Newsletter - Nov 2012 for Norfolk and Bristol Counties

Quote for the Month:

“The test of a man's/woman's honesty is not in a tax return – it's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale” - Arthur C. Cook

Hey Everyone.......

          This year has just flown by and now we see ourselves past Halloween and the month of October and on to Thanksgiving and November.  Are we ready for the holidays already?  If you went to last year's Holiday Survival Workshop, pull out some of that survival information to get you through the next couple months.  This newsletter will send along some new ideas as well.  Stay focused and don't over do the eating – it's not worth it. Have a wonderful holiday season – let me know if you need anything.

INFORMATION

Chapter Visits – I am happy to say I have visited all chapters again this year – thank you all for inviting me and listening to “The Masterpiece” program.  Wear those braceletts proudly.  If you need any help or program ideas, let me know.  I went to a couple chapters talking about the Exchange program and showed how to use the cards all members received in their August/September TOPS News.  If you need help with that explaination, let me know.

Fall Rally – Most all chapters are attending Fall Rally this year – I kno wyou will all have a wonderful time.  Our own MA 212 Weymouth will be performing a skit and MA 463 Taunton will be presenting the Summer Best Losers.  I am happy we're attending AND participating.  It could be your chapter in the spring.  Keep an open mind.

Massachusetts WEB site – I wanted to share this WEB site with everyone – www.matops.com – This is a WEB site that Dave Lavigne from Western MA has set up and is maintaining for the state of Massachusetts.  Please make the time to check it out – lots of good stuff out there (along with this news letter each month).

CHAPTER CHALLENGE – How is everyone doing with the Chapter Challenge?  Will you be the winning chapter in December?  Keep focused and losing and you'll do great.  I have been sending out an extra letter each week to help keep you going – is it helping?  Let me know how you are doing.

CHAPTER IDEAS – Thanks to MA 463, Franklin for the Halloween skit – I passed it along to all chapters in October and I hope some were able to use it.  MA 38, Braintree has a special guest speaker for November 9^th (a chiropractor) if anyone is interested in attending – they welcome anyone who is interested.  Let me know if you want to go and I'll send you the chapter address, etc.  I love sharing all that you have to share – you never know who will be touched or helped with something that we share.  If anyone has anything they would like to share, please be sure to send it along – we all can use a “helping hand”.

          Speaking of The Helping Hand, a couple chapters I attended recently did not know the Helping Hand ending for chapters that we have done at inspiration workshops – there are actually two that I know of so I will repeat them here in case any chapters need it.

 

I GIVE TO YOU A HELPING HAND TO STEADY YOU WHEN YOU FALL

TO LIFT YOU UP WHEN YOU ARE DOWN

TO ENCOURAGE YOU WHEN YOU STALL

I CAN NOT DO IT ALL FOR YOU – ONLY YOU CAN LOSE THAT WEIGHT

BUT I'LL BE THERE IF YOU NEED ME – BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

AND WHEN AT LAST YOU REACH YOUR GOAL

AND BECOME AN HONORED KOPS

I'LL BE THERE TO APPLAUDE FOR YOU

AND GIVE THE CREDIT TO TOPS

 

OR YOU CAN DO THIS ONE.......

 

YOU TAKE MY HAND AND I'LL TAKE YOURS AND WE'LL START OUT TODAY

FOR A HELPING HAND IS WHAT WE NEED TO HELP US ON OUR WAY

THE WAY TO GOAL IS A LONELY ROAD WE NEED SOMEONE TO CARE

REACH OUT MY FRIEND AND TAKE MY HAND AND THEN WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

                                  INSPIRATION

AN OBSTACLE IN YOUR PATH

            In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway.  He would then hide himself and watch to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. 

            Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and couriers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for noe keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.  A peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.  Approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. 

            After much pushing and straining, he finally suceeded.  After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse laying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. 

            The peasant learned what many of us never understand.  EVERY OBSTACLE PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR CONDITION. 

            Isn't that what TOPS is all about?

 

TEN WAYS TO GET YOUR DIET BACK ON TRACK

START NOW by recommitting today
DRINK WATER like it's your job
PLAN each meal
EAT – don't make up for overeating by NOT eating
REVIT your food journal and repeat a good week
REMIND yourself how far you've come
MOVE – getyour sweat ON
DON'T let a bad week turn into a bad month
VEGETABLES are your friends
REPEAT this tomorrow

 

Low Calorie Thanksgiving Dinner

          The typical Thanksgiving dinner contains 3,000 calories, reports the American Council on Exercise.  Very few people can afford a meal with that number of calories, especially those trying to lose weight.  Celebrate your next thanksgiving with a dinner that is festive AND flavorful, but keeps caloreis under control.

APPETIZERS
          Skip the standard vegetable tray that includes carrots and celery sticks with ranch dressing.  Instead, make an elegant crudite platter with endive leaves, fennel and cauliflower.  Service with a dip made with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh rosemary and a can of white beans.  For a sit-down dinner, serve a creamy soup made with chicken broth and butternut squash flavored with pumpkin pie spice.  Eating soup before a meal can reduce your overall calorie intake by 20 percent, according to a study in thejournal “Appetite”.

TURKEY
          If you have a small gathering, cook just a turkey breast, which contains the leanest meat.  Forgo preperations that call for bacon-wrapping or basting in butter.  Instead, stuff fresh herbs and lemon slices under the skin and in the cavity.  Baste the turkey breast with chicken or turkey stock to keep the meat moist.  To save caloreis, remove the skin.  Make a saute of fresh wild mushrooms in olive oil and garlic to serve alongside your turkey instead of gravy.

SIDES
          Marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes, creamy bean casseroles and stuffing add hundreds of calories to your Thanksgiving plate.  For a low-calorie meal, serve baked sweet potato rounds spritzed with olive oil spray and sprinkled with salt and black pepper.  Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over the top after they bake to bring out their natural sweetness.  Make a classic stuffing, but use only a small amount of whole wheat bread, instead of nutritionally void white bread, and load it up with cdelery, carrots, fresh fennel, shopped apple and fresh sage and thyme sauteed in a small amount of olive oil.  Moisten with low-sodium chicken broth.  Serve two types of vegetables at least.  Try steamed green beans topped with a tablespoon or two of toasted almonds and roasted cauliflower.  Make your own low-calorie cranberry sauce by boiling cranberries until they pop with fresh orange juice and a heat-tolerant aftificial sweetener.  Whey you take your plate, fill it with the vegetables and allow only small portions of the starchier dishes.  My favorite is Asparagus – pick your favorite veggies and make sure they are on your plate.  If going out to a friend/family, volunteer to bring veggies – the more the better.

DESSERT
          Skip the pecan pie with more than 500 calories per slice and opt for pumpkin pie, instead, for just about 300 calories per slice.  Eat just the filling and save about 100 calories.  Choose to top it with 2 tbsp of whipped cream, instead of a scoop of ice cream, to take in just 16 calories versus 259 calories.

          These are just a few suggestions I found – I'm sure you have a lot yourself.  The main idea here is to make sure you are prepared to eat well and enjoy your meal.  If you are more in tune with “Intuitive Eating” (remember the book, “Eat what you love – Love what you eat”), you can focus your attention on the three points:

1.     Eat when you're hungry
2.     Stop when you're full.
3.     Eat the things you love.

          If that is the case, you may not be hungry for that appitizer before your meal, you may just have 3 oz of your favorite turkey meat (that drumstick), plenty of good, fresh vegetables and a very small slice of pecan pie.  Learn control and know that there is ALWAYS left overs to have tomorrow.  Either way, plan ahead.  You know what they say – those that fail to plan, plan to fail.  Good luck – and remember you want to lose for the chapter challenge.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (on the funny side)

I know I'm late on this joke but I thought it was a riot.......
What is a witch's favorite subject in School?     SPELLING

REMEMBER THIS ONE THING - “AN OPTIMIST IS A PERSON WHO STARTS A NEW DIET ON THANKSGIVING DAY”.  Is that you?

My Doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four.........unless there are three other people with you.  (Orson Welles)

“The Cardiologist's diet:  If it tastes good, SPIT IT OUT!!”

 

May your stuffing be tasty – may your turkey be plump
May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner stay off  of your thighs.

 

That’s it for November.  Have a great month.

 

Link to Oct 2012 Newsletter!