 packet calorie free sweetener (e.g. stevia, natural herbal sweetener), vanilla, or spices of your choice
Mix well and fry up like a pancake! Add fresh fruit on top or just eat plain. It's not terribly low in points, but satisfying when plain oatmeal has gotten boring. You can also simply add an egg to the ww oatmeal cups - they have fruit and such added in already, and are delicious, but a little more expensive.
1 cake = 4 pts
2 cakes = 10 pts
Thanks for this entry Katie! I love it when you add posts....Patti
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 egg
~ 1/2 tbsp water
optional: 1 packet calorie free sweetener (e.g. stevia, natural herbal sweetener), vanilla, or spices of your choice
Mix well and fry up like a pancake! Add fresh fruit on top or just eat plain. It's not terribly low in points, but satisfying when plain oatmeal has gotten boring. You can also simply add an egg to the ww oatmeal cups - they have fruit and such added in already, and are delicious, but a little more expensive.
1 cake = 4 pts
2 cakes = 10 pts
Thanks for this entry Katie! I love it when you add posts....Patti
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