During Patty’s program, we made strings of beads to remind us to drink water. Keep the string by your sink or where ever you get water then slide a bead for every glass you drink.

We also discussed how to keep holiday meals healthy. Patty provided a handout, which was intended for diabetics, but is also good advice for everyone interested in eating healthfully. In the handout, there were “make over” dishes, which were dishes similar to traditional holiday dishes but with fewer carbohydrates. Some of the recipes included dishes such as green beans amandine and maple-orange sweet potatoes. The tangerine cranberry relish sounds quite tasty to me.

We also had a guide to a healthy plate: 1/2 of your plate veggies, 1/4 lean meats and 1/4 starches. Other tips for healthy holiday eating and a Healthy Holiday Eating contract were discussed.

Thanks Patty for such timely and relevant info.

Bert called the meeting to order.

Betty M. called roll: We had 18 TOPS and 1 KOPS for a total of 19. We lost 11 lbs, gained 15.5 lbs, for a net gain of 4.5 lbs. Karen was the TOPS Best Loser and Gayle was the KOPS Best Loser. The fresh weight loser will be determined at a later date. We miss you, Darcy!

Minutes were approved as read.

Announcements: Bring a non-perishable food item to the meeting 12-5-13 for our food drive.

Program: This week, we discussed the family we’re supporting for Christmas. Tammy had previously sent a note via either e-mail or snail mail with details about the family, so if you weren’t contacted, please let Tammy know.

A Wrapping/Chistmas party will be on 12-12-13. We will meet at the Health Dept. to weigh in. Tammy is going to look into getting a room at the hospital where we will wrap gifts for the family and have our party. Bring healthy snacks, everyone.

The meeting closed with prayer.

Nothing Beats Water as a Drink to Your Health

This week (10-24-13), Jennifer presented us information about the health benefits of water.

Jennifer presented a program about the health benefits of water at our 10-24-13 meeting.

Did You Know…

Jennifer told us that some interesting facts like the following:

• The human body is about 60 percent water.
• Dehydration affects many bodily processes.
• Humans can survive only about 1 week without water.
• We get only 80 percent of our water through liquids. The other 20 percent is obtained through food we eat.
• Some common causes of water loss include illness, and exercising, we as well as other factors.

TOPS 10 Reasons to Drink Water

1. Water can replace higher calorie drinks
2. Water helps suppress appetite. Sometimes we think we are hungry when we are actually thirsty.
3. Water has no fat, calories, or sugar.
4. Water is good for the heart. Some research has found that people who drink water are less likely to die from a heart attack.
5. Water keeps up our energy and mood; thus you will be more likely to exercise.
6. Water prevents headaches and migraines.
7. Water aids the digestive system.
8. Water cleans the body of toxins, which can be wastes that are natural byproducts of metabolism. The body metabolizes food more efficiently when these wastes are not present in high concentrations.
9. Water reduces the risk of several types of cancer, including colon and bladder cancer.
10. Water reduces fatigue while exercising.

How to Incorporate Water in Your Day

• Make drinking water a habit.
• Keep a water bottle with you.
• Drink water infused with fruit or other infused flavor for variety.
• Buy a filter. These can be purchase as a separate faucet on your sink or simply as a pitcher. Gallon for gallon, there is less cost and less work hauling cases of water from the store to your house.

Member Ideas

Darcy mentioned that she has a bead bracelet to remind her to drink water. During the day when she drinks water, she slides a bead. This helps her keep track of her water intake.

When Linda taught, she noticed that the students had difficulty getting enough water from the fountain at school. Thus, she would buy her students water bottles to refill.

Great job, Jennifer! You presented some important information to help us on our weight loss journey. Thanks!

Betty led us through some fun games of BINGO.

This week’s program was BINGO. Betty led us through several games, and we were all winners. Great fun, Betty!

We were all winnners at BINGO!

Jennifer talked about emotional eating.

This week, Jennifer led a discussion about emotional eating and how to overcome triggers. Often, we connect memories with eating. Jennifer shared that she connects summertime memories with popcorn jelly beans. Patty added that having after school snacks while growing up sometimes led to her eating without being hungry.

We don’t have to be a slave to our emotions.

Trigger #1: Stress

Another cause of emotional eating is stress. While sometimes, we can’t avoid stressful situations, there are strategies we can use to combat eating because of stress. Here are some examples: deep breathing, music, and time management.

Trigger #2: Sadness and Loneliness

Sadness and loneliness often lead to a depression-eating cycle. To combat these emotions, we can exercise, play with a pet (yours or someone else’s), stay connected with friends, and volunteer.

Trigger #3: Boredom

Boredom is a big trigger for many.  When grazing, we often eat mindlessly and don’t pay attention to portion sizes, calories, etc. Some ideas to avoid eating because of boredom include the following: don’t eat in front of the TV, develop a new hobby, read or join a book club, and play a game.

Whatever your trigger, remember: emotional eating can be overcome. Planning a strategy is key.

The Troll in Lelia’s Life

At our Oct. 3, 2013 meeting, Lelia talked about her “troll,” which sits on her shoulder and encourages her to do things that are not in her best interest. Some of us imagine a little devil, some call it a gremlin, but Lelia used a troll to describe that little voice that everyone has inside his or her head and sabotages our good intentions.

Lelia encouraged us to beat our “troll” at the Oct. 3 2013 meeting.

Get Back into My Pocket and Shut Up!

To combat this nasty little troll, Lelia got a troll doll with flaming orange hair. Thus, when her “troll” voice whispered in her ear, she had a tangential object to help put it back in its place. We can talk to the troll, stand up to it, and yes, beat it!

Beat the Troll

Since it’s football season, Lelia’s discussion of many of the rest of the year’s weight hazards came with grid iron strategy. As pictured above, you can see that the end of year penalty flags can come from Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas–just to name a few. We need to push the troll back deep into its own territory.

The troll can’t take away control of our game unless we give it to him.

Halloween

We discussed several strategies to push the troll back at Halloween. The troll encourages us to buy Halloween candy early and buy plenty. We suspect that the troll may not intend all the candy go to trick-o-treaters. The troll also encourages us to buy candy for our friends and co-workers, and to eat all of the leftovers. Here are some responses we have for the troll:

Linda: They are old and diabetic and shouldn’t have any, anyway.

Patty: Dump leftovers in the last trick-o-treater’s bag.

Darcy: Take it to work

Gayle: My troll has lost its voice

Tailgating

Tammy: Tell the troll to shut up or I’ll stick this carrot censored.

Lelia: I don’t have to eat high calorie food; no one will notice what I eat.

Thanksgiving/Christmas

The troll tells that we must eat some of what everyone brought, that we hate for people to go home with an empty dish, we want to try it for the recipe, and we can blow it now and try again at the first of the year. Here is what we tell the troll:

Jana: Go ahead and fill your entire plate, but don’t let any food touch.

Ali: If everyone else jumped off a bridge…

Tammy: Throw the troll off the bridge

Give leftovers to hungry people (Patty) or throw them in the trash (Ali).

Betty M.: Make lower calorie dishes

Darcy: Plan ahead

Patty: Duct tape the troll’s mouth

Darcy: Put the troll in the trunk of the car

Betty M.: [Tell the troll that] one will be enough

Lelia: I want to lose weight more than I want the fudge

As we reach the beginning of the end of year food hazards, remember: We control our own game!

GO TOPS!

This week for our program, Patty led a discussion about trying new things. Here is a recap of the discussion and what we suggested.

New things members had tried the previous week:

• Making homemade salsa
• Yoga
• Increasing fiber and decreasing sugar
• Substituting fruit for ice cream
• Walking
• Making cauliflower griddle cakes
• Making juices and smoothies
• Clean out the fridge soup

Suggestions to Curb Your Appetite Without Blowing Your Meal Plan

• Adding lime juice or salsa to make dishes taste more palatable, if you don’t like vegetables.
• Pickles
• Cottage cheese with various fruits and veggies
• Infusing water with fruits, veggies, and herbs. Try cinnamon & apples, for example.
• Exercise
• Elliptical, weight lifting, or exercising at the senior citizens’s center

Thoughts About Food Diaries

• Many don’t keep one because they are too busy
• Most who keep a food diary lose weight
• Paper vs. computer: If one doesn’t work well, try the other

Try one new form of exercise this week.
–Patty’s challenge to us this week

Patty Pappan talking about “Establishing Routines”

Patty talked about establishing routines at our Sept. 5, 2013 meeting. Patty defined a habit as something you do without having to think about it. It is important to start healthy routines to replace unhealthy ones. For example, 25 shakes of summer at Sonic might be an unhealthy routine. Jennifer suggested we replace those with fruit smoothies for a healthier alternative. (The spinach is optional.)

Why do we eat ice cream and other foods that may not be good for us? One reason, Patty said, is instant gratification. We get the sensation we are craving instantly.

Contrary to popular belief, learning about health risks doesn’t promote healthier living. For example, only 1/2 of the smokers who had a heart attack quit smoking, even though smoking is a significant risk factor. Sometimes, we feel stuck, defeated, and say to ourselves, “what the heck.”

One way to avoid this cycle is to make new habits and set goals. But, the goals must be our own, We often let other people set goals for us. Pick one good habit to introduce at a time. Work on that, and when it is routine, move on to the next.

Pick one good habit to introduce at a time.
Don’t try to start too much too soon.

• Tip: Non-Food Rewards

  • New magazine
  • Movie
  • Bubble bath
  • Others

A key in goal setting is to break large goals into small steps. For example, if you need to lose a large amount of weight, break that number into 5 lb increments. Reward yourself after accomplishing each increment (without using food).

Positive thinking and starting one new habit at a time are also keys in accomplishing goals.

Magnificent 7

7 Ways to a Healthy Lifestyle

• Eat healthfully: right food, right time, right portions.
• Be active.
• Monitor relevant health data, like blood sugar and blood pressure, if applicable.
• Be in charge of medicines you take, if any. Know their names and what they do.
• Participate with your healthcare team
• Reduce your health risk
• Use healthy ways of coping

Patty also talked about other tips to set yourself up for success. These tips include stocking your kitchen with healthy snacks like fruits and veggies and making time for new habits like exercise. Also, prepare and plan ahead, vary your routine, and reward yourself (with non-food rewards) for success. Most of all, don’t give up.

Don’t Give Up!

Thanks, Patty. You gave us some great and practical information!

Patty also mentioned that because food is so intertwined with our culture, food is often the first thing we associate with rewards. Members, can we come up with a non-food reward list? So far, we have a new magazine, movie, and bubble bath. I know we can think of more. Add your favorite non-food rewards by commenting on this post.

Jana Comer, giving an overview of the chapter blog

Chapter Blog Unveiled
At our August 29 meeting, Jana was our program speaker. She presented an overview of the new chapter blog. The blog will feature articles about programs, meeting handouts, other chapter news, and discussion forums. All members who want to register can either go to the registration page or contact Jana via the contact form. Also use the contact form for questions, comments, and suggestions.
Work in Progress
I’m really excited about the blog. I hope that it is useful, fun, and helps us through our weight loss journey. I want the group to make it their own, and I can only do that through your input. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Rhonda Bartley, Certified Life Coach

Are You Stressed?
At our Aug. 22, 2013 meeting, Rhonda Bartley, a certified holistic life coach from Fit Body Studio (Stillwater, OK), was our program speaker. She talked about bioindividuality: the idea that the same things don’t work the same with everyone’s body because we each have different metabolisms. She administered a comprehensive stress assessment to help us identify stresses that might be affecting the quality of our lives. It included identifying stresses that are self-chosen. Thanks, Kathy Albright, for bringing new ideas into our chapter!